PRESENTED  To 


OCT  I  -  1941 

BY 
AMY  REgUA  LONG 


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America's 


Successful  Men  of  Affairs 


An  Encyclopedia  of  Contemporaneous  Biography 


EDITED    BY    HENRY    HALL; 


Vol.    I. 


THE  NEW  YORK  TRIBUNE- 

1895 


E 


v 


COPYRIGHT   1895 
BY  THE  TRIBUNE  ASSOCIATION 


THE  NEW  YORK  PRINTING  CO 

THE  REPUBLIC  PRESS 


INTRODUCTION. 


This  encyclopedia  of  biographies  of  "America's  Successful  Men  of 
Affairs"  is  the  only  work  of  its  class  ever  published.  Thoroughly  national, 
covering  every  part  of  the  United  States,  it  presents  sketches  of  the  lives 
of  the  most  conspicuous  of  those  who  have  been  active  in  business  since 
the  Civil  War  and  have  attained  the  most  marked  success.  While  nearly 
all  of  the  men,  whose  biographies  appear  in  these  volumes  are  or  have 
been  persons  of  large  possessions,  they  have  not  been  included  solely  be- 
cause of  their  wealth.  Works  of  American  biography  have  so  far  dealt 
mainly  with  the  lives  of  government  officials,  clergymen,  poets,  teachers, 
soldiers,  editors,  authors,  explorers,  and  other  members  of  professions,  who 
while  accomplishing  a  great  work  and  exercising  a  useful  influence,  have 
done  comparatively  little  directly  for  the  material  welfare  of  their  fellow 
men  or  the  actual  development  of  their  country.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that 
these  works  have,  with  a  single  exception,  almost  absolutely  ignored  the 
business  men  of  the  country,  whether  living  or  dead. 

It  would  seem,  however,  as  if  the  lives  of  the  great  pioneers,  merchants, 
manufacturers,  railroad  builders  and  other  practical  men  of  a  nation  like 
America,  constituted  as  important  a  part  of  the  country's  history  as  those 
of  any  other  class.  In  the  field  of  purely  material  effort,  it  is  these  men 
who  have  brought  the  wild  lands  under  cultivation,  developed  the  mines, 
forests  and  farms,  built  the  railroads,  steamboat  lines  and  canals,  set  afloat 
and  managed  the  shipping,  organized  the  corporations,  and  introduced  the 
new  processes  in  science  and  mechanics,  which  have  so  greatly  reduced  the 
cost  and  promoted  the  comfort  of  living  while  contributing  to  the  power 
and  prestige  of  the  nation  itself.  They  have  dotted  the  surface  of  nearly 
every  State  with  manufactories  and  provided  employment,  wages  and 
homes  for  millions  of  their  countrymen.  The  great  cities  are  largely  their 
creation.  In  the  realm  of  education,  science  and  art,  these  men  are  the 
pillars  upon  which  the  whole  structure  rests.  It  is  by  them  that  the  col- 
leges, schools,  churches  and  philanthropic  institutions  are  built  and  main- 
tained. They  found  the  great  museums,  provide  the  means  for  monu- 
ments, statues,  libraries,  reading  rooms  and  researches  in  science,  publish 
the  books,  buy  the  paintings,  pay  the  larger  part  of  the  taxes,  sustain  the 
political  campaigns,  and  in  general  provide  the  subsistence  and  a  stage  for 
the  activities  of  the  whole  aggregation  of  other  men,  to  whose  lives  exist- 
ing works  of  biography  are  generally  devoted. 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


The  failure  to  consider  the  lives  of  men  of  affairs  as  of  historical  im- 
portance is  a  curious  feature  of  a  great  many  otherwise  excellent  volumes 
of  biography.  It  is  to  remedy,  in  a  measure,  a  serious  omission  in  the 
literature  of  the  times  that  this  compilation  has  been  undertaken. 

The  majority  of  men  whose  lives  are  presented  in  this  work  are  yet 
active  in  affairs.  These  volumes  are,  therefore,  almost  wholly  devoted  to 
contemporary  biography.  In  this  respect  they  are  unique.  When  John  F. 
Slater,  Daniel  Hand  and  Seth  Low  each  gave  $1,000,000  to  the  cause  of 
education,  and  John  D.  Rockefeller  and  Daniel  B.  Fayerweather  gave  yet 
larger  sums,  existing  works  could  be  searched  in  vain  for  the  story  of  their 
lives.  From  time  to  time,  the  attention  and  gratitude  of  the  people  of 
America  are  powerfully  awakened  by  the  princely  gift,  personal  achieve- 
ment or  public  spirited  labors  of  some  fellow  citizen,  whose  name  may  pos- 
sibly be  known  outside  of  the  circle  of  his  immediate  acquaintance  but  of 
whose  career  there  is  no  public  record.  A  laudable  curiosity  is  felt  in  such 
a  case  concerning  the  new  benefactor  of  his  race.  It  is  hoped  that  the 
present  work  will  meet  in  this  respect  a  public  want. 

The  biographies  of  prominent  business  men  are  of  general  interest. 
All  are  full  of  instruction,  some  are  replete  with  romance.  One  fact  to 
which  they  call  renewed  attention  is  that  the  vast  majority  of  successful 
men  have  made  their  own  way  in  life,  beginning  with  no  capital  beyond 
their  own  good  health,  sound  common  sense  and  weekly  wages  in  the  store, 
shop,  mine,  or  mill,  or  on  the  farm  or  railroad;  They  illustrate  the  encour- 
aging fact  that  America  is  a  land  in  which  a  man  can  start  from  the  lowest 
level  of  poverty  and  obscurity  and  rise,  honestly,  by  his  own  exertions,  to 
influence  and  fortune,  if  he  is  capable  of  self  sacrifice,  untiring  labor  and 
intelligent  effort.  Men  born  upon  the  farm  or  in  the  country  village, 
orphaned  when  young,  compelled  to  face  the  hardships  of  existence  while 
not  yet  of  age,  and  forced  into  the  arena  with  no  other  education  than  that 
of  the  country  school,  have  been  able  to  educate  themselves,  to  initiate 
great  movements,  found  institutions  of  learning  and  charity,  exercise  a 
beneficent  influence  in  the  highest  social  circles,  and  sway  the  destinies  of 
a  people  by  their  talents  in  the  field  of  practical  affairs.  These  biographies 
should  teach  a  lesson  of  courage  and  hope  to  all  young  men  who  are  start- 
ing in  life  under  inauspicious  circumstances. 

Volume  I.  is  devoted  to  that  cluster  of  communities  known  popularly 
under  the  name  of  the  Greater  New  York. 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 


THE  CITY  OF  NEW  YORK. 


HENRY  EUGENE  ABBEY,  dramatic  manager,  descends  from  Connecticut  ancestry, 
and  was  born  in  Akron,  O. ,  June  27,  1846.  A  student  in  the  public  schools  of  Akron 
during  boyhood,  he  began  life  as  clerk  in  his  father's  jewelry  store.  He  rose  to 
partnership,  and  in  1873,  succeeded  to  the  business.  In  1869,  he  leased  the  Akron 
Theatre,  which  he  managed  with  so  much  success,  that  in  1876  he  leased  the  Park 
Theatre  in  New  York  city,  and  from  that  time  forward  devoted  his  energies  entirely 
to  dramatic  affairs.  He  is  now  the  manager  of  Abbey's  Theatre,  at  1402  Broadway, 
and  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  1415  Broadway,  and,  in  Boston,  of  the  Tremont 
Theatre.  Mr.  Abbey  was  married  in  1876  to  Miss  Kate  Kingsley  of  Northampton, 
Mass.,  who  died  in  1883.  In  1886,  he  married  Florence  Gerard  of  Boston.  His  one 
daughter  is  Kate  Kingsland  Abbey.  Mr.  Abbey  has  been  elected  to  membership  in 
the  New  York,  Manhattan,  New  York  Yacht  and  Larchmont  Yacht  clubs,  and  the 
Ohio  Society. 

ABRAHAM  ABRAHAfl,  a  leading  dry  goods  merchant  of  Brooklyn,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  March  9,  1843.  His  father,  Judah  Abraham,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  one  of 
the  earliest  German  settlers  in  this  city,  emigrated  hither  in  1835.  The  young  man 
learned  the  dry  goods  trade  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  as  an  apprentice,  beginning  at  the  age 
of  fourteen.  Later  he  aided  his  father  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  store,  and  then  in  1865 
formed  a  partnership  with  Joseph  Wechsler,  under  the  title  of  Wechsler  &  Abraham, 
and  started  a  small  retail  dry  goods  store  on  Fulton  street  in  Brooklyn,  with  a  few 
employes.  The  partners  were  practical  and  extremely  industrious,  and  their  success 
led  to  repeated  enlargements,  culminating  in  the  erection  of  a  large  store  at  422  Fulton 
street.  The  interest  of  Mr.  Wechsler  was  finally  bought  by  Nathan  and  Isidor  Straus, 
and  Mr.  Abraham  became  senior  partner  of  the  present  firm  of  Abraham  &  Straus. 
He  is  an  excellent  merchant  and  his  store  is  now  the  leading  bazaar  of  Brooklyn, 
employing  more  than  2,000  persons,  and  covering  about  thirty  city  lots.  A  large  addi- 
tion is  now  contemplated.  Mr.  Abraham  is  married  and  has  four  children,  three  girls 


6  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

and  one  boy.  He  is  president  of  Temple  Israel,  vice-president  of  the  Hebrew  Orphan 
Asylum,  Brooklyn,  and  director  in  The  Brooklyn  Society  for  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Children,  The  Kings  County  Trust  Co.  and  The  Long  Island  Bank,  and  member  of 
Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New  York,  the  Union  League,  Brooklyn,  Oxford,  and  Law- 
rence clubs  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  Harmonic  club  of  New  York,  as  well  as  of  numerous 
charitable  and  other  societies  in  both  cities. 

DAVID  DEPEYSTER  ACKER,  founder  and  head  of  the  house  of  Acker,  Merrall  & 
Condit,  merchants  of  fine  groceries,  one  of  the  most  active,  capable  and  energetic  men 
of  his  day  and  an  excellent  representative  of  the  last  generation  of  the  "merchant 
princes"  of  New  York,  was  born  in  Bergen  county,  N.  J.,  June  13,  1822,  and  died 
March  23,  1888.  Successful  in  his  plans,  the  soul  of  honor  in  every  transaction,  kindly 
in  every  impulse,  and  unassuming  in  manner,  his  long  and  honorable  record  was  free 
from  the  slightest  blemish,  and  he  won  the  unqualified  respect  of  all  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact. 

He  was  fortunate  enough  to  be  the  son  of  a  farmer,  and  in  the  healthful  open  air 
life  of  the  country  he  gained,  during  his  boyhood  days,  the  vigorous  health  which  fitted 
him  for  the  arduous  labors  of  later  life.  He  was  of  Dutch  descent,  his  ancestors  having 
emigrated  to  America  in  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  The  family 
possessed  high  character  but  their  means  were  limited,  and  David  was  compelled  to 
face  the  stern  realities  of  life  at  an  unusually  early  age.  He  came  to  New  York  city 
in  1833  seeking  employment,  and  found  it  in  the  little  old  store  of  T.  &  A.  S.  Hope, 
afterwards  Thomas  Hope  &  Co.,  grocers,  who  then  occupied  the  first  floor  and  base- 
ment of  the  Franklin  House,  on  the  corner  of  Chambers  street  and  College  Place.  At 
that  period  the  homes  of  many  cultivated  people  occupied  the  streets  adjacent  to  this 
corner,  and  the  brothers  Hope  enjoyed  a  large  trade  among  the  highest  class  of  patrons. 
Their  new  clerk,  even  in  the  first  years  of  his  connection  with  the  house,  gave  promise 
of  future  usefulness  He  was  honest,  thorough,  attentive  to  details,  and  obliging,  and 
soon  rose  into  the  confidence  of  the  firm.  He  remained  with  the  house  for  twenty-four 
years,  and  became  intimately  identified  with  its  business,  and  in  time  practically  the 
manager.  His  opportunity  came  in  1857,  when  the  senior  partner  retired.  Mr.  Hope 
transferred  to  Mr.  Acker  the  business,  which  the  latter  had  done  so  much  to  build  up, ' 
taking  his  promises  to  pay,  and  Mr.  Acker,  in  partnership  with  William  J.  Merrall  and 
John  W.  Condit,  both  of  whom  had  been  his  fellow  clerks  in  the  old  firm,  now  organ- 
ized the  new  house  of  Acker,  Merrall  &  Condit,  which  under  the  management  of  the 
head  of  the  concern,  entered  upon  a  career  of  great  prosperity.  Mr.  Acker  was  the 
inspiring  element  from  the  first.  While  the  business  was  systematized  and  divided  into 
departments,  Mr.  Acker  pervaded  every  part  of  the  store  and  directed  all  of  the  firm's 
operations. 

In  1867,  under  the  firm  name  of  Acker,  Edgar  &  Co.,  a  branch  store  was  opened 
in  Yonkers  on  the  Hudson,  with  a  local  partner,  an  undertaking,  which,  in  part,  grew 
-  out  of  the  annual  exodus  of  society  from  New  York  city  to  summer  homes  along  the 
Hudson  river.  In  1871,  the  up  town  movement  of  population  in  the  city  led  the 
firm  to  establish  a  local  branch  at  No.  1,472  Broadway,  on  the  corner  of  42d  street. 
Another  large  store  was  also  opened  at  No.  1010  Sixth  avenue,  each  one  supplying  a 
special  part  of  the  best  residence  section  of  the  city  with  the  finest  class  of  groceries. 
Both  to  ensure  the  excellence  of  their  goods  and  to  be  in  a  position  to  take  proper 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AC.  7 

advantage  of  the  markets,  Mr.  Acker  established  a  purchasing  agency  in  Paris  in  1874. 
These  were  all  judicious  ventures  and  every  one  of  them  was  prospered. 

The  growth  of  the  business  finally  compelled  Mr.  Acker  to  enlarge  the  wholesale 
store  down  town,  and  in  1887  the  old  building  on  Chambers  street  was  reinforced  with 
the  addition  of  another  twice  its  size.  The  firm  were  then  employing  300  men,  125 
horses,  and  60  wagons  in  their  flourishing  trade. 

For  many  years,  Mr.  Acker  was  a  prominent  figure  among  the  guests  at  Saratoga. 
He  visited  the  springs  every  summer.  He  was  always  fond  of  the  country,  and  he 
spent  every  spring  and  fall  at  his  beautiful  country  seat  of  Fairlawn,  near  Paterson, 
N.  J.  During  the  last  few  years  of  his  life,  he  spent  the  month  of  March  in  Florida. 

While  taking  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  he  was  never  allured  by  public  posi- 
tion, and  he  refused  positively  to  accept  a  nomination  for  Congress,  which  was  once 
tendered  him  by  his  neighbors  in  New  Jersey. 

Although  closely  devoted  to  the  business  of  his  firm,  he  found  time  to  participate 
in  the  management  of  The  National  Exchange  Bank,  of  which  he  was  vice-president, 
and  he  was  an  interested  member  of  the  Produce  Exchange  and  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. He  also  belonged  to  The  Holland  Society,  deriving  his  eligibility  from  his 
ancestry.  He  was  a  devoted  Episcopalian,  and  attended  worship  regularly  at  St. 
Thomas's  church  in  New  York  and  St.  Paul's  church  in  Paterson.  He  died  March  23, 
1888,  leaving  his  large  fortune  to  his  wife  and  seven  children.  Two  of  them,  Charles 
L.  Acker  and  Franklin  Acker  were  at  the  time  members  of  the  firm. — His  son, 
CHARLES  LIVINGSTON  ACKER,  born  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  13,  1846,  died  here  May 
26,  1891.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  promise,  received  a  sound  education,  and 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  entered  the  wholesale  and  retail  grocery  store  of  Acker, 
Merrall  &  Condit.  A  thorough  apprenticeship  made  him  a  good  merchant,  and 
when  he  attained  his  majority  he  became  junior  partner  in  the  firm.  When  the  branch 
store  on  Broadway  at  the  corner  of  42d  street  was  opened  in  1869,  he  was  placed  in 
entire  charge  thereof.  Of  sturdy  physique  and  exceptionally  good  health,  he  succeeded 
in  his  management  and  had  never  been  detained  from  business«a  single  day  on  account 
of  sickness  until  he  contracted  the  malady  which  ended  his  life.  Sept.  2,  1868,  he  was 
married  to  Helena,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  James  J.  Brinkerhoff,  of  New  Jersey,  and  left 
a  son,  Charles  L.  Acker,  Jr.,  and  three  daughters.  He  was  vice-president  of  The 
Hudson  River  Bank,  treasurer  of  several  other  corporations,  and  member  of  The 
Holland  Society. — FRANKLIN  ACKER,  merchant,  son  of  the  late  David  D.  Acker,  born 
in  New  York  city,  Feb.  16,  1853,  received  his  education  at  the  public  schools  and  in 
Weston,  Conn.  He  first  engaged  in  business  in  1870,  with  Acker,  Merrall  &  Condit, 
and  having  mastered  thoroughly  every  detail  of  the  business,  became  a  member  of  the 
firm  in  1888.  In  1892  his  interest  was  sold  to  W.  J.  Merrall.  Nov.  12,  1884,  Mr.  Acker 
married  Emma,  daughter  of  ex-State  Senator  James  J.  Brinkerhoff,  of  New  Jersey.  His 
family  consists  of  two  sons,  David  D.  and  Irving  Fairchild  Acker.  He  is  a  director  of 
The  David  D.  Acker  Co.  of  this  city  and  The  Fiberite  Co.  of  Mechanicville,  N.  Y.,  and 
a  member  of  The  Holland  Society  and  Colonial  and  Hardware  clubs. 

WARREN  ACKERMAN,  manufacturer,  born  in  1826,  died  in  Scotch  Plains,  N.  J., 
Aug.  26,  1893.  He  began  life  modestly,  possessed  of  sound  character,  a  clear  head, 
and  a  worthy  desire  to  succeed.  During  the  Civil  War  he  sold  rubber  goods,  and  filled 
some  profitable  contracts  for  the  Government.  Later  he  became  interested  in  the 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

manufacture  of  hydraulic  cement,  as  president  and  principal  stockholder  of  The  Law- 
renceville  Cement  Co.  In  1876,  he  married  a  daughter  of  Isaac  L.  Platt,  one  of  the 
founders  of  The  Chemical  National  Bank.  He  retired  from  business  several  years 
before  his  death,  and  devoted  his  time  to  a  large  estate,  which  included  the  beautiful 
Glenside  Park,  or  Feltville. 

EDWARD  DEAN  ADAHS,  banker,  a  man  of  special  gifts  and  remarkable  power  of 
organization,  was  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  April  9,  1846.  His  father,  Adoniram  Judson 
Adams,  a  merchant,  sprang  from  Puritan  ancestry.  Edward  began  his  education  as  a 
student  at  Chauncey  Hall  in  Boston,  and  fitted  there  for  college.  He  graduated  from 
Norwich  University  in  Northfield,  Vt.,  in  the  class  of  1864,  with  the  degree  of 
Bachelor  of  Science,  and  added  to  the  scholarly  equipment  thus  attained  by  two  years 
mainly  spent  in  travel  in  Europe.  Possessing  excellent  powers  of  observation  and  a 
studious  and  retentive  mind,  Mr.  Adams  gained  greatly  by  these  travels;  and  the 
knowledge  thus  acquired  has  since  been  regularly  and  extensively  cultivated  by  travel 
in  later  years  both  abroad  and  to  all  parts  of  North  America,  more  particularly  in  the 
United  States,  with  all  sections  of  which  Mr.  Adams  is  now  intimately  acqiiainted 

The  young  man  wished  to  become  a  banker,  and  gained  his  first  lessons  in  the 
requirements  of  this  occupation  by  service,  from  1866  to  1870,  as  bookkeeper  and 
cashier  for  a  Boston  firm  of  bankers  and  brokers.  In  1870  he  assisted  in  organizing 
the  banking  house  of  Richardson,  Hill  &  Co. ,  of  Boston,  which  is  yet  in  existence  and 
has  always  enjoyed  a  high  repute.  He  remained  a  partner  until  1878.  He  then 
removed  to  New  York  city  to  accept  a  partnership  in  the  old  banking  house  of  Wins- 
low,  Lanier  &  Co.,  famous  for  conservative  and  honorable  methods  and  its  relations 
with  important  corporate  interests.  He  was  successfully  occupied  with  the  financial 
operations  of  this  house  until  1893,  when  he  retired  to  devote  his  time  to  various  large 
properties,  in  which  in  the  meantime  he  had  become  deeply  interested.  During  the 
fifteen  years  of  his  partnership  in  Messrs.  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co. ,  he  participated  in 
many  of  the  government,  railway  and  municipal  negotiations  of  that  active  period. 
He  was  especially  occupied  with  construction  and  reorganization  enterprises,  into  all  of 
which  his  personality  entered  as  a  moving  and  controlling  factor,  and  for  which  he  was 
responsible.  Some  of  the  more  noteworthy  of  these  may  be  referred  to. 

In  1882-83,  ne  organized  The  Northern  Pacific  Terminal  Co.,  was  elected  president 
thereof,  provided  the  funds  and  constructed  the  terminal  plant  in  Portland,  Oregon, 
which  was  afterwards  successfully  leased  to  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  and  other 
companies. 

In  1883,  he  organized  The  St.  Paul  &  Northern  Pacific  Railway  Co.,  provided  the 
capital,  and,  as  vice-president,  supervised  the  acquisition  and  construction  of  the  ter- 
minal facilities  at  Minneapolis  and  Saint  Paul,  now  leased  to  the  Northern  Pacific  Rail- 
road Co. 

In  1885,  he  organized  and  constructed  The  New  Jersey  Junction  Railroad  Co.,  now 
leased  to  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad  Co. 

The  same  year,  he  prepared  a  plan  for  the  reorganization  of  The  New  York,  West 
Shore  &  Buffalo  Railway,  The  New  York,  Ontario  &  Western  Railway,  and  The  West 
Shore  &  Ontario  Terminal  Co.,  and  their  allied  properties,  which  plan  was  carried  out 
in  1886,  with  hardly  any  variation  from  the  programme  as  first  submitted  by  him  to 
Messrs.  Morgan  and  Vanderbilt  in  1885.  The  efficiency  of  his  services  in  this  undertak- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AD.  9 

ing  was  officially  recognized  by  The  New  York  Central  Railroad  Co.  He  received  a 
graceful  letter  of  thanks  from  Mr.  Depew,  president  of  The  New  York  Central ;  and 
Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.,  in  their  circular  to  The  West  Shore  bond-holders,  made  special 
acknowledgment  to  Edward  D.  Adams,  "who,  for  nearly  a  year  past,  has  devoted 
almost  his  whole  time  to  perfecting  and  carrying  out  the  plan  which  has  resulted  in 
entire  success.  But  for  his  activity  and  valued  assistance,  based  on  information  which 
he  alone  possessed,  the  difficulties  of  the  situation  would  have  been  greatly  enhanced." 
T.  Pierpont  Morgan  also  made  a  generous  and  manly  acknowledgment  upon  the  success 
of  the  great  work  in  reorganizing  The  West  Shore  Railroad,  which  he  declared  due  to 
the  special  knowledge  and  personal  devotion  of  Mr.  Adams. 

The  rescue  of  The  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey  in  1887  from  its  receivership 
was  accomplished  upon  a  plan,  conceived  by  Mr.  Adams  and  worked  out  by  him  with 
infinite  care  and  close  regard  for  all  the  interests  involved,  as  chairman  of  its  Finance 
Committee. 

Modest,  caring  nothing  for  public  recognition,  but  delighting  in  the  solution  of 
intricate  problems  and  the  successful  execution  of  carefully  concerted  plans,  Mr.  Adams 
brings  to  labors  of  this  class  a  power  of  analysis,  specially  his  own,  and  an  energy  and 
capacity  for  work,  which  bear  the  unmistakable  stamp  of  genius. 

In  1888,  he  rendered  an  important  service  to  The  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad 
in  the  marketing  of  the  new  bonds  of  the  company.  The  financial  world  places  so  much 
reliance  in  the  judgment  and  integrity  of  Mr.  Adams  that  in  an  enterprise  like  this,  he 
succeeds  where  others  are  likely  to  fail.  The  directors  of  the  company  expressed  their 
gratitude  to  Mr.  Adams  for  the  service  he  had  performed  in  their  behalf,  by  a  special 
and  expressive  resolution  of  thanks. 

In  1890  he  undertook  a  work,  which  gave  new  proof  of  his  abilities.  The 
American  Cotton  Oil  Trust  was  then  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy.  Mr.  Adams  entered 
upon  a  close,  careful  and  extended  investigation,  and,  as  a  result,  reorganized  the  com- 
pany upon  lines  laid  down  and  through  channels  and  men  selected  by  himself.  He  has 
enforced  a  severely  economical  administration  and  placed  in  positions  of  responsibility 
the  men  best  fitted  for  their  respective  duties  by  natural  gifts  and  experience,  and  con- 
tinues to  this  date  to  direct  the  business  of  the  organization  as  chairman  of  the  board  of 
directors..  He  exercises  a  daily  scrutiny  of  the  smallest  details,  and  has  rescued  the 
company,  by  his  energetic  and  untiring  labors,  from  the  calamities  which  threatened  to 
engulf  it  in  ruin. 

The  Cataract  Construction  Co. ,  at  Niagara  Falls,  has  been  fortunate  in  enlisting 
his  co-operation.  Of  the  two  great  engineering  works  of  the  present  age,  which,  while 
practicable,  are  tasks  of  difficulty,  and  which  are  destined  to  bring  a  distinct  fame  to 
those  who  achieve  them,  one  is  the  utilization  of  the  enormous  water  power  of  Niagara 
Falls  for  the  purposes  of  productive  industry.  In  1890,  Mr.  Adams  was  elected 
president  of  the  company,  which  is  developing  the  water  power  of  Niagara,  and  has 
successfully  directed  the  engineering  operations  there  to  the  present  moment.  The 
Bachelor  of  Science  has  in  this  enterprise  shown  himself  a  master  not  only  of  science 
but  of  finance. 

In  1893,  he  accepted  the  proposals  of  a  group  of  German  bankers  to  represent 
their  interests  in  America,  and  formed  the  Reorganization  Committee  of  The  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  Co. ,  of  which  committee  he  is  chairman.  The  fact  that  Mr.  Adams 


10  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

has  accepted  a  responsible  relation  with  a  scheme  of  this  class  at  once  gains  the  public 
attention,  inspires  confidence  in  the  property,  and  supplies  a  guarantee  of  success. 

Mr.  Adams  is  now  occupied  as  chairman  of  the  directors  of  The  American  Cotton 

011  Co.,  and  president  of  its  most  important  allied  organizations;  president  of  The  Cat- 
aract Construction  Co.,  and  its  associate  corporations;  vice-president  of  The  Central  & 
South  American  Telegraph  Co.,  and  director  of  The  West  Shore  Railroad  and  The 
Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey  and  its  subordinate  companies. 

He  is  very  happy  in  his  family  life.  His  wife  is  Fannie  A.,  daughter  of  William 
E.  Gutterson  of  Boston,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1872.  His  children  are  Ernest 
Kempton  Adams,  now  an  engineering  student  in  Yale  University,  and  Ruth,  a  young 
daughter. 

A  gentleman  of  cultivated  mind  and  agreeable  manners,  well  informed,  and  of 
spotless  integrity,  he  is  as  much  respected  in  the  social  world  as  in  financial  circles.  His 
resources  for  diversion  are  indicated  by  the  following  positions  that  he  holds :  Fellow 
in  Perpetuity  of  the  National  Academy  of  Design;  patron  (with  right  of  succession  in 
perpetuity)  of  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History;  trustee  of  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  and  the  Gift  Fund  of  The  American  Fine  Arts  Society;  and  fellow  of 
The  American  Society  of  Civil  Engineers.  He  is  also  a  member  of  many  of  the  lead- 
ing clubs,  including  the  Metropolitan,  City,  Union  League,  Players',  Lawyers',  Tuxedo, 
Riding  and  Grolier,  The  New  England  Society  of  this  city  and  the  Chicago  club  of 
Chicago. 

GEORGE  TOWNSEND  ADEE,  merchant  and  banker,  was  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y., 
April  7,  1804,  and  died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  20,  1884.  He  was  of  English-French 
descent  and  son  of  William  Adee,  of  Westchester.  His  mother  was  Clarissa  Townsend 
of  Albany.  His  great-grandfather,  John  Adee,  came  from  England  to  Providence 
Plantations  in  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  thence  to  Portchester,  in 
Westchester  county,  N.  Y. 

George  Townsend  Adee's  education  was  gained  at  private  schools  in  Portchester, 
N.  Y. ,  and  Fairfield,  Conn.,  and  at  an  early  age  he  began  his  business  career  in  the  old 
firm  of  Adee,  Timpson  &  Co.,  of  Pearl  street,  New  York,  of  which  firm  his  father 
was  senior  partner.  There  his  close,  steady  attention  to  the  firm's  affairs,  his  natural 
aptitude,  broad  views,  probity  and  good  judgment  soon  made  him  a  partner.  In  due  ' 
time,  he  took  his  father's  place  as  head  of  the  firm  and  remained  an  active  member 
until  1850. 

In  1844  he  married  Ellen  Louise,  daughter  of  Philip  Henry,  merchant,  of  New 
York,  a  veteran  of  the  war  of  1812,  whose  son,  Joshua  Henry,  was  the  senior  of  the 
>•  firm  of  Henrys,  Smith  &  Townsend,  a  leading  dry  goods  house  transacting  a  large  bus- 
iness North  and  South  before  the  war  of  the  Rebellion. 

Mr.  Adee's  family,  for  several  generations,  had  been  residents  of  Westchester 
county,  N.  Y. ,  his  father's  homestead  being  now  the  centre  of  Westchester  town.  In 
1851  he  purchased  the  country  seat  of  Edward  Le  Roy  on  Throggs  Neck,  Westchester, 
where  he  dwelt  until  his  death  and  where  his  family  yet  reside.  Here,  on  the  border  of 
Long  Island  Sound,  was  his  chief  relaxation  from  business  cares.  In  quiet  retirement, 
surrounded  by  his  family,  he  indulged  his  taste  for  rural  life,  enjoying  especially  the 
culture  of  trees,  fruit  and  flowers.  Dignified,  serene  and  amiable,  he  commanded  the 
respect,  admiration  and  regard  of  that  community  particularly.  Always  ready  to  sue- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AD.  II 

cor  his  neighbors  with  sound  advice,  he  contributed  freely  to  all  worthy  objects,  and 
lending  his  strong  support  to  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  Church  of  Westchester,  of  which  he 
was  a  member  and  for  many  years  a  vestryman,  and  in  whose  ancient  church  yard  his 
remains  and  those  of  his  ancestors  now  lie. 

His  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  Ellen  Louise,  and  six  children,  George  A.,  Clarissa 
Townsend,  wife  of  M.  Dwight  Collier,  Philip  H.,  Frederic  W.,  Edwin  M.  and  Ernest 
R.  Adee.  All  of  his  sons  and  his  son-in-law  were  graduated  at  Yale  College. 

In  1842  Mr.  Adee  became  a  director  of  the  Bank  of  Commerce,  in  New  York, 
and  afterward,  for  ten  years,  its  vice-president,  and  much  of  that  time  its  acting  presi- 
dent. He  was  also  a  founder  and  one  of  the  directors  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assuralice 
Society,  the  United  States  Trust  Co.  and  The  Republic  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  he  held 
and  administered  many  arduous  private  trusts  with  unvarying  fidelity  and  success,  and 
greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the  beneficiaries.  His  good  citizenship,  his  unswerving 
patriotism  and  devotion  to  the  government  and  to  the  Union  cause  during  the  Rebellion 
were  notable.  The  exceptional  success,  at  the  time,  of  the  great  hospital  for  wounded 
soldiers  at  Fort  Schuyler,  on  Throggs  Neck,  was  due  as  much  to  Mr.  Adee's  efforts  as 
to  those  of  any  one  citizen,  and  his  advice,  on  more  than  one  occasion  during  the 
Rebellion,  was  sought  and  received  by  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York  and  the 
Secretary  of  the  United  States  Treasury. 

After  his  withdrawal  from  commercial  business,  Mr.  Adee  became,  even  more  than 
before,  active,  useful  and  prominent  in  regard  to  the  great  financial  affairs  of  the  city 
and  of  the  nation.  His  high  personal  character,  his  large  experience  and  remarkably 
cool,  clear  and  sound  judgment  gave  to  his  opinions  great  weight  and  influence,  so 
that,  not  only  by  the  monied  institutions  with  which  he  was  connected,  but  by  officers 
of  the  Government  and  by  financiers  in  other  cities  of  this  country  and  in  England,  his 
opinion  and  advice  were  highly  valued.  For  several  years  before  his  death,  he  was  at 
his  business  office  at  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  daily,  and  entered  it  in  his  usual 
good  health  on  the  day  of  his  death.  His  wife  and  six  children  survive  him. 

Mr.  Adee  was  a  gentleman  of  refined,  kindly  and  courteous  manner,  of  dignified 
bearing,  and  of  commanding  influence.  He  was  long  and  most  highly  esteemed  by  a 
large  circle  of  social  and  business  friends,  among  whom  his  name  was  a  synonym  for 
honor  and  integrity. 

niCHAEL  JOSEPH  ADRIAN,  cigar  manufacturer,  was  born  in  June,  1826,  at  Klin- 
genberg  on  the  Main,  Bavaria.  He  was  educated  in  his  native  village  and  in  the  night 
schools  of  New  York  city.  As  an  apprentice,  after  his  arrival  in  this  city  in  1840,  he 
learned  to  make  cigars,  and  later  bought  his  employer's  business  for  §100,000.  Until 
1865  he  remained  at  the  corner  of  Division  and  Gouverneur  streets,  and  then  removed 
to  472  Grand  street.  As  soon  as  he  had  made  sufficient  savings,  Mr.  Adrian  began 
buying  unimproved  local  land  and  building  thereon,  and  has  been  successful  in  a  field 
in  which  many  others  have  failed.  He  foresaw  the  real  estate  panic,  which  began  in 
1870,  and  met  it  with  prudence  and  advantage  to  himself.  Some  of  his  friends  laughed 
at  his  predictions  and  were  ruined  by  their  real  estate  speculations.  He  is  now  a  large 
owner  of  excellent  realty.  Since  its  organization,  he  has  been  president  of  The  Ger- 
man Exchange  Bank,  one  of  the  soundest  of  local  financial  institutions,  having  a  sur- 
plus three  times  as  great  as  its  capital.  Mr.  Adrian  is  the  father  of  six  children, 
Charles  L.,  George  S.,  Joseph  M.,  Arnoa  M.,  Marie  M.,  and  Frank  L.  Adrian. 


12  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

FREDERIC  KIRKHAfl  AGATE,  capitalist,  born  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  23,  1854; 
died  in  Luzerne,  Switzerland,  Aug.  17,  1887.  Of  English  extraction,  his  father,  Joseph 
Agate,  of  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  was  a  wealthy  man.  Frederic  graduated  from  Columbia 
Law  School  in  1875,  but  never  practiced  his  profession.  Wealth  came  to  him  in  part 
by  inheritance,  but  he  employed  his  means  with  judgment  and  won  a  strong  position, 
and,  by  his  character,  the  respect  of  all  who  knew  him.  In  April,  1879,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Sarah  Katharine,  daughter  of  David  T.  and  Elizabeth  T.  Jackson,  who,  with 
two  children,  Frederick  Joseph  and  Mary  Virginia,  survive  him.  They  had  lived  in 
New  York  since  1884.  Mr.  Agate,  who  had  taken  his  wife  and  two  children  on  a  pleas- 
ure tour  in  Europe,  passed  away  while  in  Luzerne.  He  was  a  member  of  the  New 
York,  Manhattan  and  Lambs'  chibs. 

JOHN  W.  AITKEN,  head  of  the  wholesale  and  retail  dry  goods  house  of  Aitken, 
Son  &  Co.,  Broadway,  corner  of  i8th  street,  was  born  in  this  city,  Jan.  31,  1850. 

His  father,  John  Aitken,  born  in  1806,  in  Cumbernauld,  Dumbartonshire,  Scotland, 
was  an  only  son  in  a  family  of  five  children.  He  received  his  early  education  in  the 
village  school.  On  the  death  of  his  father,  John,  at  the  age  of  twelve,  felt  a  strong 
desire  to  come  to  this  country,  but  repressed  the  wish  until  the  death  of  his  mother 
and  after  the  other  members  of  the  family  had  been  comfortably  provided  for,  when 
he  emigrated  to  this  country.  He  landed  in  New  York,  July  20,  1833,  and  soon 
obtained  a  situation  in  the  dry  goods  house  of  Andrew  Mitchell  &  Co.  He  filled  his 
place  with  satisfaction  to  his  employers  and  credit  to  himself.  A  few  years  later,  he 
started  in  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1843  ne  entered  into  partnership  with 
James  Miller,  under  the  firm  name  of  Aitken  &  Miller,  on  Canal  street.  Later  the 
firm  removed  to  405  Broadway,  afterward  to  No.  423,  again  to  No.  473,  and  finally  to 
Nos.  873  and  875.  In  1873  Mr.  Miller  retired.  Mr.  Aitken  then  organized  the  present 
firm  of  Aitken,  Son  &  Co.,  taking  as  partners  his  only  son,  John  W.  Aitken,  and 
Archibald  McLintock. 

John  W.  Aitken  was  educated  at  the  school  of  Dr.  Clark,  formerly  on  the  corner" 
of  West  4th  and  Macdougal  streets,  and  was  prepared  for  Princeton  College  at  the  age 
of  fifteen.  He  graduated  in  1869  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  receiving  three  years  later 
the  degree  of  A.  M.  On  the  completion  of  his  college  course  in  the  spring  of  1869, 
he  entered,  as  clerk,  the  store  of  Aitken  &  Miller,  passing  from  one  department  to 
another  and  familiarizing  himself  with  every  branch  of  the  business  in  New  York.  In 
1871,  he  accompanied  one  of  the  foreign  buyers  of  the  house  to  Europe  for  instruction 
in  the  foreign  branches  of  the  business.  In  the  summer  of  1873,  Just  prior  to  the 
dissolution  of  the  firm  of  Aitken  &  Miller,  Mr.  Aitken  went  abroad  to  purchase  a 
diversified  stock  of  new  goods  for  the  new  house  of  Aitken,  Son  &  Co.  His  thorough 
knowledge  of  merchandise  and  close  attention  to  details  made  the  trip  a  successful 
venture.  He  then  returned  to  the  active  management  of  the  business  in  New  York. 
In  January,  1879,  on  the  death  of  his  father,  he  became  the  senior  member  of 
Aitken,  Son  &  Co.,  now  widely  known  for  its  successful  past  and  present  prosperous 
career. 

As  a  merchant,  Mr.  Aitken  has  been  distinguished  for  considerate  treatment  of  his 
employes,  unbending  integrity,  sound  judgment,  quick  perception,  untiring  patience, 
perseverance  and  courage.  He  has,  in  addition  to  these  personal  qualities,  a  fine  taste, 
the  exercise  of  which,  in  the  selection  of  merchandise  and  the  general  conduct  of  busi- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — AL.  13 

ness,  has  given  his  firm  a  national  reputation  for  goods  of  the  highest  excellence  in 
quality  and  elegance  in  style. 

Mr.  Aitken  has  never  sought  or  held  public  office.  Although  eminently  qualified 
by  natural  gifts,  judicial  temperament  and  liberal  education  for  active  leadership  in 
representative  assemblies,  he  has  always  shunned  rather  than  courted  conspicuous 
places.  He  has,  however,  faithfully  and  often  laboriously  co-operated  with  others 
in  matters  affecting  the  welfare  of  the  city  and  its  worthy  charities.  He  is  a  member  of 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  director  of  The  Second  National  Bank,  The  Hudson  River 
Bank,  and  The  Broadway  Insurance  Co.,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Bowery  Savings  Bank. 
His  club  memberships  are  in  the  University,  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  Grolier  and 
City.  He  retains  a  deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  Princeton  College  and  is  energetic 
in  the  furtherance  of  its  material  and  educational  progress. 

Mr.  Aitken  was  married,  Feb.  6,  1877,  to  Helen  F.  Powers,  daughter  of  D.  W. 
Powers,  the  banker,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  He  has  two  children,  a  daughter  and  a  son. 

HERMAN  DAGGETT  ALDRICH,  merchant,  born  at  Mattituck,  L.  I.,  July  6,  1801, 
died  in  New  York  city,  April  5,  1880.  His  family  was  of  English  descent,  his  father  being 
James  Aldrich,  a  resident  of  Long  Island.  Herman's  early  years  were  passed  in  his 
native  village,  where  his  opportunities  for  education  were  limited.  While  yet  a  boy, 
he  came  to  this  city  and  obtained  employment  in  the  store  of  Stephen  Lockwood.  He 
possessed  a  strong  constitution,  a  clear  mind  and  great  firmness  of  character,  and,  once 
launched  upon  a  mercantile  career,  made  his  way  with  admirable  energy.  Early  in 
life  he  associated  himself  with  Robert  H.  McCurdy  in  the  dry  goods  commission  busi- 
ness, the  firm  subsequently  becoming  McCurdy,  Aldrich  &  Spencer.  The  partners 
were  all  distinguished  for  uprightness  of  dealing  and  ability,  and  the  business  yielded 
each  partner  a  handsome  fortune.  In  1840  Mr.  Aldrich  was  married  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Samuel  Wyman  of  Homewood,  Baltimore  county,  Md.  His  children  were 
James  H.,  William  W.,  and  Spencer  Aldrich,  Mrs.  J.  N.  Steele,  whose  husband  is  con- 
nected with  Trinity  Church,  and  Mrs.  T.  N.  Dudley,  wife  of  Bishop  Dudley  of  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  He  was  a  founder  and  trustee  of  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  and  greatly  interested 
in  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church.  A  striking  feature  of  his  life  was  the  close  inti- 
macy between  him  and  his  partner,  Mr.  McCurdy,  extending  from  early  youth  to  a  ripe 
old  age.  They  came  to  New  York  at  the  same  time,  met  as  boys  in  Mr.  Lockwood's 
store,  and  shared  the  same  room  in  the  attic  over  the  store.  Their  lives  ran  on  side  by 
side,  until  the  end.  For  thirty  years  they  lived  in  adjoining  houses,  and  then  died 
within  a  few  hours  of  one  another.  Their  funeral  services  were  held  in  common,  and 
the\"  lie  buried  in  adjoining  lots  in  Greenwood  Cemetery. 

JUNIUS  B.  ALEXANDER,  banker,  born  in  Virginia  in  1814,  died  in  New  York  city 
in  January,  1893.  His  father  was  a  large  landholder,  who  employed  negro  slaves  in  the 
cultivation  of  his  plantations.  While  a  youth  of  16,  Junius  went  to  Hardinsburg,  Ky., 
began  life  as  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and  rose  to  become  a  magistrate,  president  of  a  bank  in 
Owensboro,  and  in  1853  cashier  of  The  Southern  Bank  in  Louisville.  In  1858,  he 
formed  a  partnership  with  H.  D.  Newcomb,  of  Louisville,  to  carry  on  a  wholesale 
grocery  trade,  under  the  name  of  Alexander,  Newcomb  &  Co.  He  removed  to  St. 
Louis,  was  a  merchant  and  president  of  The  Exchange  Bank  there,  dissolved  partnership 
in  1863,  and  moved  to  New  York,  where  he  engaged  in  private  banking.  Twice  married, 
he  was  survived  by  his  second  wife  and  several  children.  He  dwelt  on  Staten  Island. 


14  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

WILLIAM  C.  ALEXANDER,  president  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society, 
born  in  Prince  Edward  county,  Va.,  in  May,  1806,  died  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  23,  1874. 
He  was  the  second  son  of  Dr.  Archibald  Alexander,  one  of  the  founders  and  first  pro- 
fessor of  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Princeton,  N.  J.  Mr.  Alexander  graduated 
from  Princeton  College  in  1824,  having  distinguished  himself  there  both  as  a  writer 
and  speaker.  Educating  himself  as  a  lawyer,  he  practiced  his  profession  in  New  Jer- 
sey for  thirty-five  years.  Taking  an  active  part  in  the  canvass  then  being  hotly  con- 
tested between  Mr.  Adams  and  General  Jackson,  his  fame  as  an  orator  and  a  man  of 
genius  soon  spread  throughout  the  State.  In  1835  he  was  unexpectedly  nominated  for 
the  Legislature  by  the  inhabitants  of  Middlesex  county,  but  declined  the  honor  and 
warmly  espoused  the  cause  of  the  person  substituted  in  his  place.  In  1836,  without 
his  consent,  he  was  again  nominated  and  elected.  On  taking  his  seat,  although  one 
of  the  youngest  members,  he  became  the  leader  of  his  side  of  the  House,  and  shortly 
afterwards,  on  the  nomination  of  a  member  of  the  opposite  party,  was  unanimously 
elected  Speaker.  Mr.  Alexander's  speeches,  during  the  years  in  which  he  served  in 
the  Legislature,  in  behalf  of  education,  civilization,  the  elevation  of  the  workingman 
and  the  establishment  of  common  schools,  won  for  him  the  deserved  respect  and  admi- 
ration of  men  of  all  parties.  On  several  important  occasions,  he  exhibited  his  inde- 
pendence by  dissenting  in  debate  from  the  great  majority  of  his  party.  He  continued 
to  grow  more  prominent  until,  without  his  so'icitation,  he  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Senate  and  re-elected  at  the  expiration  of  his  term,  and  was  three  times  chosen 
President  of  the  Senate  on  the  nomination  of  the  opposition  without  a  dissenting 
voice.  At  one  time,  nominated  as  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  he  was  frequently  urged 
to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  in  connection  with  the  United  States  Senatorship,  when 
an  election  would  have  been  sure,  and  was  brought  forward  at  the  Charleston  Con- 
vention as  a  candidate  for  the  Vice-Presidency,  but  his  preferences  were  in  favor  of  a 
private  life.  He  attended  the  Peace  Congress  at  Washington  just  before  the  late  war, 
and  presided  over  that  body  during  a  great  part  of  its  sessions.  In  1859  Mr.  Alexan- 
der became  the  president  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society  of  the  United 
States,  and  thereafter  his  business  life  was  passed  in  New  York  city.  His  fine  intel- 
lect found  in  the  development  of  this  great  corporation  a  duty  worthy  of  his  powers. 
His  success  was  great. 

FRANCIS  ALEXANDRE,  merchant,  born  on  the  Island  of  Jersey,  in  Great  Britain, 
Aug.  5,  1809,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  8,  1889.  He  was  the  son  of  a  farmer.  With  an 
inclination  for  a  sailor's  life,  he  went  to  sea  at  an  early  age,  and  acquired  an  education 
by  attending  school  during  his  stay  in  various  ports  and  devoting  the  spare  time  on 
ship-board  to  reading.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one  he  took  command  of  a  vessel,  which  he 
directed  for  years,  renouncing  in  favor  of  his  sisters  the  estate  which  he  had  inherited 
from  his  father.  When  about  twenty-eight  years  old,  the  young  captain  settled  in  New 
York  city,  establishing  a  small  commission  house  in  South  street,  paying  at  first  as  annual 
rental  the  sum  of  $25.  In  1842  he  established  a  line  of  sailing  vessels  between  New 
York  and  Honduras,  and  subsequently  between  New  York,  Vera  Cruz  and  South 
America.  In  this  enterprise  he  succeeded  so  well  that,  in  1867,  he  sold  the  sailing 
vessels,  substituted  steamers,  and  for  nineteen  years  carried  mails,  freights  and  passen- 
gers between  New  York,  Havana  and  Mexico.  Many  remarkable  ships  were  built  for 
this  line  in  subsequent  years,  including  among  others  the  City  of  Mexico,  City  of  New 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AL.  15 

York,  City  of  Havana,  City  of  Alexandria,  City  of  Washington,  City  of  Vera  Cruz,  and 
City  of  Pueblo.  The  business  transacted  was  large  and  profitable.  His  three  sons 
were  successive!}"  taken  into  partnership  as  they  came  of  age,  the  great  house  taking 
the  name  of  F.  Alexandre  &  Sons.  In  1888  the  firm  sold  its  vessels  and  retired  from 
business.  In  1838  Mr.  Alexandre  married  Miss  Civiles  Cipriaut,  of  New  York,  who 
died  Feb.  13,  1882.  Three  sons,  John  E.,  Joseph  J.  and  J.  Henry  survived  him.  The 
secret  of  his  success  lay  in  his  industry,  integrity,  exactness  and  justice  of  method,  and 
natural  business  ability.  He  enjoyed  a  high  reputation  among  those  with  whom  he 
was  associated.  His  sons  have  since  attained  prominence  in  the  social  life  of  the  city. 

JAMES  P.  ALLAIRE,  iron  manufacturer,  born  in  1785,  died  at  Howell  Works, 
Monmouth  county,  N.  J.,  May  20,  1858.  He  was  the  founder  of  the  Iron  Works,  in 
the  quaint  and  now  deserted  village  of  Allaire,  N.  J.,  there  being  deposits  of  iron  in 
the  vicinity,  which  were  smelted  at  these  works.  At  one  time,  he  carried. on  the 
largest  marine  engine  building  shops  in  the  United  States.  In  this  business  he  was 
very  successful,  and  gained  both  reputation  and  fortune. 

GEORGE  H.  ALLEN,  importer  of  wines,  has  gained  his  position  in  New  York  city 
through  the  arduous  labors  of  mercantile  life,  coupled  with  native  shrewdness  and 
energy,  and  his  partnership  in  the  importing  firm  of  Paris,  Allen  &  Co.,  of  which  he  is 
now  senior  partner.  He  has  also  been,  for  a  number  of  years,  senior  partner  in  W.  A. 
Gaines  &  Co.,  distillers,  in  Frankfort,  Ky.,  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $600,000,  who 
control  several  distilleries  in  the  West.  Mr.  Allen  inherited  some  means  from  Marshall 
Allen,  one  of  the  original  partners  of  Paris,  Allen  &  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  The  Man- 
hattan and  New  York  Athletic  clubs. 

HENRY  ALLEN,  stock  broker,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  April,  1848.  He 
comes  from  English  and  Scottish  ancestry,  and  his  father  was  a  native  of  Kentucky, 
his  mother  of  Mississippi.  During  early  life  he  found  occupation  in  operations 
indigenous  to  the  South,  and  was  interested  successively  in  farming,  cotton,  grain, 
banking  and  stocks.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Confederacy, 
and  later  came  North  and  opened  a  broker's  office  in  this  city.  He  is  now  senior 
member  of  Henry  Allen  &  Co.,  stock  brokers,  and  has  built  up  a  large  and  desirable 
business,  with  extensive  collateral  interests  in  railroads  and  railroad  stocks.  While 
of  social  disposition,  he  is  not  a  club  man,  but  has  joined  the  Democratic  club,  because 
that  organization  represents  his  political  faith. 

JOSEPH  JENER  ALfllRALL,  merchant,  was  born  in  Yillafranca  del  Panades,  Spain, 
in  1840.  His  early  years  were  spent  in  his  native  land,  where  he  received  a  sound  edu- 
cation. Coming  to  America,  he  established  the  firm  of  Almirall  &  Co  ,  importers  and 
dealers  of  Havana  leaf  tobacco  and  general  exporters.  Competent,  honest  and  per- 
sistent, he  has  created  a  large  trade  and  is  now  a  man  of  fortune.  He  is  a  director  of 
The  Chesebrough  Manufacturing  Co. 

JOHN  ALSTYNE,  broker,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  March  24,  1801,  died 
here  June  3,  1869.  Of  Dutch  ancestry,  his  father  was  John  Alstyne,  a  son  of  Jerome 
Alstyne,  whose  father  bore  the  same  name.  They  lived  in  the  last  century  in  a  house 
owned  by  them  at  the  junction  of  Maiden  Lane  and  Liberty  street,  probably  purchased 
with  thalers  brought  from  Holland.  John  Alstyne,  sr.,  lived  on  a  farm  called  Seaton 
Place,  and  afterward  at  Eastchester,  but,  after  his  death,  his  wife  returned  to  the 
Liberty  street  house,  and  later  removed  with  her  family  to  Madison  street.  The  son 


16  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

was  educated  in  the  family  of  the  Rev.  Platt  Buffet,  rector  of  the  church  at  Stanwich, 
Conn.,  who,  in  addition  to  his  church  duties,  fitted  boys  for  college  or  business.  He 
found  his  first  employment  as  clerk  for  Mr.  Beers,  a  leading  broker  in  New  York. 
Leaving  Mr.  Beers,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Dykers,  son  of  the  Governor  of 
one  of  the  West  India  Islands,  under  the  name  of  Dykers  &  Alstyne,  Mr.  Alstyne's 
capital  being  derived  from  his  father's  estate.  Later,  Mr.  Jarvis  was  taken  into  the 
firm,  which  became  Dykers,  Alstyne  &  Co.  Mr.  Alstyne  survived  his  partners.  Mr. 
Alstyne  invested  his  profits  largely  in  real  estate  in  and  around  New  York  city,  which 
rose  to  great  value.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  will,  kindly  feelings,  pleasant  manners 
and  good  appearance,  and  a  favorite  in  social  life.  He  was  a  strong  churchman,  and 
always  kind  and  attentive  to  his  handsome  mother,  whose  common  sense  was  equal  to 
her  beauty.  His  fortune  descended,  mainly,  to  his  niece,  Desier  A.,  wife  of  George  P. 
Clapp  of  New  York  city,  and  daughter  of  Jasper  Pryer.  Mrs.  Clapp  died  Sept.  17,  1881, 
leaving  her  property  mainly  to  her  husband.  Mr.  Clapp  died  in  Algiers,  Africa,  Jan. 
25,  1884,  and  bequeathed  the  Alstyne  property  to  charitable  and  religious  institutions 
in  New  York. 

BENJAfllN  ALTMAN,  dry  goods  merchant,  is  a  son  of  Philip  Altman,  who  carried 
on  a  moderate  dry  goods  business  in  New  York  city,  and  was  for  many  years  well  and 
favorably  known  in  the  district  devoted  to  that  trade.  He  died  in  1863,  the  business 
being  afterward  continued  by  his  two  sons,  Morris  and  Benjamin. 

Morris  Altman,  Benjamin's  eldest  brother,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
entered  a  business  career  when  quite  a  young  man  and  founded  the  house  of  Altman 
Brothers.  He  came  into  prominence  as  the  moving  spirit  of  the  "Early  Closing  Asso- 
ciation," which  advocated  shortening  the  working  hours  of  the  dry  goods  clerks.  He 
died  in  the  prime  of  a  promising  manhood,  in  1876,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine.  A  man 
of  fine  presence,  splendid  address  and  talent  as  a  speaker  on  economic,  social  and  busi- 
ness subjects,  he  was  courteous  and  affable  and  commanded  the  respect  and  admira- 
tion of  those  who  came  in  contact  with  him. 

Benjamin  Altman,  born  in  this  city,  July  n,  1843,  began  his  business  career  when 
not  much  over  twelve  years  of  age,  up  to  which  time  he  had  attended  the  public  schools. 
Such  was  his  fondness  for  business,  it  may  here  be  said,  that  after  school  hours  he 
would  go  behind  the  counters  in  his  father's  store  to  discharge  the  duties  of  salesman, 
impressing  his  young  mind  at  the  time  with  all  the  requirements  of  a  business  man. 
This  experience  served  him  well  in  later  years.  Under  the  discreet  management  of 
the  two  brothers  the  business  increased  to  such  an  extent  that  larger  quarters  were 
secured  at  Third  avenue  and  loth  street.  Shortly  afterward  yet  more  commodious 
accommodations  were  sought  for  and  obtained  on  Sixth  avenue.  Another  removal 
being  deemed  necessary,  the  present  location,  i8th  street,  i9th  street  and  Sixth  ave- 
nue, was  established  in  1876.  Mr.  Altman  remains  unmarried,  and  has  devoted  him- 
self to  the  care  and  education  of  the  children  of  his  brother  Morris,  to  whom  he  has 
been  as  kind  as  a  father.  The  widow  survived  her  husband  only  a  few  months.  The 
tender  care  bestowed  upon  these  four  orphan  children  cannot  be  too  highly  commended. 
While  devoted  to  his  business,  Mr.  Altman  is  greatly  interested  in  art  matters.  He 
has  a  valuable  and  costly  collection  of  art  objects  and  antiques.  Porcelains,  paintings, 
objects  of  Greek  art,  carvings  in  ivory,  antique  rugs  and  embroideries  form  part  of  a 
collection,  many  examples  of  which  he  gathered  while  on  a  voyage  around  the  world, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AM.  17 

during  which  he  enjoyed  well  earned  and  richly  deserved  recreation,  the  first  in  seven- 
teen years.  He  is  also  a  liberal  patron  of  the  works  of  native  artists.  He  is  a  con- 
tributor to  philanthropic  objects,  his  gifts,  while  open-handed,  being,  however,  unos- 
tentatious. Many  generous  donations  have  been  bestowed  with  the  single  stipulation 
that  the  deed  should  not  be  made  public,  so  sensitive  is  he  that  his  generosity  should 
not  be  misunderstood.  His  career  is  an  evidence  of  what  application  to  business,  hon- 
estly and  persistently  followed,  will  bring  to  a  young  man  who  devotes  his  young  man- 
hood unflinchingly  to  the  establishment  of  a  reputation  which  will  serve  him  in  the 
later  years  of  an  honored  life. 

QUSTAV  AflSINCK,  merchant,  a  sound,  energetic  businessman,  has  been  for  forty 
years  an  active  spirit  in  the  wholesale  trade  of  this  city.  In  1861,  he  became  a  partner 
in  the  firm  of  L.  E.  Amsinck  &  Co.,  of  which  Gustav  H.  Gossler  became  a  partner  in 
1868.  The  present  firm  of  G.  Amsinck  &  Co.,  formed  in  1874,  are  importers  and  com- 
mission merchants,  dealing  in  almost  all  kinds  of  merchandise  and  with  practically  all 
parts  of  the  world,  a  large  portion  of  their  trade  being  with  Mexico.  They  also  trans- 
act a  banking  business.  The  success  of  the  firm  has  been  continuous,  and  Mr. 
Amsinck's  career  has  been  characterized  by  energy,  decision,  integrity  and  scrupulous 
exactness  in  his  obligations.  He  is  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  New  York  and  The 
Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  and  has  done  much  to  promote  the  higher  interests  of 
New  York  city.  The  Union,  Vaudeville,  Liederkranz  and  Down-Town  clubs  have 
enrolled  him  as  a  member. 

ELBERT  JEFFERSON  ANDERSON,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  in  October, 
1800,  died  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  Feb.  13,  1888.  Elbert  Anderson,  his  father,  a  merchant  of 
distinction,  served  in  the  War  of  1812  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  militia  and  army  con- 
tractor. Visiting  Troy,  N.  Y.,  he  purchased  beef  and  provisions  for  the  army,  from 
Zbenezer  and  Samuel  Wilson,  the  latter  of  whom  was  familiarly  known  as  Uncle  Sam. 
Through  the  mark  "E.  A.-U.  S."  on  Mr.  Anderson's  boxes  of  army  material  finally 
arose  the  sobriquet  of  "Uncle  Sam,"  as  indicating  the  Federal  Government.  The 
boyhood  of  Elbert  J.  Anderson  was  spent  in  New  York  city,  and  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  the  first  to  convey  to  General  Bloomfield,  then  in  com- 
mand of  the  troops  gathered  for  the  defense  of  New  York,  the  news  of  the  declaration 
of  war  against  Great  Britain.  He  was  educated  in  the  local  schools,  and  while  not  a 
college  graduate,  became  a  man  of  excellent  taste  and  extended  culture.  In  1820,  he  was 
commissioned  by  Governor  Clinton  as  ensign  in  the  85th  New  York  Infantry,  the  crack 
regiment  of  the  day,  and  subsequently  rose  to  be  its  Lieutenant  Colonel.  In  1827,  he 
became  junior  partner  in  the  commission  dry  goods  firm  of  Belah  Tiffany  &  Co. ,  at  the 
corner  of  Maiden  Lane  and  Pearl  street,  in  which  business  he  was  active  for  many 
years  and  greatly  prospered.  In  1825,  he  married  Martha  Maria,  a  daughter  of  one  of 
the  Signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  She  died  in  1879,  an^  was  survived 
by  one  son,  Elbert  Anderson,  and  four  daughters,  Mrs.  George  von  Gorrissen  of  Ham- 
burg, Germany;  Miss  Marie  M.  Anderson;  Mrs.  John  Boker,  now  deceased;  and  Mrs. 
Thomas  G.  Ford.  In  1847,  Mrs.  Anderson  inherited  the  Redwood  farm  at  Portsmouth, 
six  miles  from  Newport,  and  eventually  made  his  permanent  residence  there.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  director  of  The  Manhattan  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Farmers' 
Loan  &  Trust  Co.  and  The  Phoenix  Bank.  His  high  reputation  for  integrity  and 
capacity  caused  him  to  be  selected  frequently  for  service  on  boards  of  arbitration.  By 


i8  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

his  quick  intelligence,  uniform  courtesy  and  attractive  manner,  he  won  a  large  circle 
of  friends  in  Newport. 

JOHN  ANDERSON,  conspicuous  as  a  merchant,  born  in  New  York  in  1812,  died 
in  Paris,  France,  Nov.  22,  1881.  He  began  life  modestly  in  a  little  store,  down  town, 
for  the  sale  of  cigars  and  tobacco,  was  successful  in  attracting  purchasers,  and  grew 
into  popularity  and  a  large  trade.  His  store  became  famous  through  a  tragic  incident, 
the  heroine  of  which  gave  to  Edgar  Allan  Poe  the  theme  of  his  romance  of  Marie 
Roget.  Mr.  Anderson  conducted  his  business  with  success  for  about  forty  years,  during 
part  of  that  time  being  a  manufacturer.  It  was  he  who  introduced  the  use  of  lead  foil 
as  a  wrapper  for  fine-cut  chewing  tobacco.  John  Anderson's  Solace  was  known 
to  purchasers  throughout  the  whole  country.  The  income  from  his  business  was 
invested  mainly  in  real  estate,  and  the  great  appreciation  in  value  of  property  with  the 
growth  of  the  city  brought  him  a  fortune  of  several  millions.  In  the  winter  of  1873  he 
founded  The  Anderson  School  of  Natural  History  on  Penekese  Island,  at  the  mouth  of 
Buzzard's  Bay,  giving  the  island  and  a  liberal  sum  in  money  to  the  new  institution. 
The  trust  was  in  charge  of  Professor  Louis  Agassiz  until  his  death.  John  Charles 
Anderson,  his  son,  and  Mrs.  Laura  Appleton  and  Mrs.  Fannie  A.  Barnard,  his  daugh- 
ters, survived  him.  The  family  made  their  home  at  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  and  Mr. 
Anderson  spent  most  of  his  time  there  during  his  later  years. 

LORINQ  ANDREWS,  merchant,  born  in  Windham,  Greene  coiinty,  Jan.  31, 
1799,  died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  22,  1875.  He  was  of  English  descent,  the  pioneer 
of  the  family  in  America  having  been  a  companion  of  John  Davenport,  who  settled  in 
New  Haven  in  the  very  early  days.  In  the  neighborhood  of  the  birthplace  of  Mr. 
Andrews,  a  thick  growth  of  hemlock  afforded  material  for  the  tanning  of  leather. 
With  an  elementary  education,  the  lad  was  apprenticed  at  the  age  of  fourteen  to  Foster 
Morss,  one  of  the  first  tanners  who  brought  leather  to  New  York.  With  him  the  youth 
remained  for  eight  years.  He  then  traveled  in  the  West  for  two  years,  in  the  hope  of 
making  a  fortune.  Finding  the  search  elusive,  he  returned  to  Greene  county  and 
entered  into  a  business  arrangement  with  Mr.  Morss,  by  which  the  former  was  to  trans- 
port the  hides  and  leather  to  and  from  the  tannery  and  pay  three  cents  a  pound  for 
tanning.  Beginning  with  a  capital  of  fifty  cents  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
trade,  Mr.  Andrews  was  so  able  and  shrewd  that  in  four  years  he  had  made  $4,000,  and 
then  entered  into  partnership  with  his  employer.  In  1829  he  came  to  New  York  city 
with  $7,000.  He  soon  built  up  a  trade  of  from  50,000  to  100,000  hides  a  year.  In 
1832,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  William  Wilson,  in  which  Gideon  Lee  and  Shepherd 
Knapp  were  special  partners.  The  panic  of  1837  swept  away  the  profits  of  eight  years. 
Nevertheless,  by  retaining  the  control  of  large  capital,  he  continued  in  business  and 
by  prudent  methods  and  close  attention  laid  the  foundation  of  a  new  fortune.  In  1861, 
Loring  Andrews  &  Sons  conducted  several  large  tanneries,  and  by  1863,  handled  an- 
nually 400,000  sides  of  hemlock  cured  leather.  They  ranked  as  the  leading  leather  mer- 
chants. Success  came  to  Mr.  Andrews  as  the  fruit  of  untiring  industry,  perseverance  and 
sterling  integrity.  Like  other  merchants,  he  made  conspicuously  large  purchases  of 
real  estate,  which  proved  profitable.  In  1839,  Mr.  Andrews  was  married  to  Blandina 
B.,  daughter  of  James  B.  Hardenbergh,  D.D.  His  family  consisted  of  seven  children, 
William  L.,  James  B.,  Constant  A.,  Loring,  Walter  S.,  Clarence  and  Isabel,  the  latter 
now  married  and  living  abroad.  His  -benefactions  were  systematic  and  large.  The 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AN.  IQ 

University  of  New  York  received  from  him  $100,000  for  the  endowment  of  professorships, 
and  nearly  ever}'  other  leading  philanthropic  institution  of  the  city  enjoyed  his  liberal 
support.  He  was  one  of  the  early  directors  of  The  Mechanics'  Bank,  a  founder  and 
first  president  of  The  Shoe  &  Leather  Bank,  vice-president  of  The  Globe  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  and  a  shareholder  in  The  Atlantic  Telegraph  Co. — His  son,  CONSTANT 
A.  ANDREWS,  banker,  was  born  in  this  city,  Feb.  25,  1844.  He  was  educated 
in  Columbia  College  grammar  school  and  in  Germany.  Soon  after  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War,  his  father  admitted  him  to  partnership.  Later,  with  his  brother,  William 
L.  Andrews,  he  continued  in  the  leather  trade  and  held  a  conspicuous  position  up  to 
the  moment  when  the  partners  decided  to  retire  from  business.  After  spending  a  few 
years  in  Europe,  Mr.  Andrews  returned  and  engaged  in  banking.  The  firm  of  Constant 
A.  Andrews  &  Co.  now  occupies  the  same  high  position  for  conservative  methods  and 
sound  judgment  as  did  the  old  house  of  Loring  Andrews  &  Sons,  and  their  advice  is 
sought  in  investments  in  street  railroads,  municipal  bonds  and  business  enterprises. 
Mr.  Andrews  is  president  of  The  United  States  Savings  Bank  and  The  Elkhorn  Valley 
Coal  Land  Co  ;  a  director  of  the  Second  Avenue  Street  Railroad,  and  largely  influential 
in  other  directions,  where  his  interest  and  counsel  are  demanded.  He  was  married  in 
1879  to  Miss  B  lanche  L.  Vance,  daughter  of  ex-Mayor  Vance,  of  this  city. 

WALLACE  C.  ANDREWS,  president  of  The  New  York  Steam  Co. ,  a  man  of  marked 
vigor  and  enterprise,  is  one  of  a  large  number  of  successful  Ohio  men,  now  engaged  in 
business  in  New  York  city.  Mr.  Andrews  is  of  New  England  descent.  He  is  a  son  of 
the  late  Norman  Andrews,  who  moved  from  Connecticut  to  a  farm  on  the  Western 
Reserve  in  Ohio  in  1816. 

Mr.  Andrews  began  life  iipon  the  farm,  and  partly  by  inheritance,  partly  in  the 
wholesome  life  of  the  country,  acquired  the  physical  vigor  which  enabled  him  to  per- 
form great  labors  during  his  subsequent  career.  He  revealed  a  talent  for  business  early  in 
life.  He  succeeded  from  the  start,  and,  by  the  strictest  economy,  managed  to  save  a  lit- 
tle capital.  When  coal  was  discovered  in  the  Mahoning  Valley,  his  brother,  the  late 
Chauncey  H.  Andrews  of  Youngstown,  O.,  and  he,  invested  their  savings  in  explora- 
tions for  coal  and  the  purchase  of  mines.  They  developed  a  large  number  of  different 
properties.  At  first,  they  met  with  poor  success,  but  finally  made  valuable  discoveries. 
The  two  men  looked  after  details  themselves,  conducted  their  business  economically, 
and  were  able  to  mine  coal,  even  after  the  profits  had  fallen  to  25  cents  a  ton.  During 
the  petroleum  excitement,  they  became  operators  in  that  industry  also.  They  were 
also  promoters  of  many  new  enterprises.  They  built  furnaces  and  rolling  mills  in  Ohio, 
and  now  and  then  a  small  railroad,  and  finally  became  the  principal  stockholders  in  a 
railroad  between  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh.  They  bought  several  coal  mining  com- 
panies, working  the  mines  themselves,  but  afterwards  selling  them  at  an  advance.  In 
this  way,  in  time,  they  became  the  largest  miners  of  coal  in  the  State. 

At  a  later  day,  they  bought  the  bed  of  one  of  the  old-time  Ohio  canals  and  used  it  for 
a  railroad  between  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh,  a  rival  to  the  one  they  had  already  built. 
Their  operations  were  usually  profitable,  and  the  two  brothers  each  gradually  amassed  a 
fortune.  With  other  capitalists,  they  finally  secured  a  large  area  of  coal  lands  in  the  Hock- 
ing Valley  in  Ohio,  and  were  interested  in  the  purchase  of  The  Hocking  Valley  Railroad 
and  its  connecting  lines  and  in  the  transaction  by  which  the  roads  were  consolidated  and 
the  lands  purchased.  The  schemes  of  Mr.  Andrews  were  usually  started  with  compara- 


THE     CITV     OF     NEW     YOKK.^-AX.  21 

tively  little  capital,  but  the  projector  threw  his  whole  energy  into  development,  secured 
the  investment  of  outside  capital,  made  his  projects  profitable,  and  then  often  sold  his  in- 
terests. By  reinvesting  rapidly,  working  somewhat  with  borrowed  money,  making  use 
of  his  more  valuable  securities  as  collateral,  he  has  succeeded  remarkably  in  the  acquisi- 
tion of  wealth. 

Mr.  Andrews  is  one  of  the  promoters  of  the  original  Standard  Oil  Co.  and  was  a 
director  of  the  company  for  a  long  period  of  years  and  up  to  the  formation  of  the  Trust. 
He  is  yet  a  large  stockholder  in  the  company.  One  of  the  most  important  of  his  enter- 
prises is  The  New  York  Steam  Co.,  a  concern  which  supplies  steam  for  heat  and  power 
by  underground  pipes  in  various  sections  of  New  York  city,  and  has  initiated  a  new  era 
in  the  management  of  office  buildings,  by  enabling  their  proprietors  to  dispense  with  the 
annoyances  attending  the  production  of  steam  in  their  own  premises.  Mr.  Andrews  is 
president  of  the  company,  and  has  managed  its  affairs  with  signal  ability  and  success.  He 
was  lately  president  of  The  Standard  Gas  Light  Co.  of  New  York  and  is  its  largest  stock- 
holder. He  is  a  director  in  many  local  corporations,  a  man  of  unusual  business  sagacity, 
of  great  power  of  application,  and  untiring  energy,  and  his  large  fortune  is  entirely  the 
product  of  constructive  talent  and  commendable  business  methods.  The  Ohio  Society  of 
this  city  has  enrolled  him  as  one  of  its  members  from  the  beginning. 

ADOLPH  B.  ANSBACHER,  importer,  is  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  paints. 
From  the  time  when  he  began  business  on  his  own  account,  he  has  shown  himself 
shrewd,  diligent  and  wide  awake,  and  was  able,  long  ago,  to  expand  his  trade  to 
substantial  and  remunerative  proportions.  In  1883,  he  admitted  to  partnership 
Maurice  E.  Ansbacher,  who  died  in  1887,  and  Maurice  D.  Eger,  thereafter  doing 
business  under  the  name  of  A.  B.  Ansbacher  &  Co.  Their  trade  extends  to  every  part 
of  the  United  States,  and,  for  a  number  of  years,  required  the  maintenance  of  a 
branch  office  in  Chicago. 

EDWARD  ANTHONY,  civil  engineer,  born  in  Xew  York,  Jan.  31,  1819,  died  here 
Dec.  14,  1888.  Jacob  Anthony,  his  father,  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  principal  tellers 
in  The  United  States  Branch  Bank  and  cashier  of  the  old  Bank  of  the  State  of  New 
York.  The  family  derives  their  descent  from  Allard  Anthony,  an  immigrant  from 
Holland  to  New  Amsterdam  about  1628,  who  was  one  of  the  first  five  Schepens  or 
Councilmen  of  the  new  colony.  The  pioneer  was  a  man  of  note  and  of  sufficient  stand- 
ing to  be  sent  as  ambassador,  on  behalf  of  the  new  colony,  to  negotiate  with  the  King 
of  Holland.  The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Anthony  family  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  old 
Spanish  Antonio  family;  and  it  is  generally  supposed  that,  during  the  wars  of  the 
Netherlands,  one  of  the  Spanish  Antonios  was  captivated,  either  by  the  arms  of  the 
Dutch  soldiery  or  the  charms  of  a  Dutch  maiden  and  settled  in  Holland,  in  conse- 
quence thereof  founding  the  Dutch  family  of  Antoni,  whose  name,  in  the  course  of 
years,  was  modified  to  Anthony.  Edward  Anthony  was  in  the  seventh  generation  of 
descent  from  Allard.  He  graduated  from  Columbia  Colfege  in  1838,  with  an  excellent 
record.  Beginning  life  as  a  civil  engineer,  he  obtained  employment  in  building  the 
original  Croton  Aqueduct,  through  which  New  York  long  drew  its  supply  of  pure 
drinking  water  from  country  streams  and  ponds.  Before  its  completion,  he  was  called 
to  accompany  Prof.  James  Renwick  in  the  survey  of  the  northeastern  boundary  of  the 
United  States,  at  the  time  of  the  dispute  with  Great  Britain.  He  had  for  some  time 
amused  himself  with  experiments  in  the  new  art  of  making  pictures  with  the  aid  of 


22  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

sunlight,  just  introduced  by  Daguerre.  During  the  survey,  he  took  satisfactory 
images  of  the  hills  along  the  boundary  line,  the  existence  of  which  had  been  denied  by 
England.  It  was  the  first  instance  in  which  the  art  of  photography  had  been  made  use 
of  in  diplomatic  controversy.  These  photographs  are  yet  preserved  in  the  archives  at 
Washington.  After  finishing  the  survey,  Mr.  Anthony  engaged  in  photography,  and, 
after  a  short  but  successful  practice  embarked  in  the  business  of  supplying  materials  to 
the  trade.  His  practical  knowledge  proved  of  invaluable  assistance,  and  soon  placed 
the  house  of  E.  Anthony  in  the  front  rank  in  New  York.  Henry  T.  Anthony,  his 
brother,  joined  him  in  1852,  the  firm  becoming  E.  &  H.  T.  Anthony  &  Co.  In  1877,  the 
firm  was  reorganized  as  a  corporation,  with  Edward  Anthony  as  president,  Henry  T. 
Anthony  as  vice-president,  and  Col.  V.  M.  Wilcox  as  secretary.  The  corporation  is 
yet  in  business  at  591  Broadway,  with  Col.  V.  M.  Wilcox  as  president,  Richard  A. 
Anthony  as  vice-president,  and  Frederick  A.  Anthony  as  secretary.  Edward  Anthony 

.  was  married  in  1848,  to  Margaretta  R.,  daughter  of  James  Montgomery,  a  direct 
descendant  of  Count  de  Montgomerie  of  France,  who  accidentally  killed  Henry  VII., 
in  a  tournament.  The  coat-of-arms  of  the  Montgomerie  family  displays  an  arm,  hold- 
ing a  broken  spear.  To  Mr.  Anthony  and  his  wife  were  born,  Richard  A.  Anthony; 
Jane  Kipp,  wife  of  Charles  Soleliac;  and  Eleanor  Montgomery,  wife  of  Louis  Soleliac. 
-His  son,  RICHARD  A.  ANTHONY,  was  born  May  24,  1861,  in  New  York  city. 
His  parents  gave  him  a  careful  education  for  two  years  in  Rutgers  College,  followed  by* 
two  years  in  Columbia  College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1881,  receiving  the  degree  of 
B.A.  By  a  subsequent  course  of  study,  he  gained  a  diploma  as  M.  A.  Attracted  by  both 
the  scientific  and  commercial  aspects  of  the  trade  in  photographic  materials,  he  entered 
the  house  of  E.  &  H.  T.  Anthony  as  an  employe,  and  after  the  death  of  H.  T.  Anthony, 
in  1884,  became  secretary  of  the  corporation.  Since  his  father's  death,  he  has  been 
the  vice-president.  He  is  an  energetic,  prudent  and  capable  man  and  has  greatly 
promoted  the  trade  of  the  house.  Mr.  Anthony  is  a  trustee  of  The  United  States 
Savings  Bank,  was  a  director  of  The  Second  Avenue  Railroad  for  five  years,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  University,  Storm  King  and  Central  Commercial  clubs. 

RICHARD  KIP  ANTHONY,  merchant,  born  in  New  York,  July  18,  1812,  died  in 
Rye,  N.  Y.,  June  16,  1886.  He  was  a  son  of  Jacob  Anthony,  above  referred  to. 
Richard  received  a  common  school  training,  and  early  in  life  entered  the  old-time  wine' 
importing  house  of  Robert  Gracie  &  Co.  as  clerk.  While  employed  there,  he  acquired 
the  warm  friendship  of  another  clerk,  William  F.  Nelson,  with  whom  he  went  into 
partnership,  under  the  name  of  Nelson  &  Anthony.  The  firm  carried  on  an  extensive 
business  as  wine  importers  and  brokers,  dissolving  in  1861.  Early  in  1862,  Mr. 
Anthony  entered  the  house  of  Bowie  Dash  &  Co.,  coffee  merchants,  as  clerk.  Here  he 

-became  a  great  favorite,  and  in  1870  was  admitted  into  partnership,  remaining  with  the 
firm  until  1880.  He  then  retired.  Rye,  N.  Y.,  formed  his  home  after  April,  1862. 
He  was  an  active  member  of  Hose  Company  No.  16  in  the  old  Volunteer  Fire  Depart- 
ment, and  in  the  great  fire  of  1835  rendered  such  faithful  service  as  to  gain  honorable 
mention.  He  was  a  member  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Society,  and  one  of  seven  brothers, 
who  were  brought  up  in  the  old  Dutch  Reform  church  in  this  city.  Mr.  Anthony  mar- 
ried Ann  Bowie,  daughter  of  Daniel  B.  Dash,  in  March,  1849.  Their  children  were 
Annie,  Daniel  Dash  Anthony,  Frances,  wife  of  George  C.  Park,  Laura  and  Anzonetta 
Dash  Anthony. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AP.  23 

JUAN  APARICIO,  importer,  a  merchant  of  Spanish  ancestry,  began  life  as  a  planter 
in  Guatemala.  To  market  his  own  productions,  he  came  to  New  York  city  and  opened 
an  office,  and  has  since  been  engaged  in  the  importation  of  coffee  and  other  products  of 
Central  America.  He  controls  great  plantations  in  Guatemala,  a  fruitful  and  only  par- 
tially developed  region,  where  he  has  the  advantage  of  low-priced  labor.  His  success 
in  raising  large  crops  and  skill  as  a  merchant,  enable  him  to  transact  an  excellent  trade. 

REHSEN  APPLEBY,  merchant,  born  in  1838,  died  in  New  York,  Jan.  4,  1886. 
His  father,  Leonard  Appleby,  was  a  merchant  of  tobacco  and  snuff,  and  an  enter- 
prising member  of  a  very  well-known  family.  While  a  young  man,  Remsen 
engaged  in  the  tobacco  and  snuff  business  at  Pine  and  Water  streets,  where  he  remained 
until  1865.  His  place  was  well  known  among  the  down-town  merchants  and  business 
men,  who  were  attracted  by  the  genial  qualities  of  Mr.  Appleby.  Retiring  from  trade, 
he  became  president  of  The  Central  Park  Fire  Insurance  Co.  When,  a  few  years  later, 
this  company  went  into  liquidation,  he  embarked  in  the  giving  of  concerts  at  the  Central 
Park  Garden,  which  afforded  great  delight  to  the  patrons  of  that  resort.  Later,  he 
resumed  the  tobacco  business.  He  was  married  to  Mattie  Bryan,  who,  with  two 
children,  Leonard  Fletcher  and  Kate  Remsen,  survived  him. 

DANIEL  APPLETON,  publisher,  founder  of  the  house  of  D.  Appleton  &  Co., 
born  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  Dec.  10,  1785,  died  in  New  York,  March  27,  1849.  He  began 
life  as  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  his  native  town,  subsequently  went  to  Boston,  and  in 
1825  removed  to  New  York.  Here  he  began  the  importation  of  English  books,  in 
conjunction  with  the  dry  goods  business.  Their  original  place  of  business  in  New 
York  was  in  Exchange  place.  Mr.  Appleton  soon  abandoned  the  dry  goods  business 
and  removed  to  Chirton  Hall  in  Beekman  street,  thereafter  giving  his  attention  solely 
to  the  importation  and  sale  of  books.  The  growth  of  the  city  subsequently  made  nec- 
essary several  removals  to  locations  farther  up  town.  In  1831  he  made  a  venture  in 
the  publishing  business  by  printing  a  collection  of  religious  extracts,  entitled  "Daily 
Crumbs  from  the  Master's  Table."  Of  this  work  2,000  copies  were  sold.  From  this 
modest  beginning,  the  house  enlarged  its  operations  until  they  have  now  extended 
their  publications  into  the  entire  field  of  literature.  Mr.  Appleton  was  one  of  the 
public  spirited  merchants  of  his  day  and  identified  with  many  measures  for  promoting 
the  welfare  of  the  city  and  its  merchants.  He  was  highly  esteemed  by  his  contem- 
poraries. May  4,  1813,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  Adams,  daughter  of  John  Adams, 
and  from  that  union  were  born  five  sons,  William  Henry,  John  Adams,  Daniel  Sid- 
ney, George  Swett  and  Samuel  Francis  Appleton.  These  sons  were  successively  ad- 
mitted into  partnership  in  the  firm,  which  is  yet  carried  on  under  the  original  title  of 
D.  Appleton  &  Co.  by  the  surviving  son,  William  H.  Appleton,  and  several  grandsons. 

COL.  DANIEL  APPLETON,  publisher,  born  in  New  York,  Feb.  24,  1852,  is  the  son 
of  John  A.  Appleton,  and  grandson  of  Daniel  Appleton.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  New  York  city  and  Carlsruhe  in  Germany,  and,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  entered 
the  Appleton  publishing  house  as  a  clerk.  In  1879,  he  was  admitted  into  partnership 
in  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  Possessing  fine  business  qualifications,  he  has  been  an  efficient 
member  of  the  firm.  Colonel  Appleton  has  long  taken  an  active  part  in  New  York  city's 
favorite  militia  regiment,  the  7th,  of  which,  July  18,  1889,  he  was  by  unanimous  vote, 
promoted  from  a  Captaincy  to  the  Colonelcy.  He  is  a  director  of  the  American  Book 
Co. ,  and  a  member  of  the  Union,  Century,  Aldine,  Riding  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs. 


24  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

WILLIAfl  HENRY  APPLETON,  publisher,  son  of  Daniel  Appleton,  was  born  in 
New  York,  Jan.  27,  1814.  Educated  at  Andover,  Mass.,  he  entered  his  father's 
store,  where  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  book  department.  In  1835  he  was 
sent  to  represent  the  house  in  London,  where  the  next  year  he  established 
an  agency  at  16  Little  Britain.  In  1838  he  was  taken  into  partnership.  At 
his  father's  death,  in  1849,  he  inherited  a  moderate  estate,  which  he  has  since 
increased  by  his  own  energetic  prosecution  of  the  business  and  by  active  partici- 
pation in  other  enterprises.  Under  his  management  the  house  devoted  itself  entirely 
to  the  sale  of  its  own  publications  and  has  come  to  rank  among  the  half  dozen 
leading  publishing  houses  of  the  United  States.  They  have  published  the  works  of 
the  most  noted  scientists  of  Europe  and  the  United  States,  while  in  general  literature 
their  catalogue  contains  the  books  of  Bancroft,  McMaster,  Bryant,  Cooper,  Dickens, 
Disraeli,  Kipling,  Caine  and  other  standard  authors.  The  literature  of  the  civil  war 
is  represented  on  both  sides  by  memoirs  and  biographies  of  eminent  soldiers  and  states- 
men. Illustrated  works  have  been  printed  in  large  number,  comprising  many  art  col- 
lections of  a  high  order.  Their  text  books  embrace  every  subject  taught  in  American 
schools,  and  they  have  a  special  department  of  medical  works  and  another  of  Spanish 
books  designed  for  the  South  and  Central  American  markets.  The  American  Cyclo- 
pedia issued  by  this  house,  the  most  widely  circulated  work  of  its  kind  ever  produced 
in  this  country,  brought  them  great  reputation.  The  Annual  Cyclopedia,  a  continu- 
ation of  the  great  work,  is  now  in  its  thirty-third  year.  Mr.  Appleton  was  married 
in  Lowell,  Mass.,  to  Mary  Worth  en,  and  his  children  are  William  Worthen,  Kate, 
Mary  and  Henry  Cozzens  Appleton.  He  is  president  of  The  Manhattan  Safe  De- 
posit &  Storage  Co.,  and  a  director  of  The  American  Book  Co.,  The  Central  Trust 
Co.,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  The  New  York  Life  Insurance 
Co.  and  The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Union, 
Aldine,  Century,  Players',  Riding  and  Country  clubs,  and  The  New  England  Society. 

WILLIAM' WORTHEN  APPLETON,  publisher,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  Nov.  29, 
1845.  He  is  a  son  of  William  H.  Appleton  and  grandson  of  Daniel  Appleton.  He  was 
fitted  in  New  York  for  Harvard  College.  Owing  to  ill-health  he  did  not  enter,  but 
travelled  and  studied  abroad.  He  entered  the  house  of  D.  Appleton  &  Co.  in  1865  as 
an  assistant  in  the  school  book  department,  and  subsequently  took  charge  of  the  manu- 
facturing  department,  being  admitted  to  partnership  in  1868.  In  recent  years  he  has 
given  more  of  his  time  to  the  editorial  department  and  the  London  office,  and  has 
proved  an  active  and  capable  member  of  the  firm.  He  was  married  April  20,  1881, 
to  Anna,  daughter  of  Henry  I.  Sargent,  of  Boston.  Their  children  are  Margaret, 
William  Henry,  Mary  and  Sargent  Appleton.  He  is  a  director  in  The  American 
Book  Co.,  a  corporation  founded  in  1890,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,000,  and  is  actively 
identified  with  the  New  York  Free  Library,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  founders,  and 
has  held  continuously  the  chairmanship  of  the  Library  Committee.  He  is  also  a 
director  in  The  Bank  for  Savings  and  prominent  in  The  Publishers'  League,  which 
was  instrumental  in  bringing  about  the  International  Copyright  Law.  A  keen  busi- 
ness man,  he  is  in  social  life  a  gentleman  of  courteous  manners  and  a  charming- 
companion.  His  clubs  are  the  Union,  Aldine,  Century,  Knickerbocker,  Grolier  and 
Riding,  and  he  is  also  a  member  of  The  New  England  Society  and  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AR.  25 

CHARLES  ARBUCKLE,  coffee  importer,  born  in  Allegheny  City,  Pa.,  in  1833,  died 
in  Brooklyn,  X.  Y.,  March  27,  1891.  His  early  years  were  passed  in  Allegheny  City, 
where  he  became  a  prominent  wholesale  grocer.  In  1871,  Mr.  Arbuckle,  with  his 
brother  John,  established  a  factory  for  the  preparation  of  roasted  and  ground  coffee  in 
Brooklyn,  and  in  1875  transferred  all  his  interests  to  that  city.  The  business  was  at 
first  conducted  under  the  name  of  Arbuckle  Bro's,  but  increased  to  such  dimensions 
that  it  was,  at  one  time,  transferred  to  a  stock  organization,  the  Arbuckle  Coffee  Co. 
Subsequently,  however,  the  corporation  was  abandoned,  and  the  old  firm  of  Arbuckle 
Bro's  revived.  The  firm  have  imported  immense  quantities  of  raw  coffee  from  Brazil, 
and  established  a  permanent  house  at  Rio.  They  acquired  a  wide  reputation  through 
the  introduction  of  the  "  Ariosa"  brand  of  coffee,  which,  roasted,  ground  and  packed 
in  one-pound  bags,  met  with  an  extensive  sale.  Mr.  Arbuckle  personally  superin- 
tended much  of  the  work  of  the  factory,  and  to  his  ability  and  untiring  labor  was 
largely  due  the  success  of  this  house.  He  added  much  to  the  attractions  of  Brooklyn 
by  operations  in  real  estate.  Purchasing  the  old  Dieter  building  opposite  the  City  Hall 
in  Brooklyn,  he  built  five  stories  thereon,  and  made  it  the  largest  office  structure  in  the 
city.  He  afterwards  built  an  apartment  house  on  Columbia  Heights  at  Orange  street, 
with  suites  of  rooms  for  thirty-nine  families,  and  owned  another  in  the  West  Side 
region  of  New  York.  His  country  place  at  Brentwood,  Long  Island,  contained  1,100 
acres.  He  was  never  married. 

JOHN  ARBUCKLE,  importer  and  manufacturer,  spent  his  early  life  in  Allegheny, 
Pa.  In  1871,  he  engaged  with  his  brother  Charles  in  the  preparation  of  roasted  and 
ground  coffee,  their  factory  being  located  in  Brooklyn,  and  he  is  now  head  of  the  firm 
of  Arbuckle  Bros.  He  is  also  a  director  in  The  Importers  and  Traders'  Bank,  and  is 
president  of  The  Royal  Horse  Association,  a  syndicate  owning  ranches  in  Wyoming 
devoted  to  horse  breeding.  Several  good  clubs  have  elected  him  to  membership,  includ- 
ing the  Union  League  and  Hamilton  in  Brooklyn,  and  the  Down  Town  in  New  York  city. 

JOHN  DUSTIN  ARCHBOLD,  oil  refiner,  was  born  in  Leesburg,  O.,  July  26,  1848. 
His  father,  Israel  Archbold,  a  Virginian,  and  a  descendant  from  a  Protestant  Irish 
family,  which  emigrated  to  America  in  1786,  married  a  daughter  of  Col.  William  Dana, 
who  removed  from  Massachusetts  to  Marietta,  O.,  in  wagons  in  the  early  days.  John 
was  a  student  in  the  public  schools  until  thirteen  years  of  age,  and  gained  his  first  experi- 
ence in  business  pursuits  as  clerk  in  a  country  store  in  Salem,  O.,  1862-64.  IQ  l864  he 
joined  the  rush  to  the  Pennsylvania  oil  regions,  and  spent  eleven  years  there  in  various 
branches  of  the  petroleum  industry.  He  rose  to  prominence  and  has  long  been  the 
chief  proprietor  and  president  of  The  Acme  Oil  Co.  Since  1875,  he  has  been  identified 
with  The  Standard  Oil  Co. ,  and  a  director  since  its  organization,  and  is  now  vice-presi- 
dent of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  of  New  York.  He  is  president  of  the  trustees  of  Syra- 
cuse University,  and  a  director  of  The  Post-Graduate  Hospital  and  Training  School, 
and  St.  Christopher's  Home  and  Orphanage.  In  1870  Mr.  Archbold  married  at  Titus- 
ville,  Pa.,  Anna  M.,  daughter  of  Major  S.  M.  Mills,  and  his  children  are  Mary  L., 
Anna  M.,  Frances  D.,  and  John  F.  Archbold.  Mrs.  Archbold  is  a  sister  of  Col.  Mills, 
commandant  of  West  Point  Military  Academy.  Mr.  Archbold  dwells  in  a  comfortable 
home  at  Cedar  Cliff,  near  Tarrytown  on  the  Hudson.  He  is  a  member  of  several  ex- 
cellent clubs,  including  the  Union  League,  Manhattan,  Racquet,  Riding,  Whist  and 
Twilight,  and  of  The  Ohio  Society. 


26  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

OLIVER  HAZARD  PERRY  ARCHER,  capitalist,  a  native  of  New  York,  born 
Jan.  14,  1825,  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  Archer,  who,  born  in  Tarrytown,  died  in  1832 
at  the  age  of  sixty.  The  latter  was  a  firm  friend  of  Commodore  Perry  and  named  his 
son  after  the  old  hero.  Oliver  made  his  entrance  into  the  world  of  affairs  at  the 
unusally  early  age  of  ten.  While  yet  a  clerk,  he  bought  an  existing  city  express  busi- 
ness and  then  another,  and  thereafter  operated  on  his  own  account.  The  first  baggage 
express  delivery  on  The  Hudson  River  Railroad,  originated  with  Mr.  Archer,  at  the 
time  the  railroad  station  occupied  a  site  on  Chambers  street.  Later,  he  contracted  to  carry 
on  the  entire  express  business  of  that  railroad.  Thus  launched  upon  a  prosperous 
career,  he  has  continued  in  the  management  of  various  express,  freighting  and  railroad 
enterprises,  in  the  prosecution  of  which  he  has  been  successful.  At  one  time  he  was 
chosen  vice-president  of  The  Erie  Railroad.  The  first  fast  freight  line  ever  known  was 
started  by  him  over  The  Hudson  River  Railroad  About  1849-50  he  made  a  contract 
to  divert  all  the  freight  business  possible  to  The  Hudson  River  and  The  New  York 
Central  Railroads  at  five  cents  per  hundred  pounds,  and  became  a  power  in  freighting. 
The  New  York  Central  at  that  time  yet  consisted  of  a  chain  of  independent  railroads. 
In  1858,  he  transferred  his  operations  to  The  Erie  Railroad  and  handled  its  freight. 
The  Joliet  &  Wilmington  and  The  Suspension  Bridge  &  Erie  Junction  Railroads  were 
built  by  him.  In  1873,  he  retired  from  business,  but  has  since  become  a  large  owner 
of  real  estate.  Mr.  Archer  is  a  trustee  of  Syracuse  University  and  a  manager  of  The 
Board  of  Home  and  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  June  4, 
1845,  he  was  happily  married  to  Mary  Dean.  Their  children  are  Oliver  H.  P.  and 
George  D.  Archer;  Mrs.  William  P.  Abbott;  Miss  Nellie  L.  and  Dr.  Henry  M. 
Archer. 

DANIEL  V.  ARQUIMBAU,  importer  and  broker,  is  a  respectable  Pearl  street 
merchant,  who,  during  an  industrious  and  varied  career,  has  gained  a  strong  position 
by  the  ability  with  which  he  has  conducted  his  business.  Modest  and  unassuming,  but 
diligent  and  shrewd,  he  makes  steady  progress  in  the  peaceful  accumulation  of  the 
fruits  of  his  honest  vocation.  His  transactions  are  largely  in  the  nature  of  the  broker- 
age of  merchandise.  He  makes  his  home  in  the  Hotel  St.  George  in  Brooklyn.  The 
career  of  Mr.  Auguimbau  varies  from  that  of  thousands  of  men  who  devote  their  lives 
to  practical  pursuits,  mainly  in  the  fact  that  he  has  succeeded  where  many  others,  either 
from  lack  of  capital  or  of  talent,  have  failed. 

ROBERT  H.  ARKENBURQH,  tobacco  merchant,  born  in  Nyack,  N.Y.,  in  1815,  died 
there,  Sept.  20,  1890.  He  was  a  grandson  of  Daniel  Arkenburgh,  one  of  the  original 
Dutch  settlers  of  Albany  county.  In  1836,  the  young  man  ventured  to  begin  the  man- 
1  ufacture  of  cigars  in  Albany,  succeeding  from  the  start.  In  1840,  he  removed  to  Phil- 
adelphia for  a  few  years,  but  in  1 844  came  to  New  York  city  and  established  a  whole- 
sale trade  in  leaf  tobacco,  as  R.  H.  Arkenburgh  &  Co.  He  was  a  splendid  merchant, 
very  enterprising  and  energetic.  Large  contracts  were  awarded  to  him  by  the  govern- 
ment, both  in  this  country  and  in  Europe.  After  1865,  his  firm  bore  the  name  of  R.  H. 
Arkenburgh  &  Sons.  He  established  branch  houses  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Ken- 
tucky and  Connecticut,  and  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  merchant  to  ship  tobacco  in 
hogsheads  by  railroad  car  to  New  York,  the  older  method  having  been  to  bring  the 
staple  by  water  from  New  Orleans.  He  added  to  his  fortune  by  judicious  investments 
in  local  real  estate,  especially  on  the  West  side,  and  aided  in  founding  The  National 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AR.  27 

Park  Bank  and  The  Metropolitan  Gas  Co. ,  being  president  of  the  latter  a  number  of 
years.  His  wife  and  six  children  survive  him. 

HERMAN  OSS1AN  ARIIOUR,  member  of  a  celebrated  firm  of  packers  and 
commission  merchants,  was  born  March  2,  1837,  at  Stockbridge  in  Madison  county, 
N.  Y.  His  father,  Danforth  Armour,  represented  the  second  generation  of  the  founder 
of  the  family  in  this  country,  James  Armour,  a  Scotch- Irish  emigrant^  and  a  native  of 
Ireland,  who  arrived  in  America  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century.  James  was  the 
father  of  eight  children,  the  sixth  of  whom  was  John,  born  Feb.  25,  1765.  The  latter 
in  turn  was  the  father  of  nine  children,  the  fourth  of  them  being  Danforth,  born  Jan. 
5,  1799.  Danforth  married  Julia  Brooks  of  Ashford,  Nov.  27,  1825.  This  couple  had 
eight  children,  the  seventh  of  whom  was  Herman  Ossian  Armour.  The  other  brothers 
were  Simeon  Brooks,  born  Feb.  i,  1828;  Andred  Watson,  born  Jan.  27,  1829,  who  died 
in  May,  1892;  Philip  Danforth,  born  May  16,  1832;  Charles  Eugene,  born  Sept.  10, 
1835,  a  Union  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  who  died  in  hospital  Aug.  12,  1863;  and  Joseph 
Francis,  born  Aug.  29,  1842,  who  died  Jan  5,  1881.  The  brothers  now  living  are 
Simeon  Brooks,  Philip  Danforth,  and  Herman  Ossian  Armour. 

The  father  of  the  Armour  brothers  was  a  sturdy  farmer,  of  remarkable  force  of 
character,  an  upright  and  worthy  man,  and  the  boys  were  brought  up  to  hard  work 
under  strict  discipline  on  the  farm.  The  vigorous  health  and  strong  constitutions 
which  nearly  all  of  them  have  enjoyed  are  undoubtedly  due,  in  part,  to  the  whole- 
some life,  the  habits  of  self-restraint,  and  the  careful  oversight  of  their  physical  as 
well  as  mental  welfare,  of  those  early  years  upon  the  farm.  As  they  advanced 
to  youth  and  early  manhood,  the  restrictions  of  rural  scenes  and  the  limited 
opportunities  for  the  development  of  business  ability  led  them,  one  after  another,  to 
seek  their  fortunes  amid  more  active  surroundings.  The  education  of  all  was  neces- 
sarily limited  to  the  local  schools,  although  some  of  the  children  entered  the  village 
seminar}-.  Early  in  life,  Herman  O.  Armour  was  attracted  by  the  business  enterprises 
which  were  looming  into  view  in  the  great  West.  In  1855  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  and 
after  a  few  years  of  business  training  established  himself,  in  1862,  in  the  grain  commis- 
sion business  in  Chicago.  The  youngest  brother,  Joseph,  joined  Herman  in  Chicago. 
The  latter  in  1865  turned  over  the  business  he  had  established  there  to  the  care  of 
Joseph,  and  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  a  new  firm  was  organized  under  the 
style  of  Armour,  Plankinton  &  Co.  Herman  O.  Armour  proved  himself  a  most 
efficient  merchant  and  possessed  of  great  financial  ability. 

The  firm  name  of  H.  O.  Armour  &  Co.,  produce  commission  merchants,  was 
retained  in  Chicago  until  1870.  As  early  as  1868  the  packing  of  pork  was  begun  on 
a  large  scale.  The  name  of  the  firm  was  changed  to  Armour  &  Co.  in  1870.  The 
following  year,  a  branch  establishment  was  opened  at  Kansas  City  with  the  style  and 
title  of  Plankinton  &  Armour,  and  placed  under  the  management  of  the  older  brother, 
Simeon  B.  Armour.  The  failing  health  of  Joseph,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  Chicago 
house,  finally  led  to  the  removal,  from  Milwaukee  to  that  city,  of  Philip  D.  Armour, 
who  was  five  years  the  senior  of  Herman  O.  Armour.  The  brothers  had  thus  been 
brought  together  into  a  common  business  interest. 

In  1879,  The  Armour  Brothers  Banking  Co.  was  established  at  Kansas  City,  Mo. 
One  brother  yet  remained  at  the  old  homestead  in  New  York  State,  namely,  Andrew 
Watson  Armour.  Having  been  invited  to  take  charge  of  the  new  enterprise  in  Kan- 


28  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

sasCity,  he  became  its  president  and  developed  the  same  high  quality  of  business  tact, 
judgment  and  energy,  which  have  characterized  the  other  members  of  this  notable  family. 

The  packing  business  of  the  Armour  brothers  is  conducted  on  a  stupendous  scale. 
Their  abattoirs  in  Chicago  are  of  immense  capacity.  Thousands  of  animals  are  slaught- 
ered there  every  day.  A  member  of  the  firm  recently  said,  however,  that  he  did  not 
think  there  was  one  of  the  brothers  who  could  stand  and  watch  the  process,  without 
a  sense  of  pity  for  the  animals  passing  through  the  runways  so  innocently  to  their  death. 
The  firm  not  only  supply  millions  of  the  people  of  the  United  States  annually  with  fresh 
meats,  through  the  method  of  distribution  by  refrigerator  cars,  but  they  are  the  largest 
shippers  of  cured  goods  across  the  ocean  for  the  supply  of  Western  Europe.  They  give 
employment  in  their  several  industries  to  upwards  of  15,000  persons,  while  the  auxiliary 
branches  of  the  business  attain  to  the  number  of  about  three  hundred. 

Herman  O.  Armour  is  now  one  of  the  most  respected  merchants  of  New  York  city. 
He  has  identified  himself  thoroughly  with  the  business  and  social  life  of  the  metropolis. 
His  wife  is  Jeannie  P.  Livingston,  a  woman  of  noble  character.  The  family  spend 
their  winters  in  town  and  in  the  summer  season  occupy  a  country  home  near  Tarry- 
town  on  the  Hudson.  Mr.  Armour  has  joined  the  Union  League  and  Republican 
clubs,  and,  like  his  colleagues  in  those  public-spirited  organizations,  has  aided  in  pro- 
moting the  interests  of  the  great  art  museums  of  the  city,  and  other  public  institutions. 

PHILIP  DANFORTH  ARflOUR,  a  brother  of  Herman  O.  Armour,  was  born  May 
16,  1832,  at  Stockbridge  in  Madison  county,  N.  Y.  Philip's  education  was  derived  from 
the  country  schoolhouse  and  in  part  from  the  local  seminary.  As  a  boy  and  youth,  he 
was  conspicuous  for  physical  and  mental  energy,  as  well  as  for  geniality  of  disposition. 

In  the  winter  of  1851-52,  he  was  seized  with  the  California  gold  fever,  which  at 
that  time  pervaded  the  whole  country,  and,  with  others,  joined  in  an  overland  trip  to 
the  Golden  State.  Leaving  Oneida,  N.  Y.,  in  the  spring  of  1852,  the  party  reached 
California  after  a  journey  of  six  months,  during  which  they  suffered  the  many  trials 
and  dangers  incident  to  a  journey  through  the  wilderness  as  it  then  existed.  For  more 
than  three  years  he  pursued  the  rugged  life  of  a  miner.  While  subject  to  all  the 
temptations  of  his  vicious  surroundings,  the  strict  discipline  of  life  which  had  been 
maintained  under  the  paternal  roof  enabled  him  to  withstand  every  evil  influence  tri- 
umphantly. He  returned  to  the  East  in  1856  to  visit  his  parents  at  the  old  homestead.- 
He  had  met  with  some  rewards  for  his  labor;  and  after  a  few  weeks  stay  at  the  old 
home,  he  started  westward  and  settled  in  Milwaukee,  where  he  engaged  in  the  commis- 
sion business.  This  was  conducted  successfully  until  1863,  when  he  entered  into  part- 
nership with  John  Plankinton,  for  carrying  on  the  pork  packing  industry.  Mr.  Plan- 
kinton,  the  senior  of  Mr.  Armour,  recognizing  the  young  man's  ability  and  business 
energy,  induced  him  to  dissolve  the  old  firm  and  enter  a  new  organization.  Upon  the 
removal  of  Herman  O.  Armour  to  New  York  in  1865,  the  younger  brother,  Joseph,  was 
placed  in  charge  of  the  business  in  Chicago.  Owing  to  the  ill  health  of  Joseph,  Philip, 
in  the  year  1875,  removed  to  Chicago  to  assume  charge  of  the  business  in  that  centre. 

One  of  these  brothers  was  recently  asked  how  the  pork  packing  industry  began. 
The  reply  was  characteristic:  "  It  began  itself  ;  it  grew  up,  and  we  took  hold  of  it  and 
helped  it  along  by  the  application  of  hard  work  and  by  attending  to  our  business."  Of 
the  five  brothers  originally  associated  in  the  several  ramifications  of  these  vast  enter- 
prises, two  are  dead,  namely,  Joseph  F.  and  Andrew  Watson.  The  oldest  brother, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AR.  29 

Simeon  B.,  resides  in  Kansas  City,  Philip  D.   in  Chicago,   and   Herman  O.  in  New 
York 

Of  all  the  Armour  brothers,  Philip  has  probably  attracted  to  himself  more  public 
attention  than  any  of  the  others,  by  reason  of  his  remarkable  personality  and  his  prac- 
tical philanthropy,  in  which,  however,  he  has  been  sustained  by  the  liberality  of  the 
other  brothers.  The  Armour  Mission,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  institutions  in 
Chicago,  has  been  developed  through  his  activity,  originality  and  generosity  from  an 
humble  beginning  to  colossal  magnitude.  The  youngest  brother,  Joseph,  who  died 
Jan.  5,  1881,  bequeathed  $100,000  in  his  will  for  the  founding  of  a  Mission  in  Chicago, 
to  be  conducted  on  certain  novel  lines.  As  the  executor  of  the  estate,  Philip  D. 
Armour  became  peculiarly  interested  in  the  cam-ing  out  of  the  trust  imposed  upon 
him.  The  Mission  is  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  Illinois,  and  is  managed  by  a  board 
of  five  directors.  It  is  said  that  the  present  investment  associated  with  the  Armour 
Mission  represents  the  sum  of  §3,000,000.  It  is  conducted  on  a  self-supporting  plan, 
the  method  being  to  construct  flats  for  occupancy  by  persons  pursuing  their  business  in 
that  immediate  locality,  who  can,  with  their  families,  have  the  benefit  of  all  the  educa- 
tional, religious  and  social  features  connected  with  the  mission,  and  the  charities 
associated  with  it.  A  certain  standard  of  care  and  cleanliness  is  exacted  from  every 
tenant,  while  a  most  perfect  system  of  sanitary  regulation  is  observed  by  those  in  charge 
of  the  trust  funds  under  the  law.  Philip  D.  Armour  is  the  moving  spirit,  and  his 
energy  is  untiring  in  the  direction  of  the  guidance  of  the  Mission,  the  Institute,  the 
Manual  Training  School  and  other  auxiliaries.  The  object  of  the  institution  is  the 
promotion  of  the  highest  physical,  intellectual  and  moral  improvement  of  children  and 
youths. 

Philip  D.  Armour  is  a  man  of  sturdy  figure,  a  big  head  and  small  side  whiskers. 
In  appearance  he  resembles  more  a  Protestant  Episcopal  bishop  than  a  man  possessing 
such  transcendent  business  ability.  He  is  an  attendant  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
but  the  Mission  is  conducted  on  non-sectarian  grounds. 

SIMEON  B.  ARflOUR,  the  oldest  of  the  Armour  brothers,  was  born  Feb.  i,  1828. 
In  the  development  of  the  vast  industry  created  by  these  energetic  men,  he  was  an 
active  participant.  The  Kansas  City  branch  came  more  directly  under  his  supervision ; 
and  for  many  years  he  has  been  the  leading  commercial  spirit  in  that  active  and  thriv- 
ing emporium.  He  lacks  nothing  of  that  keen  business  judgment  which  is  so  pre-emi- 
nently a  family  trait.  He  is  possessed,  also,  of  that  amiability,  cordiality  and  directness 
of  speech  characteristic  of  the  family.  One  of  the  brothers,  when  asked  to  what  one 
quality  more  than  any  other  he  ascribed  their  phenomenal  success  in  life,  replied,  "To 
the  distribution  among  us  of  the  virtues  possessed  by  our  father  and  mother,  and  the 
training  we  received  as  boys  on  the  old  farm  at  Stockbridge.  That  comprised  the  root. 
What  has  developed  since  is  the  natural  growth  springing  therefrom.  We  were  taught 
how  to  work  and  to  work  hard.  We  were  taught  how  to  make  money  and  how  to  use 
what  we  gained  so  as  to  make  more.  We  had  instilled  into  us  as  children  some 
of  the  hard,  old-fashioned  common-sense  of  our  parents.  We  have  not  acquired 
and  held  on  to  what  we  have  without  labor  and  care,  and  plenty  of  it,  too." 

PHILANDER  BANNISTER  ARMSTRONG,  life  insurance  president,  was  born  in 
Brookville,  Ind.,  Feb.  3,  1847.  He  is  descended  through  the  paternal  line  from  a 
Scotch-Irish  family,  and  through  the  maternal  line  from  French  Huguenots.  No  less 


30  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

than  five  of  his  ancestors  took  part  in  the  American  Revolution.  His  early  life  was 
passed  upon  a  farm.  When  of  age,  he  went  to  Cincinnati,  found  employment  with 
The  JEtna  Life  Insurance  Co  ,  and  in  1869  became  general  agent  in  Southern  Ohio  for 
The  Guardian  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.  Having  conceived  the  idea  of  mutual  insur- 
ance as  applied  to  merchants  and  mamifacturers,  he  founded  The  Phoenix  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Co.,  in  1875,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  introducing  the  idea  of  large  lines  of 
insurance  upon  selected  and  protected  properties.  The  directors  opposed  this  policy. 
Mr.  Armstrong  resigned,  and  in  1880  came  to  New  York  city,  where  he  organized  The 
Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  in  which  two  hundred  leading  business  houses  subscribed 
for  shares.  This  enterprise  met  with  success.  For  many  years  he  was  president  of  the 
company.  In  1888,  he  acquired  a  controlling  interest  in  The  Fire  Association  of  New 
York,  and,  in  1889,  organized  The  Armstrong  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  becoming  president 
of  both.  His  methods  were  original,  often  opposed  by  conservative  directors,  but 
usually  successful.  In  1893,  he  organized  The  American  Union  Life  Insurance  Co., 
the  only  financial  institution  founded  in  New  York  city  during  that  trying  year,  and  is 
its  president.  Although  a  busy  man,  he  has  been  identified  with  The  Washington  Loan 
and  Trust  Co.  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  The  Mercantile  National  Bank,  and  The  Twenty- 
eighth  &  Twenty-ninth  Streets  Railroad,  of  this  city,  and  The  Grand  Rapids  Hy- 
draulic Co.,  of  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.  His  almond  orchard  in  California  is  the  largest 
in  the  world,  there  being  34,000  almond  trees  upon  the  ranch  of  1,015  acres,  with  a 
total  of  70,000  fruit  trees,  including  figs,  oranges,  olives,  peaches,  apricots,  cherries, 
pears,  prunes,  nectarines  and  lemons.  He  was  married  in  1872  to  Josephine  E.,  daughter 
of  Henry  Nietert,  of  Cincinnati.  He  occupies  a  beautiful  house  in  Brooklyn,  and  is  a 
life  member  of  the  Union  League  club  of  Brooklyn,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal founders,  and  The  Ohio  Society  and  Sons  of  the  Revolution  and  Insurance  club 
of  this  city. 

AARON  ARNOLD,  merchant,  born  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  in  1794,  died  in  New  York, 
March  18,  1876.  He  was  the  son  of  a  farmer.  In  1825,  he  sailed  for  Philadelphia  with 
his  wife  and  daughter.  After  a  careful  study  of  the  comparative  advantages  of  differ- 
ent cities,  he  selected  New  York  as  the  most  desirable  location,  moved  to  this  city,  and 
in  1827,  established  a  dry  goods  store  at  the  corner  of  Canal  and  Mercer  streets,  with 
his  nephew,  George  A.  Hearn,  under  the  firm  name  of  Arnold  &  Hearn.  On  Mr. 
Hearn's  retirement  in  1842,  his  place  was  supplied  by  Mr.  Arnold's  son-in-law,  James 
M.  Constable,  the  firm  thereupon  taking  the  name  of  Aaron  Arnold  &  Co.  In  1853, 
Richard  Arnold,  his  son,  and  J.  P.  Baker  were  admitted  to  the  firm,  of  which  the  title 
has  since  been  Arnold,  Constable  &  Co.  The  rapid  growth  of  the  city,  and  the  uptown 
tendency  of  the  retail  business,  led  to  the  removal  of  the  store,  in  1868,  to  its  present 
quarters  at  Broadway  and  igth  street.  In  1877,  Mr.  Arnold  retired.  His  children 
were  Richard  Arnold  and  Henrietta,  wife  of  James  M.  Constable.  Mr.  Arnold's  success 
was  attributable  to  industrious  habits,  sterling  honesty,  business  sagacity  and  stead- 
fast adherence  to  his  friends,  whether  rich  or  poor. — His  son,  RICHARD  ARNOLD,  born 
in  New  York  in  1825,  died  here,  April  7,  1886.  When  of  age  he  entered  the  store  of 
his  father.  He  learned  the  trade  thoroughly  in  all  its  details,  and  in  1853  was  ad- 
mitted to  partnership.  A  man  of  strong  common  sense,  capable,  and  foreseeing,  he 
proved  .a  competent  merchant,  gave  the  closest  attention  to  details  and  directed  the 
affairs  of  the  house  with  notable  skill  and  success  He  promoted  the  investment  of  a 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AR.  3! 

part  of  the  earnings  of  the  house  in  real  estate  on  what  was  then  upper  Broadway, 
and  the  great  appreciation  in  value  of  this  property  has  proved  the  sagacity  of  this 
venture.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Pauline,  daughter  of  Noel  J.  Bicar,  and  after 
her  death  to  Georgiana  E.,  daughter  of  M.  S.  Bolmer.  He  left  four  children,  three  of 
them  now  deceased. 

HICKS  ARNOLD,  merchant,  nephew  of  Richard.Arnold,  was  born  in  England,  and 
first  engaged  in  business  in  his  uncle's  store  as  a  salesman.  A  diligent  man,  he  was  in 
time  admitted  to  the  firm  of  Arnold,  Constable  &  Co. ,  and  has  since  been  an  active  and 
capable  member  of  the  firm.  His  wife  is  Harriette,  daughter  of  Jame3  M.  Constable. 
Mr.  Arnold  is  a  director  in  The  Bank  of  the  Metropolis. 

WILLIAM  H.  ASPINWALL,  merchant,  born  in  New  York,  Dec.  16,  1807,  died 
here  Jan.  18,  1875.  He  came  from  an  honorable  line  of  shipping  men,  his  grandfather, 
Captain  John  Aspinwall,  having  been  a  captain  of  vessels  hailing  from  his  port  long 
before  the  American  Revolution,  and  his  father,  John,  being  a  member  of  the  famous 
shipping  and  mercantile  firm  of  Gilbert  &  John  Aspinwall.  This  latter  house  dealt 
largely  in  cotton,  received  goods  on  consignment  from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  were 
large  exporters  of  American  products.  William  attended  a  local  boarding  school,  and 
was  trained  as  clerk  for  his  uncles,  Gardner  G.  and  Samuel  S.  Howland.  In  1832,  he 
became  a  partner,  the  name  being  changed  in  1837  to  Howland  &  Aspinwall.  The 
house  transacted  an  immense  business  with  the  East  and  West  Indies,  the  Mediter- 
ranean, China  and  England,  owning  seventeen  or  eighteen  ships,  including  several 
Liverpool  packets,  and  rose  to  be  the  largest  shipping  firm  in  the  city.  In  1850  Mr. 
Aspinwall  relinquished  the  active  management  to  his  brother,  J.  Lloyd  Aspinwall,  the 
business  thereafter  taking  the  nature  of  banking,  and  devoted  his  attention  to  the 
building  of  The  Panama  Railroad  and  creation  of  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  In 
the  railroad  enterprise  he  was  aided  by  Henry  Chauncey  and  John  L.  Stephens,  and  its 
pecuniary  success  was  a  proof  of  Mr.  Aspinwall's  sagacity.  The  profits  of  the  road 
were  $5,971,000  during  the  first  seven  years.  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  proved, 
especially  in  its  earlier  years,  very  successful.  Mr.  Aspinwall  retired  from  the  presidency 
in  1856,  and  devoted  his  remaining  years  to  well-earned  rest.  He  left  five  children,  Lloyd 
and  the  Rev.  John  Abel  Aspinwall ;  Anna  Lloyd,  wife  of  James  Renwick,  the  archi- 
tect ;  Catharine,  wife  of  Ambrose  C.  Kingsland,  and  Louisa,  wife  of  John  W.  Minturn. 
Mr.  Aspinwall  was  widely  known  for  his  generosity.  A  liberal  patron  of  the  fine  arts, 
he  collected  a  gallery  of  valuable  paintings,  including  Stuart's  head  of  Washington.  In 
his  will,  he  specifically  stated  that  he  left  no  bequests  to  public  objects,  because  he  had 
given  according  to  his  judgment  during  life.  He  enjoined  his  children  to  charity. — His 
son,  GEN.  LLOYD  ASPINWALL,  born  in  New  York  in  1830,  died  in  Bristol,  R.  I., 
Sept.  4,  1886.  Early  in  life,  he  entered  the  firm  of  Howland  &  Aspinwall,  of  which 
his  father  was  a  member.  In  time,  he  succeeded  his  father  and  stood  at  the  head  of 
the  firm  at  his  death.  He  inherited  large  means,  and  added  to  them  by  his  own  effort. 
He  was  married  to  Henrietta  Prescott,  daughter  of  William  De  Wolfe  of  Rhode  Island, 
who,  with  two  sons,  J.  Lloyd  and  William  H.  Aspinwall,  survived  him.  His  military 
title  was  derived  from  service  in  the  National  Guard  of  New  York,  which  began  in 
1854.  In  1857,  he  declined  an  election  as  Major  of  the  74th  Regiment.  In  1861,  he 
formed  the  Minor  Grays,  afterwards  the  22d,  with  which  he  went  to  the  front  in  the 
fall  of  1 86 1,  as  Lieutenant  Colonel.  Later,  he  was  made  Colonel  and  led  the  regiment 


32  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

during  its  three  months  service  in  the  Gettysburg  campaign,  serving  with  credit  in 
other  capacities  also  during  the  war.  In  1865-69,  he  served  as  Brigadier-General  in 
the  National  Guard.  Three  times  president  of  the  Army  &  Navy  club  and  a  promi- 
nent member  of  The  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  and  other  veteran  organiza- 
tions, he  was  also  a  member  of  the  Union  League  Club,  and  at  one  time  declined  a 
nomination  for  Mayor  of  New  York  city. 

JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR,  the  greatest  merchant  of  his  time,  and  founder  of  one  of  the 
most  conspicuous  families  in  America,  was  born  in  Waldorf,  near  Heidelberg,  Germany, 
July  17,  1763,  and  died  in  New  York  city,  March  29,  1848.  He  was  the  son  of  Johann 
Jacob  Astor,  a  respectable  village  merchant.  Nature  cast  this  young  man  in  princely 
mould  and  endowed  him  with  a  soul  in  keeping  with  his  outward  aspect.  He  possessed 
a  clear  and  courageous  mind,  an  honest  heart,  and  a  spirit  of  unusual  energy.  In  early 
youth,  he  encountered  much  hardship,  but  plain  living  and  toilsome  work  in  his 
father's  store  were  interspersed  with  lessons  at  school  and  the  reading  of  good  books, 
and  the  modest  circumstances  of  the  family  proved  an  impetus  and  inspiration,  not  an 
injury.  His  native  village  having  become  too  small  for  the  spirited  and  ambitious  boy, 
he  resolved  to  follow  his  older  brother,  Henry  Astor,  to  London.  He  walked  to  the 
river  Rhine,  and  voyaged  down  the  river  on  a  lumber  raft,  much  as  our  American 
country  lads  often  make  their  first  visit  to  New  York  by  freight  boat  on  the  Erie  canal. 

In  London  he  was  employed  by  his  uncle,  who  was  the  senior  partner  in  Astor  & 
Broadwood,  makers  of  musical  instruments.  Three  years  sufficed  to  teach  the  youth 
the  English  language  and  a  trade.  In  1783,  before  the  British  troops  had  fully  evacu- 
ated New  York,  Mr.  Astor  sailed  for  the  new  world,  with  the  purpose  of  becoming  a 
merchant  there,  bringing  with  him  seven  flutes  and  some  other  articles  for  sale  upon  a 
commission.  Landing  in  Baltimore,  Mr.  Astor  made  his  way  to  New  York,  where  his 
brother  Henry  had  already  established  himself  as  a  merchant  of  cattle  and  meats,  and 
there  entered  the  service  of  a  Quaker  merchant,  from  whom  he  learned  the  details  of 
the  fur  trade.  He  saved  his  earnings  carefully,  gained  a  little  more  by  his  own  trading, 
and  then  opened  a  modest  store  on  Water  street  as  John  Jacob  Astor,  fur  merchant. 

In  a  little  store  on  Queen  street,  he  also  became  the  pioneer  merchant  of  musical 
instruments  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Astor's  occupation  was  the  purchase  of  furs  from  the  Indian  tribes  and  the  ship- 
ment of  them  to  Europe.  While  he  employed  many  trappers  and  traders  upon  the  out- 
skirts of  civilization  at  all  times,  he  was  nevertheless  compelled  to  make  many  trips  in 
person  into  the  dense  solitudes  of  the  primeval  forests  of  the  North  and  the  region  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  His  life  at  this  period  was  full  of  romantic  adventure.  To  his  honor,  be 
.  it  said,  that  his  personal  aspect,  his  integrity  and  justice,  and  his  tact,  won  the  confidence 
and  friendship  of  the  wild  tribes  of  the  forests,  and  they  always  became  his  staunch 
and  loyal  friends.  His  unceasing  energy  resulted  in  a  rapid  development  of  his  fur 
trade,  and  before  the  beginning  of  the  present  century,  he  was  already  worth  $250,000. 
In  the  North,  he  was  opposed  by  The  Hudson  Bay  Co.,  which  aimed  at  an  entire 
monopoly  upon  that  side  of  the  American  boundary.  Nevertheless,  Mr.  Astor  pushed 
his  enterprise  into  Canada  by  way  of  Lake  Champlain  and  Buffalo  and  into  the  West 
beyond  Detroit.  He  even  purchased  furs  upon  the  headwaters  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  rivers,  which  Pierre  Chouteau,  the  founder  of  St.  Louis,  regarded  as  his  own 
especial  field. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AS.  33 

The  greatest  venture  of  Mr.  Astor  was  the  founding  of  Astoria  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia  river  in  1809.  He  planted  there  a  fort  and  a  settlement,  in  person,  won 
the  friendship  of  the  Indian  tribes,  and,  during  his  four  years  oi  control,  carried  on  a 
large  trade.  Mr.  Astor  aimed  at  securing  the  whole  of  the  Oregon  region  peacefully 
for  the  United  States.  In  this  he  would  have  succeeded,  in  spite  of  the  determined 
hostility  of  The  Hudson  Bay  Co.,  had  not  the  War  of  1812  frustrated  the  plan.  His 
agent  betrayed  his  interests,  dismissed  \fr.  Astor's  Indian  allies,  and  upon  the  first 
approach  of  a  British  ship  of  war,  struck  his  flag  and  surrendered  the  post. 

The  American  Fur  Co.,  which  Mr.  Astor  organized,  carried  on  a  continental  trade, 
and  its  sales  in  New  York  city  were  attended  by  buyers  from  every  part  of  the  world. 

At  an  early  period,  it  became  necessary  for  Mr.  Astor  to  employ  ships  of  his  own  in 
exporting  furs  to  Europe.  The  return  of  these  vessels  laden  with  merchandise  led  him 
into  an  extensive  foreign  trade.  He  gradually  acquired  a  large  fleet,  and  his  ships 
ploughed  every  ocean  of  the  globe  and  carried  cargoes  both  to  and  from  England,  Ger- 
many, France,  Russia,  China  and  America,  the  cargoes  usually  being  purchased  and 
sold  on  Mr.  Astor's  account.  His  ships  were  dispatched  to  various  parts  of  the  world 
with  unerring  judgment,  and  a  single  voyage  sometimes  brought  him  a  profit  of 
§100,000  or  more.  For  a  long  period,  Mr.  Astor  invested  two-thirds  of  each  year's 
earnings  in  real  estate.  He  acquired  large  tracts  of  land  in  Missouri,  Wisconsin,  Iowa 
and  other  parts  of  the  West,  and  purchased  many  hundred  acres  upon  the  Island  of 
Manhattan.  He  believed  that  the  enterprise  of  his  fellow  merchants  and  himself  would 
yet  make  New  York  the  centre  of  a  world  wide  trade  and  cover  the  rocks  and  swamps 
of  this  island  with  the  edifices  of  a  stately  city.  Sagacious  in  investment,  he  bought 
property  in  the  city  and  its  suburbs  continually  as  opportunity  offered.  It  was 
characteristic  of  him  that  he  seldom  sold  a  piece  of  property  and  never  placed  a  mort- 
gage on  any  of  his  possessions.  He  constructed  many  prominent  buildings,  including 
the  Astor  House.  The  growth  of  New  York  from  a  population  of  80,000  in  1810 
to  half  a  million  at  the  time  of  his  death  enormously  increased  the  value  of  his 
property  and  brought  to  him  the  greater  part  of  his  fortune  of  $20,000,000. 

A  daring  enterprise  in  which  he  was  associated  in  the  early  part  of  this  century- 
was  an  attempt  to  purchase  Louisiana  from  Napoleon.  Mr.  Astor  expected  to  gain 
$30,000,000  had  this  purchase  been  consummated,  but  he  was  anticipated  by  Napoleon 
himself,  who  offered  the  territory  to  President  Jefferson  in  order  that  it  might  be  saved 
from  capture  by  England. 

Mr.  Astor  was  a  man  of  commanding  personality  and  won  his  way  to  fortune  by 
intrepid,  untiring  and  honorable  effort  and  his  early  comprehension  of  the  future  of 
New  York  city.  He  was  remarkable  for  his  integrity,  and  won  the  good  will  of  his 
fellow  merchants  by  many  helpful  and  magnanimous  acts. 

For  a  time  after  his  marriage  to  Sarah  Todd,  whom  he  was  accustomed  to  describe 
as  the  best  business  partner  he  ever  had,  he  made  his  home  modestly  at  the  store;  but 
when  prosperity  came  to  him,  he  moved  to  the  lower  part  of  Broadway.  His  home: 
there  was  adorned  with  works  of  art  and  attended  by  a  throng  of  servants,  who  were- 
natives  of  China  and  other  lands  with  which  he  traded.  Intellectual  and  eminent  in  his. 
attainments,  he  enjoyed  the  company  only  of  men  of  merit.  Albert  Gallatin,  Wash- 
ington Irving  and  other  persons  of  distinction  were  his  intimate  friends.  He  retired, 
from  business  in  1822.  Thereafter  he  spent  many  pleasant  seasons  in  Europe. 


34  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

In  America,  Mr.  Astor  maintained  not  only  a  residence  in  the  city  but  a  summer 
place  in  Westchester  county.  He  was  fond  of  the  simple  and  invigorating  life  of  this 
farm.  Public  objects  enlisted  his  cordial  interest.  The  village  of  Waldorf  received 
from  him  a  $50,000  asylum  for  poor  children,  and  his  private  charities  were  noble  and 
extended.  In  his  will,  a  legacy  of  $400,000  provided  for  the  founding  of  The  Astor 
Library.  His  children  were  John  Jacob  Astor,  zd,  William  B.  Astor  and  the  wife  of 
Vincent  Rumpff.  John  Jacob  Astor,  ad,  received  injuries  in  the  head,  while  riding, 
which  unsettled  his  mind.  He  wrote  some  creditable  verses  after  that,  however, 
lived  for  many  years  on  what  was  then  a  farm,  on  i4th  street  near  Ninth  avenue, 
the  tract  extending  through  to  what  is  now  isth  street,  and  died  when  about 
seventy. 

WILLIAM  BACKHOUSE  ASTOR,  son  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  ist,  began  and  ended 
his  life  in  New  York  city.  He  was  born  Sept.  19,  1792,  and  died  Nov.  24,  1875.  He 
inherited  the  self-reliance  and  eminent  character,  rugged  health  and  business  capacity 
of  his  father  in  a  marked  degree.  His  education  at  the  public  schools  in  New  York, 
was  finished  at  Heidelberg  and  the  University  of  Goettingen.  He  selected  Chevalier 
Bunsen  as  his  tutor,  and  with  him  traveled  in  various  parts  of  Europe.  Napoleon  was 
then  in  the  ascendancy  upon  the  continent  and  Mr.  Astor  had  the  good  fortune  to 
witness  some  of  the  stirring  and  memorable  events  at  that  time.  He  saw  Napoleon's 
troops  assembling  for  the  invasion  of  Russia,  and  later,  the  rising  in  Germany,  when 
the  French  Emperor  had  been  driven  back  from  Moscow.  After  his  return  to  America, 
Mr.  Astor  was  married  in  1818  to  Margaret  Rebecca,  a  daughter  of  Gen.  John  Arm- 
strong, a  man  of  distinction,  and  successively  United  States  Senator,  Secretary  of  War 
and  Minister  to  France. 

In  1820,  Mr.  Astor  was  admitted  to  partnership  by  his  father,  and  became  an 
efficient  factor  in  a  trade  which  extended  to  every  part  of  the  globe.  The  great  fur 
sales  were  conducted  by  him  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  president  of  The  Ameri- 
can Fur  Co.,  and  during  the  latter  part  of  his  father's  life  held  his  father's  general 
power  of  attorney.  After  1825,  he  gradually  discontinued  the  commercial  ventures  of 
the  house,  and  that  field  was  finally  abandoned  to  other  merchants.  From  his  uncle, 
Henry  Astor,  a  merchant  on  the  Bowery,  he  inherited  the  sum  of  half  a  million.  From 
his  father  he  received  the  Astor  House  property.  And  by  his  excellent  management 
of  the  fur  business  he  gained  an  independent  fortune  of  his  own. 

Upon  his  father's  death,  Mr.  Astor  became  the  sole  heir  of  an  immense  estate. 
Thereafter,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  preservation  and  growth  of  his  property.  He  was 
a  progressive  man  and  one  of  the  most  active  builders  of  his  generation.  It  was  said  in 
1867  that  he  had  inherited  and  built  720  dwellings  and  stores  in  this  city.  He  had  also 
promoted  important  railroad  and  insurance  enterprises.  He  was  liberal  toward  his 
tenants  and  generous  in  charity ;  and  his  hatred  of  wrong  doing,  his  purity  of  character 
and  modest  demeanor  won  the  entire  respect  and  good  will  of  the  community.  His  wife 
passed  away  Feb.  15,  1872,  and  thereafter  his  private  affairs  and  the  enjoyment  of  his 
library  occupied  his  entire  attention.  He  loved  simple  ways  of  living.  Enthusiastic  in 
athletic  exercises,  he  was  a  good  horseman  and  in  early  life  a  fencer,  and  until  the  age 
of  seventy-five  seldom  allowed  a  day  to  pass  without  a  brisk  walk,  regardless  of  the 
weather.  His  children  were  John  Jacob  Astor,  3d;  William  and  Henry  Astor;  Emily, 
who  married  Samuel  Ward  and  died  early  in  life,  leaving  a  daughter  Margaret,  who 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AS.  35 

married  John  Winthrop  Chanler ;  Alida,  wife  of  John  Carey  of  England ;  and  Laura, 
wife  of  Franklin  Delano,  the  merchant. 

He  added  §250,000  to  the  endowment  of  The  Astor  Library,  and  made  a  total  of 
$550,000  in  gifts  to  that  institution.  His  estate  was  divided  mainly  and  equally 
between  his  sons  John  Jacob  and  William  Astor. 

JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR,  third  of  the  name,  son  of  William  B.  Astor,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  June  10,  1823,  and  died  here  Feb.  22,  1890.  He  received  a  good  edu- 
cation and  at  an  early  age  went  into  the  real  estate  business  with  his  father,  assisting 
in  the  management  of  the  vast  property  which  was  later  to  come  in  part  under  his  con- 
trol. In  1846  he  married  Charlotte  Augusta,  daughter  of  Thomas  Gibbes,  of  South 
Carolina,  a  woman  of  noble  character,  devoted  to  good  works.  She  died  Dec.  12, 
1887.  From  this  marriage,  one  son  was  born,  William  Waldorf  Astor.  At  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Astor  enlisted  as  a  volunteer,  and  served  with  credit  on 
the  staff  of  General  McClellan.  After  the  war,  he  remained  in  business  with  his  father. 
After  his  father's  death,  in  1875,  Mr.  Astor  increased  his  inheritance  by  continu- 
ing the  purchase  and  improvement  of  real  estate.  He  rarely  sold.  As  a  result  of  this 
policy,  he  was  at  his  death  the  largest  owner  of  real  estate  in  New  York  city,  aside 
from  the  Trinity  Church  corporation.  He  was  a  director  and  trustee  in  many  institu- 
tions, and  a  vestryman  in  Trinity  Church,  in  the  affairs  of  which  he  took  a  deep  interest. 
He  was  one  of  the  principal  owners  of  The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Farmers' 
Loan  &  Trust  Co. ,  and  a  stockholder  in  nearly  all  the  older  banks  of  New  York  city. 

In  Mr.  Astor's  life,  there  were  no  incidents  of  public  interest  at  all  commensurate 
with  his  fortune.  He  was  a  modest,  unobtrusive,  well  balanced  man,  exact  in  business 
matters,  and  generous  in  his  charities.  A  master  of  both  the  French  and  German  lan- 
guages and  fond  of  literature,  he  devoted  his  leisure  to  reading  and  study. 

His  estate  was  estimated  variously  between  §75,000,000  and  §100,000,000,  the  bulk 
of  it  going  to  his  son,  William  Waldorf  Astor,  now  the  head  of  the  family.  He  gave 
legacies  of  §400,000  to  The  Astor  Library,  §100,000  each  to  St.  Luke's  and  the  Cancer 
hospitals,  and  other  sums  to  kindred  public  objects. 

WILLIAJ1  WALDORF  ASTOR  was  born  in  New  York,  March  31,  1848,  married 
Miss  Mary  Dahlgren  Paul  of  Philadelphia,  June  6,  1878,  and  succeeded  to  his  father  as 
head  of  the  family  in  February,  1890.  His  life  has  been  largely  controlled  by  the 
influence  of  two  women  of  noble  character.  To  his  mother,  in  early  manhood,  he 
owed  his  ideal;  from  his  wife,  in  his  maturity,  he  received  an  unfailing  example  of 
courage,  chant}'  and  good  sense. 

Upon  the  completion  of  his  education,  which  was  directed  by  private  tutors  and 
finished  in  Europe,  young  Astor  was  taken  into  the  office  of  The  Astor  Estate  at  the 
age  of  twenty-three,  his  father  having  entered  it  at  twenty-five,  and  his  grandfather 
at  twenty-eight.  Here,  he  was  instructed  in  every  branch  of  business  routine,  which 
had  gradually  been  developed  into  an  elaborate  and  comprehensive  system.  He  was 
sent  about  the  city  with  a  pocket  map-book  until  he  knew  all  the  family  property. 
He  collected  dividends,  learned  the  art  and  mystery  of  coupon  cutting,  and  listened 
to  the  perennial  complaints  of  tenants.  Above  all,  he  had  before  him  the  example  of 
his  father  and  grandfather  in  the  clearness,  industry  and  justice,  with  which  their 
daily  task  was  accomplished.  Those  were  days  of  incessant  labor  and  of  much 
vexatious  routine,  which  might  well  have  been  remitted  to  a  manager. 


36  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

In  the  midst  of  the  fudge  which  the  newspapers  print  about  this  family,  four  mis- 
takes deserve  a  passing  correction  First,  it  is  supposed  that  the  Astors  delight  in  the 
foreclosure  of  mortgages.  The  truth  is,  that  a  foreclosure  being  a  disagreeable  and  un- 
profitable process,  is  resorted  to  only  in  rare  instances.  Secondly,  it  is  not  true  that 
they  are  their  own  insurers  against  fire.  Thirdly,  the  assumption  that  much  of  the 
fortune  was  derived  from  the  Astoria  enterprise  is  incorrect,  that  brilliant  and  roman- 
tic venture  having  resulted  in  heavy  loss.  And  lastly,  the  alleged  rule  never  to  sell  real 
estate  does  not  exist.  Only  narrow-minded  and  impractical  men  would  imagine  so  silly 
a  rule.  The  first  John  Jacob  Astor  was  continually  selling  houses  and  lands  whenever 
they  could  be  disposed  of  at  large  profit.  His  son  and  grandson  did  the  same  as  they 
found  it  expedient.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  sold  a  million  dollars'  worth  of  unprom- 
ising tenement-house  property  in  1890;  and  it  is  not  rash  to  say,  that  he  is  alwavs  ready 
to  part  with  any  of  his  New  York  real  estate  for  double  its  value. 

The  old  office  building,  85  Prince  street,  with  all  the  accumulated  ledgers,  family 
settlements,  trust  papers,  letter  books,  records  of  the  Astoria  enterprise,  and  docu- 
ments showing  the  management  of  the  estate  for  over  fifty  years,  passed  in  1876,  at 
the  division  of  the  property  under  the  will  of  William  B.  Astor,  into  the  possession  of 
his  eldest  son,  John  Jacob,  who  bequeathed  his  entire  estate,  real  and  personal,  abso- 
lutely and  in  fee  simple,  to  his  son,  William  Waldorf,  without  any  limitations  or  trusts. 
He  had  previously  received  in  1878  a  general  power  of  attorney,  by  which  his  father 
placed  him  wholly  in  control  over  all  his  interests,  giving  him  authority  to  do  any  act 
in  connection  therewith  which  he  himself  could  legally  perform.  Mr.  Astor's  first  act, 
upon  succeeding  his  father,  was  to  name  his  place  of  business  at  21  West  26th  street, 
"The  Office  of  The  Astor  Estate."  His  next  important  decision  was  to  erect  at  the 
corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  33d  street  the  hotel,  which  bears  the  name  of  the  German 
home  of  the  family  at  Waldorf.  So  successful  has  this  venture  proved,  that  it  is  about 
to  be  imitated  upon  the  adjoining  corner. 

Mr.  Astor  has  received  a  more  liberal  share  of  newspaper  abuse  than  falls  to  the 
lot  of  most  men.  He  has  been  derided  and  reviled,  reported  dead  and  insane,  and 
charged  with  mean  and  sordid  motives.  To  all  this  he  has  made  no  reply,  thinking  it 
beneath  him  to  enter  upon  the  contradiction  of  willful  misrepresentations,  and  perhaps 
knowing  that  many  of  his  critics  are  destitute  people,  who  have  no  other  means  of  live- 
lihood It  can  hardly  be  necessary  to  remind  New  York  that  the  Astors  have  been 
public-spirited  citizens,  given  to  service  for  the  public  good  in  hospitals,  in  the  library 
which  bears  their  name,  benevolent  institutions,  and  works  of  charity.  It  cannot  yet 
be  forgotten  that  in  war  times,  John  Jacob  Astor,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
went  to  the  front  and  served  in  the  field  with  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Nor  can  it 
lightly  be  lost  sight  of  that  the  name  of  Astor  has  been  a  synonym  for  honesty  and  high 
character  and  pure  life  in  the  history  of  New  York. 

In  September,  1880,  Mr.  Astor  conceived  the  project  of  a  London  office,  The  ter- 
mination of  his  embryo  career  in  politics  in  1881,  after  an  entirely  creditable  record  of 
three  years  in  the  New  York  Legislature  and  his  more  than  creditable  career  of  three 
years  as  Minister  to  Italy  under  President  Arthur,  turned  his  thoughts  to  a  residence  in 
England,  where  he  saw  the  possibility  of  a  broader  life  than  is  included  within  the  limits 
of  Wall  street,  Fifth  avenue  and  Newport.  In  1888  and  1889  he  represented  to  his 
father  the  advantages  of  a  residence  and  office  abroad,  to  which  the  latter  agreed  that 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AS.  37 

it  would  probably  be  conducive  to  comfort  and  happiness,  and  might  be  expected  to 
add  to  the  security  of  the  estate,  though  invariably  declining  to  have  anything  to  do 
personally  with  his  son's  "English  plan,"  as  it  came  to  be  called  between  them.  "I 
am  too  old,"  he  said,  "  for  any  change;  some  da}'  you  will  take  my  place,  and  then  you 
can  do  as  3Tou  please.  But,"  he  added  on  the  last  occasion  when  the  project  was  dis- 
cussed, "be  quite  sure,  before  beginning,  that  you  have  the  nerve  to  carry  it  through." 

This  admonition  was  deeply  laid  to  heart,  and  it  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Astor  has 
found  the  "nerve  to  carry  it  through,"  and  to  make  for  himself  and  his  children  the 
opportunity  for  useful  and  happy  and  profitable  lives.  He  cherishes,  wherever  he  may 
be,  the  remembrance  of  his  childhood's  home,  of  many  kind  and  loving  friends  in 
America,  and  of  the  enterprising  genius  of  the  great  city  of  New  York,  where  so  many 
years  of  his  life  were  spent. 

WILLIAM  ASTOR,  second  son  of  the  late  William  B.  Astor,  born  in  New  York  city, 
July  12,  1829,  died  in  Paris,  France,  April  25,  1892.  An  able  and  vigorous  man  from 
his  youth,  he  graduated  second  in  his  class  from  Columbia  College  in  1 849.  Frank  and 
generous  in  his  nature,  self-respecting,  loyal  to  his  friends,  enthusiastic  in  athletic 
sports,  he  was  exceedingly  well-liked  by  all  his  classmates.  He  undertook  a  long  journey 
through  Egypt  and  the  East,  after  his  college  days  were  over,  and  this  tour  made  im- 
pressions upon  his  receptive  mind  which  were  never  effaced  and  inspired  in  him  a  life- 
long interest  in  Oriental  art  and  literature. 

Sept.  23,  1853,  he  was  married  to  Caroline,  daughter  of  Abraham  Schermerhorn,  a 
descendant  of  an  old  and  distinguished  family,  which  was  founded  in  America  in  1642 
and  has  always  been  conspicuous  in  affairs. 

Immediately  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Astor  entered  the  real  estate  office  of  his  father 
on  Prince  street,  and  undertook  a  share  of  the  management  of  the  vast  properties  be- 
longing to  the  family,  and,  after  half  of  it  had  come  to  him  by  inheritance,  he  increased 
it  largely  by  continual  purchases  and  re-investment  of  receipts.  Competent,  judicious, 
and  successful,  he  possessed  the  faculty  of  so  regulating  his  business  interests  as  to  leave 
a  portion  of  his  time  free  for  recreation.  He  was  fond  of  farming  and  open  air  employ- 
ments, and  especially  enjoyed  the  company  of  the  sea.  Many  trips  along  the  coast  were 
taken  in  his  own  steam  yacht. 

In  1875,  a  visit  to  Florida  awoke  his  interest  in  the  vast  undeveloped  resources  of 
that  State ;  and  it  is  believed  that  his  enterprise,  during  the  next  ten  years,  accomplished 
more  for  Florida,  than  that  of  any  of  his  cotemporaries.  He  built  a  railroad  from  St. 
Augustine  to  Palatka,  constructed  several  modern  blocks  of  buildings  in  Jacksonville, 
and  led  other  men  of  means  to  join  in  the  work  of  re-creating  a  new  Florida  in  place  of 
the  old  one.  His  sendees  were  so  valuable  that  the  State  Government  voted  him  a 
grant  of  80,000  acres  of  land. 

Both  Mr.  Astor  and  his  wife  were  prominent  in  the  social  entertainments  of  the 
metropolis.  Their  eminent  purity  of  character,  discriminating  taste,  refinement  and 
generous  hospitalities  made  them  the  unchallenged  leaders  of  the  social  life  of  the 
city.  The  approval  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Astor  ensured  the  success  of  every  movement 
which  depended  in  any  manner  upon  the  favor  of  the  great  and  powerful.  The}-  were 
both  singularly  generous  in  their  charities  and  equally  scrupulous  in  avoiding  public 
notice  of  them.  Their  children  were  Emily,  who  died  in  1881,  wife  of  James  J.  Van 
Alen  of  Newport;  Helen,  wife  of  James  Roosevelt  Roosevelt;  Charlotte  Augusta, 


WILLIAM  ASTOR. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AS. 


39 


wife  of  James  Coleman  Drayton ;  Caroline  Schermerhorn,  wife  of  Marshall  Orme  Wil- 
son; and  John  Jacob  Astor. 

A  reference  has  been  made  to  Mr.  Astor's  love  of  the  ocean.  The  schooner  yacht 
Ambassadress,  built  for  him  in  1877,  gave  him  much  pleasure  during  the  following 
seven  years.  She  was  the  largest  sailing  yacht  ever  constructed.  In  1884,  he  caused 
to  be  designed  and  built  the  Nourmahal,  a  steamer  heavily  sparred  and  capable  of  a 
rapid  run  under  sail  alone.  Mr.  Astor  projected  a  trip  around  the  world  in  this  sea- 
worthy vessel,  but  did  not  live  to  carry  out  the  plan.  The  Ambassadress  was  sold  to  a 
Boston  gentleman  for  private  use,  and  several  years  later  to  a  fruit  concern  in  the  West 
Indies.  She  is  probably  the  swiftest  ship  afloat  in  the  fruit  trade.  Mr.  Astor  was  also 
the  owner  of  the  sailing  yacht  Atalanta,  which  won  two  out  of  three  races  in  which  she 
entered  and  carried  off  the  Cape  May  and  the  Kane  cups. 

Mr.  Astor  was  also  fond  of  fine  horses  and  owned  many  thoroughbreds.  Vagrant, 
purchased  in  Kentucky  in  1877,  more  than  paid  for  himself  before  his  owner  saw  him. 
Another  horse  named  Ferncliff,  raised  by  him,  was  sold  as  a  yearling  for  §4,800.  A 
stallion  bought  in  England  in  1890  for  $15,000  sold  within  a  year  for  §30,000. 

JOHN  JACOB  ASTOR,  fourth  of  the  name,  son  of  William  Astor,  was  born 
July  13,  1864,  at  Ferncliff,  near  Rhinebeck,  his  father's  country  house  on  the  Hudson. 
He  is  the  most  American  of  all  the  Astors,  both  by  descent,  marriage  and  patriotic  sen- 
timent. Through  the  maternal  line,  he  is  in  the  fifth  generation  of  descent  from 
Robert  Livingston,  who  received  by  royal  patent  the  famous  Manor  of  Livingston  on 
the  Hudson  River,  comprising  a  large  part  of  the  land  in  Dutchess  and  Columbia 
counties.  His  education,  begun  in  St.  Paul's  School,  Concord,  N.  H.,  and  prosecuted 
at  Harvard  University,  from  which  he  graduated  in  the  scientific  class  of  1888, 
has  been  continued  by  diligent  reading  and  extended  foreign  travel.  Before  entering 
Harvard,  he  made  a  trip  to  the  Pacific  coast  by  the  northern  route,  enjoying  the  novelty 
of  travel  by  stage  through  the  mountains  and  many  expeditions  on  horseback  and  on 
foot  in  pursuit  of  big  game.  Since  then  he  has  visited  nearly  even-  country  in  Europe, 
the  West  Indies,  'and  many  parts  of  South  America.  In  Turkey  the  Sultan,  Abdul 
Hamed,  paid  him  the  honor  of  a  personal  audience,  having  first  fully  satisfied  himself 
that  the  young  American  was  not  an  agent  of  Russia  or  England,  or  otherwise  bent 
upon  overturning  the  Turkish  throne  and  convulsing  the  whole  of  Europe  with  the 
chaos  of  a  general  war.  His  originality  has  been  repeatedly  shown  by  avoidance  of 
ordinary  routes  of  travel. 

Upon  his  return  from  foreign  travel,  Mr.  Astor  identified  himself  with  the  manage- 
ment of  the  family  estates.  He  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business  and  has 
since  devoted  himself  to  practical  affairs  with  abilit)r  and  success. 

In  1891,  he  was  married  in  Philadelphia  to  Ava,  daughter  of  Edward  Shippen  and 
Alice  C.  Barton  Willing  of  that  city,  and  thus  became  connected  with  a  family  of  dis- 
tinction, which,  besides  being  notable  for  its  loft}'  character,  has  given  birth  to  many 
men  of  high  social  and  official  position.  Thomas  Willing,  great-great-grandfather  of 
Mrs.  Astor,  was  Mayor  of  Philadelphia,  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  first  presi- 
dent both  of  The  Bank  of  North  America  and  The  Bank  of  the  United  States.  He 
aided  in  drawing  up  that  immortal  document,  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States, 
and  it  was  he  who  designed  the  United  States  coat-of-arms.  Another  ancestor  of  Mrs. 
Astor  was  Coloney  W.  Barton,  a  Member  of  Parliament  in  1653  By  this  marriage. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AS.  4! 

Mr.  Astor  gained  the  life  companionship  of  a  charming  and  congenial  woman.  His 
wife  is  fitted  by  native  refinement,  a  bright  mind,  and  thorough  education  for  the  exalted 
social  position  she  occupies;  and  she  enters  graciously  and  with  enjoyment  into  the 
open  air  recreations  for  which  the  Astors  have  always  been  noted.  She  is  a  good  marks- 
man and  with  fire-arms  made  especially  for  her,  has  secured  wild  duck  and  other  game 
many  times  during  the  hunting  expeditions  of  herself  and  husband.  In  fact,  upon 
their  wedding  trip,  Mrs.  Astor  demonstrated  the  fact  that  she  was  a  better  shot,  even 
than  her  husband,  with  revolver  and  rifle.  A  piece  of  slate,  completely  concealed  by  a 
half  dollar  coin,  according  to  a  spectator,  was  by  her  shot  at  and  hit  four  times  out  of 
five,  at  a  distance  of  fifteen  paces.  Mrs.  Astor  now  owns  quite  an  arsenal.  She  is  as 
fond,  not  only  of  shooting  but  of  open  air  amusements,  as  her  husband,  and  frequently 
plays  tennis  and  golf,  and  joins  Mr.  Astor  in  sailing.  Her  influence  in  the  promotion 
of  invigorating  exercises  is  certain  to  prove  far-reaching. 

Mr.  Astor  is  a  good  citizen,  a  progressive  and  capable  business  man,  and  a  gentle- 
man who  has  shown  himself  willing  to  endure  discomfort  in  the  public  service.  He 
has  served  as  juryman  in  the  local  courts  with  admirable  patience  and  public  spirit. 
The  influence  of  his  name  has  been  sought  by  financial  institutions  and  he  is  a 
director  in  The  National  Park  Bank,  The  Title  Guarantee  &  Trust  Co. ,  The  Mercantile 
Trust  Co. ,  The  Illinois  Central  Railway,  The  Second  National  Bank,  and  The  Plaza 
Bank.  He  belongs  to  the  Knickerbocker,  Union,  Metropolitan,  Tuxedo,  City,  Riding, 
Racquet,  Country,  New  York  Yacht,  Down  Town,  and  Delta  Phi  clubs,  and  is  one  of 
the  governors  of  the  Newport  Golf  Club  and  the  Newport  Casino.  It  may  also  be  said 
that  he  is  one  of  the  patrons  of  the  annual  Patriarch's  Ball,  the  greatest  social  event  of 
each  winter  season  in  the  metropolis.  Already  the  possessor  of  many  buildings  in  this 
city,  Mr.  Astor's  civic  pride,  energy  and  business  sagacity  combined  promise  to  place 
upon  the  Island  of  Manhattan  several  splendid  buildings  during  the  long  business  career 
which  is  before  him.  Various  plans  are  now  in.  contemplation. 

It  is  one  of  the  developments  of  modern  times  that  a  talent  for  practical  affairs 
and  literary  ability  are  sometimes  found  united  in  the  same  man.  This  is  the  case 
with  Mr.  Astor.  He  is  fond  of  the  study  of  science  and  philosophy,  and  he  has  written 
a  book,  entitled,  "A  Journey  in  Other  Worlds;  A  Romance  of  the  Future,"  which, 
superbly  illustrated  by  Dan  Beard  under  Mr.  Astor's  direction,  and  handsomely  printed, 
appeared  in  1894  and  attracted  widespread  interest  and  attention.  In  this  entertain- 
ing work,  Mr.  Astor  assumes  that  the  conquest  of  nature  has  been  achieved  and 
that  nearly  all  the  forces  which  mankind  is  striving,  so  far  in  vain,  to  harness, 
have  been  brought  under  control,  while  new  ones  have  been  discovered,  among 
them  the  principle  of  apergy,  which  tends  to  throw  objects  apart,  as  gravitation 
draws  them  together.  He  indulges  in  this  romance  in  clever  and  daring  philo- 
sophic speculation,  revels  in  the  luxuriant  and  wonderful  life  of  Jupiter,  makes 
the  flowers  sing,  creates  extraordinary  reptiles,  discovers  a  water  spider  600  feet 
long,  travels  300  miles  an  hour  by  railroad  train,  and,  most  marvelous  of  all,  reveals 
New  York  as  possessing  clean  streets,  rapid  transit  and  a  good  city  government.  His 
heroes  visit  Jupiter  and  Saturn  and  encounter  strange  and  inspiring  adventures,  which 
are  described  with  so  much  force  and  felicity  of  language,  as  to  create  the  hope  that 
Mr.  Astor's  pen  may  yet  be  employed  upon  other  volumes.  His  first  excursion  into 
the  realm  of  literature,  judged  solely  by  its  own  merits,  not  by  the  merits  of  the  man. 


42  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

which  are  great,  has  received  the  approval  of  the  most  judicious  critics.  The  work 
will  soon  be  published  in  Paris  in  the  French  language.  It  has  already  been  printed 
in  London,  and  the  sale  of  the  London  edition  already  exceeds  the  sale  in  New 
York,  although  the  book  has  reached  its  fifth  edition  here. 

Mr.  Astor  has  been  commissioned  a  Colonel  on  the  staff  of  Levi  P.  Morton, 
Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

HUGH  AUCHINCLOSS,  merchant,  born  in  New  York,  in  1817,  died  in  New 
Canaan,  Conn.,  June  18,  1890.  He  was  the  son  of  Hugh  Auchincloss  of  Paisley,  Scot- 
land, who  in  1805  began  in  New  York  the  importation  and  sale  of  dry  goods  and  cotton 
thread.  At  an  early  age  the  younger  Hugh  and  his  brother  John  were  taken  into  the 
firm,  which  until  1855  displayed  the  sign  of  Hugh  Auchincloss,  but  then  became  known 
as  John  &  Hugh  Auchincloss,  later  as  Auchincloss  Bro's.  The  firm  rose  to  prominence 
as  the  American  agents  for  Coates's  spool  thread,  of  which  they  imported  and  sold 
enormous  quanties.  They  were  also  manufacturers  of  thread  in  this  country,  and  long 
held  a  high  position  in  the  mercantile  world.  Mr.  Auchincloss  left  an  only  daughter, 
Mary  Baldwin,  wife  of  Lewis  P.  Childs  of  New  Canaan,  Conn.  He  was  a  director  of 
various  financial  institutions,  including  The  Merchants'  National  Bank  and  The  Bleecker 
Street  Savings  Bank.  For  many  years,  he  was  a  member  of  Grace  Protestant  Episcopal 
church  and  a  man  of  the  highest  probity  of  character. 

JOHN  AUCHINCLOSS,  merchant,  born  in  1811,  died  in  Quebec,  Canada,  June  26, 
1876.  He  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Auchinchloss,  of  .Paisley,  Scotland.  Receiving  a  training 
in  his  father's  store,  he  became  a  partner,  and,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  in  1855, 
joined  his  brother  Hugh  in  continuing  the  business  of  the  house,  which  was  developed 
to  large  proportions.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Auchincloss  was  the  oldest  dry 
goods  merchant  in  New  York  city  in  continuous  management.  He  was  a  director  of  The 
Merchants'  Bank,  a  trustee  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  and  identified  with 
various  other  institutions.  Six  sons  and  two  daughters  survived  him.  For  many  years 
he  had  been  a  member  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  and  was  highly 
respected  in  business  and  social  circles. 

ROBERT  FRANKLIN  AUSTIN,  merchant,  born  in  Brownville,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  21, 
1827,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  31,  1885.  His  parents  were  of  New  England 
descent.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  young  man  entered  the  general  country  store 
of  Daniel  J.  Schuyler  at  Three  Mile  Bay,  afterwards  rising  to  partnership.  Mr. 
Austin  made  himself  so  popular  among  his  neighbors  that,  while  yet  a  young  man,  they 
sent  him,  in  1855,  to  the  State  Assembly  for  one  term.  About  1860,  he  removed  to 
New  York,  and  found  employment  as  a  clerk  with  Earle  &  Co.,  grocers.  In  1861,  he 
became  a  partner  in  Fitts,  Austin  &  Turner  in  the  same  trade.  Mr.  Turner  withdrew 
in  1864.  The  store,  originally  in  Warren  street,  was  moved,  in  time,  to  larger  quar- 
ters in  Murray  street,  and  finally  to  Reade  street.  In  1878,  the  firm  reorganized  as 
Austin,  Nichols  &  Co.  Mr.  Austin  soon  took  leading  rank  among  the  business  men  of 
the  city,  the  new  firm  being  highly  successful  under  his  management.  In  1880,  they 
removed  to.  a  new  store  on  Hudson  at  the  corner  of  Jay  street.  Mr.  Austin  was  a  keen, 
prompt,  upright  man,  just,  humane  and  democratic.  In  1875,  he  was  given  a  seat  in 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  often  took  part  in  discussions  there,  being  an  excellent 
speaker.  In  Augtist,  1850,  Mr.  Austin  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Schuyler,  daughter 
of  his  first  employer.  To  them  was  born  one  son,  D.  William  Austin,  who  died  Oct.  2, 


XBHt 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AY.  43 

1894.  Among  the  institutions  with  which  he  was  identified  were  The  Importers  & 
Grocers'  Exchange,  The  Mercantile  Exchange,  The  Board  of  Trade  &  Transportation, 
and  The  Hanson  Place  Baptist  Church,  in  Brooklyn. 

FREDERICK  FANNING  AVER,  a  lawyer  of  high  standing  in  New  York  city,  a 
son  of  the  late  Dr.  James  C.  Ayer,  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  was  born  in  Lowell,  Sept.  12, 1851. 
This  family  have  been  identified  with  the  history  of  the  country  for  the  last  200  years. 
Mr.  Ayer's  paternal  ancestors  served  in  the  American  Revolution  and  in  the  War  of 
1812.  Through  his  mother,  he  descends  from  Lawrence  and  Cassandra  Southwick, 
members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  who  were  persecuted  for  conscience  sake  in  colo- 
nial days  in  Boston.  Their  heroic  endurance  has  been  commemorated  by  Whittier  in  a 
poem.  His  mother's  mother  and  the  founder  of  the  house  of  H.  B.  Clanin  &  Co  ,  of 
New  York,  were  children  of  Major  John  Clanin  of  Milford,  Mass. 

Frederick  F.  Ayer  was  educated,  first,  in  the  public  schools  in  Lowell,  and  in  1863, 
he  was  sent  to  St.  Paul's  School  in  Concord,  N.  H.,  where  he  enjoyed  a  four 
years'  course. 

He  then  left  school  for  a  while  to  learn  a  trade.  Dr.  Ayer,  his  father,  was,  at  that 
time,  a  large  owner  of  stock  in  various  mamifacturing  companies.  Some  of  these 
concerns  had  met  with  serious  losses,  owing  to  the  incompetence  of  their  managers, 
and  the  young  man  inherited  from  his  father  a  conviction  of  the  imperative  necessity 
of  acquiring  a  practical  knowledge  of  the  details  of  any  form  of  business  in  which  he 
might  be  engaged.  It  was  certain  that,  in  time,  large  manufacturing  interests  would 
be  entrusted  to  him ;  and  he  resolved  to  gain  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  details 
of  the  work  in  the  mills.  He  entered  Suffolk  Mills,  therefore,  as  an  operative,  begin- 
ning at  the  beginning  of  the  processes  of  manufacture,  and  working  in  every  room  of 
the  mill  from  wheel  pit  to  belfry,  until  he  had  acquired  a  sound  personal  knowledge  of 
every  process  through  which  cotton  passes  on  its  way  from  the  bale  to  the  finished 
cloth.  Then,  leaving  the  factory,  he  fitted  himself  for  college. 

In  July,  1869,  The  Franklin  Literary  Association  was  organized  by  him  and  other 
young  men  of  Lowell.  This  was  at  first  a  large  debating  club.  In  that  practical  school, 
Mr.  Ayer  acquired  the  habit  of  thinking  while  on  his  feet,  which  served  him  in  good 
stead  in  later  years.  Graduating  from  Harvard  in  1873  with  honor,  he  then  spent  some 
time  travelling  in  Europe  with  his  father.  In  1874  he  entered  the  Law  School  at  Cam- 
bridge, being  in  due  time  admitted  to  the  bar.  In  1875  he  began  practice  in  partner- 
ship with  Lemuel  H.  Babcock.  The  first  service  of  the  young  lawyer  in  court  came 
about  in  a  sudden  and  unexpected  manner.  Dr.  Ayer  was  then  the  controlling  spirit 
in  the  company  formed  to  supply  the  city  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  with  water  from  Hem- 
lock Lake.  Litigation  had  arisen  between  the  company  and  the  city.  The  case  was 
one  in  which  the  family  were  deeply  interested,  and  while  yet  in  the  Law  School,  Mr. 
Ayer  had  studied  from  curiosity  the  questions  involved.  When  the  case  came  up  in  the 
Supreme  Court  at  Rochester  for  argument,  Mr.  Ayer  was  present  to  listen.  To  his 
great  surprise,  Judge  Henry  R.  Selden,  counsel  for  Dr.  Ayer,  introduced  the  young 
man  to  the  court  as  his  associate  from  Massachussetts  and  declared  that  Mr.  Ayer  would 
open  the  case.  Mr.  Ayer  was  taken  unawares,  but  rose,  without  preparation,  faced 
the  court  with  quickly  beating  heart  and  shaking  knees,  and  spoke  for  half  an  hour. 
He  acquitted  himself  with  such  credit  that  his  father  presented  to  him  a  check  for 
$10,000,  his  first  professional  fee.  This  experience  with  the  ways  of  senior  counsel 


44  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

made  him  shy  of  court  rooms  thereafter.  In  1876,  the  failure  of  Dr.  Ayer's  health 
compelled  Frederick  to  abandon  the  practice  of  the  law  and  assume  the  responsible 
duty  of  managing  Dr.  Ayer's  vast  investments.  He  has  since  been  fully  occupied  with 
the  care  of  large  interests. 

Mr.  Ayer  possesses  the  faculty  of  public  speaking  and  has  appeared  before  large 
audiences  many  times.  He  was  never  more  felicitous  in  his  remarks,  perhaps,  than 
upon  Oct.  26,  1876,  when,  in  behalf  of  his  father,  he  made  the  address  of  presentation 
of  the  new  Town  Hall  of  Ayer  to  the  authorities  of  the  town  and  delivered  to  them  the 
keys  of  the  edifice.  His  father's  life  was  drawing  to  a  close  and  the  occasion  was  an 
affecting  one.  Mr.  Ayer  spoke  with  fine  control  and  much  feeling. 

In  1885,  he  made  an  address  in  Michigan  which  was  followed  by  important  conse- 
quences. Like  his  father,  he  had  become  greatly  interested  in  corporation  reform. 
Among  the  first  to  see  the  justice  and  expediency  of  minority  representation  and  cumu- 
lative voting  in  the  directory  of  industrial  corporations,  he  urged  this  idea  upon  the 
attention  of  public  men;  and  when,  in  1885,  a  bill  to  secure  this  result  was  introduced 
in  the  Legislature  of  Michigan,  Mr.  Ayer  made  an  argument  in  its  behalf  which  was 
so  unanswerable  that  it  led  to  the  passage  of  the  law.  Similar  laws  have  since  then 
been  enacted  by  other  States. 

He  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs  and  studied  diligently  the 
various  branches  of  economic  science.  He  has  always  opposed  by  voice  and  pen  every 
successive  scheme  for  debasing  the  currency,  and  has  always  favored  a  reasonable  but 
moderate  tariff. 

Upon  his  father's  death  in  1878,  Mr.  Ayer  became  the  manager  of  the  great  proper- 
ties which  his  father  had  created,  and  for  many  years  was  obliged  to  resort  to  law  and 
lawyers,  as  a  client,  to  extricate  the  estate  from  dangers  with  which  it  was  threatened. 
He  has  displayed  business  ability  of  a  high  order,  and  his  previous  legal  training  has 
aided  to  make  him  a  successful  financier. 

Mr.  Ayer  is  a  man  of  generous  impulses.  Among  many  philanthropic  acts,  it  is 
told  of  him  that  in  1890  he  gave  $5,000  for  books  for  a  public  library  in  the  Town  House 
of  Ayer,  and  later  built  for  the  town  the  Ayer  Memorial  Library  building,  at  a  cost  of 
about  $40,000.  There  had  previously  been  some  attempts  to  maintain  a  public  library 
in  the  village.  In  one  case,  the  library  had  been  so  very  free,  that  all  of  its  books  had 
disappeared  within  the  fifteen  years  of  its  existence.  Other  attempts  were  made  under 
better  management,  and  in  1890  a  library  of  about  2,800  books  had  been  accumulated. 
Mr.  Ayer's  gift  enabled  the  trustees  to  equip  the  shelves  with  a  large  number  of  the 
most  valuable  standard  books,  and  his  later  generosity  gave  the  town  an  excellent 
library  building.  He  has  also  joined  with  his  mother,  Mrs.  Josephine  M.  Ayer,  in  pre- 
senting to  the  city  of  Lowell  a  beautiful  home  for  children. 

Mr.  Ayer  inherited  a  large  interest  in  his  father's  property,  and  has  many  large 
investments  of  his  own.  The  fortune  of  Dr.  Ayer  has  been  more  than  doubled  by  the 
jon  by  judicious  investments.  The  latter  is  a  director  of  The  Lake  Superior  Ship 
Canal  Railway  &  Iron  Co.,  The  Portage  Lake  &  River  Improvement  Co.,  The 
Lowell  and  Andover  Railroad,  The  J.  C.  Ayer  Co.,  The  Tribune  Association  in  New 
York,  and  the  Tremont  and  Suffolk  Mills. 

In  social  life  he  is  a  man  of  cultivated  taste,  and,  while  not  a  club  man,  as  that 
term  is  generally  understood,  is  nevertheless  a  member  of  many  social  organizations, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. AY.  45 

among  them  the  Harvard,   New  York,  Merchants',  Riding,  Down  Town,  New  York 
Yacht,  Union  League,  and  Metropolitan  clubs. 

MARSHALL  AYRES,  merchant,  born  in  Truro,  Cape  Cod,  Mass.,  in  1806,  died  in 
New  York,  Jan.  15,  1888.  Receiving  a  fair  education  and  some  training  in  business  pur- 
suits, he  went,  in  1835,  with  Josiah  Lombard  to  Illinois,  and  passing  through  Chicago, 
then  a  town  of  5,000  inhabitants,  settled  at  Griggsville,  sixty  miles  west  of  Springfield. 
They  participated  in  the  wonderful  development  of  the  great  Northwest,  and  came 
in  time  to  control  the  agricultural,  grocery,  dry  goods,  provision  and  banking  trade  of 
the  county  in  which  they  had  located.  Both  partners  acquired  fortunes.  They  built 
the  first  steamboat  which  ran  upon  Illinois  rivers,  and  became  heavily  interested  in  the 
steamboat  system  of  the  Mississippi.  In  1872,  they  sold  their  Western  interests  and 
made  their  homes  in  New  York.  They  were  succeeded  in  business  by  their  sons  under 
the  firm  name  of  Lombard,  Ayres  &  Co.,  a  prominent  petroleum  and  lumber  firm, 
having  interests  in  The  Sea  Board  Lumber  Co.  and  The  Sea  Board  Manufacturing  Co. 
at  Mobile,  Ala.  The  two  life  long  partners  married  each  other's  sister.  Mr.  Ayres 
was  survived  by  a  son  of  the  same  name.  The  present  Marshall  Ayres  is  a  director  in 
The  Tide  Water  Oil  Co.,  which  is  a  consolidation  of  the  oil  interests  of  Lombard, 
Ayres  &  Co.,  The  Chester  Oil  Co.,  The  Ocean  Oil  Co.  and  The  Polar  Oil  Co.,  the  latter 
two  of  New  York,  and  a  member  of  the  Harvard  and  Congregational  clubs. 


B. 

B.  T.  BABBITT,  manufacturer,  born  on  a  farm  at  Westmoreland,  N.  Y.,  in 
1809,  died  in  New  York,  Oct.  20,  1889.  He  received  a  scant  education,  his  youth  being 
spent  in  the  drudgery  of  the  farm.  He  first  learned  the  trade  of  blacksmith,  removing 
to  Utica.  Saving  his  earnings,  he  went  to  Little  Falls  later  and  began  the  manufac- 
ture of  farm  machinery  on  a  small  scale  with  success,  and,  it  is  claimed,  made  the  first 
mowing  machine  which  would  mow  ever  made  in  the  world.  Having  accumulated 
about  $10,000,  he  came  to  New  York  city  in  1843  and  began  the  manufacture  of  sale- 
ratus,  leaving  his  business  at  Little  Falls  in  charge  of  a  manager.  The  latter  proved 
recreant,  and  Mr.  Babbitt  lost  every  dollar  he  possessed.  Undismayed,  he  soon  dis- 
covered a  new  process  for  making  saleratus  at  a  great  saving  of  cost,  and  in  a  few 
years  acquired  control  of  the  trade  of  the  whole  country.  He  also  manufactured  soda 
and  potash.  In  1858  he  began  the  manufacture  of  soap,  from  which  he  amassed  a  for- 
tune. In  his  factories  were  used  many  mechanical  appliances  of  his  own  invention, 
and  among  the  curiosities  of  New  York  were  his  six  kettles  for  boiling  soap,  their 
aggregate  capacity  being  3,500,000  pounds,  the  value  of  the  raw  material  required  to 
fill  them  before  boiling  being  $216,000.  He  had  branch  houses  in  Philadelphia  and 
Cincinnati  and  a  number  in  New  York  and  elsewhere.  His  children  were  Ida  J.,  wife 
of  C.  M.  Hyde,  and  Lillia  E.  Babbitt,  now  deceased.  Mrs.  Babbitt  died  Dec.  20,  1894. 

GEORGE  HERMAN  BABCOCK,  inventor,  engineer,  manufacturer  and  philanthro- 
pist, distinguished  in  each  of  these  fields  of  activity,  a  native  of  Unadilla  Forks,  a  hamlet 
near  Otsego,  N.  Y.,  was  born  Jan.  17,  1832,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
Dec.  1 6,  1893.  The  family  are  of  Rhode  Island  origin  and  were  always  thorough 
Puritans,  sound  and  reputable  people  and  of  the  best  blood  of  New  England. 

The  father  and  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  both  came  from  families  noted 
for  inventive  genius,  Asher  M.  Babcock,  the  former,  being  well  known  as  a  mechanic 
and  inventor  of  his  times.  The  pin  wheel  motion  in  plaid  looms,  which  sprang  from 
his  ingenious  brain,  as  well  as  a  shoe  peg  machine  and  many  other  mechanical  appli- 
ances, were  widely  adopted  by  the  manufacturers  of  his  period  and  put  into  successful 
operation  in  the  industries.  The  mother  of  George  H.  Babcock,  nee  Mary  E.  Still- 
man,  was  a  daughter  of  Ethan  Stillman,  who  attained  distinction  in  the  War  of  1812  as 
a  constructor  of  ordnance  for  the  Federal  Government.  Her  uncle,  William  Stillman, 
a  lock  maker  and  clock  manufacturer,  produced  a  pioneer  unpickable  bank  lock,  long 
before  the  days  of  Chubb  and  Hobbs 

George  H.  Babcock  spent  most  of  his  boyhood  in  the  villages  of  Scott  and  Homer, 
both  in  Cortland  county,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  good  boy  and  the  pride  of  his  parents.  The 
family  moved  to  Westerly,  R.  I.,  when  he  was  twelve  years  old.  George  received  a 
fair  education,  mainly  in  the  public  schools,  but  studied  for  a  year  in  the  Institute  at 
De  Ruyter,  N.  Y.,  and  fhen,  a  bright,  ambitious  and  earnest  young  man,  seventeen 
years  of  age,  he  acquired  a  little  experience  in  the  machine  shop  and  factory.  His 
father  was  then  a  manufacturer  of  plaids. 

In  Westerly,  the  young  man  met  Stephen  Wilcox,  a  capable  mechanic  of  the  village, 
and  later  famous  as  an  inventor,  destined  to  be  his  lifelong  friend  and  longtime  partner. 


48  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Mr.  Babcock's  health  was  impaired  to  such  an  extent  that  he  suffered  from  scrofula 
and  was  threatened  with  consumption.  Unfitted  for  hard  labor  at  a  mechanical  trade  or 
for  serious  responsibilities,  but  unwilling  to  remain  idle,  he  found  occupation  in  the  then 
aew  art  of  daguerreotypy.  Far  from  being  injurious  to  him,  the  use  of  the  chemicals 
required  for  developing  daguerreotype  plates  proved  beneficial.  Mr.  Babcock  always 
believed  that  the  fumes  of  the  iodine,  then  freely  used  in  his  art,  drove  the  scrofula  from 
his  system.  At  any  rate,  he  regained  his  health  and  the  cure  was  permanent.  He  en- 
joyed a  remarkable  amount  of  physical  vigor  during  the  remainder  of  his  long  and  ardu- 
ous career.  Photography  never  lost  its  fascination  with  him,  and  he  continued  to  practice 
the  art  as  an  amateur  the  rest  of  his  life,  becoming  successful  and  distinguished  therein. 

In  1851  he  gave  up  his  gallery,  and  for  three  years  his  active  mind  found  congenial 
employment  in  the  publication  of  a  newspaper.  In  the  spring  of  the  year  named,  he 
started  The  Literary  Echo  and  Pawcatuck  Advertiser,  the  pioneer  newspaper  of  Wes- 
terly, organizing  the  first  printing  office  in  that  locality.  Although  only  nineteen 
years  of  age.  the  young  proprietor  carried  on  his  weekly  newspaper  with  success  for  a 
number  of  years  as  an  adjunct  to  the  general  printing  business,  which  is  an  inseparable 
accompaniment  of  a  country  newspaper.  The  paper  is  yet  in  existence,  under  the 
more  practical  title  of  The  Westerly  Weekly.  Mr.  Babcock  sold  his  interest  in  1854  to 
resume  the  art  of  daguerreotypy. 

Out  of  Mr.  Babcock's  experience  as  a  printer  grew  his  first  invention.  Until  that 
time,  and,  indeed,  down  to  the  present  day,  in  all  except  a  certain  few  large  printing 
offices,  the  production  of  a  sheet  of  paper,  upon  which  the  impression  is  made  in  two 
or  more  colors,  involved  as  many  separate  printings  as  there  were  separate  colors.  Mr. 
Babcock  and  his  father  studied  the  subject  of  a  polychromatic  press,  by  which  a  sheet 
could  be  printed  in  three  colors  at  once,  and,  in  1854,  they  perfected  the  first  machine 
of  that  kind  ever  known.  Mechanically,  the  press  performed  what  was  required  from 
it,  but  it  failed  commercially,  being  many  years  in  advance  of  the  times.  On  the  other 
hand,  an  improved  small  foot  power  jobbing  press,  which  the  young  man  patented  in 
1857,  became  popular.  It  proved  of  direct  value  to  small  printers.  The  Babcock 
presses  were  built  by  The  Pawcatuck  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Westerly,  now  known  as 
the  firm  of  C.  B.  Cottrell  &  Sons,  and  the  progenitor  of  a  dozen  other  firms,  engaged 
in  manufacturing  presses  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  some  of  which  are  most 
noted.  The  patents  were  subsequently  held  by  Cottrell  &  Babcock.  In  1855  this 
press  took  a  prize  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition,  in  London,  England.  Its  manu- 
facture brought  to  its  inventor  the  capital  with  which  he  subsequently  engaged  in  the 
production  of  other  machines. 

From  work  upon  the  perfection  of  their  new  presses,  the  Messrs.  Babcock,  father 
and  son,  went  back  in  1858  to  The  Literary  Echo,  of  which  they  resumed  control  in 
company  with  J.  Herbert  Utter,  changing  the  name  to  Tlie  Narragansett  Weekly.  They 
conducted  the  paper  for  about  a  year,  and  then  the  ruling  passion  again  took  possession 
of  them.  In  1859  the  Babcocks  sold  their  interest  to  the  Rev.  George  B.  Utter,  a 
prominent  clergyman  and  writer  of  the  Seventh  Day  Baptist  denomination,  who  lived 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  in  Westerly,  devoting  himself  mainly  to  the  manage- 
ment of  The  Narragansett  Weekly. 

In  1860  Mr.  Babcock  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  spent  three  years  in  the 
office  of  Thomas  D.  Stetson,  a  prominent  patent  solicitor  with  a  large  practice.  He 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  49 

was  so  proficient  in  mechanical  matters  that  the  authorities  of  Cooper  Union  engaged 
him  to  instruct  a  class  in  mechanical  drawing,  and  his  evenings  were  accordingly  de- 
voted to  Cooper  Union,  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  himself  as  well  as  of  his  pupils. 
His  reputation  as  a  draughtsman  and  inventor  led,  in  1 860,  to  his  employment  by  various 
persons  and  firms,  among  them  the  officers  of  The  Mystic  Iron  Works,  whose  shops  in 
Mystic,  Conn.,  were  then  taking  part  in  the  construction  of  war  vessels  for  the  United 
States  Government.  Soon  afterward,  The  Hope  Iron  Works  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  se- 
cured his  services  as  chief  draughtsman.  For  these  two  establishments,  he  designed 
the  machinery  for  a  number  of  steam  vessels  belonging  to  the  merchant  marine  and 
the  Federal  Navy.  Several  of  the  latter  performed  good  service  in  the  blockading  and 
other  fleets  operating  on  the  Southern  coast.  In  this  field  of  work,  Mr.  Babcock  grad- 
ually drew  near  the  inventions  which  were  destined  to  bring  him  fame  and  fortune. 
During  this  period  he  improved  the  shrapnel  shell,  employed  during  the  war  in  action 
at  close  quarters. 

Just  before  the  Civil  War,  the  depressed  condition  of  American  industry  had  led 
Congress  to  enact  the  famous  Morrill  Protective  Tariff  Bill.  Other  laws  followed,  in 
which,  for  the  sake  of  revenue,  the  duties  on  foreign  goods  were  largely  increased. 
An  immense  impulse  was  thereby  given  to  manufacturing  industry,  and  the  subject  of 
boilers  and  engines  became  important  both  to  inventors  and  the  proprietors  of  shops 
and  factories.  In  1867,  Mr.  Babcock  and  his  friend  Wilcox  formed  the  firm  of  Babcock 
&  Wilcox,  taking  out  a  patent  for  a  steam  boiler,  which  will  be  referred  to  hereafter. 
They  also  produced  a  steam  engine,  and  in  1868  moved  to  New  York  city  to  push  this 
branch  of  their  business  to  better  advantage.  Arrangements  were  made  by  them  for 
the  building  of  their  engines  by  The  Hope  Iron  Works,  of  Providence;  Morton,  Poole& 
Co.,  of  Wilmington,  Del. ;  Poole  &  Hunt,  of  Baltimore,  and  The  C.  &  G.  Cooper  Co., 
of  Mount  Vernon,  Ohio.  The  machine  possessed  some  singularly  interesting  and 
ingenious  elements  of  novelty  and  utility.  The  cut-off  was  effected  by  the  action  of 
an  isochronous  governor,  the  steam  valve  being  operated  by  a  '  'positive  motion"  and 
the  cut-off  by  a  small  independent  steam  piston,  timed  in  its  action  by  the  governor 
connection.  Babcock  &  Wilcox  incorporated  The  New  York  Safety  Steam  Power  Co. 
in  1868  to  build  their  engines  and  boilers,  and  conducted  the  industry  with  satisfactory 
results  financially  for  several  years,  when,  the  expiration  of  the  Corliss  patents  per- 
mitting the  builders  of  the  whole  country  to  flood  the  market  with  that  form  of  engine 
at  ruinously  low  prices,  the  Babcock  &  Wilcox  engine  was  withdrawn  from  sale.  In 
1878  the  firm  retired  from  The  New  York  Safety  Steam  Power  Co.  and  devoted  them- 
selves to  their  boilers  alone. 

Their  most  famous  invention  was  the  Babcock  &  Wilcox  safety,  or  sectional,  tubu- 
lar steam  boiler,  based  upon  an  earlier  invention  of  Mr.  Wilcox  in  1856,  and  so  con- 
structed, as  an  earlier  and  equally  famous  inventor  described  it,  that  explosion  would 
not  be  dangerous.  Mr.  Babcock  so  designed  the  boiler,  however,  that  anything  like  a 
real  explosion  would  not  occur  at  all.  The  steam  and  water  were  confined  in  com- 
paratively small  vessels,  a  set  of  inclined  tubes  constituting  the  major  part  of  the  heating 
surface,  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  flame  and  the  furnace  gases.  The  larger  volume  of 
steam  and  of  water,  requisite  in  all  boilers  for  satisfactorily  steady  action,  was  enclosed 
in  steam  and  water  drums  above  and  removed  from  the  localities  of  high  temperature 
These  drums,  also,  were  of  comparatively  small  diameter,  and  therefore  strong  and  safe. 


jo  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

After  1867,  when  the  first  patent  was  taken  out,  scarcely  a  year  passed  by  until 
1883  without  witnessing  an  improvement  of  some  kind  in  the  boiler.  In  1869,  a  new 
design,  first  manufactured  by  the  firm  at  The  South  Brooklyn  Steam  Engine  Works, 
found  its  way  to  the  market  and  met  with  instant  success.  In  this  design,  wrought 
iron  legs  took  the  place  of  cast  iron  headers ;  the  tubes  were  expanded  with  the  inside 
sheets ;  and  hand  holes  succeeded  the  large  doors.  The  principal  fault  of  this  invention 
was  the  large  first  cost.  Year  after  year,  the  firm  applied  for  new  patents,  their  pro- 
gressive improvements  culminating  in  1883,  when,  finally,  the  following  principles  were 
triumphantly  worked  out:  ist,  Sinuous  headings  for  each  vertical  row  of  inclined 
tubes.  2d,  A  separate  connection  with  the  drum  both  front  and  rear.  3d,  All  joints 
to  be  made  without  bolts  or  screw  threads,  thus  avoiding  leaks  from  unequal  expansion. 
4th,  The  absence  of  stays.  5th,  The  boiler  to  be  supported  independently  of  the 
brick  work.  And  6th,  Every  part  to  be  accessible  for  cleaning.  Since  1883,  the  only 
advance  has  been  to  make  the  whole  boiler  from  wrought  steel.  The  success  of  the 
Babcock  &  Wilcox  boilers  has  been,  from  the  beginning,  remarkable,  in  spite  of  ever 
increasing  competition  and  the  yet  more  serious  opposition  growing  out  of  the  inertia 
and  conservatism  of  the  public  mind.  The  boilers  have  found  their  way  to  nearly  every 
part  of  the  world.  The  large  decrease  in  the  number  of  frightful  boiler  explosions,  so 
numerous  thirty  years  ago,  is  undoubtedly  owing  to  the  inventive  genius  of  this  firm 
and  the  efforts  of  their  competitors  to  produce  boilers  equally  good.  Substantially,  all 
explosions  of  this  class  occur  with  the  older  shell  boilers,  which  the  new  inventions  are 
displacing;  and  the  inventors  of  the  "sectional"  boiler  have  thus  saved  to  the  world 
lives  and  property  of  inestimable  value.  Such  inventions  are  doubly  precious.  For 
many  years'  the  Babcock  &  Wilcox  boilers  have  been  the  most  extensively  built  and 
sold  of  all  devices  of  this  nature.  Large  works  for  their  production  have  been  built  in 
Elizabeth,  N.  ].,  and  in  1881,  The  Babcock  &  Wilcox  Co.  was  incorporated,  for  the 
the  more  convenient  management  of  the  industry,  Mr.  Babcock  becoming  its  presi- 
dent. In  1883,  an  English  branch  of  the  company  was  established,  which  met  with 
such  an  excellent  reception  that  its  proprietors  transformed  it  in  1891  into  an  incorpor- 
ated company.  Works  have  been  established  in  the  city  of  Glasgow,  from  which  the 
markets  of  the  world  are  supplied. 

By  a  life  of  diligent  and  signally  useful  industry,  Mr.  Babcock  gained  both  wealth 
and  a  world  wide  reputation.  In  personal  traits  he  was  a  strong  man.  Alert,  quick  to 
comprehend,  thorough  in  analysis  and  prompt  in  decision,  he  was,  on  the  other  hand, 
never  impulsive ;  and  if,  upon  occasion,  he  could  bring  tremendous  energy  to  bear  up- 
on any  work  or  operation  he  had  in  hand,  he  was  nevertheless  guided  by  previous 
thought  and  sound  and  level  headed  judgment.  He  displayed  a  tenacious  memory  and 
the  ability  to  master  a  subject  rapidly  and  gave  new  proof  of  this,  after  he  was  58  years 
of  age,  by  learning  French.  He  was  patient  and  kindly  with  every  sincere,  painstaking 
and  conscientious  worker  in  his  employment,  but  never  wasted  time  upon  a  man  who  was 
careless  or  refused  to  follow  proved  methods  of  accomplishing  work.  The  latter  was 
promptly  dropped.  To  the  cry  of  distress,  he  responded  with  generosity.  Unbending 
in  integrity,  just,  serious  and  companionable,  he  attached  his  friends  to  him  by  the 
strongest  ties  of  affection. 

Of  his  wealth  he  made  a  worthy  use.  For  many  years,  he  gave  time,  thought  and 
money  to  the  promotion  of  the  interests  of  the  Seventh  Day  Baptists,  the  religious 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  51 

body  with  which  he  identified  himself,  and  to  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion, especially  on  its  practical  and  technical  side.  He  was  deeply  devoted  to  the  cause 
of  his  denomination.  Nothing  which  concerned  their  welfare  was  to  him  a  matter  of 
indifference.  He  made  munificent  gifts  toward  the  educational,  missionary  and  re- 
ligious work  of  the  body  and  guided  its  leading  spirits  with  sound  advice,  which  was 
of  even  greater  value.  The  American  Sabbath  Tract  Society  he  served  for  nearly 
twelve  years  as  corresponding  secretary.  During  i874-'85  he  presided  over  a  Sabbath 
school  in  Plainfield  as  its  superintendent,  and  gave  a  great  impetus  to  the  school  by 
blackboard  illustrations.  An  incident  of  his  career  illustrates  his  love  of  Bible  study. 
In  1874,  some  of  the  commuters,  who  came  from  Plainfield  daily  to  New  York,  used  to 
gather  in  one  corner  of  the  car  and  study  the  Bible.  At  first  one  double  seat  was  occu- 
pied, then  two,  and  finally  the  class  grew  so  large  that  it  was  widely  spoken  of  by  the 
religious  press.  Mr.  Babcock  was  the  principal  worker  in  this  class.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  Alfred  University,  to  which  he  gave  large  sums  both 
during  his  lifetime  and  by  bequest,  and  a  non-resident  lecturer  at  Cornell  University  from 
1885  to  1892  in  the  Sibley  College  courses  in  mechanical  engineering.  He  prepared 
his  most  important  papers,  mainly  on  the  scientific  principles  involved  in  the  genera- 
tion and  use  of  steam  power  and  on  the  best  modern  methods  of  boiler  construction, 
for  the  last  named  courses.  His  last  engagement,  abrogated  by  his  death,  was  for  a 
lecture  in  the  spring  of  1894.  His  papers  were  always  well  planned,  thorough,  full  of 
facts  and  useful  knowledge  and  polished  in  expression.  In  delivery  quiet  but  im- 
pressive, he  held  an  audience,  whether  of  college  students  or  business  men,  interested 
and  attentive  to  the  end,  however  long  the  address.  He  wrote  a  large  number  of 
treatises  and  in  1878  a  "  Natural  History  of  the  Bible,"  which  possessed  scientific 
value. 

.  Mr.  Babcock  was  a  charter  member  and  at  one  time  president  of  The  American 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers.  He  became  a  life  member  early  in  the  history  of 
the  Society.  In  1870  he  located  in  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  subsequently  being  elected  presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Education,  holding  this  office  until  his  death.  He  was  president 
of  the  Public  Library  of  that  city  and  of  the  trustees  of  Alfred  University.  By  unceas- 
ing efforts,  he  promoted  the  growth  of  both.  Public  spirited  as  a  citizen,  he  did  much 
to  improve  the  city  of  Plainfield  by  the  erection  of  fine  buildings  and  other  improve- 
ments, for  which  he  was  personally  responsible,  as  well  as  by  promoting,  wherever 
possible,  all  public  works  of  value.  A  block  of  buildings  constructed  by  him  is  con- 
sidered the  finest,  architecturally,  between  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  His  activity 
and  influence  in  the  local  congregation  of  which  he  was  a  member  were  equally  marked 
and  effective.  The  church  owes  much  to  his  energy  and  personal  liberality.  Mr. 
Babcock  was  a  man  of  culture  and  of  broad  and  varied  reading.  He  was  devout  and 
honorable,  kindly  affectioned  and  thoughtful  of  others  and  a  model  of  the  good  citizen, 
the  loving  husband  and  father  and  the  steadfast  friend.  In  every  relation  of  life  he 
exhibited  lovely  and  admirable  qualities. 

Mr.  Babcock  was  married  Sept.  28,  1852,  to  Lucy  Adelia  Stillman,  of  Westerly, 
R.  I.,  who  died  May  20,  1861.  Sept.  25,  1862,  he  was  married  to  Harriot  Mandane 
Clarke,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.  She  died  March  5,  1881.  His  third  marriage  took  place 
Feb.  14,  1883,  to  Eliza  Lua  Clarke,  of  Scott,  N.  Y.,  who  died  March  21,  1891.  April  n, 
1893,  he  was  married  to  Eugenia  Louise  Lewis,  of  Ashaway,  R.  I.  His  children  were 


52  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

George  Luason  Babcock,  born  Jan.  7,  1885,  and  Herman  Edgar  Babcock,  born  July  g, 
1886,  who  died  Aug.  6,  1886.  His  wife  and  one  son  survive  him. 

PAUL  BABCOCK,  jr.,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  :8,  1841,  is  a  son  of 
Paul  Babcock,  who  was  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  this  city  during  all  his  active  business 
life.  The  young  man  received  his  education  in  the  free  schools  of  New  York  city,  with 
one  year  at  the  Free  Academy,  when  his  father's  poverty  compelled  him  to  begin  to  earn 
his  own  living.  He  first  engaged  in  business  as  a  clerk,  in  the  old  firm  of  H.  J.  Baker 
&  Bro.,  where  he  continued  until  the  war  broke  out  in  April,  1861.  He  entered  the 
army  on  the  night  of  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter,  joining  a  volunteer  company,  which 
tendered  its  services  to  the  State  of  New  Jersey  and  was  the  first  company  of  organized 
soldiers  raised  in  the  United  States  with  special  reference  to  the  late  war.  He  became 
a  director  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  in  1880,  since  which  time  he  has  been  the  president 
of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  The  Soule  &  F'aming  Manufacturing  Co. 
and  of  The  Liebig  Manufacturing  Co.  In  1865  he  married  Mary  Webster,  daughter  of 
Prof.  Edwin  D.  Sanborn,  and  grand  daughter  of  Ezekiel  Webster,  and  their  children 
were  Mary  Webster,  Emily,  Paul  and  Alice.  Mary  Webster  alone  survives  of  his  four 
children. 

SEflON  BACHE,  manufacturer,  born  in  Fuerth,  Bavaria,  July  6,  1826,  died  in  New 
York,  Jan.  n,  1891.  He  was  of  Hebrew  descent,  and  son  of  Joel  Bach,  a  native  of 
Fuerth,  who  fought  with  Napoleon  in  Russia,  was  captured  at  Moscow,  escaped,  and 
suffered  so  greatly  from  the  cold,  that  all  his  toes  were  frozen,  making  amputation  nec- 
essary. Coming  to  this  country  in  1843,  Semon  spent  a  few  years  in  Jackson,  Miss., 
with  an  uncle  named  Engelhardt,  and  removed  to  New  York  city  in  1846  to  seek  and 
find  his  fortune.  In  1847,  with  a  capital  of  less  than  $10,000,  he  established  the  house 
of  Semon  Bache  &  Co.,  importers  of  fancy  goods  and  mirrors.  Dependent  entirely  on 
himself,  he  threw  all  his  energy  into  business,  made  rapid  progress,  and  gradually  with- 
drawing from  the  sale  of  fancy  goods  added  all  the  different  branches  of  the  glass  trade, 
dealing  in  window,  plate  and  mirror  glass.  In  1857,  Siegmund  J.  Bach,  a  brother,  was 
admitted  to  the  firm,  and  in  1883,  Joseph  S.  Ulmann,  a  son  of  his  old  partner.  In  later 
years,  Leopold  S.  Bache,  his  own  son,  was  admitted.  Since  1891,  the  firm  have  con- 
tinued under  the  original  title.  In  1890,  they  consolidated  the  German  mirror  plate 
branch  of  their  business  with  that  of  six  competing  houses,  as  The  German  Looking 
Glass  Plate  Co.  In  1893,  they  consolidated  the  plate  glass  branch  with  Heroy  &  Mar- 
rener  and  Holbrook  Bro's,  under  the  title  of  The  Manhattan  Plate  Glass  Co.  In  1849, 
Mr.  Bache  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Dr.  Aaron  S.  Van  Praag.  His  children  are 
Henrietta,  wife  of  Julius  Kayser;  Sarah,  wife  of  Adolph  Thurmann;  Blanche,  wife  of 
Charles  Neukirch;  Jules  Semon  Bache;  Leonora,  wife  of  Leopold  Rossbach;  Leopold 
Semon  Bache ;  and  Mamie,  wife  of  Siegmund  Politzer.  Mr.  Bache  had  valuable  invest- 
ments in  bonds,  mortgages  and  real  estate.  He  belonged  to  the  Harmonic  Club  and 
various  charitable  societies.  It  was  by  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Engelhardt,  that  he 
Americanized  his  name  by  adding  the  final  "e." 

JAMES  ANTHONY  BAILEY,  showman,  was  born  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  in  1847. 
Sacrificing  the  advantages  of  a  comfortable  home,  a  spirit  of  enterprise  led  him  at  an 
early  age  to  secure  work  upon  a  farm  at  $3. 50  per  month.  This  occupation  proved  dull, 
and  he  proceeded  on  foot  to  Pontiac,  Mich.,  and  found  employment  as  call  boy  in  a 
hotel.  An  agent  of  Robinson  &  Lake's  circus,  while  a  guest  of  this  hotel,  attracted  by 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  53 

the  brightness  and  energy  of  the  boy,  then  gave  him  a  place  in  the  corps  of  advance 
agents  of  the  show.  He  left  the  circus  business  in  1864  to  become  advertising 
agent  of  a  theatre  in  Nashville,  then  served  as  clerk  to  an  army  sutler,  witnessing  all 
the  battles  from  Chattanooga  to  Atlanta,  and  finally  accepted  a  place  once  more  in  the 
advance  corps  of  the  old  circus.  Here,  he  became  so  valuable  that  James  E.  Cooper 
offered  him  an  equal  partnership  in  the  circus  business,  and  the  firm  of  Cooper  & 
Baile)^  was  thereupon  formed.  His  enterprise  resulted  in  a  tour  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  Australia,  New  Zealand,  India  and  South  America  with  the  circus,  which 
proved  successful.  Upon  the  return  to  America,  the  Great  London  Circus  was  bought 
and  added  to  that  of  Cooper  &  Bailey  and  the  firm  engaged  in  a  contest  with  P.  T. 
Barnum,  which  was  conducted  with  so  much  shrewdness  and  energy,  as  to  force  Mr. 
Barnum  to  abandon  his  favorite  territory  in  the  East.  Mr.  Barnum  then  offered  Mr. 
Bailey  a  partnership,  which  was  accepted,  leading  to  the  firm  of  Barnum  &  Bailey.  In 
October,  1894,  Mr.  Bailey  bought  the  interest  of  the  heirs  of  his  partner  and  so  became 
sole  proprietor  of  The  Barnum-Bailey  Greatest  Show  on  Earth,  which  he  yet  conducts. 
His  winter  quarters  are  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.  In  1868,  Mr.  Bailey  married  Ruth 
Louisa  McCaddon  in  Zanesville,  O.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Madison  Square  Garden 
in  this  city. 

JAflES  STANTON  BAILEY,  manufacturer,  born  in  Lebanon,  Conn.,  Dec.  9,  1817, 
died  in  Brook^m,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6,  1895.  His  family  was  planted  in  America  by  an  im- 
migrant from  Yorkshire,  Eng.,  to  Newburyport,  Mass.,  in  1638.  In  the  maternal  line, 
he  traced  his  pedigree  to  the  Stantons  and  Shermans  of  Rhode  Island,  followers  of 
Roger  Williams.  James  received  a  fair  education,  and  in  1836,  found  employment  as 
clerk  in  a  grocery  store  in  New  Haven,  afterward  acquiring  a  partnership.  Having 
saved  a  small  amount  of  money,  he  came  to  New  York  in  1847,  and  in  1848,  with 
Charles  F.  Tuttle,  as  Tuttle  &  Bailey,  began  the  manufacture  of  furnace  registers  and 
ventilators.  Through  his  energy,  honesty  and  ingenuity,  and  various  patents,  the 
little  industry  grew  in  the  course  of  time  to  be  the  leading  enterprise  of  its  class  in 
the  United  States.  In  1866,  seven  years  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Tuttle,  the  firm  incor- 
porated as  The  Tuttle  &  Bailey  Manufacturing  Co. ,  Mr.  Bailey  being  its  president. 
Their  goods  have  been  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  The  office  is  now  in  this  city  on 
Beekman  street;  the  factories  in  Brooklyn.  A  genial,  kind-hearted,  sagacious  man, 
Mr.  Bailey  enjoyed  the  respect  of  every  associate.  He  was  a  strong  Republican  and  a 
reader  of  THE  TRIBUNE  from  its  first  issue.  In  1843,  he  married  Augusta  Caroline, 
daughter  of  Capt  Roswell  Trowbridge  of  New  Haven,  and  lived  to  celebrate  his  golden 
wedding.  Of  his  six  children,  five  survived  him  He  had  been  for  many  years  presi- 
dent of  the  trustees  of  The  South  Congregational  Church  in  Brooklyn. 

COL.  ANDREW  D.  BAIRD,  merchant,  born  in  Kelso,  Scotland,  Oct.  14,  1839,  is 
the  son  of  Andrew  Baird,  a  stone  mason.  He  acquired  a  public  school  education,  and 
in  1853  came  to  America  with  the  family,  which  settled  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn. 
Andrew  was  first  apprenticed  to  a  blacksmith,  but  within  a  year  afterward  to  the 
stone-cutting  trade  in  the  employment  of  Robinson  Gill  in  Brooklyn.  May  13,  1861, 
he  enlisted  in  the  7gth  N.  Y.  Vol's,  the  Highlanders,  as  they  were  called,  the  regiment 
being  composed  of  men  of  Scottish  descent.  He  served  entirely  through  the  war, 
taking  part  in  forty-five  battles  and  being  wounded  three  times,  and  commanded 
the  regiment  after  May,  1864.  After  the  peace,  he  returned  to  his  stone  yards  and 


54  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

quarries  in  1867,  becoming  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Gill  &  Baird,  to  whose  affairs  he  has 
since  devoted  his  attention.  The  yards  on  Wythe  and  Kent  avenues  are  among 
the  foremost  in  the  United  States.  Colonel  Baird  is  trustee  or  director  of  The  Nassau 
Trust  Co.,  The  Kings  County  Trust  Co.,  The  Williamsburgh  Savings  Bank,  The  Manu- 
facturers' National  Bank  and  The  Twenty-sixth  Ward  Bank,  as  well  as  of  other  corpora- 
tions. Greatly  interested  in  municipal  affairs,  he  has  served  as  alderman  several  times 
and  twice  as  candidate  for  Mayor  of  Brooklyn  on  the  Republican  ticket.  In  1866  he 
married  Miss  Mary  Warner,  of  Brooklyn,  and  several  years  after  her  death,  Miss 
Catherine  Lamb,  in  1882.  He  has  several  children.  The  Union  League  Club  of 
Brooklyn  claims  him  as  a  member. 

OSCAR  EUQENE  BALLIN,  banker  and  stock  broker,  a  native  of  this  city,  was 
born  Nov.  29,  1856,  and  is  a  son  of  Eugene  S.  Ballin,  a  German,  who  emigrated  to 
New  York  in  1846  and  died  in  New  York  city  in  June,  1885.  Oscar  was  educated  in 
Columbia  Grammar  School,  and  then,  in  1873,  found  occupation  in  his  father's  banking 
house.  After  the  death  of  the  senior  Ballin,  the  bank  was  liquidated.  The  son  inher- 
ited means  from  his  father,  which  he  has  increased  by  his  own  efforts  at  the  Stock 
Exchange,  in  dealing  in  investment  securities.  He  is  head  of  the  firm  of  Ballin  &  Co., 
stock  brokers,  a  director  in  The  Iron  Steamboat  Co.,  and  a  member  of  the  Lotus  and 
Manhattan  clubs. 

JACOB  F.  BAMBERQER,  merchant,  born  in  Germany,  April  9,  1833,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Aug.  31,  1894.  After  a  limited  education  in  Germany,  he  came  to  this 
country  with  his  parents  in  1 846,  and  began  life  in  Louisville,  Ky. ,  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods 
store.  Early  discipline  brought  out  his  qualities,  and  in  1856  he  engaged  in  a  dry 
goods  business  in  Louisville  on  his  own  account.  In  1862,  in  J.  F.  &  L.  Bamberger, 
he  undertook  the  dry  goods  jobbing  trade.  In  1872,  two  firms  consolidated  as  Bam- 
berger, Bloom  &  Co.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  being  senior  partner  until  his  death. 
In  1872,  an  office  was  opened  in  New  York  city  on  Worth  street,  in  the  down-town  dry 
goods  district,  and  Mr.  Bamberger  thereafter  made  New  York  his  home  and  became 
the  resident  buyer.  Diligence,  close  attention  to  the  wants  of  customers,  and  sound 
methods,  brought  'him  financial  success.  He  never  failed  or  compromised  a  debt. 
Well  known  among  dry  goods  men,  he  was  active  in  the  several  campaigns  in  which 
Mr.  Cleveland  was  a  candidate  for  office.  He  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  Temple 
Emanu-El,  a  director  in  The  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  The  United  Hebrew  Chari- 
ties, and  a  member  of  all  of  the  Hebrew  charitable  and  benevolent  institutions  in  the 
city,  in  each  of  which  he  took  an  active  interest,  and  to  all  of  which  he  contributed 
generously.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Harmonic 
club.  By  his  marriage  in  1863  to  Pauline  Ullman,  he  had  three  sons,  Leon  Jacob, 
Edward  Sanford  and  Irving  Washington  Bamberger,  all  now  living. 

WILLIAn  DUDLEY  BANCKER,  merchant,  was  born  in  New  York,  April  19,  1836, 
and  died  in  Brooklyn,  Dec.  29,  1893.  He  was  a  son  of  Capt.  Abraham  Bancker,  a  for- 
eign news  collector  and  at  one  time  an  associate  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  schools  of  Brooklyn,  where  the  most  of  his  life  was  passed. 
Beginning  life  as  a  clerk  for  Dick  &  Fitzgerald,  book  publishers,  he  became  a  partner 
and  then  engaged  in  the  sale  of  books  and  newspapers  in  Ann  street  on  his  own  ac- 
count. His  business,  in  time,  assumed  the  name  of  The  New  York  News  Co.  When 
The  American  News  Co.  was  formed  in  1863  by  a  union  of  various  wholesale  firms  in 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  55 

the  news  trade,  he  joined  the  company,  became  its  secretary  in  1879  and  in  1885  gen- 
eral superintendent.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  the  company  and  a  man  of  force  and  clear 
mind,  and  aided  materially  in  developing  the  enormous  trade  of  the  concern  in  news- 
papers, periodicals  and  books.  Of  the  Washington  Avenue  Baptist  church  in  Brook- 
lyn, he  was  a  deacon,  trustee  and  Sunday  School  superintendent.  Nov.  14,  1860,  Mr. 
Bancker  married  Jersey  A.  Huff,  in  Somerville,  N.  J.  His  family  consisted  of  seven 
children,  five  of  whom  survived  him,  namely:  Abraham,  Margaret  B.,  William  Dud- 
ley, Edward  Huff  and  Andrew  Otterson  Bancker.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Oxford, 
Germania,  Montauk,  Atlantic  Yacht  and  Riverside  Yacht  clubs. 

JAMES  HOPSON  BANKER,  stock  broker,  born  in  New  York  city  in  1827,  died  at 
Irvington  on  the  Hudson,  Feb.  12,  1885.  He  was  the  son  of  Edward  Banker,  of  the 
old  ship-chandlery  firm  of  Banker,  Schermerhorn  &  Co.  Educated  in  the  common 
schools,  he  entered  business  life  in  his  father's  employment,  succeeded  to  the  business, 
acquired  a  fortune  and  retired  in  1869.  The  panic  of  1873  called  him  from  retirement; 
and  as  a  stock  broker  he  became  associated  with  Commodore  Vanderbilt  in  his  Wall 
street  operations.  For  several  years,  he  served  as  a  director  of  The  New  York  Central 
&  Hudson  River  and  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Railroads,  being  treasurer 
of  the  last  named,  and  when  control  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  he  accepted  the  office  of  director  of  that  company 
also.  During  his  later  years,  the  Edison  inventions  interested  him  and  led  him  to  be- 
come a  director  of  The  Edison  Electric  Light  Co.  and  auxiliary  corporations.  He  had 
no  children. 

CHARLES  BANKS,  capitalist,  born  in  this  city,  April  20,  1830,  is  a  member  of 
an  excellent  family.  Educated  in  private  schools  and  a  man  of  refinement,  he  has 
devoted  his  business  activity  mainly  to  real  estate  investments.  Large  means  have 
come  to  him  by  inheritance,  absolving  him  from  the  drudgery  of  daily  toil,  and  he  has 
been  able  to  spend  his  years  largely  in  travel,  cultivation  and  social  enjoyment.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Union,  New  York,  and  South  Side  Sportsmen's  clubs. 

JAMES  LENOX  BANKS,  fl.  D.,  born  in  New  York  city,  May  n,  1832,  died  here 
June  3,  1883.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Banks,  a  well-known  shipping  merchant  of 
the  last  generation,  and  of  Isabella  Henderson  Lenox,  daughter  of  Robert  Lenox.  He 
graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  1857,  studied  abroad  for 
two  years,  and  in  1859  began  the  practice  of  medicine  in  this  city.  He  inherited  means, 
but  never  abandoned  his  activity  in  the  healing  art.  March  14,  1855,  in  this  city,  he 
married  Miss  Isabella  Mozier,  daughter  of  Joseph  Mozier,  the  American  sculptor  at  Rome. 
Mrs.  Banks  and  eight  children  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Isabella,  wife  of  Thomas 
E.  Satterthwaite,  M.  D.;  William  B.  Banks;  Josephine  Mozier,  who  married  Charles 
H.  Marshall;  James  Lenox  and  Henry  Lenox  Banks;  Maria,  wife  of  Walter  C.  Taylor; 
J.  Fisher  S.  and  Lenox  Banks.  Dr.  Banks  was  a  member  of  The  American  Medical 
Association,  The  New  York  State  Medical  Society,  The  New  York  Pathological  Society, 
The  Medical  Society  of  the  County  of  New  York,  The  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine, 
The  New  York  Medico-Legal  Society,  and  The  New  York  Academy  of  Sciences,  and 
at  one  time  president  of  The  Society  for  the  Relief  of  Widows  and  Orphans  of  Medical 
Men.  He  served  as  consulting  physician  in  The  Presbyterian  Hospital  about  eight 
years  and  occupied  a  similar  position  in  The  Presbyterian  Home  for  Aged  Women. 
He  was  also  a  trustee  of  The  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  and  The  Lenox 


56  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Library,  a  manager  of  The  American  Bible  Society,  and  a  member  of  the  Geographical 
and  Historical  Societies. 

AMZI  LORENZO  BARBER,  A.H.,  LL.B.,  was  born  at  Saxton's  River,  Windham 
county,  Vermont,  on  June  22,  1843.  His  father  was  the  Rev.  Amzi  Doolittle  Barber, 
whose  grandfather,  Thomas,  and  father,  Calvin,  settled  and  lived  in  Townsend, 
Vermont. 

Thomas  Barber,  with  two  brothers,  came  to  this  country  before  the  Revolution. 
One  brother,  named  Joseph,  settled  in  Massachusetts;  the  other  brother  went  West  or 
South,  and  of  him  nothing  further  is  known. 

Mr.  Barber's  mother  was  Nancy  Irene  Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Westmoreland, 
Oneida  county,  New  York.  His  ancestors  on  his  father's  side  were  Scotch-Irish,  and 
on  his  mother's  side  French-English,  and  he  has,  perhaps,  in  some  degree,  inherited  the 
striking  characteristics  of  these  four  different  nationalities.  His  father  was  a  self- 
educated  Congregational  clergyman  of  great  simplicity  of  purpose  and  strength  of  char- 
acter. He  was  one  of  the  students  who  left  Lane  Theological  Seminary  in  Cincinnati, 
because  the  discussion  of  the  slavery  question  had  been  prohibited  by  the  faculty  of 
that  institution,  and  he  walked  across  the  State  of  Ohio  to  Oberlin  and  entered  Oberlin 
College,  from  whose  theological  department  he  graduated  in  1841.  Among  his  class- 
mates were  many  men  who  became  distinguished  for  philanthropy  and  other  qualities, 
among  them  ex-President  James  H.  Fairchild  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  M.  E.  Strieby  of 
The  American  Missionary  Association.  His  father  is  yet  (1895)  engaged  in  ministerial 
work  at  Castalia,  O.,  and  although  eighty-five  years  of  age,  he  enjoys  excellent  health, 
retaining  all  of  his  faculties  except  hearing,  and  is  rendering  acceptable  service  to  the 
parish  of  which  he  has  charge. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  at  first  contemplated  a  professional  career.  The  family 
moved  to  Ohio  in  1852  and  lived  at  Bellevue,  Huron  county,  until  1858,  then  in  Cleve- 
land until  1862,  and  afterward  in  Austinburg  and  Geneva,  Ashtabula  county.  Mr. 
Barber  attended  various  schools  and  academies,  including  the  high  school  of  Cleve- 
land, during  his  minority,  and  in  1862  he  entered  Oberlin  College  at  the  head  of  his 
class  in  the  preparatory  department.  An  attack  of  pneumonia  compelled  him  to  leave 
college  for  a  year,  which  he  spent  in  the  wilds  of  northern  Michigan.  He  graduated 
from  Oberlin  College  in  1867,  taking  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts,  and  subsequently 
received  from  that  institution  the  degree  of  Master  of  Arts.  By  working  upon  farms 
in  the  summer  time  and  teaching  school  in  the  winter,  he  saved  enough  money  to  meet 
his  college  expenses.  While  pursuing  a  post-graduate  course  in  the  theological  depart- 
ment of  Oberlin  College,  he  was  invited  by  Gen.  O.  O.  Howard,  then  at  the  head  of  the 
Freedmen's  Bureau,  to  take  charge  of  the  normal  department  of  Howard  University, 
and  in  April,  1868,  he  moved  to  Washington  for  that  purpose.  Subsequently  he  took 
charge  of  the  preparatory  department,  and,  later  on,  was  elected  to  a  professorship  of 
natural  philosophy  in  that  university.  In  1872,  he  resigned  his  connection  with  that 
institution  and  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Washington.  A  year  later  there 
followed  the  panic  of  1873,  which  was  commenced  by  the  failure  of  Jay  Cooke's  bank- 
ing house.  The  depression  in  prices  was  very  great  and  continued  for  several  years, 
during  which  time  many  people  engaged  in  the  real  estate  business  in  Washington  lost 
heavily.  Mr.  Barber,  however,  held  on  to  his  real  estate  interests  and  ultimately  sold 
out  to  good  advantage  and  realized  a  handsome  profit. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  57 

A  dispute  has  arisen  in  recent  years  concerning  the  likelihood  of  success  of  a  college 
man  in  business.  Mr.  Barber's  career  is  a  signal  example  of  the  eminence  to  which  an 
energetic  man  can  rise  when  his  mind,  naturally  clear  and  active,  has  been  trained  by 
years  of  study  and  close  thinking. 

Real  estate  operations  in  the  District  of  Columbia  led  him  to  appreciate  the  value 
of  good  streets,  and  in  1878  his  attention  was  called  to  and  he  engaged  in  the  laying  of 
asphalt  pavements  in  the  city  of  Washington.  Many  miles  of  streets  in  the  Capital  of 
the  nation  were  paved  with  the  new  material  by  him,  and  the  business  growing  rapidly, 
his  operations  soon  extended  to  other  cities.  In  1883  he  found  it  necessary  to  incorpo- 
rate The  Barber  Asphalt  Paving  Co.,  in  order  to  systematize  the  work  and  most 
efficiently  carry  out  the  contracts  which  were  obtained  by  his  skill,  energy  and  hard 
work.  During  the  four  years,  1882  to  1886,  inclusive,  he  averaged  one  thousand  miles 
of  railway  travel  weekly,  and  slept  an  average  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  nights  yearly 
on  Pullman  sleeping  cars.  Including  about  eighty  thousand  miles  of  travel  upon  the 
ocean,  he  estimates  that  he  has  traveled  upwards  of  four  hundred  thousand  miles  in 
establishing  and  carrying  out  the  business  of  which  he  is  the  head,  the  equivalent  of 
circumnavigating  the  globe  upwards  of  sixteen  times. 

In  order  to  obtain  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  an  ample  supply  of  the  raw 
material,  Mr.  Barber  negotiated  in  1887  a  concession  from  the  Government  of  Great 
Britain  for  a  lease  of  the  celebrated  lake  of  natural  pitch  on  the  island  of  Trinidad  for 
a  period  of  forty-two  years.  This  reservoir  of  114  acres  contains  an  almost  inexhausti- 
ble supply  of  asphalt.  To  acquire  and  operate  this  concession  The  Trinidad  Asphalt 
Co.  was  organized  in  1888.  Mr.  Barber  is  the  leading  stockholder,  director  and  officer 
of  the  two  corporations  above  named,  representing  an  aggregate  capital  and  surplus  of 
nearly  $7,000,000.  Down  to  the  present  time,  there  have  been  laid  upwards  of  16,000,- 
ooo  yards,  or  1,000  lineal  miles,  of  Trinidad  asphalt  pavements  in  eighty  cities  of  the 
United  States,  at  a  cost  of  over  $50,000,000.  The  Trinidad  Asphalt  Co.  has  supplied 
nearly  all  the  material  for  this  work,  and  The  Barber  Asphalt  Paving  Co.  has  done 
upwards  of  one-half  of  it,  the  remainder  having  been  done  by  about  thirty  separate 
companies  or  firms,  in  which  neither  of  the  two  companies  above  named  nor  Mr. 
Barber  has  any  interest  beyond  supplying  the  material  therefor.  The  pavement  as 
laid  by  these  companies,  especially  the  Barber  company,  has  proved  s^  acceptable  that 
it  has  come  to  be  recognized  as  the  standard  pavement  of  the  United  States.  Companies 
are  now  being  formed  to  introduce  the  pavement  into  foreign  countries. 

In  1868  Mr.  Barber  was  married  to  Celia  M.  Bradley,  of  Geneva,  Ohio,  who  died 
in  1870.  In  1871  he  married  Julia  Louise  Langdon,  daughter  of  J.  Le  Droict  Lang- 
don,  formerly  of  Belmont,  New  York.  They  have  had  five  children,  of  whom  four  are 
living,  namely — Le  Droict  Langdon,  Lorena  Langdon,  Bertha  Langdon,  and  Roland— 
the  first  three  being  adults  and  the  last  seven  years  old. 

Mr.  Barber  retains  a  strong  affection  for  Oberlin  College,  and  has  long  served  it  as 
one  of  its  trustees. 

In  1875-6  Mr.  Barber  took  the  course  of  lectures  in  the  law  department  of  Colum- 
bian University  at  Washington,  and  received  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws.  Subse- 
quently he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Washington,  but  has  never  made  a  regular  prac- 
tice of  law. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Barber  was  a  director  of  The  Citizens'  National  Bank  of  Washing- 


60  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

many  important  cases,  being  noted  for  his  success  and  acquiring  a  fortune  in  his  profes- 
sion. At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  had  charge  of  the  settlement  of  claims  arising 
under  the  treaty  with  Mexico,  from  which  he  received  extraordinary  fees.  His  ability 
to  earn  large  fees  was  phenomenal.  In  one  instance,  he  received  $25,000  for  half  an 
hour's  work,  which  was  willingly  paid,  owing  to  the  magnitude  of  the  interests  involved 
and  his  great  tact  in  effecting  an  amicable  adjustment.  The  firm  of  Bowdoin,  Larocque 
&  Barlow  was  formed  in  1852.  After  the  death  of  the  two  senior  partners  in  1868  and 
1870,  Joseph  Larocque,  brother  of  the  original  member,  William  W.  MacFarland  and 
Mr.  Barlow  formed  a  new  firm,  to  which  was  added  in  1873  Judge  William  D.  Shipman, 
Judge  William  G.  Choate  in  1881  taking  Mr.  MacFarland's  place.  A  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Barlow  was  for  several  years  a  large  stockholder  in  The  New  York  World,  and 
shaped  its  policy  from  1864  to  1869.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Manhattan  Club 
and  a  member  of  the  Union  Club.  He  had  a  fine  collection  of  paintings  and  engravings, 
and  his  library  of  early  American  history  was  one  of  the  most  extensive  in  existence. 
Mr.  Barlow's  wife,  Alice  Cornell,  daughter  of  Peter  Townsend,  survived  him,  as  did  an 
only  son.— His  son,  PETER  TOWNSEND  BARLOW,  lawyer,  was  born  in  New  York 
city,  June  21,  1857.  He  graduated  from  Harvard  University  in  1879,  fitted  himself  for 
the  law  at  the  Law  School  of  Columbia  College  and  in  the  office  of  Shipman,  Barlow, 
Larocque  &  Choate.  He  was  married  in  1886  to  Virginia  Louise,  daughter  of  Edward 
Matthews.  Their  children  are  Edward  M. ,  and  Samuel  L.  M.  Barlow.  A  gentleman 
of  education  and  fine  mind,  he  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  many  of  the  best 
clubs  in  town,  including  the  University,  Harvard,  Union,  Metropolitan,  Players',  Tux- 
edo, Racquet,  Down  Town  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs. 

ALFRED  BARMORE,  ice  merchant,  born  in  Rockland  county,  N,  Y.,  June  15,  1807, 
died  in  this  city,  May  13,  1875.  Beginning  life  at  the  age  of  sixteen  in  the  leather  trade 
of  this  city,  he  did  not  come  into  prominence  until,  after  Croton  water  had  been  brought 
into  town,  he  began  the  sale  of  ice.  Starting  on  a  small  scale,  he  devoted  himself  there- 
after exclusively  to  the  development  of  the  ice  trade.  In  1856  he  became  president  of 
The  Knickerbocker  Ice  Co.,  which  position  he  held  until  his  death.  Under  his  energetic 
fostering,  the  company  grew  into  a  large  concern,  owning  many  ice  houses  on  the  Hud- 
son river,  and  retailing  ice  to  every  part  of  this  metropolis. 

ALFRED  SHITH  BARNES,  publisher,  a  native  of  New  Haven,  Conn.,  born  Jan. 
28,  1817,  died  in  Brooklyn,  Feb.  17,  1888.  He  was  descended  from  Stephen  Barnes, 
an  Englishman,  who  settled  on  Long  Island  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
His  early  life  was  laborious.  First  a  clerk  in  a  shoe  store,  he  then  obtained  employ- 
ment in  Hartford  in  the  publishing  house  of  D.  F.  Robinson  &  Co.,  and  being  depend- 
ent entirely  upon  his  own  abilities,  he  made  every  effort  to  learn  the  business.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  he  published  the  mathematical  works  of  Charles  Davies  in  Hartford, 
and  successfully  introduced  his  arithmetics  and  Mrs.  Emma  Willard's  history  as  popular 
school  books.  In  1840,  he  went  to  Philadelphia  for  four  years,  and  built  up  a  profitable 
publishing  business,  which  he  then  removed  to  New  York  city.  His  brother,  five  sons 
and  a  nephew  were  associated  with  him  under  the  title  of  A.  S.  Barnes  &  Co.  The  firm 
attained  eminence  in  the  publication  of  school  books.  Mr.  Barnes  was  connected  with 
the  Central  Branch  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  The  New  York  Elevated  Railroad, 
The  Hanover  Bank,  The  Dime  Savings  Bank  of  Brooklyn,  and  The  Home  Insurance 
Co.  He  was  naturally  attentive  to  educational  interests  and  identified  with  Cornell 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  6l 

University,  the  Fisk  University  in  Tennessee,  and  the  Polytechnic  and  Adelphi  acad- 
emies, in  Brooklyn.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  Club  of  New  York,  and 
the  Hamilton  Club,  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  and  The  New  England 
Society  of  Brooklyn,  and  trustee  of  the  Clinton  Avenue  Congregational  Church  of 
Brooklyn,  which  city  was  his  home  for  many  years.  To  the  Good  Samaritan  and 
other  institutions  of  Brooklyn,  he  was  a  generous  donor,  and  he  founded  Barnes  Hall, 
one  of  the  most  prominent  buildings  at  Cornell  University.  Mr.  Barnes  was  twice 
married,  first  in  1840  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Burr  of  Hartford,  and  later  in  1883  to  Mrs. 
Mary  Matthews  Smith.  He  left  ten  children  by  his  first  wife.  His  son,  Alfred  C. 
Barnes,  now  represents  the  house  in  The  American  Book  Co.  The  other  children  are 
Mary  C.,  Henry  P.,  Sarah  F.,  Harriet  E.,  Edwin  M.,  Richard  S.,  William  D.,  Annie 
M.,  and  Emilie  B.  Barnes. 

DEM  AS  BARNES,   banker,  born  in   Canandaigua,   N.  Y.,  April  4,    1887,   died  in 
New  York  city,  May  i,  1888.     Leaving  public  school  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  starting 
as  clerk  in  a  country  store,  four  years  later  he  went  into  business  on  his  own  account. 
In  1849  he  established  himself  in  New  York  in  the  wholesale  drug  business,  and  by 
untiring  assiduity  became  a  leading  merchant  of  the  city.    In  the  early  days,  Mr.  Barnes 
crossed  the  continent  in  a  wagon,  making  a  careful  examination  of  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  Colorado,  Nevada  and  California.     His  experiences  were  afterward  related 
in  a  series  of  letters  in  the  newspapers.     He  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  The  Union 
Pacific  Railroad.     In  1866,  his  neighbors  in  Brooklyn  elected  him  as  a  Democrat  to 
Congress,  where  he  served  on  the  Committees  on  Banking  and  Currency,  and  Education 
and  Labor.     He  was  active  in  procuring  legislation  for  the  construction  of  the  Brook- 
lyn Bridge  and  a  member  of  the  first  Board  of  Trustees.     In  1870  he  retired  from 
business.     That  able  Democratic  journal,  The  Brooklyn  Eagle,  at  one  time  belonged  to 
him,  and  of    The  Brooklyn   Argus  he  was  the   founder,  continuing  publication  until 
February,  1877.     He  was  a  director  of  The  Long  Island  Railroad  and  several  insurance 
companies,  a  member  of  the  New  York  club  and  prominent  in  many  public  institutions. 
JOHN  SANFORD  BARNES,  lawyer,  was  born  in  West  Point,  N.  Y.,  May  12,  1836. 
His  father,  General  James  Barnes,  was  a  graduate  from   the  Military    Academy  in 
1825.     John  was  sent  to  the  Naval  Academy  in  Annapolis,  whence  he  graduated  in 
1854.     He  served  through  the  Civil  War,  rising  to  the  rank  of  Commander,  and  then 
resigned,  studied  law  and  practiced  his  profession  in  Albany  and  New  York.     He  was 
for  twelve  years  a  partner  in  the  late  firm  of  J.  S.  Kennedy  &  Co.,  bankers,  and  with- 
drew in  1879.     In  1880,  he  retired  from  active  business  and  has  since  devoted  his  atten- 
tion to  the-  law.     He  was  married  in  1862    to  Susan  Bainbridge  Hayes,  daughter  of 
Capt.  Thomas  Hayes,  U.  S.  N. ,  and  grand  daughter  of  Commodore  William  Bainbridge, 
U.  S.  N.,  who  in  command  of  the  "Constitution"  captured  the  "  Java"  in  the  war  of 
1812,  and  their  children  are  James,  J.  Sanford,  Edith  S.,  Charlotte  Adams  and  Cornelia 
Rogers  Barnes.     Mr    Barnes  is  of  social  nature  and  well  fitted  for  a  life  in  which 
refinement,  a  bright  mind,  abundant  means  and  character  are  essential  requirements. 
He  belongs  to  many  clubs,  including  the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  Union,  Univer- 
sity, Knickerbocker,  Down  Town,  Whist  and  Westminster  Kennel. 

CHARLES  TRACY  BARNEY,  banker,  born  in  Cleveland,  O.,  Jan.  27,  1851,  is  a 
son  of  the  late  A.  H.  Barney,  president  of  The  United  States  Express  Co.  Charles 
graduated  from  Williams  College  and  then  entered  business  life.  He  has  been  engaged 


62  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

in  banking  in  New  York  city  for  many  years.  Mr.  Barney  is  a  careful,  competent  and 
courageous  business  man,  interested  in  diverse  enterprises.  Through  loans  of  money 
to  local  builders,  he  has  been  led  into  real  estate  operations  himself,  one  of  them  being 
the  purchase  of  the  Donnelly  tract  on  the  West  Side  in  this  city.  He  is  director  of 
The  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  New  York  Loan  &  Improvement  Co.,  The  Mercantile 
National  Bank,  The  Hudson  River  Bank,  and  The  Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.  His  clubs 
are  the  Metropolitan,  Grolier,  Century,  Players',  Union,  University,  City,  Colonial, 
Whist,  Down  Town,  Riding,  New  York  Athletic,  New  York  Yacht,  and  Westminster 
Kennel. 

WILLIAM  JOSHUA  BARNEY,  born  at  Fort  Mackinaw,  Mich.,  in  March,  1823, 
died  in  New  York,  Jan.  5,  1886.  He  was  a  great-grandson  of  Commodore  Barney,  of 
the  American  Revolution,  and  the  family  yet  possesses  the  sword  presented  to  the 
Commodore  for  his  defense  of  Bladensburg  in  the  War  of  1812.  His  father,  Captain 
Joshua  Barney,  a  graduate  of  West  Point,  was  stationed  for  many  years  at  Fort 
Mackinaw.  William  graduated  from  Baltimore  College  with  honor,  became  a  lawyer, 
and  assisted  his  father  in  laying  out  the  first  Government  road  in  Iowa,  then  a  Terri- 
tory. After  Iowa  was  admitted,  he  entered  the  first  land  warrant.  Later,  he  started 
a  bank  at  Dubuque,  which  he  closed  in  1857,  removing  then  to  Chicago,  where  he 
opened  a  real  estate  office.  In  1871,  after  the  great  fire,  he  came  to  New  York  to  live, 
although  he  continued  his  Chicago  office.  He  acquired  a  fortune  by  real  estate  oper- 
ations in  the  West  and  in  New  York.  Mr.  Barney  married  Georgiana  F.  Carroll,  of 
Kentucky,  and  left  one  son,  I.  C.  Barney.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Chicago  Club. 

DR.  JOHN  C.  BARRON,  capitalist,  began  life  as  a  physician  and  a  Union  volunteer, 
and  then,  having  inherited  wealth,  embarked  in  practical  business,  in  which  he  has 
since  met  with  excellent  success. 

He  is  a  native  of  Woodbridge  in  the  county  of  Middlesex,  N.  J.,  where  he  was 
born  Nov.  2,  1837.  He  descends  from  an  old  and  well-known  family.  John  Barren, 
his  father,  was  a  man  of  fine  character  and  large  possessions,  prominent  in  his  day  and 
of  wide  influence.  His  grandfather,  Joseph  Barren,  was  a  farmer,  merchant,  tanner 
and  capitalist,  and  president  of  the  famous  old  turnpike  roa'd  from  Woodbridge  ,to 
Philadelphia,  a  great  highway  during  the  period  before  the  advent  of  railroads,  when 
travel  took  place  on  horse-back  or  by  stage-coach  and  carriage.  An  uncle,  Thomas 
Barron,  was  director  of  the  Louisiana  branch  of  The  United  States  Bank;  and  a  great 
uncle,  Ellis  Barron,  served  as  a  captain  of  the  ist  Middlesex  Regiment  in  the  war 
of  the  American  Revolution.  The  maternal  grand  father  of  Dr.  Barron  was  Col. 
Richard  Conner  of  Staten  Island,  farmer,  merchant  and  a  man  of  position,  and  member 
of  State  Legislature  when  it  took  one  week  in  the  saddle  to  get  to  Albany  from  New 
York  city. 

Mr.  Barron  received  an  excellent  education.  Choosing  medicine  for  his  profession, 
he  graduated  from  The  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  in  New  York  city  in  1861. 
The  war  for  the  Union  had  then  broken  out,  and  Dr.  Barron,  inspired  by  a  generous 
loyalty  to  his  country,  at  once  entered  the  Union  army  as  a  volunteer  assistant  sur- 
geon. He  was  assigned  to  the  "Mechanics'  Rifles,"  and,  soon  afterward,  at  his  own 
request,  to  the  6gth  New  York  Inf.,  then  already  in  the  field.  One  of  the  first  of 
his  profession  to  volunteer  in  the  four  years'  war,  and  enthusiastic  in  the  discharge  of 


64  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

• 

his  duties,  Dr.  Barren  spared  no  pains  in  watching  over  the  health  of  the  Union  vol- 
unteers, going  so  far  on  one  occasion  as  to  give  $1,000  from  his  own  means  to  the  hos- 
pital department  for  medical  supplies.  He  took  part  in  the  first  battle  of  Bull  Run 
with  his  command,  the  6gth  losing  two  hundred  men  in  killed  and  wounded  in  that 
memorable  fight.  Soon  after  the  battle  he  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  surgeon. 

Returning  to  civil  life  at  the  end  of  his  enlistment,  he  became  a  member  and 
surgeon  of  the  famous  7th  Regiment  of  New  York  city  from  1863  to  1871,  and,  after 
his  resignation,  he  was  appointed  Surgeon  General  of  the  First  Division  of  the  National 
Guard  of  New  York,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel. 

After  the  war,  Dr.  Barren  sought  recreation  in  extended  foreign  travel.  He 
visited  the  important  countries  of  Europe,  and  then,  with  an  energy  characteristic  of 
the  man,  made  an  adventurous  trip  of  seven  hundred  miles  up  the  river  Nile. 

Upon  his  return  to  America,  having  inherited  large  wealth,  the  care  of  his  property 
and  the  necessity  of  safe  investment  compelled  him  to  abandon  the  practice  of  the 
healing  art.  Business  pursuits  thenceforth  claimed  his  attention,  and  in  this  field  he 
has  proved  an  enterprising  and  successful  man.  He  has  made  large  investments  and 
is  at  the  head  of  nearly  all  his  properties,  being  now  president  of  The  Carpenter  Steel 
Works  of  Reading,  Pa.,  The  Kentucky  Coal,  Iron  &  Development  Co.,  The  Lyons  & 
Campbell  Ranch  &  Cattle  Co.,  and  The  Gila  Farm  Co.,  and  a  director  in  The  Brooklyn 
City  Railroad  Co.,  The  United  New  Jersey  Railroad  &  Canal  Co.,  etc. 

A  man  of  refinement  and  social  disposition,  Dr.  Barron  has  been  admitted  to  a 
large  number  of  the  most  exclusive  clubs  in  the  city.  He  was  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  Union  League  club,  having  joined  in  1863.  He  is  also  an  active 
member  of  the  Union,  Down  Town,  New  York  Yacht,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht, 
Larchmont  Yacht,  Jekyl  Island  and  Currituck  and  Narrows  Island  Shooting  clubs,  and 
has  been  vice  commodore  of  the  Atlantic  Yacht  club,  rear  commodore  of  the  Sea- 
wanhaka Corinthian  and  the  New  York  Yacht  clubs,  and  vice  commodore  of  the 
Hudson  River  Ice  Yacht  club.  Dr.  Barron  is  exceedingly  fond  of  yachting,  and  was 
the  owner  of  the  yacht  Wave,  one  of  the  American  boats,  which,  for  the  honor  of  this 
country,  raced  with  the  Scotch  cutter  Madge,  about  fifteen  years  ago.  He  built  the 
yacht  Athlon,  and  also  owned  the  cutter  Clara. 

Dr.  Barron  is  a  patron  of  literature  and  art.  He  has  long  been  trustee  and  treasurer 
of  the  celebrated  Barron  Library  in  Woodbridge,  N.  J.,  founded  by  his  uncle,  Thomas 
Barron,  in  1876,  and  he  is  a  life  member  of  The  New  York  Historical  Society  and  life 
fellow  of  The  New  York  Geographical  Society. 

JOSEPH  BURR  BARTRAM,  merchant,  born  in  Black  Rock,  Conn.,  May  17,  1839, 
is  a  son  of  Joseph  Bartram,  a  sea-faring  man  in  early  life,  and  later  part  owner  in  many 
vessels  in  the  old  house  of  Sturges,  Clearman  &  Co.  of  this  city.  Joseph  attended  school 
in  Fairfield,  Conn.,  and  then,  coming  to  New  York  in  1857,  found  a  place  as  clerk  for 
Cartwright  &  Harrison,  at  1 1 1  Front  street,  where  he  remained  about  six  years.  In 
June,  1864,  with  his  brother,  Thomas  W. ,  he  established  the  firm  of  Bartram  Bros, 
shipping  and  commission  merchants,  with  a  capital  of  $20,000,  supplied  by  their  father. 
Since  the  death  of  his  brother  in  1888,  Mr.  Bartram  has  continued  the  business  under 
the  old  title,  but  Jan.  i,  1894,  admitted  two  associates  to  partnership,  one  his  son 
Joseph  Percy  Bartram;  the  other  his  chief  clerk.  The  business  has  grown  to  large 
proportions.  Mr.  Bartram  is  extensively  engaged  in  the  importation  of  sugar  from  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BA.  65 

West  Indies,  having  plantations  on  the  islands  of  St.  Croix  and  San  Domingo,  and  con- 
trolling the  product  of  several  others.  The  sugar  is  imported  by  the  New  York  house 
and  sold  for  cash  to  the  sugar  refineries.  In  1869  Mr.  Bartram  was  married  to  Eleanor 
C.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Wardwell,  and  their  children  are:  Joseph  Percy,  Rensselaer, 
Wardwell  and  Howard  Preston  Bartram. 

EDWIN  BATES,  merchant,  born  about  1830,  in  Derby,  Vt.,  died  in  the  same 
place,  Xov.  27,  1887.  He  received  such  an  education  as  the  town  academy  supplied, 
and  left  home  at  the  age  of  sixteen  to  make  his  way  in  the  world,  without  other 
resources  than  the  health,  energy  and  character  he  had  inherited  from  a  Puritan 
ancestry.  He  located  first  in  Charleston,  S.  C.,  as  a  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  house. 
Thrift  enabled  him  within  a  few  years  to  establish  the  dry  goods  firm  of  McGahan, 
Bates  &  Co.  Trade  brought  him  a  considerable  fortune.  At  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War  he  came  to  this  city,  and  with  his  brother,  Charles  K.  Bates,  established  the 
clothing  house  of  Edwin  Bates  &  Co.,  remaining  active  therein  until  his  physician 
warned  him  that  his  heart  would  not  much  longer  perform  its  functions.  His  interest 
in  the  old  South  Carolina  firm  was  retained  to  the  last,  and  he  owned  800  acres  of 
land  in  that  State,  as  well  as  a  horse  farm  in  Vermont.  His  wife,  Mary  E.,  daughter 
of  ex-Mayor  Brackett,  of  Rochester,  and  two  children,  survived  him. 

HENRY  BATTERflAN,  merchant  and  banker,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y., 
where  he  has  always  dwelt,  Nov.  5,  1849.  His  parents  came  to  this  country  from  Han- 
over, Germany.  Receiving  an  education  in  a  business  college,  Henry  learned  the 
requirements  of  trade  as  a  clerk,  and  then  in  1867,  with  borrowed  capital,  opened  a 
small  retail  dry  goods  store  in  Brooklyn.  An  excellent  merchant,  he  made  rapid  pro- 
gress, until  the  growth  of  his  trade  compelled  him  to  build  the  present  large  store  at 
the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Graham  and  Flushing  avenues.  He  employs  500  clerks, 
and  conducts  the  most  important  trade  in  the  Eastern  district  of  Brooklyn.  He  is  pres- 
ident of  The  Broadway  Bank  of  Brooklyn,  and  a  member  of  the  Hamilton,  Union 
League,  and  Germania  clubs,  and  several  charities.  In  1870,  he  married  Sarah  E., 
daughter  of  John  Cutter,  and  their  children  are  Harry  L.  and  Adelaide  H.  Batterman. 

CHARLES  ALFRED  BAUDOUINE,  manufacturer  and  realty  owner,  born  June 
i,  1808,  in  this  city,  died  at  his  home  on  Fifth  avenue,  Jan.  13,  1895.  His  ancestors 
were  Huguenots,  who  had  fled  to  this  country  from  France.  Having  learned  the  art 
of  furniture  making  as  an  apprentice,  Charles  began  on  his  own  account  at  the  age  of 
twenty-one,  and  became  the  founder  and  proprietor  of  a  furniture  making  industry, 
which,  in  1850,  had  grown  to  be  the  largest  of  its  class  in  the  country.  From  this  he 
finally  retired,  and  invested  his  fortune  in  realty  in  this  city,  which  is  well  located  and 
has  continually  improved  in  value.  He  possessed  exceptional  capacity  as  a  business 
man,  and  in  recent  years  was  prominent  at  the  annual  Horse  Show.  June  3,  1833,  ^e 
married  Ann  P.  Postley  of  this  city.  A  son,  Abram,  and  two  grandsons,  Charles  A. 
and  John  F.  Baudouine,  survived  him. 

GEN.  HORACE  HENRY  BAXTER,  railroad  builder,  born  Jan.  18,  1818,  in  Sax- 
ton's  River,  Vt.,  died  Feb.  17,  1884,  in  New  York  city.  His  father,  Horace  Baxter, 
a  man  of  fine  presence,  a  lawyer  and  judge  in  Vermont,  intended  to  call  his  son  to  the 
bar,  but  the  latter  preferred  a  different  career,  and  began  business  life  as  assistant 
bookkeeper  in  a  dry  goods  commission  house  in  Boston.  Less  than  a  year  later,  while 
only  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  became  head  accountant,  and  served  until  his  health  failed 


66  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

« 

on  account  of  overwork.  After  recruiting  among  the  hills,  he  opened  a  store  in 
Bellows  Falls,  Vt.,  gave  credit  to  those  who  could  not  pay  cash,  and  made  his  first  and 
last  failure  in  life,  closing  the  store.  An  athletic  man,  of  towering  form,  animated, 
energetic,  and  capable  of  handling  bodies  of  men,  he  found  more  congenial  work 
shortly  afterward,  upon  taking  a  small  contract  to  grade  the  depot  grounds  at  Bellows 
Falls.  This  led  him  into  contract  work  on  The  Rutland  &  Burlington  and  The  Western 
Vermont  Railroads.  He  was  noted  from  the  start  for  thoroughness.  He  then  built  The 
Cleveland,  Norwalk  &  Toledo  Railroad,  completing  it  in  1854,  and  next  bought  the 
marble  quarries  at  Rutland,  Vt.,  which  he  operated  until  1863,  when  he  sold  them. 
At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  attended  the  Peace  Congress  as  a  delegate  from 
Vermont,  and  when  that  meeting  failed  of  its  object,  he  became  Adjutant  General 
of  Vermont  on  a  salary  of  $75  a  year,  and  spent  a  small  fortune  in  organizing  and 
forwarding  to  the  front  the  volunteer  troops  of  Vermont.  After  the  war,  he  entered 
Wall  street,  and,  with  Henry  Keep,  advanced  the  price  of  Michigan  Southern  Railroad 
stock,  gaining  thereby  a  large  profit.  He  followed  Mr.  Keep  as  president  of  The  New 
York  Central  Railroad,  and  was  the  only  one  of  the  old  managers  retained  after  Com- 
modore Vanderbilt  came  into  control.  It  was  due  to  his  persistent  advice  that  the 
Grand  Central  depot  and  the  grain  elevator  on  the  Hudson  river  were  built.  General 
Baxter  also  had  a  large  interest  in  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad,  the  Emma 
silver  mine  in  Utah,  The  Baxter  National  Bank  in  Rutland,  The  Pacific  Mail  Steam- 
ship Co.,  The  Hannibal  &  St.  Joseph  Railroad,  The  Panama  Railway,  The  Conti- 
nental Bank  of  New  York  city,  and  The  Pullman  Palace  Car  Co.,  being  a  director  in 
these  enterprises,  and  also  took  part  in  the  construction  company  which  built  some  of 
the  elevated  railroads  of  New  York  city.  General  Baxter  was  twice  married,  first,  to 
Eliza  Wales,  of  Bellows  Falls,  Dec.  21,  1841,  who  died  Sept.  8,  1849  ;  and  next,  Dec. 
8,  1851,  to  Mary  E.  Roberts,  of  Manchester,  Vt.  Two  children  were  born  to  them, 
Henry,  May  18,  1856,  who  died  March  20,  1860,  and  Hugh  Henry  Baxter,  born  Oct. 
2,  1861.  While  New  York  city  was  the  scene  of  his  principal  achievements,  he  made 
Rutland,  Vt.,  his  home  after  1854. 

MOSES  YALE  BEACH,  publisher,  born  in  Wallingford,  Conn.,  Jan.  15,  1800,  died 
there,  July  19,  1868.  Descended  from  some  of  the  first  settlers  of  Stratford,  Conn.,  on 
his  mother's  side,  he  was  a  relative  of  Elihu  Yale,  the  founder  of  Yale  College.  In 
youth  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  cabinet  maker  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  by  working 
overtime  managed  to  save  $400.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  purchased  his  release. 
Then,  with  a  partner,  he  began  business  in  Northampton,  Mass.  A  man  of  inventive 
mind,  he  was  associated  with  Thomas  Blanchard  in  the  construction  of  the  first  stern 
wheel  steamboat  used  on  the  Connecticut  river.  Among  his  devices  was  a  machine 
for  cutting  rags,  now  a  part  of  the  outfit  of  every  paper  mill,  but  he  reaped  little 
benefit  from  this  invention  owing  to  delay  in  issuing  the  patent.  In  1827,  he  moved 
to  Saugerties,  N.  Y.,  to  engage  in  paper  manufacturing.  Through  his  wife,  Nancy 
Day,  a  sister  of  the  late  Benjamin  H.  Day,  founder  of  The  New  York  Sun,  Mr.  Beach 
became  interested  in  that  paper.  He  bought  a  half  interest  from  Mr.  Wisner  for 
^5,200,  and  later  purchased  the  other  half  for  $19,000.  Possessed  of  rugged  abilities 
and  marked  traits  of  character,  prompt,  energetic  and  far  seeing,  he  insisted  that  The 
Sun  should  have  all  the  news,  regardless  of  expense,  and  devised  many  novel  schemes 
for  quick  collection  as  well  as  for  the  rapid  distribution  of  the  paper  after  publication. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  67 

Carrier  pigeons,  express  trains,  etc.,  were  freely  employed  by  him.  He  encouraged 
Mr.  Locke  in  the  preparation  of  the  celebrated  story  known  as  the  "  Moon  Hoax,"  which 
first  appeared  in  The  Sun.  His  children  were  Moses  Sperry,  Henry,  Alfred  Ely, 
Joseph  P.,  and  William  Yale  Beach,  and  Brasilia  Brewster. — His  son  ALFRED  E. 
BEACH,  inventor  and  editor  of  The  Scientific  American,  was  born  in  Springfield,  Mass., 
in  1826.  He  received  an  academic  education,  and,  in  1846,  with  Orson  D.  Munn, 
founded  the  firm  of  Munn  &  Co.,  and  they  became  proprietors  of  The  Scientific  American. 
For  almost  fifty  years,  Mr.  Beach  has  been  active  in  the  editorship  of  this  newspaper 
and  in  the  extensive  patent  business  of  the  firm.  In  1847  he  invented  a  typewriting 
machine,  from  which,  it  is  claimed,  the  great  typewriter  industry  of  the  world  has 
arisen.  One  of  these  machines,  placed  in  operation  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition  of 
the  American  Institute  in  this  city  in  1856,  received  the  gold  medal  as  ranking  among 
the  most  ingenious  and  important  inventions  of  the  time.  The  machine  had  the  key 
board,  the  pot  of  type  bars,  the  ink  ribbon,  the  spacing  bar,  the  paper  moved  by  the 
keys,  the  separate  adjustment  for  each  type  bar,  etc.,  all  now  so  generally  in  use.  Mr. 
Beach  sold  his  patent  for  a  small  sum.  Prior  to  1868,  Mr.  Beach  planned  a  system  of 
underground  railways  for  New  York,  and  in  1869,  legislative  authority  having  been 
granted,  he  constructed  a  section  of  underground  railway  under  Broadway,  New  York, 
extending  from  Warren  to  Murray  street.  This  work  was  executed  while  all  the  travel 
of  the  street  went  on  overhead,  by  means  of  the  Beach  hydraulic  shield,  which  was  the 
first  example  of  the  hydraulic  tunneling  shield,  now  in  common  use  by  engineers  in 
all  parts  of  the  world.  The  Beach  hydraulic  shield  was  used  in  the  construction  of  the 
great  railway  tunnel  under  the  St.  Clair  river  at  Port  Huron  and  Sarnia,  between  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  as  well  as  in  excavating  the  underground  railway  tunnels 
in  London  and  Glasgow,  the  Hudson  river  tunnel,  and  other  similar  works.  Mr. 
Beach  is  the  designer  of  many  other  inventions. 

OLIVER  THOflAS  BEARD,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  13,  1832,  is  one 
of  three  notable  brothers.  His  father,  the  late  William  Beard,  a  native  of  Ireland, 
came  to  America  in  1825,  and  through  tireless-  energy  and  unusual  foresight  rose  to 
prominence  as  a  railroad  builder  and  contractor,  dying  in  Brooklyn,  Jan.  7,  1886,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-two.  A  portion  of  his  property  in  Brooklyn  consisted  of  wharves  and 
stores,  now  extremely  valuable.  Oliver  studied  during  boyhood  in  the  local  schools 
and  at  Nazareth,  Pa.  Inheriting  his  father's  enterprise,  he  crossed  the  plains  at  the 
age  of  sixteen  and  engaged  in  gold  mining,  the  construction  of  wharves  and  similar 
enterprises,  and  in  1852  in  railroad  building  in  South  America.  Returning  to  his 
native  land,  he  enlisted  in  April,  1861,  as  a  private  in  the  7ist  N.  Y.  Vol's,  and  rose 
to  be  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the  48th  N.  Y.  Moore's  Rebellion  Records  give  him  credit 
for  commanding  the  first  body  of  colored  troops  actually  engaged  in  battle.  During 
the  draft  riots  of  1863  in  New  York  city,  he  aided  in  placing  the  office  of  THE  NEW 
YORK  TRIBUNE  in  a  state  of  defense  with  barricades  of  bales  of  paper,  etc.  After  the 
war  Mr.  Beard  practiced  law  in  Ohio  and  Michigan  with  some  success,  later  edited  The 
Post  and  Tribune,  of  Detroit,  and,  being  an  ardent  Republican,  took  an  active  part  in 
political  affairs.  For  more  than  twenty  years  he  served  his  party  in  various  parts  of  the 
Union  as  a  campaign  orator,  and  was  chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  Union  League 
of  America,  which  notified  Mr.  Lincoln  of  his  re-nomination  in  1864.  He  has  written 
much  for  publication,  including  novels  and  short  stories,  principally  of  a  political 


68  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

nature,  his  "Bristling  With  Thorns"  being  a  study  of  Southern  character.  Mr.  Beard 
inherited  a  large  property,  which  now  occupies  his  time,  consisting  mainly  of  the  Erie 
Basin,  Columbia  Basin,  and  Amity  and  Congress  streets  warehouses  in  Brooklyn.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Mossgrove  in  Steubenville,  O.,  and  has  five  children,  IdaM.  Welton, 
Ula  Lanphere,  Mary  D.  Perkins,  Anson  McCook  Beard,  and  William  Mossgrove  Beard. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  BEARD,  contractor,  born  in  Richmond,  Mass.,  Oct.  12,  1839, 
died  Jan.  31,  1893.  He  was  a  son  of  the  late  William  Beard,  and  gained  an  excellent 
education  in  private  schools  and  Kinderhook  Academy.  He  then  devoted  himself  to 
the  construction  of  improvements  and  public  works  under  contract.  Beginning  with 
a  section  of  the  brick  conduit  through  which  Brooklyn  derived  its  supply  of  water, 
he  built  twenty  miles  of  sewer  in  that  city,  excavated  Baislie's  Pond,  constructed  parts 
of  The  Sea  Beach  and  The  Manhattan  Beach  Railways,  and  the  water  works  in  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  and  fulfilled  numerous  other  important  contracts.  The  wharves  and 
improvements  at  the  Erie  Basin  were  superintended  by  him.  Mr.  Beard  inherited  a 
large  estate  from  his  father,  but  his  own  rugged  abilities  and  energy  would  have  made 
him  a  man  of  fortune  without  that  aid.  Contract  work  led  him  into  various  auxiliary 
enterprises,  and  he  was  president  of  The  W.  H.  Beard  Dredging  Co.  and  senior  partner 
in  Beard  &  Kimpland,  the  largest  dealers  in  wharf  building  materials  in  the  United 
States.  His  brothers  and  he  owned  a  large  interest  in  wharves  and  stores  in  Brooklyn. 
He  was  a  director  in  The  Kings  County  Bank,  member  of  the  Oxford  and  Union  League 
clubs  of  Brooklyn  and  The  Society  of  Old  Brooklynites,  a  presidential  elector  and 
member  of  the  Republican  State  Committee  eight  years.  His  children  were  William, 
Edith  and  Henry  S.  Beard. 

GEORGE  BECHTEL,  brewer,  born  in  Germany,  Nov.  17,  1840,  died  on  Staten 
Island,  June  16,  1889.  While  an  infant  of  six  months,  he  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  America.  Acquiring  an  education  at  the  Columbia  College  grammar  school,  upon 
the  completion  of  his  course,  he  entered,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  as  apprentice,  the 
brewery  which  his  father  had  established  at  Stapleton  on  Staten  Island  in  1853.  A 
strong,  hearty,  energetic  young  man,  he  mastered  every  detail  of  the  brewing  business 
ajid  gained  the  experience  to  which,  coupled  with  natural  ability,  was  due  the  great 
success  which  he  afterward  achieved. 

From  1860  to  1865,  he  occupied  the  position  of  superintendent  of  the  establish- 
ment, and,  while  serving  in  this  capacity,  erected  the  first  ice  house  ever  operated  in 
connection  with  a  brewery  in  the  Eastern  States.  In  1865,  he  leased  the  property  from 
his  father  and,  in  1870,  purchased  the  entire  interest,  becoming  sole  proprietor.  Finding 
the  old  quarters  inadequate  to  the  demands  of  a  rapidly  increasing  business,  Mr.  Bech- 
tel,  in  1871,  built  the  present  commodious  brewery,  giving  special  attention  to  its 
thorough  equipment.  So  energetically  was  the  work  of  erection  pushed,  that  ten 
weeks  after  the  first  stone  had  been  laid,  brewing  had  been  resumed.  The  continued 
increase  of  his  business  grew  out  of  the  high  excellence  of  all  his  productions.  In 
1876,  his  beer  received  the  award  of  the  Centennial  Exposition;  in  1877,  the  medal  of 
the  Gambrinus  Verein  of  New  York;  in  1878,  a  gold  medal  at  the  Paris  Exposition; 
and  in  1879,  the  first  prize  at  the  Fair  in  Sidney,  New  South  Wales.  After  an  analy- 
sis of  his  beer,  Professor  Doremus  pronounced  it  pure  and  free  from  all  deleterious 
substances. 

Mr.  Bechtel's  activity  was  by  no  means  confined  to  his  own  business.     He  took  a 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  69 

leading  part  in  all  public  and  benevolent  movements  upon  Staten  Island.  During  the 
draft  riots  in  1863,  he  sheltered  numbers  of  unfortunate  negroes,  for  which  protecting 
kindness  the  colored  people  of  the  island  hold  him  in  grateful  remembrance.  Upon 
the  incorporation  of  the  village  of  Edgewater,  Mr.  Bechtel  was  elected  trustee  in  the 
face  of  strong  opposition.  From  1871  to  1879  he  took  no  prominent  part  in  politics, 
but  in  1879,  he  received  a  joint  nomination  by  the  Republican  and  Democratic  parties 
for  supervisor  and  was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  majority.  Thereafter,  the  people 
re-elected  him  annually  for  a  number  of  years.  When  he  first  took  office,  Richmond 
county  bonds  sold  for  80  cents  on  the  dollar,  taxes  ruled  at  eight  per  cent. ,  and  the  vil- 
lage of  Edgewater  was  in  debt  $125,000.  When  he  retired,  his  good  management  had 
resulted  in  payment  of  the  village  debt,  a  reduction  of  taxes  to  two  per  cent.,  and  a  rise 
in  value  of  the  bonds  to  §1.12.  Mr.  Bechtel  not  only  greatly  improved  the  condition 
of  the  public  highways,  but  succeeded  in  refunding  the  $50,000  war  debt  at  four  per 
cent,  and  a  premium  of  i  1-2  per  cent.,  a  record  not  equalled  in  any  other  county  in 
the  state. 

In  1879,  he  attended  the  Democratic  state  convention  as  the  first  delegate  ever 
elected  from  Richmond  county,  was  three  times  re-elected,  and  twice  its  first  vice 
president.  While  in  the  convention,  he  was  appointed  by  the  first  Congressional  dele- 
gation a  member  of  the  state  and  executive  committees  of  the  party. 

Mr.  Bechtel's  interest  in  public  affairs  did  not  cause  him  to  neglect  his  industry 
on  Staten  Island.  He  became  so  noted  as  a  brewer,  that  in  1879,  his  establishment 
was  visited  by  the  Japanese  Embassy,  in  company  with  the  Secretary  of  State  and  other 
officials.  The  foreigners,  delighted  with  what  they  saw,  gave  Mr.  Bechtel  an  order 
for  100,000  bottles  for  shipment  to  Japan.  Upon  reaching  their  own  country,  they 
sent  him  many  flattering  letters  and  a  pair  of  costly  vases,  in  token  of  appreciation  and 
esteem.  By  reason  of  his  large  investments,  he  rose  to  be  the  largest  individual  tax 
payer  on  Staten  Island.  Among  his  possessions,  he  acquired  a  water  front  of  nearly 
eighteen  hundred  feet,  having  an  average  water  depth  of  thirty  feet  at  low  tide.  He 
created  an  extensive  and  complete  brewery  plant  with  commodious  offices,  handsomely 
furnished  and  decorated,  their  general  design  being  that  of  the  Queen  Anne  period. 
A  feature  of  the  establishment  is  the  Russian  bath  house,  laid  in  cement  with  imported 
white  and  blue  tiles.  The  brewery  stables,  which  are  models  of  cleanliness  and  com- 
fort, commanded  the  special  commendation  of  Mr.  Bergh,  president  of  The  Society  for 
the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  of  which  society  Mr.  Bechtel  was  a  member. 
Previous  to  his  improvement  of  the  Edgewater  roads,  he  was  obliged  to  stable  his 
horses  in  New  York  city,  employing  a  steamboat  for  their  conveyance  to  and  from  the 
island. 

To  Mr.  Bechtel's  influence  and  activity,  the  growth  of  Richmond  county  in  his 
time  was  largely  due.  He  possessed  foresight  and  judgment,  was  quick  to  discern  the 
need  of  improvements,  and  prompt  to  carry  them  to  completion.  He  was  the  first  to 
introduce  refrigerating  machines  and  the  electric  light  on  Staten  Island.  Personally 
genial  in  nature,  kind  and  companionable,  he  was,  like  most  other  men,  ambitious  for 
wealth,  and  acquired  it  by  hard  work.  He  held  it  with  no  miser's  grasp,  however, 
and  was  liberal  in  gifts  to  public  and  private  charities,  ever  ready  to  extend  a  helping 
hand  to  the  deserving  poor.  Many  poor  families  on  Staten  Island  were  the  recipients 
of  his  bounty.  It  was  his  intention  to  found  upon  Staten  Island  a  hospital  for  unfor- 


70  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

tunates  of  all  sects  and  nationalities,  but  his  death  prevented  the  completion  of  this 
enterprise,  upon  the  execution  of  which  he  had  already  entered,  purchasing  a  house 
and  fitting  it  up  with  hospital  appliances.  The  building  has  since  been  transferred  to 
The  S.  R.  Smith  Infirmary,  a  worthy  institution,  which  sold  the  property  and  with 
the  proceeds  erected  a  new  pavilion,  which  in  honor  of  the  donor  has  been  named  the 
"Bechtel"  ward.  When  it  was  found  that  several  thousand  dollars  were  yet  needed  to 
make  the  ward  all  which  could  be  desired,  Mrs.  Bechtel  promptly  supplied  the  money 
for  its  completion. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Bechtel  was  married  to  Miss  Eva  Schoen,  of  New  York  city,  who, 
with  four  daughters  and  one  son,  survived  him. 

CHARLES  BATHQATE  BECK,  philanthropist,  who  died  in  Richfield  Springs, 
N.Y.,  in  October,  1893,  derived  a  large  property  in  land,  in  1887,  from  his  mother  and 
his  uncle,  Dr.  James  Bathgate.  It  consisted  mainly  of  a  farm,  located  originally  in 
what  was  Westchester  county  but  now  included  within  the  northern  boundaries  of  the 
city  corporation  and  the  centre  of  a  thickly  populated  district.  This  estate  had  already 
become  valuable.  At  his  death,  Mr.  Beck  willed  the  greater  portion  of  his  possessions 
to  Dr.  Parkhurst's  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Crime,  Columbia  College,  The  Presby- 
terian Board  of  Home  Missions,  and  The  New  York  and  The  Presbyterian  Hospitals, 
making  specific  legacies  of  $100,000  to  The  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  West  Farms 
and  about  $55,000  to  various  local  charities  and  societies. 

NELSON  HARVIN  BECKWITH,  merchant,  born  in  Cazenovia,  N.  Y.,  1807,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Sept.  24,  1889.  He  was  a  son  of  Judge  Beckwith,  a  member  of  the 
convention  which  drafted  the  State  Constitution.  In  his  earlier  years,  he  filled  various 
mercantile  positions  in  Canada  and  Europe,  but  about  1835,  returned  to  New  York, 
where  he  began  the  importation  of  coffee  and  spices,  being  at  one  time  in  partnership 
with  George  W.  Dunscomb.  He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  Mutual  Fire  Insur- 
ance Co.  In  1852,  he  retired  temporarily,  but  in  1857  went  to  Hong  Kong  to  become 
managing  partner  of  the  great  mercantile  house  of  Russell  &  Co.,  remaining  there 
three  years.  It  was  due  to  his  efforts  that  American  steamers  obtained  control  in 
Chinese  inland  waters.  Removing  to  Paris  in  1861,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War, 
he  and  Consul  General  John  Bigelow  proved  largely  instrumental  in  preventing  the 
departure  of  certain  Confederate  vessels  from  French  ports.  At  the  Paris  Expo- 
sition of  1867,  Mr.  Beckwith  served  as  Commissioner  General  for  the  United  States 
and  won  the  high  regard  of  Napoleon  III.,  who  bestowed  upon  him  the  Cross  of  the 
Legion  Of  Honor.  In  1876,  he  represented  New  York  State  at  the  Centennial  Expo- 
sition. He  was  married  in  1842  to  Frances,  daughter  of  Colonel  Grant  Forbes.  His 
wife  died  in  1885.  Their  children  were  Leonard,  who  married  the  daughter  of 
Edwards  Pierrepont;  Arthur,  an  artist;  and  a  daughter.  Vice  president  of  The 
vSociety  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  he  was  also  actively  connected  with 
the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  a  member  of  the  Century  and  Union  clubs. 

HENRY  BEDLOW,  capitalist,  descendant  of  an  old  family,  was  born  Dec.  21, 
1821,  on  Harman  street,  now  East  Broadway,  in  this  city.  Isaac  Bedlow,  founder  of 
the  family  in  America  and  owner  of  Bedlow's  Island  in  New  York  harbor,  who  immi- 
grated from  Leyden,  Holland,  about  1639,  was  a  son  of  Godfrey  Bedlow,  physician  to 
William,  Prince  of  Orange.  In  1668,  the  island  to  which  he  gave  his  name,  came 
to  him  by  purchase,  and  there  he  made  his  home.  One  son  in  each  generation  has 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  7 1 

since  represented  the  family.  William,  grandfather  of  Henry  Bedlow,  served  as  one 
of  the  commissioners  to  survey  and  establish  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  and 
married  Catherine,  sister  of  Col.  Henry  Rutgers.  His  son,  Henry,  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  heir  at  law  of  Col.  Henry  Rutgers  (in  the  event  of  the 
Colonel  dying  intestate)  and  inherited  property  also  from  an  aunt.  Henry  Bedlow,  son 
of  the  last  named,  studied  under  private  tutors  at  Yale  University,  and  graduated  later 
from  Harvard  Law  School.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but,  instead  of  engaging  in 
litigation  in  the  courts,  he  then  studied  medicine,  both  at  home  and  in  France.  Early 
in  life  he  became  an  attache  of  the  American  Legation  at  Naples.  He  also  served  in 
1848  as  assistant  physician  of  the  American  expedition  to  the  Dead  Sea.  While 
thoroughly  a  New  Yorker,  Mr.  Bedlow  long  ago  made  Newport,  R.  I.,  his  home,  and 
held  the  office  of  Mayor  of  that  city  in  1875,  1876  and  1877.  The  local  press  described 
him  as  a  splendid  Mayor.  A  Union  man  during  the  war,  educated,  genial,  public 
spirited  and  clear  headed,  he  is  a  worthy  descendant  of  a  noble  family.  March  2,  1850, 
he  married  Josephine  Maria  De  Wolf  Homer,  daughter  of  Fitzhenry  Homer  of  Boston. 
Their  children  are  Harriet  Hall,  widow  of  Lieut.-Comm'r  Francis  Morris,  U.  S.  N.,  and 
Alice  Prescott,  wife  of  William  Henry  Mayer.  Mr.  Bedlow's  clubs  are  the  Reading 
Room,  Casino,  Golf  and  Harvard  clubs  of  Newport,  and  the  Players'  and  Union  League 
of  New  York. 

HENRY  RUTGERS  BEEKMAN,  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  a  lawyer  of  recog- 
nized ability  and  a  member  of  the  well-known  Beekman  family,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  Dec.  8,  1845.  His  paternal  ancestors  came  from  Holland  and  his  maternal 
ancestors  from  Ireland.  He  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Gerardus  Beekman,  at  one  time 
Governor  of  New  York.  Gerardus  Beekman  was  Major  under  Jacob  Leisler  and  a 
member  of  the  Council  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  of  1688.  After  the  arrival  of 
Governor  Slaughter,  when  Leisler  was  condemned  and  executed  for  treasonable  con- 
duct in  refusing  to  give  up  New  York,  Gerardus  Beekmen  was  one  of  the  eight  who 
were  condemned  with  him  but  recommended  to  the  Governor's  mercy.  He  gained  his 
liberty,  and  in  1700  became  Lieutenant  Colonel  under  Governor  Belmont,  afterward 
becoming  a  member  of  Governor  Cornbury's  Council. 

When  Governor  Ingoldby  was  removed,  Gerardus  Beekman  was  made  President 
of  the  Council  and  acting  Governor,  filling  this  position  until  the  arrival  of  Governor 
Hunter  in  1710.  He  afterward  became  a  member  of  Governor  Hunter's  Council, 
which  office  he  held  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1728.  He  was  also  a  physician 
and  a  wealthy  landowner. 

Another  member  of  this  distinguished  family  was  William  Beekman,  who  sailed 
with  Peter  Stuyvesant  to  the  New  Netherlands,  and  was  an  officer  in  the  West  India 
Company  and  an  alderman  in  New  York  under  English  rule. 

Judge  Beekman's  mother  was  the  daughter  of  William  Neilson,  a  prominent  New 
Yorker. 

At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  young  man  entered  Columbia  College  and  soon  became 
known  as  a  careful  and  industrious  student.  He  graduated  in  1865  and  took  up  the 
study  of  law  in  the  Columbia  Law  College,  from  which  he  graduated,  being  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1867.  He  enjoyed  a  lucrative  and  growing  practice  almost  from  the 
beginning.  Previous  to  his  election  as  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  law  firm  of  Ogden  &  Beekman. 


•j2  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

As  a  citizen,  Judge  Beekman  is  broad-minded  and  patriotic  and  widely  known  as  a 
political  reformer.  He  has  held  a  number  of  appointive  and  elective  offices,  the  first 
being  that  of  school  trustee  for  the  Eighteenth  Ward  in  1884.  Then  followed  his 
appointment  in  1885,  by  Mayor  Grace,  as  Park  Commissioner.  In  1886,  he  was  elected 
President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  for  which  office  he  was  nominated  by  the  United 
Democracy.  In  1888  he  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Hewitt,  Counsel  to  the  Corporation 
of  the  City  of  New  York,  to  succeed  Morgan  J.  O'Brien,  who  had  been  elected  Judge 
of  the  Supreme  Court.  He  was  subsequently  appointed  by  Governor  Hill  a  member 
of  the  Commission  for  the  Promotion  of  Uniformity  of  Legislation  in  the  United  States 
on  Marriage,  Divorce  and  other  laws,  all  of  which  offices  he  has  filled  to  the  great 
advantage  of  the  city  and  the  State.  As  Corporation  Counsel,  he  gained  the  reputation 
of  being  the  most  forcible  and  effective  official  who  had  ever  appeared  before  the  legis- 
lative committees  at  Albany. 

He  advocated,  when  President  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  the  establishment  of 
small  parks  for  the  city,  and  in  1887  succeeded  in  having  a  bill  passed  in  the  Legisla- 
ture which  embodied  his  ideas.  While  a  member  of  the  Park  Board,  he  was  an  ardent 
worker  in  behalf  of  the  maintenance  of  public  baths  for  the  poor,  to  be  erected  in  the 
small  parks  situated  in  the  thickly  populated  portions  of  the  city. 

For  some  years  past,  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  attempts  to  obtain  legislation 
which  would  enable  the  city  of  New  York  to  secure  adequate  rapid  transit  facilities. 
He  drew  the  bill  for  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  which  passed  the  Legislature  in  1894, 
reconstituting  the  Rapid  Transit  Commission  and  authorizing  municipal  construction  of 
a  rapid  transit  road  when  sanctioned  by  a  vote  of  the  people,  and  on  Nov.  6,  1894,  this 
measure  was  ratified  by  them.  He  was  appointed  Counsel  to  the  Board  by  the  Rapid 
Transit  Commissioners. 

Mr.  Beekman  was  nominated  in  1894  by  the  Committee  of  Seventy  for  Judge  of  the 
Superior  Court.  He  received  the  support  of  all  factions  except  Tammany  Hall  and 
was  elected  by  an  overwhelming  vote,  his  plurality  over  his  opponent,  Judge  Truax, 
being  40,019. 

Judge  Beekman  is  a  member  of  the  Union,  Century,  University,  Manhattan,  City, 
and  Democratic  clubs.  He  was  married  in  New  York  city,  in  1870,  to  Isabella  Law- 
rence, daughter  of  Richard  Lawrence,  an  old  and  prosperous  East  India  merchant. 
They  have  four  children,  Josephine  L.,  William  F.,  Mary  E.,  and  Henry  R.  Beekman. 

JAflES  WILLIAfl  BEEKMAN,  land  owner,  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  22, 
1815,  died  here,  June  15,  1877.  He  was  descended  from  Wilhelmus  Beekman,  the  com- 
panion of  Peter  Stuyvesant  and  was  a  second  cousin  of  Henry  R.  Beekman.  After 
graduation  from  Columbia  College,  he  came  into  possession  of  a  large  property  from 
his  father,  which  was  increased  by  inheritance  from  his  uncle,  James  Beekman,  of  the 
family  estate  in  New  York  city  on  East  River,  near  52d  street.  Beekman  Hill  ran 
from  42d  to  5 5th  streets  on  the  East  River,  and  thereon  stood  the  old  Beekman  man- 
sion, a  place  of  historic  interest,  by  reason  of  its  prominence  in  the  American  Revolu- 
tion. Mr.  Beekman  made  this  old  mansion  his  home.  He  figured  to  some  extent  in  pub- 
lic affairs,  and  in  iSsowaschosen  State  Senator  from  New  York  city,  serving  two  terms. 
Erastus  Corning,  Thurlow  Weed  and  he  attended  the  Peace  Convention  in  Washington 
in  1 86 1  as  delegates  Mr.  Beekman  made  generous  use  of  his  means  in  charitable  work. 
The  New  York  Hospital,  of  whieh  he  was  vice-president,  The  Women's  Hospital, 


74 


AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


of  which  he  was  president,  and  The  New  York  Dispensary,  of  which  he  was  a  direc- 
tor, found  him  a  useful  official,  in  consequence  of  his  careful  study  of  hospital  methods 
in  England  and  on  the  Continent.  Always  proud  of  his  connection  with  the  original 
settlers  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  he  was  a  prominent  member  of  The  New  York 
Historical  Society  and  president  of  the  St.  Nicholas  and  Century  Societies.  Two  sons 
and  two  daughters  survived  him. 

JULIUS  BEER,  merchant,  a  native  of  Germany,  was  born  Sept.  1,1832.  After 
roaming  around  the  world  for  a  year  or  two,  visiting  South  America  in  1848,  and  then 
taking  ship  for  California,  he  settled  in  San  Francisco  in  1849,  and  in  tne  firm  of  Weil 
&Co.,  engaged  in  the  tobacco  trade.  In  1865  he  came  to  New  York  to  manage  the 
affairs  of  the  firm  in  this  city.  The  San  Francisco  house  was  given  up  in  1874.  Mr. 
Beer  is  a  large  importer  of  leaf  tobacco  from  Havana,  and  is  now  sole  member  of  the 
house  of  Weil  &  Co.  He  has  made  himself  thoroughly  at  home  in  New  York,  is  a 
supporter  of  Mount  Sinai  Hospital,  Montefiore  Home,  and  other  charities,  and  belongs 
to  several  societies.  In  1868  he  married  Sophia  Walter,  and  has  six  children  living. 

EDWIN  BEERS,  lumber  merchant,  born  in  Cold  Spring  Harbor,  N.  Y.,  in  1821, 
died  in  Brooklyn,  Nov.  18,  1894.  While  a  lad  of  thirteen,  he  came  to  the  city  of  Brooklyn 
and  grew  up  in  the  insurance  business,  first  as  boy  and  clerk,  and  later  aiding  in  the 
organization  of  The  Phenix  Insurance  Co.,  of  which  he  was  a  director  for  many  years. 
Later  yet,  he  became  one  of  the  organizsrs  and  secretary  of  The  Montauk  Insurance 
Co.  In  1860,  Mr.  Beers  entered  the  firm  of  H.  N.  Conklin,  Son  &  Beers,  lumber  deal- 
ers, who  were  succeeded  by  Beers  &  Resseguie.  His  lumber  yards  supplied  an  im- 
mense quantity  of  lumber  for  .the  construction  of  homes  and  stores  in  Brooklyn.  Pos- 
sessing the  power  of  acquisition,  he  gained  a  fortune,  through  the  investment  of  which 
he  became,  for  twenty  years,  president  of  The  Broadway  Railroad  of  Brooklyn;  di- 
rector of  The  First  National  Bank  of  the  Eastern  district  and  The  Nassau  Gas  Co; 
chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  The  Long  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co. ;  and  trus- 
tee for  The  Dime  Savings  Bank.  For  many  years  Mr.  Beers  served  as  vestryman  in 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity  and  treasurer  of  The  Church  Charity  Foundation.  He 
was  also  identified  with  The  Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences  and  The  Brooklyn 
Art  Association,  and  helped  found  the  Adelphi  Academy.  An  adventurous  tempera- 
ment led  him  in  early  life  into  the  militia  and  gained  for  him  a  commission  as  Lieuten- 
ant Colonel,  when  24  years  old.  During  the  War,  he  served  as  a  captain  in  the  23d 
Regiment.  His  widow,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Seymour  L.  Husted,  and  two  children 
survive  him. 

JOSIAH  BELDEN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Cromwell,  Conn.,  born  May  4,  1815,  died 
in  New  York  city,  April  23,  1892.  He  was  a  descendant  from  one  of  two  brothers, 
who  settled  in  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  1645,  his  mother  being  Abigail  McKee.  Left 
an  orphan  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  entirely  dependent  upon  his  own  exertions  there- 
after, his  early  life  was  full  of  toil.  In  1830,  he  found  a  place  as  dry  goods 
clerk  in  New  York,  then  learned  the  silversmith's  trade  in  Albany,  sailed  before  the 
mast  to  Liverpool,  and  drifting  South,  became  a  merchant  in  Yazoo  City,  Miss.  In 
May,  1841,  Mr.  Belden  started,  with  a  party  of  thirty  pioneers,  for  the  Pacific  Coast, 
taking  the  overland  route  and  arriving  after  six  months  of  hardship  and  privation,  liv- 
ing on  coffee  and  horse  meat  the  latter  part  of  the  journey.  At  Monterey,  in  1842,  he 
made  arrangements  with  Thomas  O.  Larkin  to  take  charge  of  a  branch  store  at 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  75 

Santa  Cruz,  and,  from  that  time,  was  successfully  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
When  Captain  Jones,  of  the  frigate  "United  States,"  took  possession  of  California  for 
the  Government,  Mr.  Belden  was  appointed  Alcalde  of  Santa  Cruz,  and,  with  his  own 
hands,  raised  the  American  flag  in  California  for  the  first  time.  He  returned  to  Mon- 
terey in  1845,  and  in  1846  removed  to  San  Francisco,  then  a  village  of  about  twenty 
houses,  engaged  in  business,  and  two  j-ears  later  opened  a  store  in  San  Jose.  In  1 849, 
he  retired  from  active  business,  thereafter  investing  his  means  successfully  in  real 
estate  in  San  Francisco.  First  Mayor  of  San  Jose  in  1850,  he  made  that  town  his 
summer  home,  building  a  fine  house  there  in  1855,  in  a  park  of  ten  acres  of  ground. 
During  the  Civil  War,  his  contributions  to  the  sanitary  fund  were  notably  large.  Mr. 
Belden  was  married  Feb.  i,  1849,  to  Sarah  Margaret  Jones,  of  San  Jose,  who  had 
crossed  the  plains  in  1846  with  her  father's  family.  His  children  are  Charles  A.  Belden, 
of  San  Francisco  ;  George  F.  Belden,  of  Cincinnati ;  Mary  E.,  wife  of  Luis  F.  Emilio; 
Laura  J.,  wife  of  George  Rutledge  Gibson,  and  Louise  A.,  wife  of  Lewis  M.  Iddings. 
Mr.  Belden  established  his  home  in  New  York  in  1881,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  club  of  New  York  and  the  Pacific  Union  club  of  San  Francisco,  and  a  director 
of  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad.  He  owned  a  large  amount  of  real 
estate  in  New  York,  as  well  as  in -San  Francisco,  and  bore  a  reputation  for  the  highest 
integrity  in  all  commercial  relations. 

fllLO  flERRICK  BELDING,  silk  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Ashfield,  Mass.,  April 
3,  1833.  He  is  a  son  of  Hiram  Belding,  a  merchant,  and  grandson  of  John  Belding, 
who  served  in  the  war  of  the  Revolution.  The  family  is  one  of  the  oldest  as  it  is  one 
of  the  most  public  spirited  and  influential  in  the  United  States,  having  been  planted 
here  in  1635.  The  old  homestead,  built  in  1800,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Belding' s  son. 

Milo  received  an  education  at  the  Shelburne  Falls  academy,  and  spent  his  vaca- 
tions in  the  wholesome  labor  of  a  farm.  He  began  life  when  seventeen  years  of  age, 
with  $20,  borrowed  from  an  uncle.  Investing  this  small  sum  in  sewing  silk,  bought 
from  a  manufacturer  in  Northampton,  he  sold  the  goods  in  the  towns  of  western 
Massachusetts.  The  trip  proved  a  financial  success.  Believing  that  the  silk  business 
presented  an  excellent  field  for  his  vigorous  enterprise,  Mr.  Belding  took  a  position  in 
the  firm  of  W.  M.  Root  &  Co.,  of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  with  whom  he  remained  till  1858. 
He  then  purchased  a  team  and  again  became  a  travelling  merchant  in  the  eastern  dis- 
tricts of  the  commonwealth.  His  father  and  two  brothers  removed  to  Michigan  in 
1858,  and,  in  1860,  Milo  began  sending  them  small  invoices  of  silk  thread  to  sell.  The 
success  of  this  experiment  led  Mr.  Belding,  in  1 863,  with  two  of  his  brothers,  to  estab- 
lish a  silk  house  in  Chicago,  and,  in  1865,  one  in  New  York  city.  Of  the  latter  he  took 
charge  in  person.  In  1866,  they  started  a  silk  factory  in  Rockville,  Conn.,  having 
leased  a  floor  in  a  mill  for  that  purpose.  The  brothers  were  very  capable  men  and 
pushed  their  industry  with  so  much  vigor  that  they  were  able  in  1869  to  buy  the  mill  in 
Rockville  and  occupy  the  whole  of  it.  Later,  it  was  greatly  enlarged.  In  1874,  they 
built  a  second  silk  mill  in  Northampton,  Mass.,  and  later  one  in  Belding,  Mich.,  the 
latter  a  thriving  city,  founded  by  the  family  in  Otisco  township,  which  has  grown  up 
around  the  industries  they  have  established.  They  now  have  in  operation  five  large 
silk  mills,  including,  besides  the  three  mentioned,  establishments  in  Montreal,  Canada, 
and  Petaluma,  Cala. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  77 

Mr.  Belding  is  now  at  the  head  of  the  firm  of  Belding  Bro's  &  Co.,  of  New  York 
city,  the  largest  silk  manufacturing  house  in  the  world,  and  the  chief  emporium  for  the 
distribution  of  the  products  of  their  factories.  They  employ  about  3,000  operatives  and 
consume  in  the  manufacture  of  various  kinds  of  silk  goods  about  2,500  pounds  of  raw 
silk  per  day,  a  daily  consumption  of  raw  silk  which  is  not  excelled  by  any  firm  in  the 
world.  Branch  houses  are  maintained  in  Boston,  St.  Louis,  Cincinnati,  Philadelphia, 
Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Baltimore  and  San  Francisco. 

Mr.  Belding  has  built  up  a  city  of  over  5,000  inhabitants  at  Belding,  Mich.,  where 
the  family  have  large  real  estate  and  manufacturing  interests,  including  two  silk  mills 
and  a  handsome  fireproof  hotel  and  opera  house  and  various  minor  industries.  He  is 
president  of  The  Livonia  Salt  &  Mining  Co.,  at  Livonia,  N.  Y.,  where  salt  is  mined 
from  native  beds  in  the  earth,  the  works  having  a  capacity  of  3,000  tons  of  salt  in 
twenty-four  hours.  From  his  marble  quarries  at  Gouverneur,  N.  Y. ,  a  beautiful  gray 
marble  is  produced,  resembling  granite  and  splendidly  adapted  to  building  and  monu- 
mental purposes.  Among  his  other  possessions,  are  large  interests  in  mining  and  tim- 
ber lands  in  North  Carolina  and  Tennessee,  mining  properties  in  the  Harlem  valley, 
and  a  ranch  in  Montana,  besides  an  ownership  in  numerous  commercial  enterprises. 
He  has  been  since  its  organization  president  of  The  Commonwealth  Fire  Insurance  Co. , 
and  is  also  president  of  The  American  Union  Life  Insurance  Co.,  both  of  New  York 
city.  Few  men  display  the  ability  to  manage  so  many  independent  enterprises  with  so 
much  skill,  energy  and  success.  Strong  in  personality,  sound  in  judgment,  and  com- 
manding large  capital,  he  wields  great  influence  in  the  world  of  affairs,  and  is  one  of 
the  men  of  constructive  temperament  who  rank  among  the  best  examples  of  patriotic 
and  energetic  American  manhood. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Belding  was  married  to  Emily  C.,  also  of  Revolutionary  ancestry, 
daughter  of  William  Leonard,  of  Ashfield,  Mass.  They  have  one  son,  Milo 
Merrick  Belding,  jr.  Too  greatly  occupied  to  give  any  important  share  of  his  time  to 
purely  social  relaxation,  Mr.  Belding  is  a  charming  companion  nevertheless  in  private 
life,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Colonial  club,  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Sons  of  the  Revo- 
lution, American  Geographical  Society,  Silk  Association,  and  several  other  like  organ- 
izations. 

ROBERT  LENOX  BELKNAP,  a  gentleman  of  high  social  position,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  July  23,  1848.  The  surname  of  his  family  is  of  Norman  origin,  having 
been  originally  spelled  Belleknappe.  It  is  supposed  to  have  indicated  a  "beautiful 
hill,"  and  is  first  found  recorded  in  English  history  about  the  year  1067,  on  the  roll  of 
the  Battle  Abbey.  Several  men  of  the  name  achieved  distinction  in  their  day.  Their 
lives  can  be  traced  through  the  histories  of  Kent  and  Warwickshire.  Sir  Robert 
Belknap,  Knight,  who  died  in  1400,  Chief  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  dur- 
ing the  reign  of  Richard  II,  possessed  considerable  land  in  the  counties  of  Kent  and 
Sussex.  His  son,  Sir  Hammond  Belknap,  Knight,  who  died  in  1428-29,  was  made  Lord 
Treasurer  of  Normandy.  Sir  Edward  Belknap,  born  1471,  grandson  of  Sir  Hammond, 
had  the  custody  of  Warwick  Castle  in  1502,  and  the  rank  of  Esquire  of  the  Body  to 
King  Henry  VIII.  The  name  cannot  at  present  be  found  in  England,  nor  has  the 
connection  of  the  American  family  with  the  English  family  been  established,  except 
by  the  fact  that  the  early  members  in  this  country  used  the  same  arms  as  borne  by 
the  English  family.  The  American  family  is  descended  from  Abraham  Belknap.  who 


78  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

came  to  this  country  about  1625  and  settled  in  Salem,  Mass..  where  he  died  in  1643. 
The  subject  of  this  biography  is  descended  from  this  Abraham  Belknap  through 
Joseph  Belknap  of  Boston,  Mass,  who  died  Nov.  14,  1712;  Thomas  Belknap  of 
Woburn,  Mass.,  who  died  Oct.  15,  1755;  Samuel  Belknap,  who  died  Jan.  i,  1771;  Abel 
Belknap  of  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  who  died  Nov.  15,  1804;  Aaron  Belknap  of  Newburg, 
N.  Y.,  who  died  March  14,  1847;  and  his  father,  Aaron  Betts  Belknap,  a  practicing 
lawyer  in  New  York  city,  who  died  June  4,  1880.  His  grandfather,  Aaron  Belknap  of 
Newburgh,  married  his  cousin,  Mary  Josepha  Lydia  Stearns  Belknap,  who  died  July 
20.  1862,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Capt.  Samuel  Belknap  of  Woburn,  Mass.,  commander 
of  a,  company  of  the  ad  Regiment  of  militia  of  Middlesex  county,  Commonwealth  of 
Massachusetts,  and  took  part  in  the  campaign  for  American  independence,  which  began 
with  the  Lexington  alarm.  Mrs.  Belknap's  brother,  Samuel  Belknap,  who  died  May 
19,  1845,  was  the  father  of  Gen.  William  Goldsmith  Belknap  of  the  United  States 
Army,  who  served  during  the  War  of  1812  and  the  Mexican  War  and  was  the  father  of 
Gen.  William  Worth  Belknap,  Secretary  of  War  under  the_  Presidency  of  General  Grant. 
Robert  Lenox  Belknap's  mother  was  Jennet  Lenox,  the  daughter  of  Robert  Maitland 
of  New  York  and  Eliza  Sproat  Lenox,  his  wife,  the  latter  being  the  daughter  of  Robert 
Lenox,  a  conspicuous  merchant  of  the  early  part  of  the  present  century  in  New  York. 
Mr.  Lenox  was  the  brother  of  Major  David  Lenox  of  Philadelphia,  President  of  The 
United  States  Bank,  an  officer  of  the  Pennsylvania  Continental  Line  during  the  Revo- 
lution. Mr.  Maitland  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  a  direct  descendant  of  Thomas  de 
Mautlant,  who  died  in  1228. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  prepared  for  college  at  the  Collegiate  school  under  the 
late  George  Payne  Quackenboss,  LL.D.,  and  entered  Columbia  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1869.  The  same  year  he  received  the  degree,  ad  cumici/i,  from  the 
college  of  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  and  in  1872,  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Columbia 
College.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Psi  Upsilon  and  Phi  Beta  Kappa  college  fraternities. 

In  1866,  while  yet  a  student,  Mr.  Belknap  entered  the  7th  Regiment,  N.  G. ,  S.  N.  Y., 
the  favorite  military  organization  of  this  city,  which  then,  as  now,  contained  many 
members  of  the  leading  families  of  the  city.  After  six  years  of  experience,  he  was  in 
1872  commissioned  upon  the  staff  of  the  First  Brigade,  First  Division.  In  1880  he 
retired  from  active  service,  resigning  his  commission  as  Lieutenant  Colonel  and  Assis- 
tant Adjutant  General,  and  being  commissioned  Colonel  by  brevet.  During  1875  ne 
served  as  Acting  Assistant  Inspector  General  of  the  State  of  New  York. 

Mr.  Belknap  inherited  a  large  property  from  his  father  and  mother,  which  he  has 
since  doubled  by  his  own  efforts.  The  management  and  improvement  of  various  large 
properties  now  fully  occupies  him.  His  success  is  frequently  pointed  to  as  a  proof  that 
the  "college  man  in  business  "  is  capable  of  displaying  the  highest  qualities  of  the 
practical  and  executive  faculty.  From  1878  to  1888,  he  was  treasurer  of  The  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  Co.,  and  is  president  of  The  Northern  Trust  Co.,  of  Wisconsin,  presi- 
dent of  The  Duluth  Gas  and  Water  Co.,  director  of  The  Land  and  River  Improvement 
Co.,  and  trustee  of  The  Real  Estate  Trust  Co.,  of  New  York. 

One  of  the  most  generous  of  men  in  the  promotion  of  philanthropic  work  in  this 
city,  he  has  lent  the  influence  of  his  name  to  several  important  charitable  and  educa- 
tional institutions.  His  service  on  several  boards  has  been  especially  long  and  credita- 
ble. Since  1877,  he  has  been  a  manager  of  The  Presbyterian  Hospital,  and  was  its 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  79 

treasurer,  1880-92.  He  has  been  a  manager  of  The  American  Bible  Society  since 
1879,  and  of  The  New  York  Lying-in  Hospital  since  1881.  The  Presbyterian  Church 
on  University  Place  elected  him  a  trustee  in  1882,  and  he  retains  this  relation  to  the 
present  time,  having  been  president  of  the  Board  since  March,  1884.  Since  1887,  he 
has  been  a  trustee  of  the  Theological  Seminary  in  Princeton,  N.  J. 

A  man  of  cultivated  tastes,  genial  in  nature,  broad  and  patriotic  in  his  views, 
animated  by  generous  sentiments,  and  a  charming  companion,  he  is  one  of  the  leaders 
of  the  social  life  of  the  city.  His  clubs  are  the  Union,  Union  League,  University,  Down 
Town,  Columbia  Alumni,  New  York  Yacht,  and  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  clubs. 
In  the  right  of  his  great  grand  uncle,  Major  David  Lenox,  he  enjoys  the  distinction  of 
membership  in  The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  and  by  virtue  of  descent  from  Samuel 
Belknap  and  Abel  Belknap,  his  great  grandfathers,  is  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the 
Revolution.  He  has  also  joined  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars. 

Mr.  Belknap  was  married  Feb.  3,  1870,  to  Mary  P  ,  daughter  of  Henry  Rutgers 
Remsen,  and  his  children  are :  Robert  Lenox,  jr. ,  Waldron  Phoenix,  Mary  Remsen, 
Jennet  Maitland,  Elizabeth  and  Maitland  Belknap. 

GEORGE  BELL,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  April  8,  1804,  died 
at  his  home,  No.  20  West  zoth  street,  Dec.  9,  1881.  His  life  was  a  busy  one,  not 
especially  eventful,  and  prosperous.  A  partner  with  his  father  for  a  number  of  years 
on  South  street,  his  mind  occupied  with  ships,  cargoes  and  questions  of  foreign  trade, 
he  carried  on  the  business  afterward  on  his  own  account  and  gained  a  large  fortune. 
He  was  senior  director  of  The  National  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  and  a  director  of  The  Butch- 
ers and  Drovers'  Bank,  at  his  death.  His  estate  descended  to  his  daughter,  Catherine 
B.  Bell,  and  various  collateral  relatives. 

ISAAC  BELL,  jr.,  capitalist,  born  in  New  York,  Nov.  16,  1846,  died  here,  Jan. 
20,  1889.  He  was  the  son  of  Isaac  Bell,  a  prominent  citizen  of  New  York,  who  held 
many  positions  of  trust  and  served  for  years  as  Commissioner  of  Charities  and  Correc- 
tion and  member  of  the  Board  of  Education.  His  mother,  Adelaide,  was  a  daughter  of 
Dr.  Valentine  Mott.  Isaac  Bell,  his  grandfather,  was  an  old  time  shipping  merchant 
of  this  city  in  the  East  India  trade.  Isaac,  jr. ,  as  the  subject  of  this  sketch  always 
called  himself,  was  educated  in  private  schools  and  at  Harvard  College.  He  began  life 
as  clerk  in  the  bank  of  Brown  Bro's  &  Co.,  and  proved  a  competent  business  man. 
Becoming  finally  interested  in  the  cotton  trade,  first  at  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  afterward 
as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Arthur  Barnwell  &  Co. ,  of  Charleston,  he  established  two 
houses,  one  in  New  Orleans  and  one  in  New  York  city,  under  the  name  of  Isaac  Bell, 
jr. ,  &  Co.  He  inherited  means,  but  was  a  shrewd,  upright  and  successful  merchant 
and  retired  with  a  fortune  in  1877.  He  was  married,  in  1877,  to  a  sister  of  James  Gor- 
don Bennett,  and  in  1880  made  Newport,  R.  I.,  his  home.  Three  children  were  born 
to  them,  Isaac,  Nora  and  Rita.  Mr.  Bell  took  an  active  part  in  the  campaign  of  1884, 
as  a  Democrat,  and  was  in  1885  appointed  by  President  Cleveland  Minister  to  the  Neth- 
erlands. He  attended  the  St.  Louis  Convention  in  1888  as  a  delegate  from  Rhode 
Island.  The  Union  and  New  York  clubs  of  this  city  claimed  him  as  a  member. 

AUGUST  BELMONT,  banker,  born  in  Alzey,  now  a  province  of  Prussia,  Dec.  6, 
1816,  died  in  New  York,  Nov.  24,  1890.  His  father  was  a  banker  and  land  proprietor. 
At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  secured  a  position  as  errand  boy  in  the  banking  house  of 
the  Rothschilds  at  Frankfort,  and  three  years  later  was  their  clerk  in  the  branch  at 


8o 

Naples.  He  proved  efficient,  took  charge  of  the  Naples  branch,  and  there  managed 
some  of  the  enormous  financial  transactions  of  the  Rothschilds.  At  the  age  of  twenty- 
one,  he  came  to  New  York  as  the  agent  of  his  employers  and  settled  the  affairs  of 
their  branch  in  this  city,  which  had  suspended  during  the  panic  of  1837.  Soon  after- 
ward, he  embarked  in  banking  on  his  own  account,  with  moderate  capital,  but  large 
experience  and  abundance  of  energy,  continuing  to  represent  the  Rothschilds.  His 
business  was  greatly  prospered.  In  1841,  he  fought  a  duel  over  a  point  of  honor,  in 
which  he  was  wounded,  with  the  result  of  being  lamed  for  life.  Becoming  a  citizen  of 
the  United  States,  he  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic  party.  From  1844  to 
1850  he  was  Consul  General  for  the  Austrian  Government,  and  in  1853  was  appointed 
United  States  Charge  d'  Affaires  at  the  Hague.  In  1854,  he  was  made  Minister  Resi- 
dent, resigning  in  1858,  having  first  negotiated  a  highly  important  consular  convention, 
for  which,  with  other  diplomatic  services,  he  received  the  special  thanks  of  the  depart- 
ment at  Washington.  Upon  his  return  to  New  York,  he  resumed  banking  and  estab- 
lished the  house  of  August  Belmont  &  Co.,  which  is  yet  carried  on  by  other  members 
of  the  family.  He  served  the  National  Democratic  Committee,  1860-72,  as  chairman 
of  that  body.  Mr.  Belmont  joined  the  Manhattan,  Union,  Knickerbocker,  American 
Jockey,  Coney  Island  Jockey  and  New  York  Jockey  clubs,  and,  for  many  years,  ranked 
as  a  social  leader  of  New  York.  Wealth  enabled  him  to  gratify  a  liking  for  fine  horses^ 
his  stable  sheltering  many  noted  animals.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Mathew  Gal- 
braith  Perry,  brother  of  Commodore  Perry,  the  hero  of  Lake  Erie.  To  them  were 
born  Perry,  August  and  Oliver  H.  P.  Belmont,  a  daughter  who  married  Samuel  S. 
Howland,  and  Jane  Pauline  and  Raymond,  who  died  while  young. — His  son,  PERRY 
BELMONT,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  28,  1851,  graduated  from  Harvard 
College  in  1872,  and  from  Columbia  Law  School  in  1876.  Being  admitted  to  the  bar, 
he  practiced  his  profession  until  1881.  Having  established  his  home  in  Oyster  Bay,  on 
Long  Island,  he  was,  in  1880,  elected  to  Congress.  He  served  four  successive  terms, 
until  March  4,  1887.  During  his  first  term,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Committee  on 
Foreign  Affairs,  and  came  into  notice  through  his  examination  of  James  G.  Blaine, 
concerning  the  latter's  supposed  interests  in  the  guano  deposits  of  Peru,  and  his  media- 
tion between  Chili  and  Peru  while  Secretary  of  State.  In  1885,  he  was  made  chairman 
of  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Affairs,  but  resigned  in  1888  to  accept  the  position  of 
Minister  to  Spain.  Mr.  Belmont  has  an  interest  in  the  banking  firm  of  August  Belmont 
&  Co.,  but  has  taken  no  active  part  in  its  management,  his  inclinations  being  in  the 
direction  of  public  and  social  life.  He  has  joined  many  of  the  best  clubs  in  town,  in- 
cluding the  Metropolitan,  Democratic,  Manhattan,  Bar,  Union,  Knickerbocker,  Univer- 
sity, Harvard,  Racquet,  Coaching,  Country,  Liederkranz,  Fencers'  and  South  Side 
Sportsmen's  clubs. — AUGUST  BELflONT,  banker,  son  of  August  Belmont,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  Feb.  18,  1853.  Graduating  from  Harvard  College  in  1875,  he  entered 
the  bank  of  August  Belmont  &  Co.  where  he  soon  proved  a  competent,  clear-headed, 
and  prudent  banker.  He  is  now  at  the  head  of  August  Belmont  &  Co.,  the  American 
representatives  of  the  Rothschild  bank  abroad.  In  1881,  he  married  Bessie  Hamilton 
Morgan,  and  has  three  sons,  August,  Raymond  and  Morgan.  The  family  make  their 
country  home  at  Hempstead  on  Long  Island.  Mr.  Belmont  is  a  director  of  the  Bank 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  The  National  Park  Bank,  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St. 
Paul  Railway,  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  The  Manhattan  Trust  Co.,  The 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  8 1 

Westinghouse  Electric  &  Manufacturing  Co.  and  The  Kings  Count}-  Elevated  Railroad. 
He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  New  York  Athletic  Club,  is  one  of  the  organizers 
of  the  annual  Patriarchs'  Ball,  and  a  member  of  more  than  twenty  of  the  best  clubs  in 
New  York,  including  the  Union,  Manhattan,  Knickerbocker,  Country,  Lawyers',  Down 
Town,  Coaching,  City,  Harvard,  and  several  of  the  nunting  and  yachting  clubs. 

ELIAS  CORNELIUS  BENEDICT,  banker  and  stock  broker,  born  Jan.  24,  1834, 
is  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Henry  Benedict.  His  native  place  is  Somers  in  Westchester 
county,  N.  Y.  The  family  was  planted  in  America  by  Thomas  Benedict,  an  immi- 
grant from  Nottinghamshire,  England,  in  1638.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  Elias,  without 
means  and  with  only  a  fair  education,  began  to  master  the  mysteries  of  stock  broker- 
age, as  clerk  in  the  employ  of  Corning  &  Co.,  in  New  York  city.  In  1857  he  opened 
an  office  of  his  own  on  Wall  street,  displaying  the  sign  of  Benedict  &  Co. ,  and  for 
nearly  forty  years  has  been  one  of  the  most  active,  ingenious  and  indefatigable  opera- 
tors in  the  whirlpool  of  this  centre  of  speculation.  The  Gold  Exchange  Bank,  which 
grew  out  of  gold  speculation  during  and  after  the  war,  originated  with  him.  He  has 
always  dealt  largely  in  investment  securities,  and  has  especially  represented  transac- 
tions in  the  stocks  of  gas  companies.  Mr.  Benedict  is  a  Democrat  in  political  faith,  and 
an  intimate  friend  of  President  Cleveland.  His  clubs  are  the  Manhattan,  Players'  and 
City,  and  several  yachting  organizations. 

HENRY  HARPER  BENEDICT,  one  of  the  partners  in  the  firm  of  Wyckoff,  Seamans 
&  Benedict,  who  have  attained  a  world-wide  reputation  as  the  manufacturers  of  the 
Remington  Typewriter,  is  a  man  of  education  and  a  successful  and  highly  respected 
citizen. 

He  traces  his  descent  through  a  long  line  of  worthy  and  capable  ancestors,  extending 
back  to  William  Benedict,  who  was  living  in  Nottinghamshire,  England,  in  the  year 
1500.  William's  great-grandson,  Thomas  Benedict,  was  born  in  Nottinghamshire, 
England,  in  1617,  and  came  to  America  in  1638.  He  lived  first  on  Long  Island  at 
Southold,  Jamaica  and  Huntington,  and  later  in  Connecticut.  The  first  of  the  name  of 
Benedict  in  America,  he  was  a  notable  man  in  his  day.  He  was  a  deacon,  and  aided 
actively  in  the  founding  of  the  first  Presbyterian  Church  in  America,  at  Jamaica.  He 
held  a  number  of  local  offices  on  Long  Island,  and  was  appointed  by  Governor 
Nichols  a  delegate  to  what  is  believed  to  have  been  the  first  legislative  body  ever 
convened  in  New  York,  to  settle  "good  and  known  laws"  for  the  inhabitants  of  Long 
Island.  From  1670  to  1675,  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
State.  Mr.  Benedict  died  in  Norwalk,  Conn.,  in  1690. 

His  son  James  constituted  one  of  the  eight  men  who  bought  the  land  and  settled 
the  city  of  Danbury,  Conn. ,  and  here  James,  grandson  of  the  emigrant,  was  born  in 
1685,  the  first  white  male  child  of  the  place.  John,  a  son  of  James,  was  a  member  of 
the  Connecticut  Legislature  for  many  years  and  acquired  the  title  of  Captain  in  military 
service.  His  son  James  moved  to  Ballston,  N.  Y.,  after  the  Revolution,  thence  tf> 
Auburn  in  1793.  The  men  of  this  line  were  all  pioneers,  enterprising  and  courageous, 
and  they  acquired  in  the  life  of  the  frontier  a  self-reliance  of  character  and  sturdiness 
of  constitution  which  have  always  characterized  the  family. 

Elias,  the  son  of  James,  came  to  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  about  1790,  and  built  the 

log  cabin  in  which  his  son  Micaiah,  the  father  of  Henry  Harper  Benedict,  was  born  in. 

1801.     Both  Elias  and  Micaiah  bore  a  man's  part  in  the  subjugation  of  the  wilderness. 


82  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Micaiah  Benedict  was  a  remarkable  man.  He  attended  school  one  summer,  when 
about  seven  years  old,  and  never  received  a  day's  farther  training  in  any  other  school 
than  that  of  experience.  Nevertheless  he  became  a  man  of  extended  learning.  A  local 
historian  says  "that  which  made  him  erudite  was  reading,  thinking  and  remembering" 
through  his  whole  life.  He  read  the  best  books  diligently,  and,  possessing  a  wonderful 
memory,  merited  more  fully  than  many  others  to  whom  the  term  has  been  applied  the 
soubriquet  of  a  ''walking  encyclopedia."  An  ardent  Democrat,  he  admired  Andrew 
Jackson,  and  served  as  a  local  magistrate  for  many  years.  He  cast  his  last  vote  as  a 
Democrat  for  Franklin  Pierce,  and  then  became  a  Republican  and  remained  such  until 
his  death  in  1881.  He  was  an  enthusiastic  member  of  the  Masonic  order,  and  lectured 
much  on  the  subject  of  Masonry.  For  several  years  he  occupied  the  position  of  Deputy 
Grand  Master  in  this  State. 

Henry  Harper  Benedict  was  born  in  German  Flats,  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct. 
9,  1844.  His  father,  anxious  that  the  boy  should  receive  that  scholarly  tuition  which 
had  been  denied  to  himself,  educated  Harper  at  the  public  schools  and  at  Little  Falls 
Academy  and  Fairfield  Seminary  in  Herkimer  county.  Later  the  young  man  spent 
some  time  at  Marshall  Institute  at  Easton,  N.  Y.,  and  then  enjoyed  the  regular  course 
at  Hamilton  College,  being  graduated  therefrom  in  1869.  At  college  he  joined  the 
Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  fraternity. 

The  young  man  was  an  excellent  student,  and  aided  in  his  own  education  by 
serving  during  1867  and  1868  as  professor  of  Latin  and  the  higher  mathematics  in  Fair- 
field  Seminary. 

After  completing  his  college  course,  Mr.  Benedict  entered  the  employment  oi 
E.  Remington  &  Sons,  manufacturers  of  rifles  and  guns  at  Ilion,  N.  Y. ,  in  a  confi- 
dential position.  He  -won  the  respect  of  his  employers  at  an  early  period,  and  showed 
so  much  zeal  and  talent  that  he  was  elected  in  time  a  director  of  the  corporation  oi 
E.  Remington  &  Sons,  and  treasurer  of  The  Remington  Sewing  Machine  Co.  With 
characteristic  energy  he  identified  himself  heartily  with  the  local  interests  of  Ilion,  and 
for  thirteen  years  was  regarded  one  of  the  most  valued  citizens  of  the  place.  He 
helped  to  organize  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  there,  and  served  as  an  elder, 
trustee  and  treasurer  therein.  He  was  also  president  of  The  Herkimer  County  -Bible 
Society.  When  The  Ilion  Literary  Association  was  formed,  he  became  one  of  its  lead- 
ing spirits,  and  for  many  years  its  president.  This  association  held  annual  courses  of 
lectures,  and  Mr.  Benedict's  duties  as  president  brought  him  the  acquaintance  of  many 
of  the  most  prominent  people  in  the  country. 

In  1882,  having  been  admitted  to  membership  in  the  firm  of  Wyckoff,  Seamans  & 
Benedict,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  to  engage  in  the  sale  of  Remington  typewrit- 
ers. This  remarkable  invention  made  slow  progress  at  first,  but,  once  in  practical  use 
among  a  number  of  firms,  won  its  way  rapidly  into  public  favor.  The  machine  has 
been  advertised  with  great  ingenuity  and  energy,  and  its  sale  is  now  world- wide.  In 
1886,  the  firm  purchased  the  entire  typewriter  plant  of  the  Remingtons,  including  all 
rights  and  franchises,  and  have  since  conducted  the  manufacture  as  well  as  the  sale  of 
the  machine,  attaining  a  remarkable  success. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Benedict  made  a  first  trip  to  Europe  in  the  interest  of  his  firm,  and 
"has  since  been  abroad  many  times,  both  for  business  and  for  pleasure.  In  his  trips, 
his  family  usually  accompanies  him.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  foreign  department  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  83 

his  firm's  business,  which  is  now  firmly  established,  with  connections  in  every  part  of 
the  world. 

In  1867,  he  married  Maria  Nellis,  daughter  of  Henry  G.  Nellis,  and  granddaughter 
of  General  George  H.  Nellis,  of  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y.  They  have  one  child  living,  a 
daughter,  fifteen  years  of  age.  Their  home  has  been  at  1 1 6  Willow  Street,  Brooklyn 
Heights.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benedict  are  members  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian 
Church  in  New  York  city,  Dr.  John  Hall's,  but  attend  the  Church  of  the  Pilgrims  in 
Brooklyn,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Storrs,  pastor.  Their  daughter  is  a  member  there.  Mr.  Benedict 
is  a  member  of  the  Hamilton  club  and  Long  Island  Historical  Society  in  Brooklyn,  and 
of  the  Grolier,  Republican,  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  and  Arkwright  clubs  in  New  York. 

A  man  of  refined  tastes,  he  has  made  a  collection  of  engravings  and  etchings  by 
the  great  masters,  which  is  of  the  highest  quality,  perhaps  unsurpassed  by  any  other  of 
its  size  anywhere.  He  also  possesses  a  good  library  and  a  collection  of  oil  paintings, 
mostly  by  American  artists,  which,  like  his  prints,  represent  the  several  artists  at 
their  best. 

JAflES  GORDON  BENNETT,  'proprietor  of  The  New  York  Herald,  born  in  New 
York  city,  May  10,  1841,  is  the  son  of  James  Gordon  Bennett,  founder  of  Tke  Herald. 
He  was  carefully  educated,  chiefly  by  private  tutors,  and  prepared  for  journalism.  It 
was  a  cherished  wish  of  the  elder  Bennett  to  see  his  son  at  the  head  of  The  Herald.  The 
latter  was  thoroughly  trained  in  all  branches  of  the  newspaper  business,  and  on  the 
death  of  his  father  in  1872  inherited  both  a  fortune  and  The  Herald.  He  has  continued 
the  management  of  his  successful  morning  journal  down  to  the  present  time,  exercis- 
ing constant  and  careful  supervision  over  both  the  business  and  editorial  management. 
While  a  resident  of  Paris,  France,  during  recent  years,  his  interest  in  the  management  of 
The  Herald  never  relaxes,  the  cable  telegraph  placing  him  in  daily,  almost  hourly,  com- 
munication therewith.  He  has  originated  many  remarkable  enterprises,  including 
publication  in  England  of  storm  warnings  transmitted  from  the  United  States,  the 
Jeanette  polar  expedition,  and  the  sending  of  Stanley  to  Africa  in  search  of  Living- 
stone. He  published  for  a  time  a  London  edition  of  The  Herald,  and  conducts  a  suc- 
cessful Paris  edition.  In  1883,  with  John  W.  Mackay,  he  organized  The  Commercial 
Cable  Co.,  which  laid  a  new  cable  between  America  and  Europe,  to  compete  with  the 
combined  English  and  French  lines,  and  after  a  prolonged  and  anxious  war  with  the 
older  cable  companies,  scored  a  triumphant  success.  Tlie  Herald  long  occupied  a  site  at 
the  corner  of  Ann  street  and  Broadway  but  was  recently  moved  to  a  beautiful  building 
on  Broadway  at  35th  street.  Mr.  Bennett  has  always  taken  great  interest  in  open  air 
sports,  being  a  good  horseman  and  a  first  rate  yachtsman.  While  a  resident  of  New 
York  city,  he  was  the  life  of  yachting,  high  class  racing  on  the  turf,  polo,  and  kindred 
sports;  and  his  removal  to  Paris  was  a  serious  loss  to  the  lovers  of  open  air  recreations. 
He  retains  a  home  in  New  York,  but  owns  houses  also  in  Paris,  and  is  a  member  of 
the  Union,  Metropolitan,  Racquet,  Country,  Coaching,  New  York  Yacht,  and  New 
York  Athletic  clubs  of  this  city,  the  Meadow  Brook  Hunt,  the  Eastern  Yacht  club, 
and  other  social  organizations 

JOSIAH  S.  BENNETT,  merchant,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  died  in  this  city, 
June  6,  1887,  in  his  seventieth  year,  was  one  of  the  old  race  of  business  men,  whose  use- 
ful activities  did  so  much  to  promote  the  growth  of  New  York  during  the  first  half  of 
the  present  century.  A  nephew  of  Jonathan  Sturges,  he  was  a  partner  in  Sturges, 


84  AMERICA'S  SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Bennett  &  Co.,  for  twenty  years,  and  retired  with  ample  means  about  1865,  being  there- 
after occupied  with  investments  and  the  enjoyment  of  well  earned  rest.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him. 

ADOLPH  BERNHEIMER,  merchant,  born  in  Buttenhausen  in  the  Suabian  Alps,  in 
1833,  died  in  this  city,  Oct.  19,  1894.  Educated  in  a  commercial  institute  in  Bamberg,  he 
secured  an  apprenticeship  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  house  in  Furth,  Bavaria.  He  came 
to  New  York  city  in  1852  and  took  his  place  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  Bernheimer  Bro's 
&  Co.,  a  large  dry  goods  house.  Three  years  later,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership, 
and,  as  their  buyer,  made  frequent  trips  to  Europe.  He  conceived  the  idea  of  having 
certain  cotton  fabrics  made  in  this  country,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  buying  in 
Manchester,  and  was  operating  factories  in  Rhode  Island,  when  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War  made  the  industry  unprofitable.  After  the  war,  the  firm  of  Bernheimer 
Bro's  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Bernheimer  then  began  on  his  own  account  the  manu- 
facture of  dyed  and  printed  cotton  fabrics.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  industry 
in  the  United  States,  all  such  goods  having  been  previously  imported  from  England, 
and  was  largely  instrumental  in  introducing  American  cotton  goods  into  the  West 
Indies,  Mexico  and  Central  America.  The  surviving  members  of  his  family  are  his 
wife  Fannie,  and  three  children,  Leopold  A.  and  Rosie  Bernheimer  and  Mrs.  Florence 
B.  Walter.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of  the  Merchants' 
Central  chib,  and  conspicuous  for  his  generous  contributions  to  worthy  charities. 

ISAAC  BERNHEIMER,  clothing  merchant,  born  in  Jebenhausen,  Germany,  June 
n,  1813,  died  in  this  country,  July  23,  1893.  He  received  his  education  in  his  native 
land,  but  left  school  at  fourteen  to  learn  the  trade  of  cotton  manufacturing.  After  nine 
years  of  toil  in  this  occupation,  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1836  to  establish  a 
business  connection,  and  liked  the  country  so  much  that  he  resolved  to  stay,  thus 
becoming  the  pioneer  of  his  family  in  this  country.  In  Cincinnati,  he  engaged  in  the 
clothing  and  dry  goods  trade,  afterward  removing  to  Philadelphia  and  later  to  New 
York,  where  he  joined  his  brothers  in  this  business.  He  retired  in  1866,  devoting  his 
attention  thereafter  to  real  estate,  mining  ventures,  and  The  Central  National  Bank  and 
The  Germania  Life  Insurance  Co.,  of  which  he  was  a  director.  By  his  marriage  with 
Isabella  W.  Arnold  of  Philadelphia  in  1846,  he  had  eight  children,  Jacques  A  ,  Charles 
D.,  and  Meyer  A.  Bernheimer,  Mrs.  Kate  Drey,  Mrs.  Charles  Blum,  and. Cora  A., 
Blanche  A. ,  and  Alice  A.  Bernheimer  Many  charitable  societies  have  cause  to  re- 
member him  with  gratitude. 

SIMON  BERNHEIF1ER,  clothing  merchant,  was  born  in  Jebenhausen,  Germany, 
Nov.  20,  1819.  He  came  to  the  land  of  freedom  and  business  opportunities  in  1838, 
spent  two  years  in  Cincinnati,  and  then  in  1840,  joined  his  brothers,  Herman  and 
Emanuel,  in  the  clothing  trade  in  New  York.  Isaac  joined  them  later.  Having 
amassed  a  fortune,  he  retired  from  business  in  1866,  and  since  has  lived  quietly  in  town 
in  the  management  of  investments.  Since  its  organization,  he  has  been  a  director  of 
The  Central  National  Bank.  By  his  marriage  with  Rosetta  Gosling,  in  1846,  Mr  Bern- 
heimer is  the  father  of  twelve  children,  of  whom  the  following  are  yet  living:  Jacob 
S.,  Mayer  S.,  Irving  and  Lorin  Bernheimer,  Mrs.  Addie  Seligman,  Mrs.  Lillie  Lilien- 
thal,  and  Beatrice  Bernheimer. 

SIMON  E.  BERNHEIflER,  brewer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  26,  1849,  is  of  Ger- 
man descent  and  a  son  of  the  late  Emanuel  Bernheimer,  a  merchant  and  brewer  for  many 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BE.  85 

years  of  this  city.  After  graduation  from  a  commercial  college,  he  served  a  year  each  in 
the  dry  goods  and  clothing  trades  to  gain  experience,  and  then,  about  1865,  entered  the 
Lion  Brewery,  on  io8th  street.  There  he  learned  the  mysteries  of  brewing.  In  1878, 
he  assumed  charge  of  the  business,  when  the  old  firm  of  Bernheimer  &  Schmid,  com- 
posed of  Emanuel  Bernheimer  and  Joseph  Schmid,  proprietors  of  the  establishment, 
were  succeeded  by  their  sons,  Simon  E.  Bernheimer  and  August  Schmid,  under  the 
same  name.  When  originally  started,  the  brewery  was  a  very  small  one,  but  it  grew 
rapidly  after  the  War,  and  the  new  partners  developed  the  business  to  large  propor- 
tions, making  it  one  of  the  largest  in  the  city.  Mr  Bernheimer  is  a  bachelor.  He 
takes  a  lively  interest  in  the  societies  of  the  Hebrew  race,  and  is  liberal  in  his  charities. 

NATHAN  BERNSTEIN,  wholesale  meat  merchant,  a  native  of  Nassau,  Germany, 
born  in  1830,  died  in  Brooklyn,  Oct.  7,  1894.  Beginning  life  as  a  journeyman  butcher, 
he  sailed  for  America  in  1849,  settled  in  Brooklyn,  resumed  the  occupation  in  which  he 
had  been  trained,  and  during  over  forty  years  of  active  promotion  of  this  honest  trade 
attained  wealth.  The  large  abattoirs  he  established  in  Brooklyn  gave  employment  to 
many  men.  He  was  a  Hebrew  by  descent  and  a  warm  supporter  of  the  charities  of  his 
race  in  Brooklyn. 

DAVID  BETTnAN,  oil  producer,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  was  born  July  9,  1848. 
He  is  a  son  of  Abraham  Bettman,  merchant.  After  graduating  from  the  College  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  he  acquired  an  experience  in  mercantile  pursuits  as  clerk  for 
Bernheimer  Bro's  and,  in  1867,  for  Adolph  Bernheimer,  the  latter  a  manufacturer  of 
cotton  goods.  In  1869,  he  became  a  partner  in  Adolph  Bernheimer  &  Co.  The  house 
dissolved  in  1884  Like  his  brother  Marcus,  he  invested  his  savings  in  petroleum 
properties  in  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  New  York,  West  Virginia  and  Indiana,  and  his  firms 
of  Stettheimer  &  Bettman,  J.  Stettheimer  &  Co.,  and  Bettman  &  Watson  are  among 
the  largest  individual  oil  producers  in  the  United  States.  In  1880,  Mr.  Bettman  was 
married  to  Ida,  daughter  of  Herman  Bernheimer,  and  their  children  are  Roland  and 
Harold. 

MARCUS  ABRAHAM  BETTnAN,  merchant  and  oil  producer,  was  born  in  this 
city,  June  19,  1845.  He  is  of  German  Hebrew  descent,  and  a  son  of  Abraham  Bettman, 
by  occupation  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  this  metropolis,  who  had  emigrated  hither  in 
1840.  Marcus  attended  the  public  schools  and  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York  un- 
til the  age  of  seventeen,  and  then  found  employment  as  a  clerk  with  Bernheimer  Bro's 
and  afterward  with  Bernheimer  &  Newman,  merchants.  A  vigorous  and  capable  man, 
he  rose  to  a  partnership  and  when  the  firm  dissolved  in  1870,  he  joined  that  of  Bern- 
heimer, Son  &  Co.,  remaining  until  1890.  He  was  drawn  to  the  oil  fields  of  Pennysl- 
vania  in  1878,  and  has  engaged  in  producing,  with  so  much  animation  and  perseverance, 
that  the  oleic  treasures  of  the  earth  have  brought  him  a  fortune.  No  less  than  850  oil 
wells  belong  to  him,  wholly  or  in  part,  in  Pennsylvania,  New  York,  West  Virginia, 
Ohio  and  Indiana,  through  his  connection  with  the  firms  of  J.  Stettheimer  and  Co., 
Bettman  &  Watson,  and  Bettman,  Watson  &  Bernheimer.  His  brother  David  and  he 
are  classed  among  the  largest  oil  producers  in  America,  and  they  own  a  machine  plant 
in  Belmont,  W.  Va.,  in  which  are  made  the  boilers,  engines,  tools,  and  other  appliances 
required  in  their  oil  operations.  Marcus  is  also  the  owner  of  much  improved  realty 
in  New  York  and  other  cities.  In  1874  he  was  married  to  Emma,  daughter  of  Herman 
Bernheimer,  and  their  children  are  Mabel,  Gladys,  Edyth  and  Man-in  Bettman.  Mr. 


;  86  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Bettman  is  a  director  of  The  Fourth  National  Bank  and  a  member  of  The  Manhattan 
Club,  which  occupies  A.  T.  Stewart's  old  marble  mansion  on  Fifth  avenue. 

SOLOMON  BEUTHNER,  capitalist,  born  in  1824,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  5, 
1889.  A  hard-headed,  sturdy,  positive  man,  he  went  to  New  Mexico  in  early  life, 
fought  his  way  through  all  the  trials  which  beset  the  pioneers,  and  was  at  one  time  a 
partner  of  Lucien  B.  Maxwell,  proprietor  of  the  well-known  Maxwell  Land  Grant.  He 
aided  in  the  development  of  mining  industries  in  the  Territory,  and  had,  besides  his 
office  in  New  York,  branches  in  Toas  and  Santa  Fe.  In  his  later  years,  he  engaged  in 
mining  in  Germany,  and  amassed  a  fortune  from  his  various  enterprises.  They  called 
him  the  "  king  of  New  Mexico."  Self-made,  unassuming  and  honest,  he  was  a  sterling 
citizen. 

ISAAC  BIERMAN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Germany,  was  born  Dec.  31,  1824.  He 
is  of  Hebrew  ancestry.  Properly  educated  in  German  schools,  he  turned  his  face  to- 
wards the  new  world  in  1845  and  after  a  few  years  of  honest  occupation  on  this  coast, 
followed  the  Argonauts  to  California  in  1849.  Two  years  in  that  rough  region  sufficed 
and  he  returned,  locating  in  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  as  a  clothing  merchant.  Thrifty,  indus- 
trious and  capable,  he  fared  so  well  in  the  smoky  city,  that  he  was  able  in  1 880  to  estab- 
lish himself  in  a  large  clothing  business  in  New  York.  He  is  yet  a  member  of  Bier- 
man,  Hiedelberg  &  Co.,  on  Broadway,  but  gives  his  time  now  almost  wholly  to  The 
Home  for  Aged  and  Infirm  Hebrews,  of  which  he  is  a  director.  Various  other  Hebrew 
societies  engage  his  attention  also.  He  was  married  in  1848  to  Miss  Frowenfeld  of 
Pittsburg. 

ABRAHAM  BININQER,  wine  importer,  born  in  New  York  city,  April  3,  1816, 
died  in  New  York,  April  16,  1894.  He  was  of  Swiss  descent,  his  ancestor,  Christian 
Bininger,  having  come  to  this  country  in  1640.  His  grandfather,  a  resident  of  Wash- 
ington county,  N.  Y.,  settled  in  New  York  city  in  1776,  and  established  the  grocery 
and  wine  firm  of  A.  Bininger  &  Co.,  long  and  favorably  known  throughout  the 
United  States  and  Europe.  His  son,  Jacob  Bininger,  succeeded  to  the  firm,  and  died 
in  1737,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Abraham.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
educated  in  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  by  private  tutors,  and  then  travelled  extensively  through 
Europe  and  the  East.  Returning,  he  became  occupied  with  wine  and  grocery  importa- 
tions in  the  old  firm.  He  inherited  means,  and  gained  a  yet  larger  share  of  this  world's 
possessions  by  his  own  business  talents.  In  1846,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth,  daugh- 
ter of  Alonzo  Draper,  once  American  Consul  in  Paris.  Mrs.  Bininger  was  lost  at  sea 
on.  the  Ville  du  Havre,  in  1873.  His  children  are  Miss  E.  D.  Bininger;  Harriet,  wife 
of  Frederick  A.  Post,  of  London;  William  B.  Bininger,  and  Frances,  wife  of  the  late 
Francis  R.  Rives.  A  man  of  social  accomplishments,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Union 
and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  and  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Society,  and  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Knickerbocker  club,  of  which  his  son,  William  B.  Bininger,  is  a  member. 

HENRY  BISCHOFF,  banker,  a  native  of  Baden,  near  Bremen,  in  Germany,  was 
born  Sept.  9,  1827.  His  father  was  Bruno  Bischoff  a  lumber  merchant  and  brick 
manufacturer  at  Baden  and  Ohsen  on  the  Weser.  Educated  by  private  tutors,  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  with  Waltjen  &  Co.,  merchants  of  great  prominence  at  that 
time  in  Bremen.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1847,  an<l  after  a  careful  survey  of  possi- 
bilities, began,  in  March,  1848,  the  importation  of  fruit  and  wines,  adding  thereto  the 
making  of  remittances  of  money  and  the  collection  and  sale  of  bills  of  exchange,  a  then 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BJ.  87 

prevalent  part  of  the  business  of  all  old  country  merchants.  After  1858,  he  devoted 
himself  exclusively  to  banking  and  founded  the  now  prominent  banking  house  of 
Bischoff  &  Co.,  of  which  he  is  the  head.  He  owns  valuable  real  estate  in  the  metrop- 
olis. Mr.  Bischoff  has  always  stood  well  in  this  city  and  his  family  have  exerted  a 
strong  influence  in  local  affairs.  In  1850,  he  married  Amalie  Louise  Bolte,  now  de- 
ceased, daughter  of  Frederick  Bolte,  and  their  children  are  Emily,  now  deceased,  wife  of 
Paul  von  Frankenberg;  Henry;  Ernest,  deceased;  Franklin  J. ;  Amanda,  wife  of  Ferdi- 
nand von  Graberg ;  and  Ottilie,  wife  of  Theodore  Brenzing.  Henry  Bischoff,  jr. ,  is  judge 
of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  The  family  lives  at  City  Island  on  the  Sound  during 
the  summer  season.  Mr  Bischoff  is  a  director  of  The  Union  Square  Bank;  was  one 
of  the  earlier  members  of  the  German  Liederkranz;  and  is  among  the  oldest  living 
members  of  The  German  Society.  He  is  also  a  patron  of  The  Isabella  Heimath, 
founded  by  Mrs.  Ottendorfer. 

GEORGE  HENRY  BISSELL,  founder  of  the  petroleum  industry,  born  in  Han- 
over, N.  H.,  Nov.  8,  1821,  died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  19,  1884.  His  family,  Nor- 
man French  in  origin,  was  planted  in  this  country  by  emigrants  from  Somersetshire, 
England.  John  Bissell  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  in  1635.  Isaac  Bissell,  father  of 
George  H.,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  traded  with  the  Indians  for  furs  at  Mackinaw  and 
Detroit  during  his  earlier  years;  married  Miss  Nancy  Wemple,  daughter  of  John  Wem- 
ple,  who  owned  a  large  estate  on  the  Mohawk  river,  near  Johnstown,  N.  Y. ;  and  died 
when  George  was  twelve  years  old.  The  latter  graduated  from  Dartmouth  College  in 
1845,  earning  his  own  support  meanwhile,  accepted  a  Greek  and  Latin  professorship  in 
the  University  of  Norwich,  Vt.,  and  was  then  successively  Washington  correspondent 
for  The  Richmond  Whig  until  1846,  a  traveller  in  the  West  Indies,  a  journalist  in  New 
Orleans,  principal  of  the  High  School  there,  and  Superintendent  of  Schools.  He  re- 
signed in  1853  to  come  North  on  account  of  his  health.  During  that  summer  he  saw 
a  bottle  of  petroleum  at  Dartmouth  College,  which  had  come  from  Oil  Creek,  Pa. 
Realizing  intuitively  the  commercial  value  of  petroleum,  he  went  to  Titusville  and 
with  J.  G.  Eveleth  as  a  partner  leased  about  200  acres  of  land,  paying  therefor  $5,000. 
In  1854,  in  New  York  city,  the  two  men  organized  The  Pennsylvania  Rock  Oil  Co., 
the  first  petroleum  company  ever  formed  in  the  United  States.  By  trenching,  they  har- 
vested a  few  barrels  of  oil  per  season,  selling  the  product  mainly  for  medecine  at  one 
dollar  a  gallon.  In  1855,  Mr.  Bissell  became  a  lawyer,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
The  same  year,  he  reorganized  the  oil  company  with  Prof.  Silliman  as  president.  The 
discovery  of  small  quantities  of  petroleum  in  a  salt  well  at  Pittsburgh,  suggested  the 
idea  of  boring  artesian  wells  on  Oil  Creek.  Their  efforts,  at  first  fruitless,  were  finally 
crowned  with  success.  Aug.  28,  1859,  the  first  vein  of  oil  was  reached  by  boring.  A 
natural  flow  of  ten  barrels  a  day  was  increased  by  pumping  to  forty  barrels  a  day;  and 
a  new  industry  then  took  its  place  in  the  commercial  world.  The  excitement  which 
followed  is  historic.  Mr.  Eveleth  died  in  1863.  Mr.  Bissell  retained  his  connection 
with  the  industry  for  many  years,  built  a  railroad  in  the  oil  regions  and  established 
several  banks  there.  After  1863,  he  dwelt  in  New  York  city,  and  made  large  purchases 
of  real  estate  here.  In  October,  1855,  he-  was  married  to  Ophie  Louise  Griffin,  who 
died  in  1867.  Their  children  were  Pelham  St.  George  and  Florence  Wemple 
Bissell.— His  son,  PELHAfl  ST.  GEORGE  BISSELL,  real  estate  owner,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  Dec.  5,  1858.  Isaac  Bissell  and  Captain  John  Wemple,  his  great  grand- 


88  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

fathers,  served  for  several  years  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  other  ancestors 
were  also  soldiers  in  that  war.  Mr.  Bissell  received  an  excellent  education  at  Columbia 
College,  graduating  in  1880.  He  then  found  occupation  as  a  dealer  in  real  estate  and 
has  continued  therein  down  to  the  present  time.  A  large  amount  of  excellent  real 
estate  on  Broadway  and  other  important  streets,  has  descended  to  him  from  his  for- 
bears ;  and  the  continual  expansion  of  this  emporium  adds  fresh  value  to  his  posses- 
sions. The  Adirondacks  Pulp  Co.  was  organized  by  him,  afterward  being  merged  in 
The  International  Pulp  Co.  Mr.  Bissell  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  Athletic  and 
Columbia  Alumni  clubs  and  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  as  well  as  a  life  member  of 
The  New  York  Historical  Society.  His  wife  is  Helen  Alsop  French,  daughter  of 
Colonel  Thomas  J.  French,  and  they  have  one  child,  Pelham  St.  George  Bissell,  jr. 

JOHN  MUNSON  BIXBY,  lawyer,  born  in  the  beautiful  village  of  Fairfield,  Conn., 
in  February,  1800,  died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  21,  1876.  He  was  son  of  William 
Bixby,  and  grandson  of  Elisha  Bixby,  a  captain  in  the  American  Revolution,  who  was 
promoted  for  gallant  service  at  the  storming  of  Stony  Point.  John  began  the  study  of 
law  in  Wilkes  Barre,  Pa. ,  where  he  remained  about  two  years,  coming  then  to  New 
York  city.  Here  he  enjoyed  a  large  and  successful  practice,  retiring  in  1849.  He  in- 
vested his  means  in  real  estate  in  New  York,  from  which  he  realized  great  gains.  His 
son,  Robert  F.  Bixby,  now  receives  an  annual  ground  rent  from  the  Union  League 
club  larger  in  amount  than  his  father  paid  for  the  property.  In  1849  ^r-  Bixby  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  W.  Poe,  a  cousin  of  Edgar  Allan  Poe,  the  poet.  Three  children  were 
born  to  them;  Robert  F.,  Grace  S.,  and  Berkeley  Bixby.  Mrs.  Bixby  died  in  1854. 
Mr.  Bixby  was  a  man  of  scholarly  tastes,  and  the  author  of  two  novels,  "Standish  the 
Puritan,"  and  "Overing,  or  the  Heir  of  Wycherly,"  both  of  which  were  published  in 
New  York.— His  son,  ROBERT  FORSYTH  BIXBY,  lawyer,  was  born  near  Augusta, 
Ga.,  April  14,  1850.  Through  his  maternal  lins,  he  is  a  great  great  grandson  of  David 
Poe,  who  served  from  Maryland  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and  great,  great,  great, 
great  grandson  of  Sir  William  Beverly,  Governor  of  Virginia.  Graduating  from 
Trinity  College  in  1870,  he  fitted  himself  for  the  law  at  the  Law  School  of  Columbia 
College.  His  father's  death  brought  upon  him  the  care  of  a  large  property,  which  he 
has  managed  with  excellent  skill.  He  owns  the  Casino  Theatre  and  property,  the 
ground  whereon  the  Union  League  club  stands,  and  a  few  scattered  dwellings,  includ- 
ing a  residence  on  Fifth  avenue  at  4oth  street.  He  has  joined  the  Union,  University, 
City,  Union  League,  Calumet,  Lawyers',  Bar,  New  York  Athletic,  Trinity  Alumni, 
Liederkranz,  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  and  other  clubs  and  as- 
sociations. 

EUGENE  GILBERT  BLACKFORD,  merchant  and  banker,  famous  among  ichthy- 
ologists the  world  over,  is  a  son  of  Gilbert  L.  Blackford,  a  carriage  maker,  and  WHS 
born  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  Aug.  8,  1839.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  the  lad  found  em- 
ployment in  New  York  city  and  tried  several  occupations  as  a  clerk,  without  finding 
that  which  suited  him,  finally  leaving  A.  T.  Stewart's  wholesale  store  to  enter  the  fish 
market  of  Middleton,  Carman  &  Co.  on  Fulton  street.  In  a  few  years  he  opened  his 
own  stand  in  Fulton  Market,  and  is  now  the  proprietor  of  thirteen  stands  there  and  the 
largest  dealer  in  fish,  turtles,  crabs,  oysters  and  lobsters  in  the  country.  In  one  year, 
.  his  sales  have  amounted  to  33,000,000  pounds,  about  three-fourths  of  the  total  of  Fulton 
Market.  The  now  popular  idea  of  signalizing  April  ist,  the  opening  day  of  the  trout 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BL.  89 

season,  with  an  exhibition  of  live  trout  in  tanks,  originated  with  him.  Since  1879  he 
has  been  officially  connected  with  the  restocking  of  lakes  and  streams,  and  the  hatching 
of  food  fish,  being  for  thirteen  years  president  of  the  State  Fish  Commission.  In  spite 
of  the  pressing  duties  of  public  and  commercial  life,  he  finds  time  to  serve  as  president 
of  The  Bedford  Bank  in  Brooklyn  and  director  of  The  City  Savings  Bank  of  Brooklyn, 
The  People's  Trust  Co.,  The  Hide  &  Leather  Bank,  and  The  Schermerhorn  Bank. 
His  clubs  are  the  Manhattan,  Reform  and  Fulton  of  New  York,  and  the  Union  League, 
Hamilton,  Oxford,  Brooklyn  and  Montauk  of  Brooklyn. 

BIRDSEYE  BLAKEMAN,  book  publisher,  born  in  Stratford,  Conn.,  Jan  25th, 
1824,  died  in  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  his  country  home,  Sept.  30,  1894.  He  learned  the 
requirements  of  business  in  Bridgeport,  and  began  as  a  merchant  on  his  own  account 
in  that  city  in  1843.  In  1844  he  moved  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  soon  afterward  to  New 
York  city,  joining  a  book  house,  where  his  excellent  judgment  and  sound  sense  soon 
marked  him  as  a  rising  man.  A  few  years  later,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  in 
Sheldon,  Blakeman  &  Co.,  and  remained  with  them  until  1863,  when  he  entered  the  old 
book  publishing  firm  of  Ivison,  Phinney  &  Co.,  which  after  twice  changing  its  name 
adopted  that  of  Ivison,  Blakeman  &  Co.  The  firm  dissolved  Jan.  i,  1891,  having  sold 
its  school  book  interests  to  The  American  Book  Co.  Mr.  Blakeman  was  made  presi- 
dent, retaining  the  position  until  1893,  when  he  refused  re-election,  being  then  succeeded 
by  David  Ivison,  son  of  his  former  partner.  He  was  also  president  of  the  Spencerian  Pen 
Co.  Mr.  Blakeman  headed  the  electoral  ticket  of  the  Republican  party  in  New  York 
State  in  1 884,  being  always  a  devoted  Republican  in  politics.  A  man  of  quick  discern- 
ment and  accurate  judgment,  courageous,  upright  and  generous,  he  enjoyed  the  respect 
of  every  business  associate  and  the  affection  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  To  his  native 
village  he  gave  a  public  library,  which  cost  more  than  $25,000.  He  was  connected 
with  many  of  the  important  clubs  of  this  city,  including  the  Union  League,  Century, 
Grolier,  Ladies'  and  Aldine,  and  The  New  England  Society.  The  surviving  members 
of  his  family  are,  his  wife,  Anna  M.,  daughter  of  Dr.  John  Tomlinson,  to  whom  he  was 
married  Jan.  30,  1850,  and  his  children,  Louis  Henry  Blakeman  and  Marianna,  wife  of 
John  V.  B.  Lewis. 

ANTHONY  JAHES  BLEECKER,  auctioneer,  born  on  his  grandfather's  farm  in 
Xew  York  city,  Oct.  20,  1799,  died  in  New  York,  Jan.  17,  1884.  He  was  a  son  of 
James  Bleecker  and  grandson  of  Anthony  Lispenard  Bleecker,  and  came  from  the  old 
family  which  owned  the  estate  through  which  Bleecker  street  now  passes.  Educated 
in  Dr.  Eigenbrodt's  school  at  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  he  began  life  as  an  auctioneer  with 
his  father.  In  1862,  President  Lincoln  appointed  him  Assessor  of  Internal  Revenue  in 
this  city,  and  he  served  for  six  years.  The  taxes  in  his  district  were  larger  than  in  any 
other  in  the  United  States,  Alex.  T.  Stewart  alone  pa3>ing  $460,000.  At  one  time,  he 
also  served  as  United  States  Marshal  of  the  Southern  District  of  New  York.  Politics 
interested  him  early  in  life  and  he  was  the  oldest  Sachem  in  Tammany  Hall  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  although  he  was  one  of  those  who,  in  1855,  started  the  Republican  party, 
and  a  candidate  for  Mayor  of  New  York  in  1856  on  the  Fremont  ticket.  Owing  to  the 
land  proprietorship  of  his  family,  he  was  led  at  an  early  day  into  a  real  estate  business 
and  became  one  of  the  noted  auctioneers  of  this  class  of  property.  He  conducted  many 
important  sales.  He  sold  the  Tallman  estate,  near  Central  Park,  for  $1,500,000,  and 
Dr.  Valentine  Mott's  property  for  $1,000,000.  The  annual  sales  by  Mr.  Bleecker 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — BL.  gi 

amounted  to  millions,  and  it  was  his  jocular  boast  that  he  had  sold  the  Island  of  Man- 
hattan, twice  over.  He  certain!}'  knew  what  the  Island  was  worth,  because  he  appraised 
its  realty  in  1871,  amounting  to  $247,000,000.  With  Judge  Jones  of  Orange  county, 
Mayor  William  V.  Brady,  Cornelius  W.  Lawrence,  Collector  of  the  Port,  and  George 
H.  Purser,  he  laid  out  the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  and  was  chairman  of  the  other  com- 
mission which  extended  Central  Park  from  io6th  to  noth  street,  his  associates  being 
Richard  Kelly,  now  president  of  The  Fifth  National  Bank,  and  Hawley  D.  Clapp,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Everett  House.  One  of  the  stewards  of  The  St.  Nicholas  Society,  he 
enjoyed  the  friendship  of  Washington  Irving.  Richard  Grant  White  says  that  he  had 
no  rival  in  his  knowledge  of  Shakspeare.  In  October,  1825,  Mr.  Bleecker  married 
Cornelia,  daughter  of  John  Van  Benthuysen,  of  Poughkeepsie.  The  children  born  to 
them  were,  John  Van  Benthuysen  Bleecker,  who  died  during  the  war  ;  Sarah  Bache 
Bleecker,  who  died  in  1867  ;  Helena,  who  died  in  1833  ;  and  James  Bleecker,  successor 
to  his  father  as  an  auctioneer.  Mr.  Bleecker  was  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church,  as 
were  his  father  and  grandfathers,  and  is  buried  in  the  family  vault  of  that  church  yard. 

CORNELIUS  NEWTON  BLIS5,  merchant,  a  man  of  sturdy  physique,  clear  mind, 
and  unquestioned  force  and  probity  of  character,  has,  from  a  modest  beginning,  made  his 
way  to  the  front  in  the  business  life  of  the  United  States  and  especially  of  the  metrop- 
olis, by  honorable  business  methods  and  an  unconquerable  determination  to  succeed. 

He  was  born  in  Fall  River,  Mass.,  in  1833.  His  ancestry  was  English,  originating 
in  Devonshire  and  belonging  to  the  yeoman  class,  which  owned  and  tilled  its  own  land. 
They  were  Puritans  of  sturdy  convictions  and  suffered  persecution  for  conscience  sake. 
Mr.  Bliss's  immigrant  ancestor  came  to  America  in  1633,  settling  first  at  what  is  now 
Weymouth,  but  becoming  later  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Rehoboth,  Mass.  The 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  moved  to  Fall  River  and  died  there  at  the  age  of 
twenty-six,  when  Cornelius  was  an  infant.  The  mother  remarried  and  moved  to  New 
Orleans,  but  the  boy  remained  in  Fall  River  in  charge  of  his  mother's  family  until  he 
had  graduated  from  the  common  schools  and  Fiske's  Academy.  Thus  at  an  early  age 
he  was  compelled  to  accept  the  responsibility  and  endure  the  labors  which  toughen  a 
man's  fibre  and  develop  his  manhood.  At  fourteen,  the  lad  went  to  New  Orleans  and 
completed  his  school  life  there  in  the  High  School  of  that  city. 

He  then  entered  mercantile  life,  gaining  his  first  acquaintance  with  the  require- 
ments of  trade  in  the  counting  room  of  his  stepfather.  After  a  brief  experience  there, 
he  returned  North  and  secured  a  position  in  the  house  of  James  M.  Beebe  &  Co. ,  of 
Boston,  then  the  largest  dry  goods  importing  and  jobbing  house  in  the  country.  He 
proved  a  valuable  clerk  and  solely  upon  his  merits  was  in  time  admitted  as  a  partner  to 
the  firm  succeeding  J.  M.  Beebe  &  Co.  In  1866,  he  became  a  member  of  the  dry  goods 
commission  house  of  J.  S.  &  E.  Wright  &  Co.  Upon  the  death  of  the  senior  partner, 
this  firm  was  reorganized  as  Wright,  Bliss  &  Fabyan;  and  later,  it  became  Bliss, 
Fabyan  &  Co.,  of  Boston,  New  York  and  Philadelphia,  and  as  such  remains,  having  now 
grown  to  be  one  of  the  leading  commission  dry  goods  houses  in  the  United  States,  its 
members  highly  esteemed  and  its  trade  one  of  great  proportions.  They  occupy  a  large 
store  on  Duane  street  at  its  junction  with  Thomas  street,  in  the  very  heart  of  the  down- 
town wholesale  dry  goods  district,  their  sign  being  one  of  the  landmarks  of  that  busy 
region.  The  New  York  house  has  been  conducted  under  the  direct  personal  super- 
vision of  Mr.  Bliss  for  many  years. 


92  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Since  his  removal  to  New  York,  Mr.  Bliss  has  entered  heartily  into  every  move- 
ment which  would  promote  the  growth  and  welfare  of  this  town.  Few  public  spirited 
projects  fail  to  receive  his  contribution  of  time  or  money,  and  in  all  the  numerous  ad- 
mirable schemes  which  have  emanated  from  among  his  colleagues  of  the  Union  League 
Club,  he  has  taken  a  cordial  interest.  Mr.  Bliss's  strong  character,  high  social  standing 
and  financial  strength  have  caused  him  to  be  much  sought  after  as  a  trustee  in  financial 
institutions  in  this  city,  the  character  of  whose  directorate  is  the  important  element  in 
securing  the  public  confidence.  He  is  a  director  and  vice-president  of  The  Fourth 
National  Bank  (once  having  served  as  its  acting  president),  The  Central  Trust  Co., 
The  American  Surety  Co.,  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Home  Insur- 
ance Society,  and  other  important  institutions,  and  is  governor  and  treasurer  of  The 
Society  of  the  New  York  Hospital. 

Always  an  active  and  loyal  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Bliss  has,  however,  never 
sought  public  office  and  has  never  occupied  official  station,  except  as  a  member  of  the 
International  Conference  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  in  1889-90.  A  Cabinet  position  was 
tendered  to  him  during  the  term  of  President  Arthur,  but  he  declined  that  honor  as 
well  as  the  suggestion  of  nomination  for  various  elective  offices. 

While  too  preoccupied  to  serve  his  countrymen  in  public  station,  he  has,  however, 
labored  with  energy  to  promote  the  practical  work  of  his  party.  In  1884,  he  was  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  of  One  Hundred,  appointed  at  a  public  meeting  of  the  citizens 
of  New  York  to  attend  the  Chicago  Convention  and  urge  the  nomination  of  the  Hon. 
Chester  A.  Arthur  to  the  Presidency.  The  committee  failed  to  gain  their  object,  and 
thereupon  became  loyal  supporters  of  Mr.  Elaine.  He  has  been  for  several  years  a 
member  of  the  Republican  County  Committee  in  New  York,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
New  York  Republican  State  Committee  in  1887  and  1888,  as  well  as  treasurer  of  the 
Republican  National  Committee  in  1892.  He  has  long  been  a  director,  and  is  now 
president,  of  The  Protective  Tariff  League,  which  carries  on  a  persistent  appeal  to  the 
reason  and  patriotism  of  the  people  of  America  in  favor  of  the  American  system  of 
protection  to  domestic  industry. 

The  social  standing  of  Mr.  Bliss  is  exhibited  by  his  membership  in  the  Union,  Cen- 
tury, Union  League,  Riding,  Metropolitan,  Merchants',  Player'  and  other  first-class 
clubs,  and  in  several  of  the  public-spirited  societies,  which  have  developed  the  intellect- 
ual and  artistic  life  of  the  metropolis  and  filled  the  city  with  great  museums  and  build- 
ings of  public  importance. 

ELIPHALET  WILLIAHS  BLISS,  of  Brooklyn,  manufacturer,  born  at  Fly  Creek, 
in  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  April  12,  1836,  is  the  son  of  John  Stebbings  Bliss,  a 
physician,  whose  ancestors  were  English  and  settlers  of  Springfield,  Mass.  He  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  and  Fort  Plain  seminary,  and  began  life  as  a  farmer. 
Before  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  entered  a  machine  shop  in  his  native  county,  served  there 
until  twenty-one,  and  then  spent  seven  years  in  the  Parker  Machine  Shops  of  Meriden, 
Conn.,  as  foreman.  In  1866  he  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  then  in  1867 
founded  there  the  machine  shops,  which  have  since  grown  through  his  ingenuity  and 
constant  perseverance  into  the  corporation  of  The  E.  W.  Bliss  Co.,  now  employing  600 
men.  The  plant  comprises  extensive  buildings  and  machine  shops  for  the  manufacture 
of  tools,  presses, •  dies,  and  patented  articles  of  various  kinds.  Mr.  Bliss  supplied  some 
of  the  material  for  the  Brooklyn  Bridge,  and  has  had  contracts  with  the  United  States 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BL.  93 

for  projectiles  and  torpedoes.  He  has  pursued  this  business  with  great  success,  and  is 
largely  interested  in  improved  real  estate  and  city  railroads  in  Brooklyn,  being  vice- 
president  of  The  Brooklyn  Heights  Railroad.  He  is  also  connected  with  The  Brooklyn 
Gas  Fixture  Co.  Mr.  Bliss  was  married,  June  19,  1865,  to  Miss  Anna  E.,  daughte 
of  Charles  H.  Metcalf,  and  there  has  been  born  to  them  one  daughter,  Eva  M.,  now 
wife  of  James  Warren  Lane,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Bliss  dwells  on  the  heights  at  Bay 
Ridge,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  of  New  York,  and 
The  Hamilton,  Atlantic  Yacht,  Brooklyn,  Marine  and  Field,  and  Ridge  clubs  of  Brooklyn. 

GEORGE  BLISS,  banker,  was  born  in  the  beautiful  village  of  Northampton,  Mass., 
April  21,  1816. 

The  Bliss  family  in  America  is  descended  from  the  best  Puritan  stock.  Tradition 
represents  them  as  living  in  the  South  of  England,  where  they  belonged  to  that  staunch 
class  known  as  English  yeomanry.  From  time  immemorial,  they  regarded  with  extreme 
disfavor  the  lax  manners  of  the  clergy  and  laity,  and  incurred  the  enmity  of  King 
Charles  I.  by  determined  opposition  to  the  court  religion  and  their  manifest  resolution 
to  maintain  their  own  views.  The  first,  of  whom  there  is  trusworthy  information,  was 
Thomas  Bliss  of  Belstone  Parish,  County  of  Devonshire.  A  wealthy  landowner,  he 
belonged  in  religion  to  the  Puritans,  so  called  on  account  of  the  simplicity  and  purity 
of  their  forms  of  worship,  and  was  persecuted  by  the  civil  and  religious  authority 
under  the  direction  of  Archbishop  Laud,  maltreated  and  imprisoned,  and  finally  ruined 
in  health  and  fortune  by  the  indignities  and  hardships  heaped  upon  him.  The  ani- 
mosity of  the  dominant  church  party  extended  to  the  sons  of  Thomas  Bliss,  two  of 
whom,  Thomas  and  his  younger  brother,  George,  turned  their  eyes  to  the  new  world 
as  an  asylum,  in  which  they  could  enjoy  liberty  of  conscience.  In  the  autumn  of  1635, 
the  two  young  men  embarked,  with  their  families,  for  the  wilderness  of  America. 
Landing  at  Boston,  Thomas  located  at  Braintree,  Mass.,  whence  he  afterward  moved 
to  Hartford,  Conn.  He  died  in  1640,  and  his  widow  and  children  subsequently 
removed  to  Springfield,  Mass.  From  this  family  are  descended  most  of  those  of  the 
name  of  Bliss  in  the  old  county  of  Hampshire.  George,  after  remaining  for  a  few  years 
at  Lynn  and  Sandwich,  Mass.,  finally  settled  in  Newport,  R.  I.  They  maintained  their 
sturdy  independence  of  character,  and  bore  with  fortitude  the  deprivations  and  hard- 
ships which  were  the  lot  of  the  hardy  pioneers  of  the  new  civilization.  From  Thomas 
and  George  Bliss  have  descended  large  families,  many  of  whose  members  have  attained 
eminence  in  the  various  walks  of  life. 

George  Bliss,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  is  of  the  ninth  generation  in  de- 
scent from  the  original  Thomas,  and  in  the  eighth  from  Thomas  Bliss,  the  pioneer  in 
1635.  His  father  was  William  Bliss,  and  his  mother,  Martha  Parsons,  daughter  of 
Timothy  Parsons,  of  the  same  place.  From  these  excellent  parents,  George  inherited 
a  strong  constitution,  great  natural  ability  and  stern  probity  of  character.  With  such 
educational  advantages  as  were  afforded  by  the  local  schools,  he  began  life  in  1832  as 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  New  Haven,  Conn.  Here  his  diligence,  fidelity  and 
intelligence  soon  won  recognition,  and  after  remaining  less  than  five  years  in  a 
subordinate  capacity,  he  was  admitted  to  a  partnership  with  his  employer,  the  firm 
taking  the  name  of  Sanford  &  Bliss.  He  continued  in  this  firm  for  seven  years.  In 
1844,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  to  become  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Chittenden, 
Bliss  &  Co.,  jobbers  of  dry  goods,  which,  while  it  continued,  attained  a  commanding 


94  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

position  in  the  wholesale  trade.  After  its  dissolution,  Mr.  Bliss  continued  in  the  same 
business  under  firm  names  of  Phelps,  Bliss  &  Co.  and  George  Bliss  &  Co.,  until  1869, 
when  he  retired  to  engage  in  banking. 

In  that  year  Mr.  Bliss  associated  himself  with  the  firm  of  Levi  P.  Morton  &  Co. , 
in  the  business  of  banking,  under  the  name  of  Morton,  Bliss  &  Co.  The  firm,  with 
their  London  branch  of  Morton,  Rose  &  Co.,  now  stand  in  the  front  rank  among  the 
,  financial  institutions  of  this  country.  While  dealing  largely  in  foreign  exchange,  this 
house  has  conducted  an  extensive  business  in  investment  securities  and  effected 
numerous  important  railroad  negotiations.  Their  conservatism,  sound  business 
methods  and  success  have  won  the  entire  confidence  of  the  financial  world. 

Mr.  Bliss's  excellent  judgment  and  capacity  have  caused  him  to  be  sought  after  as 
trustee  of  important  corporations,  and  he  has  filled  acceptably  the  office  of  director  of 
The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  The 
St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Manitoba  Railway,  The  Manhattan  Elevated  Railway,  The 
Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  Continental  In- 
surance Co.,  and  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  He  has  also  held  prominent  rela- 
tions with  many  other  railroad  and  financial  corporations.  He  has  joined  a  number  of 
the  best  social  organizations  in  town,  including  the  Century,  Union,  Union  League, 
Metropolitan  and  Lawyers'  clubs  and  Down  Town  Association,  and  The  New  England 
Society.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and,  with  the  same  public 
spirit  which  animates  his  colleagues  of  the  Union  League  club,  has  given  his  influ- 
ential support  to  the  great  museums  of  the  city.  The  purely  material  result  of  Mr. 
Bliss's  long  career  has  been  financial  success.  While  attaining  this  end,  however,  his 
just  and  honorable  character  has  gained  what  is  of  greater  value,  the  esteem  and  confi- 
dence of  his  associates  of  the  business  world.  He  makes  a  worthy  use  of  his  means  in 
charities,  deriving  his  satisfaction  not  from  heralding  his  good  actions  but  from  the 
good  which  follows  them.  Among  the  charities  of  a  public  nature  which  have  drawn 
largely  upon  both  his  time  and  means  are  The  Woman's  Hospital,  of  which  he  is  a  gov- 
ernor, The  Hospital  for  the  Ruptured  and  Crippled,  and  The  Protestant  Half  Orphan 
Asylum,  of  both  of  which  he  is  a  trustee.  He  is  also  treasurer  and  trustee  of  The  Pro- 
testant Episcopal  Domestic  and  Foreign  Missions  Society,  and  in  addition  to  these;  has 
contributed  freely  to  churches  and  hospitals. 

Mr.  Bliss  was  married  Sept.  29,  1840,  to  Catherine  S.,  daughter  of  Hervey  Sanford 
of  New  Haven.  He  lost  his  wife  by  death  in  1862,  and  in  1868  was  married  to  Augusta, 
daughter  of  William  M.  Smith,  a  prominent  resident  of  New  Haven.  Of  the  nine 
children  born  to  Mr.  Bliss,  five  are  now  living,  two  sons  and  three  daughters.  They 
are  George  T.  and  Walter  Phelps  Bliss  ;  Mary  H.,  wife  of  A.  Gifford  Agnew  ;  and  the 
Misses  Catherine  A.  and  Augusta  Bliss. 

WILLIAM  BLISS,  merchant,  born  in  Chipping  Norton,  England,  July  4,  1833. 
died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  2,  1890.  He  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents  while  a 
young  boy,  and  at  an  early  age  entered  the  employ  of  Dallett  Bro's,  shipping  and  com- 
mission merchants  of  Philadelphia.  After  several  years  in  their  office,  he  went  to 
Puerto  Cabello,  Venezuela,  where  he  soon  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Boulton, 
Bliss  &  Co.  In  1860,  after  having  spent  eight  years  in  Venezuela,  he  returned  to  Phil- 
adelphia and  joined  the  firm  of  John  Dallett  &  Co. ,  which  was  established  the  following 
year.  In  1862  John  Dallett,  sr  ,  died,  and  thereafter  the  responsibilities  of  the  busi- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BL.  95 

ness  devolved  principally  upon  Mr.  Bliss  and  his  life  long  friend,  William  G.  Boulton. 
In  1867,  the  firms  of  John  Dallett  &  Co.  and  Dallett  &  Bliss,  of  New  York,  were  con- 
solidated, and  Mr.  Bliss  thus  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Dallett,  Bliss  &  Co. ,  as 
the  firm  in  New  York  were  styled.    Mr.  Bliss  continued  to  reside  in  Philadelphia  until 
1 88 1,  when  the  house  there  was  closed  and  the  entire  business  was  thereafter  transacted  , 
in  New  York,  under  the  firm  name  of  Boulton,  Bliss  &  Dallett.     The  principal  business 
of  the  firm  has  always  been  with  Venezuela,  from  which  country  coffee,  hides,  etc.,  were^ 
imported  and  to  which  American  produce  of  almost  every  description  was  exported.     At 
first,  small  sailing  vessels  were  employed  to  carry  the  firm's  merchandise,  but  as  the 
business  between  the  countries  increased,  steam  was  employed,  resulting  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  present  Red  "  D  "  Line  of  American  steamships,  so  called  from  the  private 
flag  which  had  been  used  on  the  sailing  vessels.     In  1861,  Mr.  Bliss  was  married  to  Miss 
Athenade  Dallett,  who  died  in  1872.    He  subsequently  married  Miss  Anna  Dallett,  who 
with  his  four  children,  John  Dallett,  William,  Robert  Parker  and  Anita,  survived  him. 
WILLIAJ1  HETCALF  BLISS,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1812, 
died  at  Orienta,  his  home  in  Mamaroneck,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  29,  1893.    He  sprang  from  Puri- 
tan ancestry,  his  line  producing  many  men  eminent  in  the  legal  profession,  for  which 
Mr.  Bliss  was  himself  originally  intended.     His  father,  of  the   same  name,  a  man  of 
marked  ability,  served  as  Master  of  Chancery  in  Troy,  for  a  long  period.     Carefully 
educated,  William  came  to  New  York  while  a  young  man,  entered  business  life,  and 
with  George  Merritt,  established  the  firm  of  Merritt,  Ely  &  Co.,  with  whom  and  their 
successors  he  continued  until  his  retirement  in  1864.     He  belonged  to  the  old  class  of 
solid,  upright  New  York  merchants,  having  the  dignified  manners  of  his  generation, 
and  distinguished  both  for  ability  and  personal  character.     Nature  endowed  him  with 
a  mind  which  would  have  commanded  success  in   any  calling,  and  he  rose  above  the 
trammels  of  mercantile  life  to  larger  position.      Noble  in  appearance,  chivalrous  in 
nature,  a  charming  conversationalist,  and  a  Christian  gentleman,  few  excelled  him  in 
the  warm  friendship  and  cordial  respect  which  he  inspired.     He  was  prominent  as 
president  of  The  Central  National  Bank,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assur- 
ance Society.     He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Miss  Champion,  of  Troy,  and  later  to 
Lucie  Ann,  daughter  of  Ellis  Baker,  of  Albany. 

JOSEPH  BENJAMIN  BLOOfllNGDALE,  merchant,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  Dec.  22,  1842.  His  father,  Benjamin  Bloomingdale,  had  immigrated  from  Alten- 
moor,  in  Bavaria,  in  1837,  being  the  first  person  to  leave  that  section  of  the  country  for 
the  new  world.  The  elder  Bloomingdale  made  an  effort  to  establish  himself  in  New 
Jersey  and  North  Carolina,  but  finally  moved  to  New  York,  where  he  has  since  resided 
almost  continuously.  At  the  age  when  boys  of  the  present  day  are  compelled  by  law 
to  be  at  their  books,  Joseph  secured  a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  on  Canal 
street,  then  the  centre  of  the  fashionable  shopping  district.  In  1860,  he  went  to  the 
Pacific  coast,  where  he  filled  positions  variously  in  San  Francisco,  Sacramento  and  Car- 
son City,  Nev.  Having  saved  some  money,  he  became  infected  with  the  fever  to  grow 
rich  suddenly,  and  invested  what  he  had  in  mining  stocks.  This  soon  wiped  out  his 
little  surplus;  and  with  this  additional  fund  of  experience,  he  made  a  fresh  start,  follow- 
ing the  tide  of  gold  discovery  into  Oregon,  Idaho  and  Montana,  attempting  various 
occupations,  including  actual  work  with  a  pick  and  shovel  on  what  afterward  became 
the  famous  Blue  Cloud  mine,  taking  off  some  pay-dirt  from  the  surface  and  then  selling 


pfi  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

at  what  appeared  to  him  to  be  a  splendid  profit.  The  purchaser  of  the  claim  made  a  fort- 
une, while  young  Blooming-dale  returned  to  the  city  of  his  birth.  Here  his  father  and 
his  brother  Lyman  were  engaged  in  manufacturing  hoop  skirts,  and  Joseph  secured  a 
position  with  them  as  travelling  salesman.  In  this  he  was  very  successful,  and,  a  short 
time  afterward,  on  the  retirement  of  his  father,  he  became  a  member-of  the  firm.  Un- 
fortunately, however,  hoop  skirts  were  becoming  less  fashionable.  The  two  brothers 
did  not  recognize  this  fact  quickly  enough  to  save  themselves  from  loss,  and,  in  1871, 
were  obliged  to  make  a  compromise  with  their  creditors.  This  overwhelming  misfort- 
une, however,  really  inured  to  their  benefit.  They  established  a  small  retail  dry 
goods  store  on  Third  avenue,  near  the  corner  of  s6th  street,  under  the  name  of  Bloom- 
ingdale  Bros.,  and  thus  laid  the  foundation  of  one  of  the  most  successful  department 
stores  in  the  world.  Their  success  was  immediate.  In  a  few  years,  they  were  able  to 
pay  their  former  creditors  the  balance  of  their  claims,  although  under  no  legal  obliga- 
tion to  do  so.  Removing  shortly  to  the  corner  of  sgth  street  and  Third  avenue,  they 
rented  two  buildings.  Their  buildings,  which  are  seven  stories  high,  now  occupy 
twenty-one  city  lots,  with  a  total  floor  area  of  490,000  square  feet,  their  stock  of  goods 
including  almost  everything  required  by  man,  woman  and  child,  a  great  part  of  them 
being  manufactured  on  the  premises.  Some  lines  of  goods  are  controlled  exclusively 
by  them.  Their  trade  is  not  confined  either  to  the  limits  of  New  York  city  or  State, 
but  includes  almost  every  part  of  the  habitable  globe.  Mr.  Bloomngdale  is  a  member 
of  or  contributor  to  nearly  every  institution  in  the  city  of  New  York,  without  regard 
to  sect  or  denomination,  and  is  vice-president  of  The  Hebrew  Technical  Institute,  and 
of  The  United  States  Savings  Bank.  Physically,  Mr.  Bloomingdale  is  six  feet  one 
inch  tall,  of  fine  physique,  with  a  face  which  has  been  called  handsome.  He  was 
married  in  1875,  to  Clara,  oldest  daughter  of  Lewis  Koffman,  an  old-time  New  York 
merchant,  and  has  two  children,  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

LYHAN  G.  BLOOMINGDALE,  merchant,  born  in  New  York,  Feb.  n,  1841,  is  a 
son  of  Benjamin  Bloomingdale,  a  native  of  Bavaria.  Lyman  graduated  from  Smith's 
Collegiate  Institute  and  then  went  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  with  his  father.  In  that 
town,  he  began  life  as  an  independent  merchant  with  about  $300  of  borrowed  capital, 
starting  a  crinoline  and  dry  goods  store.  He  was  doing  well,  when  he  was  ordered 
under  arms  with  a  militia  company,  in  which  he  was  a  sergeant,  to  repel  Confederates, 
who  were  threatening  a  raid.  After  this  service,  he  sold  his  store  and  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  joined  his  father  in  the  manufacture  of  crinoline  skirts.  In  1872,  he 
aided  in  organizing  the  firm  of  Bloomingdale  Bros. ,  to  transact  a  dry  goods  and  general 
trade,  and  is  senior  partner  of  the  firm.  He  has  revealed  remarkable  shrewdness  and 
energy  in  adapting  his  store  to  the  requirements  of  the  dense  population,  which  occu- 
pies the  East  Side  of  the  city. 

EDWARD  CUSHMAN  BODMAN,  merchant,  was  born  in  Charlemont  Mass., 
March  22,  1840.  His  father,  John  Bodman,  was  a  bank  president  and  business  man  of 
Northampton,  Mass.  Edward  graduated  from  Williston  Seminary  in  Easthampton, 
engaged  in  the  grain  trade  and  banking  in  central  Illinois,  1861-65,  and  carried  on  the 
same  business  in  Toledo,  O.,  1865-85,  being  president  of  The  Northern  National  Bank 
there,  1873-82.  He  came  to  New  York  in  1885,  and  his  firm  of  Milmine,  Bodman  & 
Co  ,  have  already  won  a  name,  ranking  as  a  leading  house  in  the  grain  trade.  They 
transact  a  strictly  commission  business,  never  speculating.  For  twenty  years  Mr.  Bod- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BO.  97 

man  was  largely  interested  in  Illinois  lands,  at  one  time  owning  and  cultivating  4,000 
acres.  Jan.  10,  1878,  he  married  Ida  M.  Berdan,  of  Toledo,  a  niece  of  Chief  Justice 
Waite.  Their  children  are  Herbert  L.  arid  George  M.  Bodman.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Union  League  club  and  the  Ohio  and  New  England  Societies.  Mrs.  Charles  H.  Park- 
hurst  of  New  York  is  Mr.  Bodman's  sister. 

ROBERT  BONNER,  proprietor  of  The  New  York  Ledger,  is  a  native  of  London- 
derry, Ireland,  where  he  was  born  April  28,  1824.  His  parents  were  Scotch-Irish. 
Coming  to  this  country  in  1839,  he  learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  The  Hart- 
ford Courant,  and  is  remembered  there  as  a  smart  and  rapid  compositor.  He  removed 
to  New  York  city  in  1844,  worked  at  his  trade,  and  in  1850,  for  $900,  purchased  The 
MercJiants'  Ledger,  then  an  unimportant  commercial  newspaper  in  drooping  circum- 
stances. He  conducted  this  paper  for  four  years,  at  first  dealing  with  dry  figures,  hard 
facts  and  prosaic  statistics,  without  increasing  its  importance  greatly,  and  then  intro- 
duced many  new  and  spicy  features,  miscellany,  stories,  etc  ,  and  finally,  in  i&55> 
changed  its  name  to  The  New  York  Ledger  and  its  contents  to  romance  pure  and  sim- 
ple. His  first  audacious  move  was  the  engagement  of  Fanny  Fern,  in  1855,  to  write  a 
continued  story  at  $100  a  column.  By  printing  pure  and  sound  romances  and  contri- 
butions from  the  best  known  writers,  and  by  astonishing  enterprise  and  extraordinary 
expenditures  for  advertising,  he  increased  the  circulation  of  Tlu  Ledger  until  the 
American  people  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  were  reading  the  paper.  Staid  old 
merchants  of  that  day  shook  their  heads  solemnly  over  the  extravagant  advertisements 
of  The  Ledger,  which  they  regarded  as  a  new  form  of  humbug,  but  Mr.  Bonrier's  cour- 
age captivated  the  public  mind  and  led  to  great  success.  One  idea  to  which  he  rigidly 
adhered  was  to  keep  his  paper  absolutely  free  from  even  a  suggestion  which  would  be 
improper  for  the  family  circle.  His  writers  included  the  most  conspicuous  men  and 
women  of  the  day.  At  first,  The  Ledger  contained  advertisements,  but  these  were 
gradually  withdrawn.  Among  the  famous  contributors  to  The  Ledger  have  been  Fanny 
Fern,  Mrs.  Sigourney,  Sylvanus  Cobb,  jr.,  Mrs.  Southworth,  Prentice,  Saxe,  Edward 
Everett,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  Horace  Greeley,  James  Parton,  and  Dr.  John  Hall. 
The  abundant  means  which  Tlie  Ledger  has  brought  Mr.  Bonner  have  enabled  him 
to  make  large  gifts  to  Princeton  College  and  various  churches  and  charities  and  to  buy 
noted  horses.  He  has  owned  some  of  the  most  celebrated  trotters  in  the  world.  Rigidly 
opposed  to  betting  and  to  racing  for  money,  he  has  withdrawn  his  purchases  from  the  race 
tracks  and  keeps  them  for  his  own  driving.  Among  his  purchases  were  Peerless,  Dex- 
ter, and  Maud  S.,  for  which  he  paid  William  H.  Vanderbilt  $40,000.  In  February, 
1888,  he  presented  his  sons,  Andrew  Alley,  Robert  Edwin  and  Frederic  Bonner,  with 
a  large  amount  of  real  estate,  as  an  incentive  to  application,  and  these  young  men  now 
have  entire  charge  of  the  paper,  as  Robert  Bonner's  Sons. 

PETER  RIKER  BONNE  IT,  merchant,  born  in  Frankfort  street,  New  York  city, 
Dec.  10,  1801,  died  at  his  residence  in  this  city,  Sept.  4,  1871.  He  was  the  son  of 
Peter  Bonnett,  a  prominent  leather  merchant  in  "  the  Swamp,"  who  had  a  large  tan- 
nery on  the  corner  of  Frankfort  and  Skinner  (now  Cliff)  streets.  The  family  came 
from  Huguenot  ancestry.  The  pioneer,  Daniel  Bonnet,  settled  in  America  in  1 700, 
after  a  residence  of  ten  years  in  Bristol,  England,  having  left  Rochelle,  France,  in 
1690,  a  few  years  after  the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  Mr.  Bonnett  was 
educated  in  the  city,  and  in  early  life  entered  the  employment  of  Harper  &  Arcularius. 


98  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

wholesale  grocers,  in  Front  street,  near  Fulton.  The  firm  subsequently  became 
Arcularius  &  Bonnett,  and  later  Bonnett,  Schenck  &  Co.,  when  their  location  was 
changed  to  Vesey  street,  where,  for  many  years,  they  carried  on  a  large  wholesale 
business  with  the  West.  Mr.  Bonnett  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  business  and 
to  home  life,  never  occupying  public  or  corporate  office,  although  often  urged  to  do  so. 
He  was  connected  with  St.  George's  Church.  Aug.  17,  1835,  he  married  Maria  Salton- 
stall,  of  New  London,  Conn.,  who,  with  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  survived  him. 

DAVID  AUGUSTUS  BOODY,  banker  and  broker,  born  in  Jackson,  Me.,  Aug.  13, 
1837,  is  a  son  of  David  Boody,  by  occupation  a  farmer.  He  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  with  six  months  in  Phillips  Academy,  Andover.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he 
found  his  first  occupation  as  a  school  teacher.  Beginning  the  study  of  law  at  twenty, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  when  twenty-three.  A  year  later,  he  came  to  New  York 
and  entered  the  banking  house  of  Henry  H.  Boody,  at  No.  12  Wall  street.  An  alert, 
progressive  and  able  man,  he  began  business  on  his  own  account  two  years  later,  and 
has  been  successfully  engaged  in  stock  transactions  to  the  present  day,  excepting  only 
during  a  period  of  three  years,  when  absent  from  the  city.  Several  large  corporations 
have  secured  his  interest  and  he  has  been  elected  president  of  The  Louisiana  &  North- 
western Railway,  vice-president  of  The  Sprague  National  Bank,  and  trustee  of  The 
People's  Trust  Co.  At  one  time,  he  served  as  president  of  The  City  Savings  Bank  of 
Brooklyn.  His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  Henry  Treat  of  Frankfort,  Me.  They 
have  five  children.  Mr.  Boody  has  taken  special  interest  in  public  questions  and  was 
at  one  time  president  of  The  Civil  Service  Association  of  Brooklyn,  in  which  city  he 
makes  his  home.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Reform  club  and  The  New  England  Society 
of  New  York  city,  and  the  Hamilton,  Brooklyn,  Montauk  and  Carleton  clubs,  New 
England  Society,  and  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  of  Brooklyn. 

HENRY  AUGUSTUS  BOORAEfl,  merchant,  born  at  No.  16  Dey  street,  in  this 
city,  Sept.  3,  1815,  died  in  Jersey  City,  Feb.  18,  1889.  He  was  a  son  of  Hendrick 
Booraem,  an  old  time  merchant  of  dry  goods  on  Pearl  street.  The  emigrant  ancestor 
of  this  family,  a  native  of  Holland,  came  to  this  place  in  1666,  settling  at  Newtown  on 
Long  Island.  Henry  went  from  the  private  schools  of  this  city  and  Fordham  directly 
to  his  father's  store,  where  he  received  a  thorough  training,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
times.  While  in  Paris,  France,  just  as  he  was  attaining  his  majority,  his  father  died. 
Upon  his  return  to  New  York,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  L.  &  B.  Curtis,  of 
which  Lewis  and  Benjamin  Curtis  were  partners,  and  for  more  than  thirty  years  im- 
ported French  dress  goods,  silks  and  velvets  to  this  city.  He  retired  about  1869.  Mr. 
Booraem  was  justly  esteemed  for  his  character,  ability  and  public  spirit  Grace  Church 
of  Jersey  City  was  organized  in  his  parlors,  and  claimed  him  as  a  vestryman,  and  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  One  Hundred  of  Jersey  City  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  In  1838,  he  married  Cornelia,  daughter  of  John  Van  Vorst  of  the  town  of  Van 
Vorst,  now  a  part  of  Jersey  City,  and  a  descendant  of  Governor  Van  Vorst,  whom  The 
Dutch  East  India  Co.  sent  out  in  1638  as  Governor  of  Pavonia.  It  is  related  that  Gov- 
ernor Wouter  van  Twiller,  Eberardus  Bogardus,  the  dominie,  and  Captain  de  Vries 
visited  the  new  Governor  of  Pavonia  upon  his  arrival  to  pay  their  respects,  and  when 
a  salute  was  fired  from  a  swivel,  upon  their  departure,  a  spark  set  fire  to  the  Van  Vorst 
homestead  and  burned  it  down.  To  Mr.  Booraem  were  born :  John  Van  Vorst  Booraem, 
consulting  engineer-in-chief  of  The  American  Sugar  Refining  Co.;  Frances  D. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BO.  99 

Booraem;  Henry  L.  Booraem,  deceased;  Josephine  B. ,  wife  of  Augustus  Zabriskie, 
son  of  ex-Chancellor  Zabriskie;  Louis  V.  Booraem,  the  lawyer;  Augustus  Booraem, 
who  has  charge  of  the  Booraem  estate;  Robert  Elmer  Booraem,  lately  in  charge  of  the 
Blue  Bird  mine  in  Butte  City  and  the  Morning  Star  and  Evening  Star  mines  in  Lead 
ville;  and  Randolph  M.  Booraem  of  Philadelphia.  John  Van  Vorst  owned  large  tracts 
of  land  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Hudson.  The  right  of  ferriage  between  Paulus  Hook 
and  New  York  city,  now  owned  by  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad,  was  bequeathed  by  the 
great  grandfather  of  Cornelia  Van  Vorst  to  her  father.  In  the  settlement  of  the 
estate  it  was  transferred  to  Cornelius  Van  Vorst,  his  brother,  and  by  him  conveyed  to 
The  Associates  of  The  Jersey  Company. 

EDWIN  BOOTH,  the  distinguished  actor,  born  near  Baltimore,  Md.,  Xov.  13, 
1833,  died  at  the  Players'  club  in  this  city,  June  7,  1893.  He  was  the  fourth  son  of 
Junius  Brutus  Booth,  a  figure  as  brilliant  in  the  annals  of  the  American  stage  as  that 
of  Edmund  Kean  in  England.  His  entrance  upon  a  theatrical  career  occurred  at  the 
Museum  in  Boston,  Sept.,  10,  1849,  in  Tressel  in  "Richard  III."  and  grew  out  of  a 
desire  to  oblige  the  prompter,  who  had  been  cast  for  the  part  against  his  will.  That 
arrangement  was  made  without  the  knowledge  and  approval  of  the  elder  Booth, 
who  for  a  long  time  opposed  his  son's  adoption  of  the  stage.  Nevertheless,  Edwin 
drifted  into  that  pursuit  and  persevered  in  it,  and  his  father  soon  became  reconciled 
to  his  course.  Mr.  Booth  identified  himself  from  the  first  with  the  highest  class  of 
dramas,  and  early  in  his  career  made  a  highly  successful  tour  of  the  South,  beginning 
in  Baltimore.  It  was  in  Richmond,  during  this  tour,  that  he  met  for  the  first  time  Miss 
Mary  Devlin,  who  became  his  wife  in  New  York  city,  July  7,  1860.  Shortly  afterward, 
they  sailed  for  England.  His  wife  was  an  excellent  musician  and  a  pleasing  actress. 
They  remained  in  England  until  September,  1862,  their  daughter  Edwina,  being  born 
at  Fulham,  London,  Dec.  9,  1861.  On  their  return  to  America,  they  established  their 
home  at  Dorchester,  Mass.  Mrs.  Booth  died  Feb.  21,  1863.  The  opening  of  Booth's 
Theatre  in  New  York,  Feb.  3,  1869,  was  the  most  important  dramatic  incident  in  the 
metropolis  at  that  period.  Here  he  appeared  in  the  dramas  of  Shakspeare,  regularly 
nearly  every  season,  for  many  years.  He  was  married  again  to  Miss  Mary  McVicker 
of  Chicago,  at  Long  Branch,  X.  J.,  June  7,  1869.  Miss  McVickers  last  professional 
appearance  was  made  at  Booth's  Theatre  in  the  spring  of  that  year  as  Desdemona.  A 
son  was  bom  to  them  July  3,  1870,  but  died  within  a  few  hours.  Mrs.  Booth  died  in 
New  York,  Nov.  13,  1881.  Mr.  Booth's  long  service  upon  the  American  stage  was 
never  stained  by  an  appearance  in  any  except  the  most  ennobling  plays,  and  during 
his  time  there  was  no  greater  exponent  of  Shakspeare  than  he.  His  influence  was 
good,  his  popularity  unbounded,  and  his  genius  has  inscribed  his  name  forever  upon 
the  pages  of  history.  Incidentally,  his  impersonations  of  heroic  characters  brought  him 
a  fortune.  In  San  Francisco,  during  one  engagement  of  eight  weeks,  the  receipts 
exceeded  $96,000.  While  he  made  more  than  one  visit  to  England,  the  most  of  his 
career  was  upon  the  American  stage.  His  last  public  sen-ice  was  his  institution  of  the 
Players'  club  of  this  city.  The  bulk  of  Mr.  Booth's  estate  was  left  in  trust  for  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  Edwina  Booth  Grossman,  although  a  number  of  societies  and  friends 
were  remembered. 

HENRY  PROSPER  BOOTH,  shipping  merchant,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  July 
19,    1836,  and  comes  from  New  England  ancestry.     At  the  Mechanics'  Institute  he 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BO.  IOI 

gained  a  sound  education,  and  then,  as  clerk  for  a  shipping  merchant,  allied  himself 
with  the  commercial  interests  of  the  port,  to  which  his  life  had  been  ably  and  prosper- 
ously devoted.  In  1856,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  James  E.  Ward  &  Co.,  and 
is  now  senior  member  of  the  firm.  Strong  determination  and  great  force  of  character 
have  brought  him  into  prominence  in  the  maritime  world.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Manhattan  and  Colonial  clubs. 

GAIL  BORDEN,  manufacturer,  born  in  Norwich,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  6,  1801,  died  in 
Borden,  Texas,  Jan.  n,  1874.  His  parents,  who  were  of  New  England  descent,  left 
New  York  State  when  Gail  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  settling  after  a  time  in  Madison, 
Ind.  Gail  attended  the  common  schools  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  removed  to  Mis- 
sissippi, where  he  taught  school  and  engaged  in  public  surveys.  In  1829,  he  pushed  on 
to  Texas,  acquired  some  prominence  upon  the  establishment  of  the  Republic  of  Texas, 
and  was  appointed  first  Collector  at  Galveston,  of  which  city  he  had  made  the  first 
surveys  in  1837.  In  1849,  the  need  of  more  convenient  food  supplies  for  the  emigrants 
to  the  Pacific  Coast  led  him  to  make  a  few  experiments,  with  the  result  that  he  pro- 
duced "pemmican,"  afterward  used  with  such  success  in  Arctic  expeditions,  and  the 
"  meat  biscuit,"  a  simple  and  portable  form  of  concentrated  food.  Though  these  inven- 
tions brought  him  a  medal  from  the  World's  Fair  in  London  in  1852,  and  an  honorary 
membership  in  The  London  Society  of  Arts,  they  proved  a  pecuniary  failure,  and  he 
lost  all  his  means.  His  attention  had  meanwhile  been  attracted  to  the  preservation  of 
milk,  and  in  1853  he  applied  for  a  patent  for  "concentrated  milk,"  which  the  Govern- 
ment granted  in  1856.  This  venture  proved  an  unqualified  success.  Under  the  title 
of  The  New  York  Condensed  Milk  Co.,  he  established  factories  at  Brewster  Station, 
N.  Y.,  and  Elgin,  111.,  and  extended  the  operations  of  these  by  manufacturing  an  extract 
of  beef,  for  which  he  afterward  built  a  factory  at  Borden,  Texas.  There  then  followed 
preparations  of  cocoa,  tea  and  coffee,  and  in  1862  a  patent  for  condensing  the  juice  of 
fruits  into  a  small  fraction  of  the  original  bulk.  Mr.  Borden  amassed  a  large  fortune 
and  dispensed  his  means  with  a  liberal  hand. 

MATTHEW  CHALONER  DURFEE  BORDEN,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  a  native 
of  Fall  River,  Mass.,  was  born  July  18,  1842.  His  father,  the  late  Colonel  Richard 
Borden,  was  a  conspicuous  leader  in  all  which  contributed  to  the  success  and  large 
prosperity  of  Fall  River,  from  the  date  of  the  organization  of  its  first  and  greatest 
manufacturing  enterprises,  beginning  with  the  Fall  River  Iron  Works  Co.  in  1821,  down 
to  the  close  of  his  eventful  and  memorable  life,  in  1874. 

The  Borden  family  is  of  original  French  stock,  and  is  traceable  back  to  Bourdon- 
nay,  an  ancient  village  in  Normandy,  from  which  it  probably  takes  its  name.  The 
first  of  the  family  found  on  English  soil  entered  the  British  Isles  with  William  the  Con- 
queror. After  the  overthrow  of  Harold  and  the  Saxon  regime,  they  were  assigned 
estates  in  the  County  of  Kent.  Giving  their  name  to  the  estate,  they  founded  a 
religious  parish  there,  which  also  bore  the  name  of  Borden.  In  1635,  Richard,  then 
the  head  of  the  family,  emigrated  to  America,  settling  in  Rhode  Island.  The  birth  of 
Matthew  Borden,  in  May,  1638,  is  mentioned  in  the  Friends'  Book  of  Records,  and  he 
was  the  first  child  born  of  English  parents  on  Rhode  Island  soil,  thus  fixing  the  date  of 
the  first  settlement  at  Portsmouth.  From  this  point,  the  family  descent  is  authentically 
recorded  down  to  the  present  time. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  fitted  for  a  higher  range  of  education  at  Phillips 


i02  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Academy,  Andover,  Mass,  and  graduated  from  Yale  College  in  the  class  of  1864. 
Almost  immediately  thereafter,  he  entered  the  employment  of  a  leading  dry  goods  job- 
bing house  in  New  York,  as  stock  boy  in  one  of  the  departments.  Three  years  later, 
he  became  a  partner  in  a  leading  commission"  house  of  New  York,  where  he  represented 
The  American  Print  Works  as  selling  agent,  continuing  in  this  capacity  until  the  end 
of  1879.  The  American  Print  Works  having  failed,  his  connection  with  the  house 
referred  to  ceased. 

Mr.  Borden  inherited  a  large  share  of  the  enterprise  and  capacity  for  management 
of  his  worthy  father,  and  mainly  through  the  joint  efforts  of  his  eldest  brother  and  him- 
self, the  company  was  reorganized  and  resumed  operations  under  the  name  of  The 
American  Printing  Co.,  in  January,  1880.  At  the  same  time,  Mr.  Borden  made  an 
alliance  with  the  commission  house  of  J.  S.  &  E.  Wright  &  Co.,  now  Bliss,  Fabyan  & 
Co.,  with  whom  he  has  remained  in  the  conduct  of  the  business  controlled  by  him 
ever  since. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Borden  bought  his  brother's  interest  in  The  American  Printing  Co., 
and  from  that  time  has  been  the  capable  sole  owner  of  the  works,  which,  in  the  number 
of  yards  printed  annually,  is  probably  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  The  capacity  of  the  Printing  Company  required  from  60,000  to  70,000  pieces 
of  cloth  weekly,  and  it  finally  appeared  desirable  to  become  independent  of  the  open 
market,  as  to  a  portion  of  the  weekly  consumption.  In  1889,  therefore,  Mr.  Borden 
proceeded  to  build  cloth  mills  in  Fall  River  for  this  purpose,  and,  at  the  end  of  three 
years,  had  erected  and  equipped  in  the  most  perfect  manner  possible  three  large  mills 
for  spinning  yarns  and  weaving  the  same  into  cloth  for  printing.  The  plant  so  estab- 
lished, under  the  title  of  The  Fall  River  Iron  Works  Co.,  a  previous  corporate  name 
having  been  retained  for  the  sake  of  keeping  the  old  charter,  which  is  valuable,  now 
consists  of  the  mills  named,  containing  about  200,000  spindles  and  more  than 
5,000  looms,  producing  35,000  pieces  of  print  cloth  weekly,  or  about  one-half  the 
whole  amount  required  by  The  American  Printing  Co.  The  two  companies  are  of 
enormous  value  to  Fall  River.  They  employ  an  army  of  well  paid  operatives, 
whose  earnings,  being  diffused  through  the  community,  quicken  every  branch  of  local 
trade. 

Since  establishing  his  home  in  New  York,  Mr.  Borden  has  identified  himself  with 
the  progress  and  social  life  of  the  city,  and  has  gained  the  esteem,  which  is  only  ac- 
corded to  sound  character,  public  spirit,  and  good  business  qualifications.  He  is  a 
director  in  The  Manhattan  Company  Bank,  The  Lincoln  National  Bank,  The  Astor 
Place  Bank,  The  Lincoln  Safe  Deposit  Co. ,  and  The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co  ; 
trustee  and  treasurer  of  The  Clinton  Hall  Association  ;  and  governor  in  the  Woman's 
Hospital  in  the  State  of  New  York.  In  politics,  he  has  been  an  earnest  and  uncom- 
promising Republican  for  more  than  thirty  years.  Mr.  Borden  has  never  sought  office 
and  never  held  office,  except  during  one  term  as  Commissioner  of  Parks,  when  he  gave 
a  large  portion  of  his  time  for  six  years  to  this  public  duty.  Experience  in  the  employ- 
ment of  a  large  body  of  working  people  convinces  him  of  the  value  to  American  labor 
of  the  protective  system,  and  he  advocates  the  policy  which  enables  him  to  pay  excel- 
lent wages  to  his  people.  His  public  spirit  is  also  illustrated  by  his  contributions  to  the 
support  of  the  great  museums  of  this  city. 

In  1865,  Mr.   Borden  was  married  to  Harriet  M    Durfee  of  Fall  River.     Seven 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BO.  103 

children  have  been  born  to  them,  of  whom  the  following  named  four  survive  :  Bertram 
Harold,  Matthew  Sterling,  Howard  Seymour  and  Owen  Ives  Borden. 

Mr.  Borden  is  a  member  of  the  following  clubs :  Union  League,  Metropolitan, 
Republican,  Merchants',  Down  Town,  Players',  Riding,  New  York  Athletic,  New  York 
Yacht,  Seawanhaka  Yacht,  Yale  Alumni,  South  Side  Sportmen's,  Jekyl  Island  and 
Whist.  He  also  belongs  to  The  New  England  Society. 

CHARLES  HERBERT  BOSHER,  banker,  a  native  of  Richmond,  Va.,  born  in  1834, 
died  in  New  York  city,  May  19,  1894.  He  came  from  a  well  known  and  highly 
respected  family.  After  the  civil  war  he  removed  to  New  York  city,  and  in  1872  be- 
came one  of  the  original  members  of  the  banking  firm  of  R.  T.  Wilson  &  Co. ,  with 
which  he  continued  until  his  death.  Deeply  interested  in  the  revival  of  Southern  pros- 
perity, he  aided  in  re-establishing  the  railroad  systems  of  that  part  of  the  country,  in 
which  patriotic  work  he  gained  his  fortune.  The  wonderful  recuperation  of  the  South 
from  the  terrible  prostration  which  followed  the  war  of  1861-65,  was  in  part  due  to  the 
spirit  of  enterprise  engendered  by  that  historic  struggle  itself,  but  was  mainly  the 
result  of  the  energetic  labor  and  sagacity  of  a  group  of  men,  among  whom  the  partners 
in  R.  T.  Wilson  &  Co.  stood  in  the  front  rank.  They  enlisted  the  interest  of  capital, 
rebuilt  the  railroads,  opened  the  mines,  established  town  sites,  and  erected  furnaces 
and  factories  and  gave  a  powerful  impetus  to  the  mercantile,  industrial  and  financial 
enterprise  of  that  whole  region.  Mr.  Bosher  took  an  active  part  in  many  notable 
schemes.  He  married  Miss  Ingram,  of  Kempsville,  Va.,  and  to  them  was  born  one 
daughter.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Down  Town  and  Manhattan  clubs, 
and  The  Southern  Society,  and  had  been  for  years  a  member  of  St.  Thomas's  Protes- 
tant Episcopal  Church. 

IQNATZ  BOSKOWITZ,  fur  merchant,  is  a  native  of  Floss  in  Bavaria,  Germany, 
having  been  born  there  Feb.  13,  1837.  He  began  life  with  his  uncle,  I.  L.  Honigs- 
berger,  in  the  cloth  business,  and  when  fifteen  years  of  age,  found  employment  in 
banking  in  Leipzig.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  removed  to  America.  Successively  a 
dry  goods  clerk,  bookkeeper  in  a  clothing  store  in  Chicago,  1855-58,  and  merchant  of 
fur  and  wool,  he  came  to  New  York  in  1860,  and  has  since  conducted  the  latter  business 
here,  under  the  name  of  I.  &  A.  Boskowitz,  with  his  brother,  Adolph,  as  a  partner. 
Here  they  have  gained  a  good  name  and  a  profitable  business.  Mr.  Boskowitz  is  presi- 
dent of  The  Mechanics  and  Traders'  Bank,  and  finds  recreation  in  the  West  End, 
Harmonic,  Freundschaft,  Progress  and  Manhattan  Chess  clubs.  His  marriage  with 
Carrie  Goldsmith,  of  this  city,  took  place  May  5,  1867. 

JABEZ  ABEL  BOSTWICK,  oil  producer,  a  native  of  Delhi,  Delaware  county, 
N.  Y. ,  was  born  Sept.  30,  1830,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Mamaroneck,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  16, 
1892.  His  ancestors  came  from  England  to  New  England.  Receiving  a  good  busi- 
ness education,  he  went  to  Covington,  Ky. ,  when  about  eighteen  years  old,  and 
obtained  employment  in  a  bank.  He  subsequently  removed  to  Cleveland,  O.,  and 
entered  the  commission  and  hardware  firm  of  Reynolds  &  Bostwick,  as  a  clerk,  finding 
occupation  later  as  accountant  in  the  bank  of  J.  B.  Tilford,  in  Lexington.  After 
several  years  of  labor  for  others,  he  became  a  dealer  in  cotton  on  his  own  account  in 
Cincinnati,  displaying  excellent  abilities  as  a  merchant.  In  1866  he  removed  to  New 
York  city,  and  continued  his  dealings  in  cotton  on  a  large  scale,  his  firm  being  known 
as  Bostwick  &  Tilford.  When  dealing  in  petroleum  rose  into  importance,  his  house 


104  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

became  receivers  of  oil  and  from  this  went  on  to  undertake  the  refining  business,  soon 
making  a  name  in  that  industry  as  J.  A.  Bostwick  &  Co.  When  The  Standard  Oil  Co. 
was  organized,  Mr.  Bostwick  allied  himself  with  its  originators,  and  was  for  a  number 
of  years  one  of  the  trustees.  In  charge  of  one  of  the  departments  of  the  company,  he 
became  well-known  on  the  speculative  exchanges,  and  acquired  a  reputation  as  a  Stan- 
dard Oil  magnate,  which  clung  to  him  long  after  he  nad  severed  his  connection  with 
the  trust.  In  1887,  Mr.  Bostwick  became  president  of  The  New  York  &  New  England 
Railroad,  resigning  in  January,  1892.  Among  his  more  recent  ventures  was  The  Stan- 
dard Gas  Light  Co.,  and  he  was  also  interested  in  The  New  York  Steam  Co.,  and  The 
Gas  Engine  and  Power  Co.  In  1866  he  married  Helen  C.,  daughter  of  Smith  Ford,  a 
retired  tobacco  merchant.  The  family  made  their  home  at  800  Fifth  avenue,  and  at 
Mamaroneck,  N.  Y.,  their  house  in  the  country  adjoining  that  of  James  M.  Constable. 
His  three  children  are  Nellie  B.,  wife  of  Francis  Lee  Morrell,  of  New  York;  Francis 
B.,  wife  of  Captain  Alfred  Carstairs,  of  the  Royal  British  Rifles;  and  Albert  Bostwick. 
His  clubs  were  the  Union  League  and  New  York  Yacht,  and  he  also  belonged  to  The 
Ohio  Society.  He  gave  freely  from  his  large  income  to  charitable  objects,  in  a  man- 
ner always  unostentatious.  The  Suffolk  Street  Baptist  Church  is  one  of  the  public 
monuments  to  his  liberality  and  devotion  to  the  cause  it  represents,  and  his  private 
charities  were  generous  and  creditable. 

WILLIAM  GEORGE  BOULTON,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  La  Guayra,  Vene- 
zuela, Jan.  24,  1832,  died  at  his  home  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  Sept.  10,  1891.  The  family  from 
which  he  descended  came  originally  from  the  Lake  district  in  England,  settling  in 
Lancashire.  Early  in  life,  Mr.  Boulton  was  brought  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  was 
educated  in  private  schools.  He  then  entered  the  office  of  Boulton,  Sons  &  Co.,  Cara- 
cas and  La  Guayra,  Venezuela,  as  a  clerk,  became  a  partner,  and  in  1857  removed  to 
Philadelphia,  where  Oct.  28,  the  same  year,  he  married  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  William 
E.  Bowen,  banker,  of  Browns  &  Bowen.  of  Philadelphia,  and  Brown,  Shipley  &  Co  ,  of 
London.  Engaging  in  a  commission  business  with  Venezuela,  he  soon  afterwards  en- 
tered the  firm  of  John  Dallett  &  Co.,  general  merchants  and  shippers.  In  1881,  the 
headquarters  of  the  firm  were  moved  to  New  York,  the  style  being  changed  to  Boulton, 
Bliss  &  Dallett.  This  house  has  engaged  extensively  in  a  commission  trade,  the  im- 
portation of  coffee,  and  management  of  ocean  steamers.  It  controls  the  "  Red  D"  line 
of  steamers,  sailing  to  Venezuela  and  Curacao.  Mr.  Boulton  was  an  excellent  mer- 
chant, a  member  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Produce  and  Maritime 
Exchanges,  and  a  director  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  of  this  city,  The 
Delaware  Insurance  Co.  of  Philadelphia,  and  until  his  removal  to  New  York,  vice  presi- 
dent of  the  Maritime  Exchange  of  Philadelphia.  To  him  were  born  a  daughter  who  died 
in  infancy  and  one  son,  William  Bowen  Boulton,  the  latter  a  member  of  the  firm.  Mr. 
Boulton  was  an  earnest  Episcopalian  and  for  many  years  one  of  the  wardens  of  the 
Church  of  the  Epiphany  in  Philadelphia.  On  removing  to  this  city,  he  attached  him- 
self to  Grace  parish.  He  was  especially  noted  for  the  interest  he  took  in  young  men; 
and  the  substantial  assistance,  which  he  rendered  to  many  at  the  outset  of  their  careers, 
was  a  conspicuous  illustration  of  his  character. 

GEORGE  S.  BOWDOIN,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  Sept.  25,  1833,  comes 
from  old  American  stock,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  George  R.  J.  Bowdoin,  a  lawyer. 
Through  the  maternal  line,  he  descends  from  Alexander  Hamilton  and  General  Philip 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BO.  105 

Schuyler,  both  soldiers  in  tire  American  Revolution,  and  through  the  paternal  line  from 
Governor  Bowdoin  of  Massachusetts.  The  late  Robert  C.  Winthrop  was  his  great 
uncle.  The  young  man  was  carefully  educated,  and  had  the  advantage  of  three  years  in 
the  scientific  course  in  Harvard  University,  His  early  business  experience  was  gained 
as  clerk  for  Aymar  &  Co.,  shipping  merchants  on  South  street.  In  1871,  he  became  a 
partner  in  the  firm  of  Morton,  Bliss  &  Co.,  bankers  of  this  city,  and  Morton,  Rose  & 
Co.,  of  London,  which  relation  he  continued  for  thirteen  years.  In  1884,  he  joined  the 
banking  house  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.,  as  a  partner,  and  he  is  also  connected  with 
Drexel  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Morgan,  Harjes  &  Co  ,  of  Paris.  Clear-headed, 
quiet  and  capable,  he  has  borne  his  share  of  the  labors  of  his  great  bank,  and  has  been 
identified  with  various  railroad  reorganizations,  especially  those  of  The  West  Shore,  The 
The  Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroads.  The  New  York 
Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Commercial  Union 
Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  the  Bank  for  Savings  have  been  glad  to  elect  him  to  their  direc- 
torates. He  is  also  a  governor  of  the  Bloomingdale  Asylum  and  The  New  York 
Hospital,  to  the  latter  of  which  he  has  given  a  good  deal  of  his  time.  By  culture, 
education  and  inherited  refinement,  Mr.  Bowdoin  is  a  man  of  attractive  manners  and 
social  temperament.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  about  twenty  clubs  and  societies, 
including  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  Union,  Knickerbocker,  Century,  Players', 
City,  Racquet,  Tuxedo  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs,  and,  by  virtue  of  lineal  descent,  of 
The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  His  wife  is  Juiia  Irving,  daughter  of  the  late 
Moses  H.  Grinnell. 

HENRY  CHANDLER  BOWEN,  proprietor  of  Tlte  New  York  Independent,  was  born 
in  Woodstock,  Conn.,  Sept.  n,  1813.  He  is  the  son  of  George  andLydiaWolcott  Eaton 
Bowen.  One  of  his  ancestors,  Henry  Bowen,  was  one  of  the  twenty -two  founders  of  the 
town  of  Woodstock.  He  was  educated  in  the  local  schools  and  the  academy  in  Dudley, 
Mass. ,  and  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  store.  When  eighteen  years  of  age  he  was 
appointed  assistant  to  his  father,  then  postmaster  of  the  village.  In  1833,  the  young  man 
came  to  New  York  by  invitation,  entered  the  employment  of  Arthur  Tappan  &  Co. ,  silk 
merchants,  and  throve  so  well  in  this  store  that  several  offers  of  partnership  were  made 
to  him.  In  1838,  Theodore  McNamee,  a  fellow  clerk,  and  he  founded  the  firm  of  Bowen 
&  McNamee,  merchants,  aided  by  a  loan  of  $25,000  from  John  Rankin,  who  became  a 
special  partner.  Mr.  Bowen  aided  in  organizing  The  Continental  Insurance  Co.,  in 
1852,  by  giving  the  names  of  nearly  forty  of  the  forty-five  original  directors.  So  many 
persons  were  anxious  to  serve  as  directors  in  that  company  that,  forthwith,  The  Home 
Insurance  Co.  was  formed,  the  corporators  and  directors  being  named  in  Mr.  Bowen's 
office,  one  of  them  being  Theodore  McNamee.  In  1848,  The  New  York  Independent  was 
founded  by  five  men,  of  whom  Mr.  Bowen  was  one.  Unprofitable  at  first,  the  property 
finally  came  into  Mr.  Bowen's  ownership,  and  he  has  been  sole  proprietor  now  for  thirty 
years  or  more.  To  this  newspaper  he  finally  devoted  his  whole  attention  and  has 
made  it  a  profitable  enterprise.  Mr.  Bowen  is  a  resident  in  Brooklyn,  but  spends  his 
summers  at  Roseland,  in  his  native  town,  has  created  the  beautiful  Roseland  Park 
there,  and  for  more  than  twenty  years  has  held  public  celebrations  of  the  Fourth  of 
July  on  the  grounds.  These  celebrations  have  become  famous,  the  most  distinguished 
men  in  the  country  gracing  them  with  their  orator}-.  Mr.  Bowen  has  expended  large 
sums  of  money  upon  the  Woodstock  Academy,  the  village  parks  and  the  churches  of 


I06  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

the  town.  He  is  a  Republican  and  a  very  capable  and  public-spirited  man.  His  first 
wife  was  a  daughter  of  Lewis  Tappan,  his  second  a  daughter  of  Hiram  Holt.  M.D.,  of 
Pomfret,  Conn.  His  children  are  Henry  Eliot,  Edward  Augustus,  Herbert  Wolcott, 
Clarence  Winthrop,  John  Eliot  and  Franklin  Davis  Bowen,  Mrs.  Mary  Louisa  Holt, 
Mrs.  Alice  Linden  Richardson,  Grace  Aspinwall,  Winthrop  Earle  and  Paul  Holt  Bowen. 
CALEB  SHITH  BRAGG,  book  publisher,  born  in  North  Sidney,  Me.,  May  24, 
1824,  died  suddenly  from  heart  disease  on  a  railroad  train,  near  Altoona,  Pa.,  March  8, 
1894.  He  was  educated  in  Waterville,  Me.,  and  in  1847  began  life  as  a  school  teacher 
in  Northern  Ohio.  In  1849,  he  accepted  an  agency  for  W.  B.  Smith  &  Co.,  school  book 
publishers  in  Cincinnati,  and  proved  so  good  a  merchant  that,  in  1855,  he  began  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account  in  Cleveland,  as  a  bookseller,  in  Ingham  &  Bragg.  In  1871, 
however,  he  removed  to  Cincinnati  and  entered  the  book  firm  of  Wilson,  Hinkle  &  Co., 
who  had  succeeded  W.  B.  Smith  &  Co.,  and  who,  in  turn,  were  succeeded  by  Van  Ant- 
werp, Bragg  &  Co.  The  latter  soon  ranked  among  the  best-known  publishers  of  school 
books  in  the  United  States.  Their  firm  were  consolidated  in  1890  with  Ivison,  Blake- 
man  &  Co.,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  and  A.  S.  Barnes  &  Co.,  under  the  title  of  The  Ameri- 
can Book  Co.  School  book  publishing  brought  Mr.  Bragg  a  fortune.  A  short  time 
before  his  death,  he  established  his  home  in  New  York,  in  order  to  serve  as  one  of  the 
managing  directors  of  The  American  Book  Co.  His  wife  was  Mary  A.  Mills,  daughter 
of  Mathew  Mills,  of  Brighton,  Canada,  and  the  children  born  to  them  were  Charles 
Froom  Bragg,  now  deceased,  and  Caius  Cobb  Bragg. 

JOHN  BRAND,  tobacco  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  was  born  Feb. 
26,  1855.  He  is  of  German  descent,  his  parents  having  come  to  America  in  1850.  Re- 
ceiving his  education  in  the  public  schools,  he  began  life  in  1873  as  clerk  for  his  father, 
a  tobacco  merchant,  in  Elmira.  In  1879,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership,  and  after  his 
father's  death,  in  1880,  rose  to  the  head  of  the  firm.  He  carried  on  the  trade  in  Elmira 
for  a  number  of  years,  but  has  lately  come  to  New  York  city  to  live,  although  retaining 
his  factory  in  Elmira.  An  enterprising  man,  he  has  invested  his  earnings  in  properties 
in  Elmira,  Buffalo,  New  York  city,  and  Colorado.  By  his  marriage  with  Clara  E. 
Woodruff,  in  1879,  he  has  three  children,  John  Herbert,  Charles  George  and  Walter 
Henry  Brand.  His  clubs  are  the  Elmira  City  and  Century. 

BENJAMIN  BRANDRETH,  manufacturer  of  medicines,  born  near  Leeds,  Eng- 
land, June  22,  1808,  died  Feb.  19,  1880,  in  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.  His  father,  a  musician 
of  reputation,  having  been  converted  to  the  faith  of  the  Friends,  abandoned  his  profes- 
sion for  a  mercantile  life.  Of  his  six  children,  two  sons  and  four  daughters,  Benjamin, 
the  youngest,  was  born  after  his  father's  death.  At  an  early  age,  Benjamin  was  taken 
under  the  care  of  his  grandfather,  William  Brandreth,  with  whom  he  studied  medicine, 
subsequently  succeeding  him  in  business  at  Leeds  in  making  medicines.  In  1827,  he 
was  married  to  Harriet  Smallpage,  and  had  three  children.  He  came  with  his  family 
to  New  York  in  1835.  His  first  wife  dying  in  1836,  he  married  Virginia  Graham  of 
New  York  city  in  the  following  year.  To  them  were  born  ten  children.  In  May,  1835, 
Mr.  Brandreth  opened  an  office  in  Hudson  street.  The  buildings  there  soon  proved 
too  small  for  the  business,  resulting  in  a  removal  of  the  factory  to  Sing  Sing  in  1837, 
where  it  has  been  conducted  ever  since.  After  coming  to  this  country,  he  was  gradu- 
ated from  the  Eclectic  Medical  College  of  this  city.  In  1857,  he  built  the  Brandreth 
House  at  the  corner  of  Canal  street  and  Broadway,  his  office  being  then  established  in 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  IO7 

this  building.  The  secret  of  the  enormous  sale  of  the  Brandreth  medicines  lay  in  the 
fact  that  during  the  first  fifteen  years  or  more,  he  expended  almost  his  entire  profits  of 
$1 50,000  a  year  in  advertising.  In  politics,  a  Democrat,  Dr.  Brandreth  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate  in  1849  and  served  four  years.  He  was  frequently  a  delegate  to  the  con- 
ventions of  his  party.  In  private  life  he  had  many  friends.  He  distributed  his  wealth 
liberally  in  acts  of  charity,  especially  among  the  families  of  his  own  employes. 

JAMES  CARSON  BREVOORT,  civil  engineer  and  man  of  letters,  bcm  in  Bloom- 
ingdale,  New  York  city,  July  10,  1818,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  7,  1887.  He 
descended  from  Elias  Brevoort,  one  of  the  early  land  proprietors  of  the  Island  of  Man- 
hattan, and  was  a  son  of  Henry  Brevoort,  who  received  his  mercantile  training  under 
the  original  John  Jacob  Astor,  to  whom  he  was  apprenticed  as  a  boy.  From  his  father, 
Tames  C.  Brevoort  inherited  a  large  property  in  real  estate.  The  young  man  received 
an  excellent  education,  obtaining  his  diploma  as  a  civil  engineer  from  the  Ecole  Cen- 
trale  of  Arts  and  Manufactures  in  Paris.  He  was  employed  for  a  time  on  the  North- 
eastern boundary  survey  under  his  uncle  Professor  James  Renwick,  and  in  1838,  went 
abroad  as  private  secretary  to  Washington  Irving,  then  M inister  to  Spain.  After  serving 
a  year  at  Madrid,  he  devoted  himself  for  a  while  to  European  travel.  Returning,  he 
married,  in  1845,  the  only  daughter  of  Judge  Leffert  Lefferts,  whose  homestead  com- 
prised a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  Bedford  section  of  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Brevoort  there- 
after made  his  home  in  the  old  Lefferts  mansion  in  Brooklyn,  in  which  city  he  served 
in  the  Board  of  Education  and  in  the  Water  Commission,  when  the  Brooklyn  Water 
Works  were  constructed.  He  was  president  of  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society 
1863-73  and  1876-78,  superintendent  of  the  Astor  Library  in  New  York,  as  well  as  a  Re- 
gent of  The  L'niversity  of  the  State  of  New  York,  a  member  of  The  New  York  Histor- 
ical Society,  The  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  and  of  The  American  Geographical 
Society,  and  numerous  other  associations.  In  1863,  Williams  College  conferred  on 
him  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  He  wrote  much  on  history,  fish,  bugs,  and  coins,  and  had 
perhaps  the  finest  private  library  in  Brooklyn,  containing  about  100,000  volumes,  some 
of  which  he  had  inherited  from  his  father.  His  collections  in  entomology  and  ichthy- 
ology are  now  owned  by  public  institutions.  He  left  a  son,  an  engineer,  who  married 
a  daughter  of  John  Lefferts  of  Flatbush,  L.  I. 

HENRY  BREWSTER,  carriage  maker,  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  May  19,  1824, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Sept.  20,  1887.  He  came  from  old  New  England  stock, 
being  a  descendant  of  Elder  Brewster,  of  the  Mayflower.  His  father,  James  Brewster, 
a  carriage  maker  of  New  Haven,  trained  his  boys  to  the  trade,  and  took  Henry  and 
James  into  the  firm  of  James  Brewster  &  Sons.  Henry  was  finally  sent  to  New  York 
to  manage  the  sales  of  the  firm  in  this  locality,  a  factory  being  established  in  Bridge- 
port, Conn.  The  young  man  started  in  business  for  himself  in  1856,  with  partners,  as 
Brewster  &  Co.,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  construction  of  fine  carriages.  The  firm 
soon  became  the  largest  of  their  class  in  the  world.  At  the  Paris  Exposition,  Mr. 
Brewster  won  the  gold  medal  arid  the  cross  of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  on  his  return 
to  New  York  was  presented  with  a  testimonial  from  the  carriage  makers  of  the  United 
States.  One  of  the  organizers  of  The  Union  Leage  club,  he  stoutly  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  Union  during  the  Civil  War.  At  the  time  of  the  draft  riots,  he  hoisted  a  flag  on 
his  building,  and  armed  his  workmen  to  prevent  the  mob  from  tearing  it  down.  His  life 
was  threatened,  but  he  never  flinched.  He  was  a  charming  companion  in  private  life. 


I08  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

CALVIN  STEWART  BRICE,  lawyer  and  statesman,  a  progressive  and  energetic 
man  in  private  life  and  one  of  the  most  able  Democrats  of  the  United  States  Senate,  was 
born  in  Denmark,  Ohio,  Sept.  17,  1845.  His  father,  William  Kirkpatrick  Brice,  was  a 
Presbyterian  minister;  his  mother,  Elizabeth  Stewart  Brice,  was  a  woman  of  good 
mind,  eminent  for  the  graces  and  charms  of  her  personal  character.  The  family  re- 
moved to  Columbus  Grove  in  Putnam  county,  Ohio,  in  .1848. 

Great  pains  were  taken  with  the  education  of  young  Calvin  during  his  early  life, 
and  he  not  only  enjoyed  the  inestimable  advantage  of  being  reared  under  the  care  of 
loving,  superior  and  devoted  parents,  but  received  the  benefit  of  the  scholarly 
tuition  of  his  father  until  1858.  At  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  the  prepara- 
tory department  of  Miami  University  at  Oxford,  O. ,  to  receive  a  higher  education. 

In  April,  1861,  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  the  young  man,  inspired  with  the 
generous  sentiments,  which  actuated  the  flower  of  the  youth  of  the  North,  enlisted  in 
Captain  Dodd's  University  Company,  and  was  stationed  with  his  associates  at  Camp 
Jackson  in  the  city  of  Columbus,  the  capital  of  the  State.  Returning  to  college  in  the 
fall,  he  again  enlisted  in  April,  1862,  and  joined  a  university  organization  under  the 
command  of  Captain  McFarland,  which  became  Co.  A,  of  the  86th  Ohio  Infantry.  The 
summer  of  that  year  was  spent  in  campaigning  in  West  Virginia. 

Later,  Mr.  Brice  resumed  the  college  course,  thus  interrupted  by  patriotic  labors, 
and  graduated  from  Miami  University  in  June,  1863.  He  ranked  high  as  a  student 
and  made  himself  conspicuous  in  his  class  for  extensive  reading  of  general  literature. 
A  voracious  reader  of  the  best  books,  his  mind  had  become  richly  stored  with  the 
thoughts  and  philosophy  of  famous  writers  before  he  had  fairly  entered  upon  his  dis- 
tinguished and  successful  business  career. 

After  graduation,  the  young  soldier  and  scholar  removed  to  Lima,  O  ,  and  taught 
for  several  months  in  the  public  schools,  finding  employment  thereafter  as  clerk  in  the 
office  of  the  Auditor  of  Allen  county. 

In  July,  1864,  Mr.  Brice  again  went  to  the  front  to  uphold  the  cause  of  the  Union. 
He  re-entered  the  Federal  service  in  a  company  of  Union  volunteers,  recruited  by  him- 
self, and  received  a  commission  as  captain  of  Co.  E,  iSoth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  served  in 
the  field  in  the  23d  Army  Corps,  in  Tennessee,  Virginia,  Carolina  and  Georgia,  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  appointed  Lieutenant  Colonel,  but  not  mustered  in. 

In  the  fall  of  1865,  he  attended  lectures  in  the  Law  School  of  the  University  of 
Michigan  at  Ann  Arbor.  Admitted  to  the  bar  in  the  spring  of  1866,  and  to  practice  in 
United  States  courts,  he  immediately  formed  a  partnership  with  James  Irvine,  under 
the  name  of  Irvine  &  Brice,  in  Lima,  O.,  and  for  ten  or  twelve  years  was  actively 
engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  The  partners  became  noted  for  high  charac- 
ter, ability  and  thoroughness,  and  their  devotion  to  their  clients  led  to  a  large  and  suc- 
cessful practice,  which  brought  to  them  both  a  good  living  and  a  moderate  surplus  besides. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  Mr.  Brice  became  interested  in  traffic  enterprises; 
and  by  the  success  which  attended  his  skillful  management  of  their  business,  he  was 
gradually  led  away  from  the  law  into  the  realm  of  practical  affairs.  His  first  railroad 
experience  was  gained  in  the  legal  department  of  the  old  Lake  Erie  &  Louisville  Rail- 
road, with  which  he  had  accepted  a  connection.  He  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
work  of  the  company,  acquired  by  purchase  a  moderate  amount  of  its  stock,  and 
played  an  energetic  part  in  constructing  extensions  of  the  road.  Through  the  efforts  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  109 

himself  and  associates,  the  property  was  greatly  developed.  His  success  in  this  enter- 
prise led  Mr.  Brice  and  his  associates  to  enter  upon  the  construction  of  The  Nickel 
Plate  Railroad,  an  enterprise  which  grew  out  of  the  refusal  of  The  Lake  Shore  &  Mich- 
igan Southern  Railroad  to  make  satisfactory  arrangements  for  taking  care  of  the  traffic 
delivered  to  it  by  The  Lake  Erie  &  Western.  The  construction  and  subsequent  sale 
of  The  Nickel  Plate  is  generally  supposed  to  be  the  dividing  line  between  his  status  as 
a  comparatively  poor  man  and  his  later  career  as  a  man  of  extensive  means  and  large 
investments.  With  a  capital  which  capable  and  energetic  management  had  now 
brought  to  him,  he  engaged  more  largely  in  traffic  enterprises.  His  reputation  and 
notable  skill  resulted  in  Mr.  Brice  being  called  into  a  share  of  the  management  of  all 
the  important  lines  with  which  he  formed  a  connection.  Railroads  in  the  region  between 
the  Gulf  and  the  Ohio  claimed  a  part  of  his  attention,  and  he  was  an  active  spirit  in 
developing  the  lines  of  transportation  of  the  New  South.  He  has  been  a  director  in 
late  years  of  The"  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  Railway,  The  Mobile  &  Bir- 
mingham Railroad,  The  Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroad,  The  Lake  Erie  &  Western 
Railroad,  The  Duluth,  South  Shore  &  Atlantic  Railway,  The  Knoxville  &  Ohio  Rail- 
road, The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  and  of  other  corporations.  He  is  now  chairman 
of  the  Union  Pacific  Reorganization  Committee. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Brice  is  an  enthusiastic  Democrat,  and  has  long  been  known  as  one 
of  the  most  capable,  safe,  conservative  and  energetic  leaders  of  his  party.  He  served 
on  the  Tilden  electoral  ticket  in  1876  and  the  Cleveland  electoral  ticket  in  1884.  A 
delegate-at-large  from  Ohio  to  the  Democratic  National  Convention  in  St.  Louis  in 
1 888,  he  was  then  selected  to  represent  Ohio  on  the  National  Committee  in  the  ensuing 
campaign.  As  Chairman  of  the  Campaign  Committee  he  conducted  the  National  cam- 
paign of  1888.  Upon  the  death  of  William  H.  Barnum,  in  1889,  he  was  elected  chair- 
man of  the  National  Democratic  Committee.  He  was  delegate-at-large  and  chairman 
of  the  delegation  from  Ohio  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention  in  1892. 

In  January,  1890,  Mr.  Brice  was  elected  Senator  from  Ohio  for  the  term  beginning 
March  4,  1891.  In  this  exalted  position,  he  has  wielded  a  large  influence  among  his 
political  associates.  His  advice  is  sought  on  all  important  questions  and  is  always 
judicious,  being  the  result  of  a  long  experience  in  practical  affairs,  a  penetrating  mind, 
extended  reading,  and  a  cautious  and  conservative  temperament.  His  service  has  been 
mainly  upon  the  Committees  on  Appropriations,  Pensions,  Public  Buildings  and 
Grounds,  and  Pacific  Railroads,  being  chairman  of  the  latter.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  "  Steering  Committee"  of  his  party  in  the  Senate. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Brice  was  married  to  Catherine  Olivia  Meily,  and  gained  thereby  a 
charming,  judicious  and  valuable  companionship  for  life.  Mrs.  Brice  is  a  woman  of  great 
culture  and  literary  ability  and  a  delightful  hostess.  She  has  devoted  herself  to  the 
education  of  their  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  all  of  whom  have  assisted 
her  in  a  busy  social  life  in  Washington  as  well  as  in  Ohio,  New  York  and  Newport. 

Mr.  Brice  is  a  man  of  fine  personal  presence,  straight  and  commanding,  his  hair 
and  beard  in  early  life  quite  red  and  later  a  dark  brown,  framing  a  face  expressive  of 
keen  intelligence,  dignity  and  good  nature.  Slightly  reserved  in  manner  and  careful 
in  speech,  he  is  nevertheless  an  agreeable  associate  in  private  life,  and  an  attractive 
figure  at  public  dinners ;  and  he  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  all  the  prominent 
chibs  in  Ohio  and  many  elsewhere,  including  the  Manhattan  (the  leading  Democratic 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — BR.  Ill 

social  organization),  the  Lawyers',  Riding,  and  Whist  clubs  of  New  York  city.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  The  Ohio  Society  of  this  city  and  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon  club. 

ELBERT  ADRAIN  BRINCKERHOFF,  manufacturer,  born  in  Jamaica  on  Long 
Island,  Nov.  29,  1838,  is  the  son  of  John  N.  Brinckerhoff,  principal  of  Union  Hall 
Academy  there  from  1837  to  1865,  and  grandson  of  Robert  Adrain,  LL.D.,  a  distin- 
guished mathematician.  His  ancestry  is  traced  back  to  the  landing  of  the  early  Dutch 
settlers  in  New  Amsterdam  in  1638.  Elbert  graduated  from  the  academy,  of  which  his 
father  was  principal,  and  had  turned  his  face  toward  college,  when  an  opportunity 
offered  for  a  voyage  around  the  world  in  a  sailing  vessel.  In  January,  1855,  he  sailed 
from  New  York  for  San  Francisco.  The  unexpected  charter  of  the  vessel  in  San  Fran- 
cisco for  New  York,  instead  of  China,  changed  his  plans.  Accepting  an  offer  from  a 
commercial  house  in  San  Francisco,  he  entered  upon  his  work  and  remained  in  that  city 
from  April,  1855,  to  August,  1860,  when  he  returned  home  for  a  visit.  Consideration 
of  the  long  distance  from  his  parents,  determined  him  to  secure  a  position  in  New  York ; 
and  in  November,  1861,  he  was  employed  as  bookkeeper  and  cashier  by  the  firm  of  Fox 
&  Polhemus,  then  the  leading  commission  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  cotton 
duck  in  the  city.  In  1865  he  became  a  partner  in  the  house,  and  a  few  years  later, 
owing  to  deaths  and  retirement,  the  senior  partner.  Since  1870,  the  house  has  been 
known  as  Brinckerhoff,  Turner  &  Co.  After  more  than  twenty-five  years  in  the  manu- 
facturing and  selling  of  cotton  duck,  he  retired,  in  1887  from  an  active  interest,  with- 
drawing entirely  in  1890.  In  1869  he  married  Emily  A.,  daughter  of  the  late  Colonel 
Washington  R.  Vermilye.  Their  children  are  Emily  Vermilye,  now  Mrs.  Frederick  S. 
Duncan;  Mary  E.,  now  Mrs.  James  D.  Armstrong;  Elbert  A.  Brinckerhoff,  jr.,  and 
four  younger  daughters.  The  family  live  in  Englewood,  N.  J.,  but  business  interests 
call  Mr.  Brinckerhoff  daily  to  the  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Nicholas  and  Hol- 
land Societies  and  the  Down  Town  and  Presbyterian  clubs;  vice-president  of  The 
American  Bible  Society  and  The  Merchants'  National  Bank;  treasurer  of  The  Presby- 
terian Hospital ;  and  trustee  of  The  American  Seamen's  Friend  Society. 

ISAAC  VAIL  BROKAW,  merchant,  was  born  near  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  Nov. 
-',•  J835.  His  ancestors  were  French  Huguenots,  who  settled  in  New  Jersey  afc  an 
early  date,  the  first  one  to  come  to  this  country  being  Bourgon  Broucard,  who,  with  his 
wife,  Catherine  Le  Febre,  landed  in  1675  Mr.  Broucard  with  a  few  others  established 
the  first  French  Protestant  Church  in  New  York.  The  name  was  changed  in  process 
of  time  to  Brokaw.  On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Brokaw  came  from  the  well-known  and 
highly  esteemed  Vail  family  of  Quakers,  of  New  Jersey,  William  Vail  the  most  promi- 
nent. The  young  man  received  his  education  in  New  Brunswick.  Being  of  an  ambi- 
tious temperament,  he  decided  at  an  early  age  to  enter  upon  a  business  career  in  New 
York  city.  He  first  found  employment  as  clerk  in  the  well-known  house  of  Wilson 
G.  Hunt  &  Co.,  at  that  time  considered  the  leading  cloth  importers  in  this  country. 
By  faithful  and  diligent  service,  Mr.  Brokaw  so  won  their  esteem  and  confidence,  that, 
at  the  end  of  a  short  time,  he  was  entrusted  with  the  keys  to  the  store  containing  goods 
valued  at  a  million  dollars  and  over.  By  application  and  careful  study  of  their  texture, 
he  became  an  expert  in  the  handling  of  woolens;  and  then,  recognizing  the  fact  that 
his  opportunity  for  rapid  advancement  was  limited,  owing  to  the  large  number  of  clerks 
employed  older  than  himself,  he  formed  the  plan  of  starting  in  business  on  his  own 
account.  Accordingly,  with  the  advice  of  his  kind  friend,  Wilson  G.  Hunt,  he  formed 


H2  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

a  partnership  and  began  a  clothing  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Dunham  &  Brokaw. 
This  business  was  most  successfully  carried  on  from  1856  to  1861,  when  Mr.  Dunham 
retired,  and  Mr.  Brokaw  continued  the  business  under  his  own  name.  In  1866  he 
admitted  to  partnership  his  brother,  William  Vail  Brokaw,  thereafter  adopting  the 
name  of  Brokaw  Bro's.  The  business  has  been  highly  successful  down  to  the  present 
time.  No  firm  are  more  highly  esteemed  in  the  United  States,  no  trade  better 
managed. 

Mr.  Brokaw  considers  his  success  due  to  the  fact  that  his  business  has  been  most 
diligently  conducted,  that  the  goods  purchased  have  been  of  the  best  quality,  and  the 
productions  of  the  firm  constructed  with  the  greatest  possible  care  and  attention.  He 
believes  that  the  great  success  of  any  undertaking  is  accomplished  by  the  greatest 
energy  and  most  eternal  vigilance  as  to  details. 

In  political  faith  Mr.  Brokaw  has  always  been  a  staunch  Republican.  He  has 
always  preferred  service  in  the  ranks,  however,  and  although  well  fitted  by  character 
and  ability  for  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  he  has  firmly  declined  several  which  have 
been  offered  to  him.  Other  positions  of  prominence  and  places  upon  boards  have  also 
been  refused  by  him,  because  he  has  always  preferred  to  devote  his  time  and  attention 
to  carrying  on  his  own  particular  business.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club 
and  of  The  Huguenot  Society  of  America,  and  was  for  many  years  an  officer  in  the  late 
Dr.  Howard  Crosby's  Church,  which  he  attended  for  many  years.  Mr.  Brokaw, 
although  not  having  held  any  political  office,  nevertheless  has  always  taken  the  keenest 
interest  in  public  affairs  and  municipal  government,  and  has  allied  himself  with  the 
side  of  truth,  justice  and  honest  government  at  all  times.  He  is  a  firm  believer  in 
charities  and  religious  work,  many  institutions  owing  their  origin  and  advancement 
to  support  received  at  his  hands.  The  Bethany  Mission  of  Dr.  Kittredge's  church  and 
the  Brokaw  Memorial  at  Princeton  are  examples  of  his  generosity. 

HENRY  D.  BROOKMAN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Bucksport,  Me.,  died  in  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  Feb.  19,  1895.  Bucksport  is  a  shipping  town,  and  Jwr.  Brookman's  father  was 
a  merchant.  The  youth  was  led  naturally  into  nautical  and  mercantile  enterprises, 
and*  after  an  experience  in  his  native  place  and  in  Boston,  he  came  to  New  York  in 
1848  to  open  an  office  as  a  shipping  and  ship  chandlery  merchant.  Having  been  joined 
by  his  brother  John,  the  two  men  formed  the  firm  of  H.  D.  &  John  U.  Brookman,  in 
1851,  and  for  twenty-three  years  carried  on  a  thriving  business.  They  became  large 
owners  of  vessels.  The  Civil  War  gave  a  rude  shock  to  the  maritime  interests  of 
America,  and  in  1864,  the  brothers  went  out  of  business.  But  both  had  gained  fortunes, 
which  they  increased  afterward  by  investment.  He  married  Marion,  daughter  of  John 
N.  Prentice,  warehouseman,  and  left  three  children,  Henry  Prentice  Brookman,  Mrs. 
Amory  Carhart  and  Mrs.  Philip  Niles. 

JOHN  ULHORE  BROOKHAN,  shipping  merchant,  was  born  in  Bucksport,  Me., 
Nov.  25,  1830.  His  father,  a  Prussian  by  birth,  settled  in  America  about  1800.  His. 
mother  came  from  an  old  colonial  family.  His  education  was  finished  at  Wesleyan 
Seminary  in  Kent's  Hill,  Me.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  began  life  as  clerk  for  his. 
brother  Henry,  commission  and  ship  chandlery  merchant.  In  1851,  John  was  admitted 
to  partnership  in  H.  D.  Brookman  &  Co.,  the  style  being  changed  in  1856  to  H.  D. 
&  John  U.  Brookman.  The  brothers  worked  hard,  gradually  gained  large  interests  in 
vessels  and  derived  large  profits,  both  from  their  store  and  in  freighting  cargoes. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  113 

between  the  continents  of  the  world.  In  1 864,  the  firm  dissolved,  selling  their  vessels 
as  rapidly  as  possible.  Since  then,  Mr.  Brookman  has  transferred  his  interests  mainly 
to  railroads  and  real  estate.  He  is  a  capable,  clear  headed  and  successful  man.  At 
one  time,  he  served  in  the  directorates  of  The  Evansville  &  Terra  Haute,  The  Chicago 
&  Eastern  Illinois,  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  and  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroads, 
but  retired  therefrom  when  he  sold  his  stock.  At  present,  he  operates  mainly  in  real 
estate  and  is  aiding  in  the  development  of  Tacoma,  Wash.  His  wife,  whom  he  married 
in  1856,  is  Sarah,  daughter  of  Colonel  Rowland  Carlton  of  Sedgwick,  Me. 

CLARENCE  BROOKS,  varnish  manufacturer,  born  in  this  city,  Aug,  27,  1826,  died 
in  New  York,  March  25,  1891.  His  father  was  James  Brooks,  leather  merchant,  and 
his  grandfather,  an  emigrant  from  England,  is  reputed  to  have  introduced  the  art  of 
tanning  leather  into  this  country.  Clarence  gained  his  education  at  Hubbs  &  Clark's 
High  School  in  4th  street,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight  engaged  in  business  with 
Tilden  &  Blodgett,  varnish  manufacturers.  Having  mastered  the  mysteries  of  the 
craft,  and  feeling  competent  to  conduct  business  on  his  own  account,  he  established  in 
1859  the  firm  of  Brooks  &  Fitzgerald,  afterward  known  as  Clarence  Brooks  &  Co., 
which  latter  name  is  yet  retained.  He  was  for  upwards  of  forty  years  successfully 
engaged  in  this  industry,  and  was  always  held  in  the  highest  regard.  The  factory 
stood  at  the  corner  of  West  and  West  i2th  streets.  He  was  married  Feb.  22,  1849,  to 
Maria  Louisa,  daughter  of  Jacob  Bogert,  and  their  two  children  are  Ella  Louise,  wife 
of  N.  W.  Anthony,  and  Warren  Ward  Brooks. 

ELISHA  BROOKS,  merchant,  born  in  Rye,  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  June  15, 
1815,  died  in  New  York,  Oct.  26,  1876.  He  was  the  son  of  Henry  S.  Brooks,  clothing 
merchant,  who  founded  in  1818  the  great  business,  afterward  carried  on  by  Brooks 
Bro's.  Elisha  gained  a  sufficient  education  in  the  public  schools,  and  in  1830  entered 
his  father's  store  as  clerk.  He  received  a  rigid  business  training,  and  being  of  the  stuff 
from  which  great  merchants  are  made,  he  proved  so  efficient  that  he  became  a  partner 
in  1833.  After  the  death  of  the  senior  Brooks,  the  business  was  continued  by  his  five 
sons.  Elisha  represented  the  firm  in  financial  matters  and  consequently  became  director 
and  trustee  in  several  banks,  fire  and  life  insurance  companies,  and  other  corporations. 
During  the  Civil  War  his  firm  filled  large  contracts  for  army  clothing  and  made  large 
profits.  Two  sons  and  four  daughters  survived  him.  He  was  a  man  of  attractive  and 
genial  manners,  unswervingly  faithful,  his  word  as  good  as  his  bond,  public  spirited,  a 
stout  Union  man  and  a  good  citizen. 

JOHN  HAHIL  BROWER,  merchant,  born  on  Gold  street  in  Brooklyn,  Aug.  12, 
1801,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  15,  1881.  He  came  from  an  old  Dutch  family,  be- 
ing a  descendant  of  Jacob  Brower.  and  Amantie  Bogardus,  the  latter  a  grand  daughter 
of  Aneke  Jans  Bogardus  His  father,  Adolphus  Brower,  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
ropemaker,  married  Elizabeth  Baker,  and  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  John  left  school 
at  the  age  of  twelve  to  become  the  clerk  of  Augustus  Wyncoop,  a  large  grocer  and  gen- 
eral merchant;  and  by  strict,  enterprising  and  unremitting  attention  to  duty,  he  ad- 
vanced from  position  to  position  until  he  became  Mr.  Wyncoop's  confidential  manager 
and  finally  his  partner.  Upon  Mr.  Wyncoop's  death,  the  house  was  reorganized  as 
Arthur  &  Brower.  From  about  1840,  Mr.  Brower  managed  the  business  alone  and 
after  1844,  under  the  name  of  Brower  &  Neilson.  In  1848,  with  his  son-in-law,  Benj.  B. 
Blydenburgh,  he  formed  the  firm  of  J.  H.  Brower  &  Co.  At  first,  a  grocer  and  mer- 


ii4  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

chant  in  the  West  India  trade,  he  extended  his  operations  to  insurance,  commission  and 
ship  owning.  The  New  York  &  Texas  packet  line  was  his  venture  and,  at  one  time, 
fifteen  vessels  belonged  to  him  and  traded  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  His  ship  Harvey 
Birch,  named  after  the  noted  spy  of  the  American  Revolution,  was  the  first  vessel  cap- 
tured and  destroyed  by  the  Confederates  during  the  Civil  War.  Almost  the  first  mer- 
chant in  the  trade  with  Texas,  he  became  the  largest,  and  developed  that  field  of  com- 
merce by  his  advice  and  operations.  He  was  at  one  time  Consul  for  Texas  in  the 
United  States  and  among  the  first  to  extend  credit  to  the  business  men  of  that  region 
after  annexation  to  this  country.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  the  oldest  merchant 
in  the  cotton  trade  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Cotton  Exchange.  During  his 
earlier  life,  he  helped  .organize  the  ;th  regiment  of  this  city  and  held  a  captain's  com- 
mission. While  previously  a  director  of  The  City  Bank,  The  Bank  of  the  Republic  and 
The  Commercial  and  The  Union  Mutual  Insurance  Go's,  he  resigned  from  these  boards 
several  years  before  his  death  and  retained  a  place  on  the  board  of  The  American  Fire 
Insurance  Co.  only.  He  was  universally  respected  for  his  intelligence,  high  character 
and  abilities.  His  wife,  Ann  S.,  daughter  of  George  Duryee,  died  before  him.  Eight 
children  were  born  to  them,  Mary  E.,  now  deceased,  wife  of  Benjamin  B  Blydenburgh; 
Elizabeth  B.,  wife  of  Morgan  L.  Smith;  Annie  B.,  wife  of  Mason  B.  Browning;  Maria 
P.,  wife  of  George  W.  McNeel;  Susan  R.,  wife  of  Joseph  R.  Pierson;  Amanda  E.,  wife 
of  Thomas  B.  Hewitt;  Kate  M.,  who  died  in  1863;  and  Morgan  L.  S.  Brower,  who 
died  in  1864  at  the  age  of  about  thirty. 

JAMES    BROWN,   banker,   born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,   in  February,  1791, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  i,  1877.     He  was  the  youngest  son  of  Alexander  Brown, 
linen  merchant,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1798,  and  established  a  linen  store  in  Bal- 
timore and  afterward  a  famous  bank.     The  parent  house  of  Alexander  Brown  &  Sons 
having  resolved  to  put  forth  branches  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  James  was  sent  to 
New  York  in  1825  to  establish  the  house  now  known  as  Brown  Bro's  &  Co.     While 
their  father  lived,  all  the  Brown  brothers  frequently  resorted  to  Baltimore  for  advice 
and  consultation.     James  Brown  became  one  of  the  representative  bankers  of  New 
York.     In  the  panic  of  1837,  the  English  branch  of  the  firm  was  able  to  secure  a  loan 
of  $10,000,000  from  the  Bank  of  England,  which  enabled  the  local  firm  to  weather  th 
financial  storm  without  suspension,  and  placed  them  in  the  front  rank  of  the  banke 
of  the  world.     The  house  has  branches  in  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia  in  this  country, 
under  different  names,  and  in  England  under  the  name  of  Brown,  Shipley  &  Co.     Fo: 
fifty  years  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  Mr.  Brown  was  at  the  time  of  hi 
death  the  third  oldest  member,  his  seniors  being  Wm.  F.  Gary  and  Caleb  Barstow 
His  first  wife  was  Louisa,  the  daughter  of   Rev.    Joel    Benedict,    of  Plainfield,  Conn 
Their  three  daughters  were  Mrs.  Alexander  Brown,  of  Richmond  Hill,    England,  Mrs 
Howard  Potter,  and  Mrs.   James  Cooper  Lord.     From  his  second  marriage,  to  Eliz; 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Coe,  of  Troy,   two   children  were  born,  John  Crosby,  am 
George  H.  Brown,  both  of  whom  became  members  of  their  father's  bank.     One  othe 
son,  Clarence  S.  Brown,  died  early  in  life.     Mr.  Brown  was  noted  for  public  spirit  an 
benevolence,  and  for  a  desire  to  avoid  having  his  good  deeds  brought  into  public  notic 
His  disposition  was  frank,  generous  and  charitable. 

JAMES  flUNC ASTER  BROWN,  banker,  born  in  Baltimore,   Md.,   Dec.   8,   1820 
died   at    Manchester,    Vt.,  July  19,    1890.      He  was  of  Irish  descent,   and  a  son  o: 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  115 

Stewart  Brown,  well  known  in  Baltimore  in  former  years.  When  a  young  man,  he 
entered  the  bank  of  Alexander  Brown  &  Sons  of  Baltimore,  remaining  with  the  firm 
until  1844,  when  he  came  to  New  York  to  join  the  firm  of  Brown  Bro's  &  Co.,  here. 
He  was  identified  with  this  great  firm  the  remainder  of  his  life,  being  at  his  death  the 
senior  partner,  and  always  active  in  the  management.  Mr.  Brown  lent  his  energies 
and  influence  in  a  marked  degree  to  the  furtherance  of  benevolent  and  Christian  insti- 
tutions in  this  city,  and  was  president  of  The  New  York  Hospital  and  vice-president  of 
The  American  Bible  Society.  He  supported  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty 
to  Animals,  and  succeeded  Henry  Bergh  as  its  president.  An  earnest  advocate  and 
supporter  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  he  also  promoted  other  charitable 
organizations.  A  sturdy,  judicious,  sound  man,  he  was  for  many  years  president  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  an  election  to  that  office  being  the  highest  compliment  the 
merchants  of  this  town  can  bestow.  He  never  held  public  office,  but  took  part  in  a 
quiet  way  in  movements  to  promote  municipal  reform.  By  his  marriage  with  Julia  E. , 
daughter  of  the  late  Waldron  B.  Post,  he  had  four  children,  Waldron  P.  Brown;  Ellen 
Whipple  Brown;  Julia  Elizabeth,  who  married  James  Taylor  Soiitter;  and  Mrs.  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Anson  W.  Hard. 

JOHN  L.  BROWN,  contractor,  born  in  Vermont  in  1805,  died  in  New  York,  March 
29,  1875.  A  poor  boy,  he  was  obliged  to  go  to  work,  with  scanty  education,  early  in 
life,  as  a  blacksmith.  But  brains,  good  character  and  perseverance  enabled  him  to 
make  his  way  as  well  as  many  of  the  collegians.  He  came  to  New  York  about  1845, 
and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  platform  and  other  scales  for  weighing.  He  subse- 
quently undertook  construction  work,  and  pushed  ahead  until  he  ranked  as  one  of  the 
largest  contractors  of  New  York  city.  For  a  time  partner  of  Charles  Guidet,  he  helped 
build  a  portion  of  the  Brooklyn  Water  Works.  In  1863,  in  company  with  William 
Devoe  and  Shepherd  L.  Knapp,  Mr.  Brown  obtained  a  contract  to  clean  the  streets  of 
New  York  city  for  ten  years.  A  year  later,  the  contract  was  sold  to  Judge  Whiting, 
who,  in  turn,  sold  it  three  years  later  to  Mr.  Brown,  who  held  it  until  1872,  and  then 
disposed  of  it  to  the  Police  Commission.  In  1868,  he  contracted  to  grade  Central 
Avenue  from  Macomb's  dam  to  the  Yonkers  township  line,  and  accomplished  the  work 
in  two  }-ears.  He  built  the  high  service  tower  at  High  Bridge,  which  is  employed 
to  pump  Croton  water  to  the  elevated  parts  of  the  city,  and  also  contracted  for  laying 
the  water  mains,  six  feet  in  diameter,  from  92d  street  for  a  long  distance  towards  High 
Bridge.  When  The  Long  Island  Bridge  Co.  was  formed,  with  a  view  to  bridge  the 
East  River  at  the  lower  end  of  Blackwell's  Island,  he  was  made  its  president.  He 
retired  from  active  business  in  1872.  A  son  was  his  only  child. 

WALSTON  HILL  BROWN,  contractor  and  banker,  born  in  Cincinnati,  O.,  June 
6,  1842,  is  a  son  of  Augustus  J.  Brown,  lawyer,  who  removed  from  Bangor,  Me.,  to 
Cincinnati  and  became  a  partner  there  of  General  Nat.  McLean  for  many  years,  remov- 
ing in  1852  with  his  family  to  New  York.  Walston  graduated  from  Columbia  College 
in  1864,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1868.  He  never  practiced,  however.  In  1869, 
his  father  and  he  founded  the  banking  firm  of  Augustus  J.  Brown  &  Co.,  in  New  York, 
succeeded  in  1877  by  Walston  H.  Brown  &  Co.  This  house  is  yet  in  existence.  Early 
in  his  career,  Mr.  Brown  was  drawn  into  railroad  building  as  a  contractor.  As  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Merriam  &  Brown,  he  aided  in  building  in  1870  The  Sioux  City  &  St. 
Paul  Railroad,  and  was  a  member  of  a  committee  comprising  David  Dows,  H .  H.  Por- 


'    rltrt*nA<w^/ 

^  h 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  117 

ter  and  himself  to  reorganize  The  West  Wisconsin  Railroad  and  create  the  present 
Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis  &  Omaha  Railroad  system.  He  was  a  member  of 
Brown,  Howard  &  Co.,  who  built  the  reorganized  and  extended  Lake  Erie  &  Western, 
The  Toledo  &  Ohio  Central,  The  Peoria,  Decatur  &  Evansville,  The  Buffalo,  Rochester 
&  Pitsburgh,  The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis,  and  The  Duluth,  South  Shore  & 
Atlantic  Railroads.  In  the  firm  of  Brown,  Thomas  &  Co.,  in  which  General  Samuel 
Thomas  is  a  partner,  which  in  1887  succeeded  Brown,  Howard  &  Co.,  he  took  a  contract 
from  the  corporation  of  New  York  to  construct  one  half  the  Croton  Aqueduct  for  over 
$12,000,000.  He  was  secretary  of  The  Sioux  City  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  for  several 
vears,  managing  director  of  The  Ohio  Central  for  two  years,  and  receiver  and  president 
of  The  Cincinnati,  Jackson  &  Mackinaw  Railway  for  five  years.  In  1889,  he  married 
Eva,  daughter,  of  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  of  New  York,  and  their  children  are  Eva  Inger- 
soll  Brown  and  Robert  Ingersoll  Brown.  His  clubs  are  the  Union  League,  Down  Town 
and  Riding,  and  The  Ohio  Society,  and  a  seat  has  been  given  him  in  The  Chamber  of 
Commerce  also. 

JOHN  HAZARD  BROWNING,  a  prominent  merchant  of  this  city,  was  of  the 
sixth  generation  in  descent  from  Nathaniel  Browning,  who  came  from  England  in  1645 
and  settled  at  Warwick,  R.  I.,  where  he  purchased  a  piece  of  land  from  the  Indians  for 
three  pounds  of  wampum. 

The  Browning  family  were,  down  to  the  fifth  generation,  Quakers. 

The  father  of  John  Hazard  Browning  was  William  T.  Browning,  who  married 
Catharine  Morey,  Dec.  29,  1794,  the  father  of  the  latter  living  at  Newport,  R.  I., 
where  he  owned  ships  engaged  in  the  West  Indies  trade  and  was  considered  wealthy 
for  those  times  After  his  marriage,  he  moved  to  North  Stonington,  Conn.,  and  bought 
a  farm  a  few  miles  east  of  the  village  of  Preston  City. 

Upon  this  farm,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born,  July  21,  1801  When  very 
young  he  met  with  an  accident  by  falling  down  a  well,  some  forty  feet  deep  The  well 
was  dry  of  water  at  the  time,  so  that  he  ran  no  risk  from  drowning,  but  the  fall  broke  one 
leg  in  two  places  and  made  a  gash  in  his  forehead  and  a  scar  which  he  carried  until  the 
time  of  his  death.  The  village  physician  insisted  that  the  broken  leg  should  be  ampu- 
tated, but  the  boy's  heroic  mother  would  not  consent,  and  by  her  care  and  attention 
the  limb  was  saved  and  became  perfectly  well,  so  as  to  leave  no  mark  of  the  injuries 
in  after  life.  The  lad  went  on  crutches  for  several  years,  or  until  he  was  fourteen 
years  old. 

He  was  brought  up  on  his  father's  farm,  attended  the  district  school  and  received 
a  common  school  education.  He  made  his  first  start  as  a  teacher  in  the  same  school 
in  which  he  had  been  educated.  While  there,  he  met  the  lady  who  afterward  became 
his  wife,  Miss  Eliza  Smith  Hull,  a  daughter  of  Colonel  John  W.  Hull,  who  was  a  farmer 
and  bank  president,  living  in  the  neighborhood.  They  were  married  Sept.  21,  1829. 

The  first  business  venture  of  the  young  man,  at  his  own  risk,  was  a  general  store 
at  Middletown,  now  North  Stonington,  Conn. ,  where  he  dealt  largely  in  yarns,  produce 
and  merchandise,  carrying  his  yarns  by  wagon  to  the  mills  at  Providence.  About 
1830,  he  removed  the  business  to  New  London,  Conn.,  where  he  conducted  a  general 
store  for  a  few  years.  Leaving  this  place,  he  came  to  the  city  of  New  York  in  the 
latter  part  of  1833,  and  started  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business  under  the  firm  name 
of  Browning  &  Pomeroy,  afterward  Browning  &  Hull,  and  then  Browning,  Hull  & 


n8  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Marsh.     He  continued   in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business  until   1848,  being  widely 
known  and  thoroughly  repeated  among  the  substantial  merchants  of  the  metropolis. 

In  the  days  of  the  California  excitement,  Mr.  Browning  started  a  general  store 
near  the  mines,  in  company  with  two  partners,  he  taking  charge  of  the  business  in  this 
city,  his  partners  at  the  mines.  Very  shortly  afterward,  they  removed  the  store  from 
the  mines  to  the  city  of  San  Francisco.  The  partnership  was  entitled  Jennings  & 
Brewster.  Both  these  men  were  prominent  merchants  of  New  York  city.  The  store 
in  San  Francisco  was  carried  on  until  1860,  when  Mr.  Browning  withdrew  from  all 
active  business,  except  that  he  remained  a  special  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hanford  & 
Browning,  the  Browning  of  this  firm  being  his  eldest  son,  William  C.  Browning.  In 
politics,  he  started  as  an  "old  line"  Whig,  afterward  identifying  himself  with  the 
Republican  party.  He  was  present  at  an  historic  abolition  meeting  in  the  Broadway 
Tabernacle,  then  located  in  Pearl  street,  one  of  the  first  ever  held  in  this  city,  and  at 
which  a  riot  occurred  on  the  assembling  of  the  meeting.  He  seldom  entered  into  poli- 
tics more  than  to  cast  his  vote,  always  applying  himself  closely  and  energetically  to 
his  own  extensive  business.  In  early  life  he  joined  the  Presbyterian  Church,  but  after- 
ward united  himself  with  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  in  which  he  held  a  prominent 
position  until  the  time  of  his  death.  In  1865  or  1866,  he  formed  a  syndicate  for  the 
purchase  of  The  Shelby  Iron  Co.,  in  Alabama,  whose  works  had  been  destroyed  by 
Sherman's  army  during  the  war.  This  proved  a  very  valuable  investment.  He  after- 
ward started  a  similar  industry  in  Cedartown,  Ga. ,  where  he  possessed  large  interests. 
He  died  March  21,  1877,  leaving  three  children  surviving:  William  C.  Browning,  of 
the  firm  of  Browning,  King  &  Co.,  New  York  city;  Edward  F.  Browning,  and  John 
Hull  Browning,  president  of  The  Northern  Railroad  of  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  Browning  was  an  excellent  example  of  the  self  made  men  of  the  United  States. 
Early  acquaintance  with  the  difficulties  and  trials  which  young  men  encounter,  devel- 
oped in  his  own  character  the  qualities  of  humanity  and  sympathy ;  and  he  was  noted 
at  all  times  during  life  for  his  liberal  spirit  and  generous  nature. 

WILLIAM  CHARLES  BROWNING,  dry  goods  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city, 
Nov.  13,  1833,  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  Hazard  Browning,  merchant.  The  young  man  was 
educated  in  his  native  city.  He  began  business  life  as  a  boy  in  a  broker's  office,  remaining 
there  a  little  over  one  year,  when  he  became  associated  with  his  father  for  seven  years. 
In  1858,  he  formed  the  firm  of  Hanford  &  Browning,  succeeded  in  1863  by  Wm.  C. 
Browning  &  Co.,  in  which  latter  firm  he  associated  himself  with  two  brothers.  In  1868, 
the  partners  established  the  firm  of  Browning,  King  &  Co. ,  to  represent  the  manufac- 
turing and  retail  interests  of  their  clothing  trade,  their  wholesale  business  being -carried 
on  in  Chicago  under  the  name  of  Henry  W.  King  &  Co.  At  the  present  time,  they  are 
the  largest  manufacturers  of  clothing  in  the  world.  They  have  retail  branches  in  Chi- 
cago, St.  Louis,  Milwaukee,  Cincinnati,  Philadelphia,  Kansas  City,  St.  Paul,  Omaha, 
New  York  (Harlem),  Minneapolis,  Brooklyn,  Boston,  Lincoln,  Providence  and  Cleve- 
land. The  firm  made  large  contracts  for  army  clothing  during  the  war,  and  were 
pioneers  in  the  method  of  bringing  their  material  at  manufacturer's  prices  directly  to 
the  consumer  through  their  retail  houses.  Sound  in  judgment,  able  in  enterprise,  Mr. 
Browning  ranks  among  the  leading  merchants  of  this  generation.  He  is  a  director  of 
The  Mercantile  National  Bank,  vice-president  of  The  Northern  Railroad  of  New 
Jersey,  and  a  large  owner  in  The  Cherokee  Iron  Co.  of  Cedartown,  Ga.  In  1861,  he 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BR.  119 

married  Adelaide  a  daughter  of  John  D.  Scott,  and  their  children  are  John  Scott,  Wil- 
liam Hull  and  Henry  King  Brdwning.  He  belongs  to  the  Union  League  and  Merchants' 
clubs  and  is  a  member  of  The  New  England  Society. 

GEORGE  BRUCE,  type-founder,  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  was  born  July  5, 
1781,  and  died  in  New  York  city  July  6,  1866.  Coming  to  America  while  a  young  man, 
he  first  learned  the  bookbinder's  trade,  and  then  apprenticed  himself  to  Thomas  Dob- 
son,  a  printer  in  Philadelphia.  In  1798,  Dobson's  office  was  burned  down  and  yellow 
fever  broke  out,  whereupon  both  George  and  his  brother  David  left  the  city.  George 
had  vellow  fever  at  Amboy,  but  recovered.  He  worked  at  the  printer's  trade  in  Albany 
for  a  short  time,  and  then  came  back  to  New  York.  In  1803,  he  was  foreman  of  The 
Daily  Advertiser,  and  in  November  became  printer  and  publisher  for  the  proprietor. 
In  1806,  David  and  George  opened  a  book  publishing  office  at  the  corner  of  Pearl  street 
and  Coffee  House  Slip.  Industry  and  excellent  work  brought  them  plenty  of  orders. 
In  1809,  removing  to  Sloat  Lane,  near  Hanover  Square,  they  had  nine  presses  in  oper- 
ation, and  published  occasionally  on  their  own  account.  In  1812,  David  went  to 
England,  and  brought  back  the  secret  of  stereotyping.  The  brothers  introduced  this 
process  in  this  city,  being  compelled  to  cast  their  own  type,  so  as  to  give  it  a  deeper 
shoulder.  The}'  invented  various  appliances  to  aid  in  stereotyping,  and  in  1816  gave 
up  publishing  to  start  a  type  foundry.  George  gave  his  attention  to  type  founding, 
David  his  to  stereotyping.  When,  in  1822,  David's  health  failed,  the  partnership  was 
dissolved,  and  George  soon  gave  up  stereotyping  for  type  founding,  pure  and  simple. 
In  this  trade  he  made  reputation  and  a  fortune.  With  his  nephew,  David  Bruce,  jr., 
he  invented  the  only  type-casting  machine  that  has  stood  the  test  of  time,  and  brought 
out  many  new  and  beautiful  styles  of  letters.  Mr.  Bruce  was  shrewd,  but  benevo- 
lent, unflinching  in  his  integrity,  and  prompt  and  decided  in  character.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  The  Mechanics'  Institute  for  many  years,  and  of  the  Type  Founders'  Asso- 
ciation. Type  founding  and  careful  investments  in  real  estate  brought  him  a  fortune. 

WILLIAM  BUCHANAN,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Edinburgh,  Scotland,  was 
born  June  10,  1828.  He  comes  from  a  notable  family,  whose  names  are  recorded  in 
the  Register's  Office,  established  in  his  native  city  in  1745.  His  father  was  Peter  Bar- 
nett  Buchanan,  born  in  Dunfermline,  Scotland,  Dec.  8,  1807,  who  was  educated  at  Hax- 
ton's  School  under  the  tutorship  of  the  late  Rev.  E.  Hawley,  chaplain  of  the  New  York 
State  Senate.  His  mother,  Isabella  Cockburn,  was  born  in  Edinburgh.  Mr.  Buchanan 
is  the  heir  at  law  of  the  late  James  Buchanan,  Councillor  of  the  Sixth  Ward  of  Edin- 
burgh for  about  thirty  years,  whose  widow  enjoys  his  large  fortune.  His  uncle,  William, 
served  as  British  Commissary  General  of  the  Mauritius  Isle  of  France  for  about  thirty 
years,  and  his  grandfather  was  the  W.  B.  of  the  story  of  the  "  Mysterious  Disappear- 
ance "  in  Wilson's  "Tales  of  the  Borders." 

William  received  quite  a  cosmopolitan  education,  having  studied  successively  in  the 
schools  of  Scotland,  Ireland  and  Canada,  and  then,  through  an  introdu^ ion  from 
John  Sparrow,  the  great  timber  merchant  of  Waterford,  Ireland,  he  got  a  r' .'nation  as 
clerk  in  the  Montreal  branch  of  the  great  shipping  house  of  Pollok,  Gilm  r  &  Co., 
where  he  busied  himself  with  ships  and  cargoes  for  six  years.  In  1853,  i'.  r  iased  His 
Excellency,  Lord  Elgin,  to  appoint  Mr.  Buchanan  second  lieutenant  in  tn  -  Montreal 
Rifles.  Mr.  Buchanan  then  decided,  much  to  the  regret  of  his  employer::  t.o  remove  to 
the  metropolis  of  the  United  States,  and  Mr.  Gilmour  told  him  that  if  £.e  should  ever 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. BU.  121 

return  to  Montreal  the  best  position  in  the  house  would  be  open  to  him.  Coming  to 
Xe\v  York  in  1853,  the  young  man  went  on  in  the  shipping  business,  as  clerk  for 
Francis  McDonald,  whose  interests  are  now  merged  in  the  Anchor  line,  Wallace,  Wicks 
&  Co.,  and  Stanton,  Sheldon  &  Co.,  all  well  known  and  influential  merchants.  Owing 
to  the  fact  that  he  never  attempted  any  task  which  he  did  not  possess  the  power  to  per- 
form, and  to  the  additional  fact  that  nature  had  endowed  him  with  the  faculty  of  throw- 
ing his  whole  soul  into  every  undertaking,  Mr.  Buchanan  is  not  conscious  of  ever  having 
had  any  early  struggles  in  life,  because  success  rewarded  him  from  the  start.  An 
illustration  of  the  good  will  which  followed  him  to  New  York,  is  afforded  by  the  cir- 
cumstance that  Gilmour  &  Co.  commissioned  him  to  execute  many  orders  for  their 
firm  during  one  or  two  years  here.  One  of  these  orders,  which  was  for  tobacco,  finally 
drew  his  attention  to  the  possibilities  of  that  trade. 

In  1858,  with  such  resources  as  he  could  command,  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
tobacco  in  Brooklyn,  in  partnership  with  the  late  W.  W.  Huse,  under  the  style  of  Huse 
&  Buchanan.  Two  years  later  the  firm  dissolved,  and  David  C.  Lyall,  a  brother-in-law  of 
Mr.  Buchanan,  was  then  in  1860  admitted  to  partnership  under  the  name  of  William 
Buchanan  &  Co.  The  most  harmonious  relations  existed  between  these  two  men,  and 
they  spent  thirty-two  years  in  cordial  co-operation  and  successful  enterprise,  the  most 
of  the  time  under  the  name  of  Buchanan  &  Lyall.  The  junior  partner  died  in  1892. 
His  interest  remains  in  the  business,  however,  and  the  old  name  is  retained.  The  firm 
operate  a  factory  at  Brooklyn,  and  they  also  own  the  Planet  mills  in  Brooklyn  for  the 
manufacture  of  hemp  carpets,  yarns  and  binding  twine,  and  now  enjoy  an  extended  and 
prosperous  trade. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  united  in  marriage,  March  4,  1858,  with  Adele  Jaclard,  of  New 
York.  Two  children  were  born  to  them,  William  and  Clara.  After  the  death  of  his 
wife,  Mr.  Buchanan  married  again,  June  2,  1863,  Mary  Josephine  Pise,  of  Brooklyn. 
This  union  has  brought  them  one  son,  Charles  Peter  Buchanan,  who  is  now  a  member 
of  his  father's  firm. 

Mr.  Buchanan  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  enjoys  the  reputa- 
tion of  an  upright,  driving  and  clear  headed  business  man.  Practical  affairs  necessarily 
engage  his  principal  attention,  but  he  finds  time  for  the  more  pleasant  side  of  life, 
which  is  to  be  found  in  the  company  of  his  family  and  occasional  attendance  at  the 
houses  of  various  social  organizations  to  which  he  belongs.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Union  League,  Manhattan,  Tuxedo,  New  York  Athletic,  Down  Town,  New  York  Yacht 
and  New  Rochelle  Yacht  clubs. 

EDWIN  BULKLEY,  paper  merchant,  born  in  Southport,  Conn.,  Dec.  2,  1817,  died 
in  that  town,  July  7,  1881.  He  came  from  old  Non-conformist  stock,  his  ancestor,  the 
Rev.  Peter  Bulkley,  having  settled  in  Massachusetts  in  1635  to  enjoy  freedom  of  con- 
science. The  youth  grew  up  with  a  fair  amount  of  schooling  and  a  large  inheritance  of 
health  and  brains.  In  1837,  he  became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  paper  firm  of  Cross, 
Bulkley  &  Goodkin,  which  was  succeeded  in  1848  by  Bulkley  &  Bro.,  and  in  1865  by 
Bulkley,  Dunton  &  Co.  His  mercantile  career  was  long,  honorable  and  worthily  suc- 
cessful. To  extend  his  trade,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  paper  and  in  1865, 
with  Colonel  Alvah  Crocker  of  Fitchburg,  and  others,  started  a  mill  at  Turner's  Falls, 
Mass.,  a  village  which  owres  its  origin  to  its  water  power.  He  was  a  large  owner  in 
The  Montague  Paper  Co.  and  The  Keith  Paper  Co.,  of  that  place,  both  noted  for  the 


I22  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

high  quality  of  their  productions,  and  a  stockholder  in  The  Winnipiseogee  and  The 
Russell  Paper  Go's,  The  Crocker  Bank,  and  The  John  Russell  Cutlery  Co.  He  dwelt 
in  Southport,  Conn.,  and  was  a  director  of  The  Southport  Bank  there,  and  of  The  Bank 
of  North  America  and  The  Standard  Fire  Insurance  Co.  here. 

WILLIAM  LANflAN  BULL,  stock  broker,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  23,  1844, 
is  the  son  of  Frederic  Bull,  and  a  descendant  of  that  famous  Jonathan  Trumbull,  Gov- 
ernor of  Connecticut  and  friend  of  George  Washington,  to  whom  the  nickname  of 
"Brother  Jonathan"  was  given.  Mr.  Bull's  education  was  acquired  in  the  College  of 
the  City  of  New  York,  and  he  began  his  business  career  as  clerk  in  the  banking  house 
of  Edward  Sweet  &  Co.  In  1867,  he  became  a  partner.  This  business  was  originated 
by  Edward  Sweet  in  Boston  over  forty  years  ago,  and  afterward  removed  to  New  York 
city.  Mr.  Bull  is  a  brother-in-law  of  Mr.  Sweet.  The  firm  transacts  an  extensive 
business  in  stocks  and  the  investment  of  money  for  foreign  houses,  and  has  been 
successful.  Mr.  Bull  has  been  twice  president  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange,  and 
is  a  director  of  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  The  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia 
Railway  and  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.,  and  is  also  connected  with  The  Atchison, 
Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad.  He  was  married  Feb.  15,  1871,  to  Tasie  W.,  daughter 
of  Henry  R.  Worthington,  and  his  children  are  Frederic,  Henry  Worthington  and 
William  Lanman  Bull,  jr.  Well  bred,  well  educated,  courteous  and  able,  Mr.  Bull 
enjoys  a  wide  acquaintance  in  town,  and  is  a  member  of  most  of  the  best  clubs, 
including  the  Metropolitan,  Century,  Union,  University,  City,  Aldine,  Grolier,  Rac- 
quet, Riding,  Players'  Church,  Country,  South  Side  Sportsmen's  and  Mendelssohn 
Glee  clubs.  By  virtue  of  lineal  descent,  he  is  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution. 

JAMES  ABERCROHBIE  BURDEN,  manufacturer,  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Jan.  6, 
1833,  is  a  son  of  Henry  Burden,  a  Scot,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1819  and  rose 
to  eminence  as  a  manufacturer.  James  was  educated  by  private  tutors  in  New  Haven, 
and  attended  lectures  in  the  Yale  Scientific  School  and  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic 
Institute.  Inheriting  his  father's  inventive  genius,  he  gained  a  practical  knowledge  of 
the  business  in  his  father's  shops,  where  he  first  served  as  mechanical  engineer  and  mill- 
wright. He  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  became  president  of  The  Burden  Iron  Co., 
of  Troy  and  New  York.  He  has  obtained  eighteen  patents  for  inventions  of  his  own 
for  machines  used  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  one  of  the  most  important  being  that  for 
making  horse  and  mule  shoes,  this  machine  producing  seventy  finished  shoes  per 
minute,  punched  with  holes  and  prepared  in  every  other  way,  ready  for  the  horse's 
foot.  In  1883,  he  became  president  of  The  Hudson  River  Ore  &  Iron  Co.,  with  mines 
in  Columbia  county,  but  resigned  later  on  account  of  ill  health.  His  iron  foundries 
and  machine  shops  give  employment  to  three  thousand  men.  In  1891,  he  married 
Mary,  daughter  of  Richard  Irvin,  of  New  York.  Their  children  are  James  A., 
Richard  Irvin,  Williams  Proudfit  and  Arthur  Scott  Burden.  He  makes  his  home  in 
New  York  city  about  half  the  year.  He  has  declined  nominations  as  Mayor  of  Troy, 
Member  of  Congress,  and  other  offices,  but  has  been  twice  a  presidential  elector  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  He  is  a  member  of  The  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers, 
president  of  The  Society  of  New  York  Farmers,  and  member  of  the  Union,  Metropolitan, 
Engineers',  Union  League  and  Riding  clubs,  and  of  several  scientific  societies  in  Great 
Britain,  and  one  of  the  influential  supporters  of  the  annual  Patriarchs'  Ball. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BU.  123 

JOHN  BURKE,  agent  for  the  Guinness  ales  and  porters,  born  in  County  Galway, 
Ireland,  Aug.  7,  1829,  died  Feb.  4,  1892.  He  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  John  Burke.  The 
boy  received  an  excellent  education,  although  never  sent  to  college.  He  studied  law 
under  private  tutors,  but  did  not  practice,  joining  instead  his  brother  Edward  in  distil- 
ling liquors.  After  mastering  the  details  of  business,  he  went  into  partnership  with 
his  brother,  and  helped  found  the  now  well  known  firm  of  E.  &  J.  Burke,  of  Dublin, 
whose  Irish  whiskey  soon  became  known  all  over  the  world.  Later,  the  firm  began 
the  bottling  of  Bass's  ale  and  Guinness's  porter.  Both  men  were  energetic  and  shrewd 
and  met  with  great  success.  They  maintained  branches  in  Liverpool,  New  York  and 
Australia,  and  finally  transacted  so  large  a  trade  with  America  that,  in  1859,  John 
Burke  came  to  New  York  to  take  charge  in  this  country,  under  the  name  of  The  E.  &  J. 
Burke  Bottling  Co.  The  parent  house  finally  took  the  name  of  E.  &  J.  Burke,  Ld. 
Edward  Burke  died  about  1889,  leaving  his  entire  fortune  to  John.  The  latter  built 
the  Burke  pavilion  at  the  Orange  Memorial  Hospital  in  honor  of  Edward's  memory,  at 
a  cost  of  §30,000,  adding  $16,000  as  well  as  §10,000  for  the  Hospital  afterward.  John 
Burke  was  a  man  of  warm  feelings  and  generous  nature,  and  gave  largely  to  public  and 
private  charities.  He  was  twice  married,  his  second  wife  being  Elizabeth  West,  daugh- 
ter of  the  Rev.  John  Watson,  of  Orange.  His  children  were  John  Burke,  jr. ;  Mrs. 
Moor,  a  resident  of  England;  Edward  F.,  Mabel  and  Edith  L.  Burke. 

THOMAS  BROWNELL  BURNHAfl,  manufacturer  and  social  leader,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  Jan.  30,  1866.  He  descends  from  an  ancient  and  distinguished  family, 
which  traces  its  lineage  directly  back  through  English  history  to  Walter  Le  Ventre, 
who  came  from  Normandy  to  England  with  William  the  Conqueror.  The  family  was 
planted  upon  the  shores  of  the  new  world  by  John  Burnham  in  1635  and  bore  its  part 
in  subduing  the  red  man,  bringing  the  wilderness  under  cultivation,  and  creating  upon 
the  Western  Continent  the  most  progressive  nation  in  the  world.  Captain  Benjamin 
Church,  one  of  Mr.  Burnham's  ancestors,  was  active  in  the  war  with  King  Philip's  Indian 
tribe.  Jedediah  Burnham,  his  grandfather,  was  a  land  holder  and  farmer. 

Gordon  Webster  Burnham,  his  father,  was  a  remarkable  man.  Born  upon  the 
farm  in  Hampton,  Conn.,  March  20,  1803,  and  dying  in  New  York  city,  March  18,  1885, 
he  devoted  over  fifty  years  of  his  life  to  large  and  successful  operations  in  the  field  of 
manufacturing  industry.  Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  gaining  an  acquain- 
tance with  practical  business  in  various  employments,  during  a  part  of  the  time 
being  a  merchant  on  his  own  account  at  Waterbury,  Conn. ;  he  entered  the  firm  of 
Benedict  &  Co.,  in  Waterbury,  Conn.,  manufacturers  of  brass  and  copper  utensils,  in 
1832.  In  1834,  in  partnership  with  Mr.  Benedict,  he  established  what  became  The 
Benedict  &  Burnham  Manufacturing  Co. ,  the  largest  manufacturers  of  brass  and  copper 
appliances  and  fixtures  in  the  United  States,  if  not  in  the  world.  In  1836,  Mr.  Burn- 
ham  established  a  depot  of  supplies  in  New  York  city,  and,  the  venture  meeting  with 
success,  he  removed  to  this  city  permanently  in  1837.  A  house  was  also  established  in 
Boston.  When  the  New  York  house  was  dissolved  in  1863  and  that  at  Boston  in  1867, 
Mr.  Burnham  found  himself  the  possessor  of  a  large  fortune.  Meanwhile,  he  had  pro- 
moted other  industries  and  had  become  president  of  The  Waterbury  Clock  Co. ,  The 
Waterbury  Watch  Co.,  The  Waterbury  Brass  Co.,  and  The  American  Pin  Co.  He 
was  an  ardent  admirer  of  Daniel  Webster,  and,  in  1876,  presented  to  New  York  city 
the  impressive  bronze  statue  of  Webster,  heroic  size,  which  was  erected  in  Central 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BC. 


I25 


Park.  To  Bishop  Brownell,  of  Connecticut,  he  also  erected  a  bronze  statue  in  Hart- 
ford ;  and  his  own  monument  in  Greenwood,  built  before  his  death,  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  that  beautiful  cemetery.  Mr.  Burnham  was  twice  married,  first  to  Ann  Griswold 
Ives,  of  Meriden,  their  son,  Douglas  W.  Burnham,  surviving  him.  Twenty  years  later, 
he  married  Mary  Louisa,  daughter  of  Bishop  Brownell,  of  Connecticut,  and  their  son 
is  Thomas  Brownell  Burnham. 

Thomas  Brownell  Burnham  was  carefully  educated  by  his  parents  and  prepared  for 
Harvard  College,  but  did  not  enter.  He  has  since  found  occupation  mainly  in  the 
supervision  of  the  large  fortune  bequeathed  to  him  by  his  father  and  of  various  Con- 
necticut industries  with  which  he  is  connected.  He  is  a  director  in  The  Benedict  & 
Burnham  Manufacturing  Co.,  Holmes,  Booth  &  Haydens,  brass  manufacturers,  and 
The  Waterbury  Watch  Co.,  all  of  Waterbury,  Conn.  He  is  also  a  large  stockholder  and 
director  in  The  Sixth  Avenue  Railroad  of  New  York  city.  Mr.  Burnham  leaves  to 
competent  subordinates  the  details  of  management  of  the  properties  with  which  he  is 
connected,  and  spends  much  of  his  time  in  foreign  travel  and  open  air  recreation. 

A  courteous  address,  a  fine  mind  and  hospitable  nature  render  him  a  favorite  among 
refined  people ;  and  he  is  conspicuous  in  the  social  interests  of  New  York  city  and  those 
which  centre  at  Tuxedo,  and  in  the  Union,  Manhattan,  Tuxedo,  Racquet,  New  York 
Yacht,  and  Westminster  Kennel  clubs,  of  which  he  is  a  member.  He  was  married  in 
1885  to  Agnes,  since  deceased,  daughter  of  Henry  Havemeyer,  of  this  city,  and  has 
one  son,  Gordon  Le  Roy  Burnham. 

CALVIN  BURR,  merchant,  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  Dec.  15,  1789,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Jan.  17,  1887.  He  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Burr,  at  one  time  a  wealthy  man 
who,  however,  lost  his  means  and  left  his  children  in  poverty.  Calvin  began  life  with 
few  advantages  and  roved  around  the  world  for  many  years,  engaging  in  various  occu- 
pations. At  different  times  he  conducted  business  in  Albany,  Cazenovia  and  Ludlow- 
ville,  X.  Y.,  meanwhile  serving  in  the  War  of  1812.  About  1847  he  came  to  New 
York  city,  with  considerable  means,  and  invested  his  money  in  real  estate  in  New 
York  and  South  Brooklyn  with  such  good  judgment  that  the  subsequent  appreciation 
in  value  brought  him  large  wealth. 

HENRY  AARON  BURR,  manufacturer,  born  in  Canaan,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y., 
in  1810,  died  in  New  York,  Dec.  25,  1884.  His  father  was  a  first  cousin  of  Aaron 
Burr,  and  his  grandmother  a  sister  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  Educated  in  the  local 
schools  of  the  village,  Henry  showed  a  great  inclination  for  historical  and  scientific 
books  from  boyhood.  After  service  for  several  years  as  clerk  in  a  store  at  Athens, 
X.  Y.,  he  came  to  New  York  city  in  1831.  Finding  employment  as  bookkeeper  in  the 
hat  store  of  Elisha  Bloomer,  he  served  there  for  five  years,  and  then  opened  a  hat 
store  on  his  own  account.  In  1845  he  began  to  experiment  with  hat-making  machines, 
finally  obtaining  a  patent  and  beginning  the  manufacture  of  hats.  His  invention  was 
eminently  successful,  giving  him  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  industry  until  his  patents 
expired  in  1872.  Large  means  accrued  to  him  from  his  trade,  through  the  invest- 
ment of  which  he  became  a  director  of  The  Mechanics'  National  Bank  and  The  Loril- 
lard  Insurance  Co.,  and  a  Trustee  of  The  Metropolitan  Savings  Bank.  He  was  one  of 
the  members  of  the  Union  League  club,  The  New  York  Historical  Society  and  The 
American  Institute,  and  for  seventeen  years  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the 
volunteer  fire  department.  He  took  an  active  part  in  forming  military  companies, 


I26  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

including  the  Ellsworth  Zouaves,  and  sending  them  to  the  front  during  the  war.  He 
left  two  daughters,  Mary  Eloise,  wife  of  Frank  D.  Harmon,  and  Emma  Louise,  wife 
of  Cornelius  H.  Van  Ness. 

COL.  JAflES  BURT,  broker,  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  15,  1836,  died  in 
New  York  city,  July  6,  1892.  A  descendant  from  Puritan  stock,  he  was  a  son  of 
Thomas  M.  Burt,  once  one  of  the  proprietors  of  The  Albany  Argus.  The  emigrant 
ancestor,  Henry  Burt,  settled  in  Roxbury,  Mass.,  in  1637.  James  graduated  from 
Union  College  in  1854,  engaged  in  business,  and  for  many  years  conducted  a  sugar 
brokerage  business,  at  44  Pine  street,  in  this  city,  with  great  success.  Although  not  a 
military  man,  he  gained  the  title  of  Colonel  by  appointment  on  the  staff  of  Gov. 
Fenton  in  1866,  as  Commissary  General  of  New  York.  Service  as  Assistant  Appraiser 
of  this  port,  1869-73,  rendered  him  an  expert  in  the  dutiable  values  of  imported  sugar. 
A  faithful  and  religious  man,  he  attended  the  Church  of  St.  Mary  the  Virgin,  helped 
found  the  Church  club,  and  was  treasurer  of  both.  He  also  joined  the  Grolier  and  Com- 
monwealth clubs.  Col.  Burt  was  married  Oct.  18,  1865,  to  Euretta,  eldest  daughter 
of  the  late  Covington  Guion,  of  Kinderhook,  N.  Y.,  who  survives  him,  with  two] 
daughters. 

THERON  R.  BUTLER,  merchant,  born  in  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  in  1813,  died  in  j 
New  York  city,  Jan.  19,  1884.  In  1828,  while  yet  a  lad,  he  went  to  Ohio,  and  en- 
gaged in  mercantile  pursuits  for  several  years.  He  returned  to  New  York  city  in  1843, 
and  entered  the  dry  goods  trade,  first  as  junior  partner  in  the  firm  of  Avery,  Hilliard 
&  Co.,  of  which  he  subsequently  became  the  head.  For  about  twenty  years  he  carried 
on  a  prosperous  trade.  In  1865  he  was  chosen  president  of  The  Sixth  Avenue  Railroad 
Co.,  retaining  that  position  until  his  death.  He  served  for  many  years  in  the  directorate 
of  The  Erie  Railroad  Co.,  and  was  interested  in  other  roads.  In  1848  he  married  Maria 
Miller  of  Ohio,  who,  with  one  daughter,  the  wife  of  Rev.  H.  M.  Sanders,  survived 
him.  Mr.  Butler  entertained  a  strong  liking  for  fine  paintings,  of  which  he  made  a 
large  collection,  including  excellent  examples  of  many  famous  European  painters. 

WILLIAH  ALLEN  BUTLER,  lawyer,  born  Feb.  20,  1825,  is  a  native  of  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  and  a  son  of  Benjamin  Franklin  Butler,  one  of  the  revisers  of  the  Statutes  of 
New  York,  and  Attorney  General  in  the  Cabinets  of  Presidents  Jackson  and  Van  Buren. 
He  traces  his  family  line  back  to  Jonathan  Butler,  of  Saybrook,  Conn.  His  grand- 
father, Medad  Butler,  was  the  first  judge  of  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.  The  maternal 
line  originated  in  Nantucket,  Mass.  Mr.  Butler  studied  at  the  Albany  Academy  and 
in  a  private  school  in  Georgetown,  D.  C. ,  and  graduated  from  the  University  of  the 
City  of  New  York  in  1843.  He  began  practice,  with  his  father,  in  New  York  city,  in 
1846.  In  1849,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Hiram  Barney,  afterward  Collector  of 
the  Port,  and  later  became  head  of  the  law  firm  of  Butler,  Stillman  &  Hubbard,  lead- 
ing commercial  and  corporation  lawyers.  Mr.  Butler  has  argued  many  important 
cases  before  the  United  States  Supreme  Court.  Engrossed  in  his  profession,  he  has 
never  held  civil  office  except  as  a  member  of  the  Commission  on  Cities,  appointed  by 
Gov.  Tilden,  but  has  been  president  of  The  American  Bar  Association  and  The  Bar 
Association  of  the  City  of  New  York.  Mr.  Butler  is  a  man  of  cultivated  tastes  and  is 
often  seen  in  many  of  the  best  clubs  in  town,  in  which  he  is  a  member,  including  the 
Century,  Union  League,  Grolier  and  Lawyers'.  He  is  a  trustee  of  The  Central  Trust 
Co.  and  The  Lenox  Library  and  member  of  the  council  of  the  University  of  the  City 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. BU.  127 

of  New  York.  March  21,  1850,  he  was  married  to  Mary  R.  Marshall,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  William  A.  Butler,  jr.,  Howard  R.,  Charles  H.,  George  P.,  Arthur  W.,  Mary 
M.,  Harriet  A.  and  Margaret  C.  Butler.  His  published  writings  include  "  Nothing  to 
Wear"  and  other  poetical  works,  many  addresses  and  "The  History  of  the  Revision  of 
the  Statutes  of  New  York." 

GEN.  DANIEL  BUTTERFIELD,  soldier  and  banker,  was  born  in  Oneida  county, 
X.  Y.,  in  1831,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  Butterfield,  one  of  the  originators  cf  The 
American  Express  Co. ,  who  aided  in  building  the  first  telegraph  line  from  New  York 
to  Buffalo  and  was  president  of  the  overland  mail  enterprise  to  San  Francisco.  His 
maternal  grandfather,  Gamaliel  Olmstead,  was  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution. 
Graduating  from  Union  College  in  1849,  the  future  soldier  studied  law,  but  was  too 
young  for  admission  to  the  bar,  and  entered  business  life  instead.  When  the  Civil 
War  broke  out,  as  Colonel  ot  the  i2th  N.  Y.  Militia,  he  tendered  the  services  of  his 
regiment  and  himself  to  the  Government  and  took  his  command  to  the  front.  There- 
after, he  served  with  distinction  and  chivalric  courage,  rising  to  the  rank  of  Major 
General,  taking  part  in  the  campaigns  in  Virginia  and  all  the  battles  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  until  wounded  at  Gettysburg  in  1863.  Later  he  served  in  Tennessee 
and  the  heavy  fighting  of  the  Atlanta  campaign.  Upon  his  return  to  the  North,  he 
resumed  business  pursuits.  Latterly  he  has  been  engaged  in  banking.  His  wife  is 
Julia  L.  Safford,  widow  of  the  late  Frederick  P.  James.  Gen.  Butterfield  is  president  of 
The  National  Bank  of  Cold  Spring  on  the  Hudson.  He  is  a  man  of  courteous  manners, 
fine  presence,  and  high  character,  and  a  member  of  the  Union,  Church,  Sigma  Phi  and 
Union  Alumni  Clubs,  and  of  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 


c. 

HUGH  NESBITT  CAMP,  manufacturer,  was  born  Oct.  14,  1827,  in  the  village  of 
Livingston,  N.   J.,  about  ten  miles  from  Newark,  at  the  house  of  his  maternal  grand- 
father, Calvin  Ely.     In  the  following  December  he  was  brought   to  New  York  by  his 
parents,  and  New  York  has  been  his  home  ever  since.     His  parents  were  Isaac  Brook- 
field  Camp  and  Jeannette  Ely,  both  natives  of  New  Jersey  and  children  of  neighboring 
farmers.     Beginning  life  at  fourteen,  he  was  employed  in  various  ways  until  1843,  when 
he  entered  the  counting  house  of  James  A.  Edgar,  then  of  the  firm  of  Booth  &  Edgar, 
commission  merchants.     In  March,  1854,  at  the  suggestion  of  Francis  Skiddy,  his  life- 
long and  much  loved  friend,  he  formed  a  partnership  for  sugar  refining  in  Bristol,  R.  I. 
With  $40,000  capital,  loaned  to  the  new  concern  by  Francis  Skiddy,  Booth  &  Edgar, 
and  William  Platt  &  Sons,  of  Philadelphia,  the  firm  of  Camp,  Brunsen  &  Sherry  engaged 
in  business  and  were  highly  successful.     Within  a  year  they  repaid  their  borrowed 
capital,  and  for  fourteen  years  fortune  smiled  upon  them.     In  1868,  the  firm  dissolved, 
Mr.  Camp  buying  the  interest  of  Messrs.  Brunsen  and  Sherry,  and  forming  a  new  part- 
nership, taking  as  partners  George  Robertson,  one  of  his  salesmen,  and  William  McK. 
Chapman,  under  the  name  of  Hugh  N.  Camp  &  Co.     During  the  war  many  competitors 
came  into  the  field,  over-production  followed,  and  Mr.  Camp  succumbed  in   1870.     He 
prepared  to  resume,  but  finally  concluded  that  the  real  estate  business  offered  a  greater 
opportunity,  and  he  opened  an  office  in   Pine  street,  as  broker  and  auctioneer,  and  met 
with  success  far  ahead  of  his  expectations.     In  1880,  he  began  buying  and  selling  on  his 
own  account,  paying  especial  attention  to  lands  in  the  23d  and   24th  Wards.     In  these 
dealings  he  has  been  successful.     He  is  also  and  has  been  for  many  years  largely  inter- 
ested in  lead  mining  in  Missouri,  and  in  the  cement  business  in  Pennsylvania.     In  1854, 
Mr.  Camp  married  Elizabeth  Dorothea  McKesson,  daughter  of  John  McKesson.       Of 
their  eight  children,  six  are  living — Edward  B.,  Maria  Lefferts,  who  married  Perry  P. 
Williams;  John  McKesson,  Fred.   Edgar,  Alice  Emily,  and  Hugh  Nesbitt  Camp,   jr. 
Their  home  has  been  since  1861  at  Morris  Heights,  where  in  1863  he  built  "  Fairlawn.' 
In  1880,  Mr.  Camp  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Edson,  one  of  the  Committee  of  Seven,  to 
inquire  as  to  the  necessity  of  an  additional  supply  of  water  for  this  city.     From  the 
action  taken  at  that  time,  the  citizens  of  New  York  are  indebted  for  the  magnificent 
supply  of  pure  water  it  now  has.     Mr.  Camp  has  been  trustee  of  The  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  director  of  The  Mechanics'  National  Bank,  The  Continental  Trust  Co., 
The  Title  Guarantee  &  Trust  Co.  (and  vice-president  of  the  latter),  and  The  Twenty-  i 
third  Ward  Bank;  and  trustee  of  Clinton  Hall  Association,  of  which  he  was  secretary 
about  thirty  years,  The  Skin  and  Cancer  Hospital,  and  The  House  of  Rest  for  Con- 
sumptives.    At  present  he  is  treasurer  of  The  St.  Joseph  Lead  Co.,  The  Doe  Run 
Lead  Co. ,  The  Mississippi  River  &  Bonne-Terre  Railroad,  trustee  of  several  charities 
and  a  member  of   The  Chamber  of  Commerce.     His  clubs  are  the  Century,  Union 
League,  Grolier,  Church,  Republican  and  City.     In  politics  Mr.  Camp   is  a  staunch 
Republican,  and  has  been  since  1859. 

FELIX  CAMPBELL,  merchant  and  banker,  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ,  where  he 
is  a  resident,  was  born  in  1829,  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage.     He  left  the  public  schools 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. CA.  129 

at  the  age  of  twelve,  to  learn  the  trade  of  printer  in  the  office  of  The  Brooklyn  Daily 
Eagle,  and  followed  this  calling  for  several  years  in  Brooklyn.  In  1848,  he  entered 
the  factory  of  Walworth,  Nason  &  Guild,  No.  79  John  street,  New  York  city,  to  learn 
steam  heating  and  engineering.  Having  mastered  the  art,  he  was  made  foreman  at 
the  age  of  twenty-two,  and  held  this  position  for  ten  years,  leaving  only  to  go  into 
business  for  himself.  The  old  firm  having  removed  to  other  quarters,  he  hired  the  old 
place  on  John  street  and  established  himself  in  business.  A  few  years  later,  he  pur- 
chased the  building  and  has  carried  on  the  business  there  successfully  down  to  the 
present  time.  Mr.  Campell  is  a  Democrat,  and  has  been  selected  by  his  party  for 
public  position.  At  twenty-three  he  was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Kings 
county,  and,  although  the  youngest  member,  was  chosen  president  of  the  bod}'.  He 
was  a  Fire  Commissioner  during  the  volunteer  days,  and,  under  appointment  by  Gover- 
nor Tilden,  in  1876,  a  member  of  the  Centennial  Committee.  For  twelve  years  a 
member  of  the  Brooklyn  Board  of  Education,  he  was,  in  1884,  elected  member  of 
of  Congress  from  the  Second  District  of  Brooklyn,  being  re-elected  three  times  in 
succession,  and  ceased  to  represent  Brooklyn  at  Washington  only  upon  his  positive 
refusal  to  accept  a  fifth  nomination.  While  in  Congress,  he  procured  an  appropriation 
of  nearly  §1,500,000  for  the  new  Brooklyn  Post  Office.  The  building  is  probably  the 
only  building  of  its  class  in  this  country  completed  under  its  original  appropriation. 
As  a  private  individual,  Mr.  Campbell  has  done  much  to  promote  the  efficiency  of  the 
public  schools.  He  is  president  of  The  People's  Trust  Co.  and  The  Brevoort 
Savings  Bank  and  a  director  of  The  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  The  Union  Ferry 
Co.,  The  Brooklyn  Art  Association,  and  other  important  institutions. 

GEORGE  W.  CAHPBELL,  manufacturer,  born  in  1813,  died  June  4,  1893.  In 
1851,  with  about  $30,000  of  joint  capital,  George  A.  Thayer  and  he  engaged  in  the 
useful  and  lucrative  industry  of  manufacturing  linseed  oil  in  the  firm  of  Campbell  & 
Thayer.  For  twenty  years  prior  to  his  death,  the  firm  ranked  among  the  best  known 
manufacturers  of  this  commodity  in  the  country.  Mr.  Campbell  never  slept  over  his 
business  affairs.  He  was  keenly  alert,  and  drove  his  trade  with  great  energy,  and, 
having  attracted  attention  and  commendation,  became  by  election  a  director  in  The 
National  City  Bank  and  several  insurance  companies.  The  married  life  of  Mr.  Camp- 
bell and  Virginia  W. ,  his  wife,  was  a  happy  one.  There  were  born  to  them  ten  children 
— Euphemia;  Moses  T.  Campbell,  now  deceased;  Samuel,  George  W.,  Allen  W., 
Catharine,  Harriet,  Eliza  S  ,  Helen  K. ,  and  Jane  Allen  Campbell. 

RICHARD  L.  CAflPBELL,  merchant,  who  died  while  at  sea,  Feb.  3,  1884,  in  the 
forty-fifth  year  of  his  age,  was  a  lifelong  resident  of  New  York.  He  was  sent  to  school 
at  White  Plains,  but  did  not  go  to  college.  His  first  important  business  connection 
was  with  John  H.  Hall  and  Augustine  Smith,  merchants  and  manufacturers  of  paper. 
Starting  in  early  life,  he  continued  a  member  of  this  firm  until  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  when  failing  health  compelled  his  retirement.  He  owned  a  large  interest  in  The 
Chelsea  Paper  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  but 
refrained  from  outside  business  ventures,  devoting  his  whole  time  to  his  business.  He 
married  a  sister  of  Henry  E.  Coe,  who,  with  two  daughters,  survived  him. 

SIR  RODERICK  WILLIAfl  CAMERON,  shiping  merchant,  born  in  Glengarry 
county,  Canada,  July  25,  1825,  and  educated  in  a  district  school  in  Kingston,  came  to 
Ne\v  York  city  in  1852  to  charter  a  ship,  in  which  a  party  of  young  Canadian  adven- 


I30  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

turers  were  to  make  a  voyage  to  Australia.  The  venture  proved  a  success  and  the  future 
knight  decided  to  establish  himself  in  this  city  in  business  as  a  shipping  merchant. 
Although  a  novice,  he  succeeded  so  well  that  within  the  first  three  years  he  dispatched 
to  Australia  more  than  3,000  emigrants  and  several  thousand  tons  of  American  prod- 
ucts, and  since  then  has  carried  on  a  commission  business  with  success.  In  1870,  he 
admitted  to  partnership  his  clerk,  William  A.  Street,  then  adopting  the  title  of  R.  W. 
Cameron  &  Co.,  which  is  yet  retained.  The  firm  have  branches  in  Sydney,  N.  S.  W., 
and  in  London.  Although  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  American  Republic  and  at  one 
time,  in  1861,  a  Union  volunteer  in  the  ypth  Regiment,  Sir  Roderick  has  always 
remained  a  British  subject.  He  was  knighted  in  1883  for  his  services  as  an  honorary 
commissioner  from  Australia  to  the  World's  Fair  of  Philadelphia  in  1876,  and  Paris  in 
1878,  and  from  Canada  to  those  at  Sydney  and  Melbourne  in  1880  and  1881.  The  same 
honor  was  bestowed  upon  his  ancestor,  Sir  Roderick  Ivor  McLeod,  by  King  James  in 
1713.  Sir  Roderick  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Tuxedo,  Knickerbocker,  Down 
Town  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  and  of  various  clubs  in  London.  He  was  married 
first  to  Miss  Cumming  in  Quebec,  who  died  in  1859.  In  1861,  he  married  Miss  Leaven- 
worth,  of  this  city,  by  whom  he  has  had  seven  children. 

JOHN  CAREY,  capitalist,  born  in  London,  England,  May  21,  1821,  died  in  New 
York  city,  April  2,  1881.  He  came  to  this  country  when  nine  years  old,  with  his 
father,  John  Carey,  who  died  in  1880.  Graduating  with  honor  from  Columbia  Col- 
lege, where  he  had  for  a  classmate  John  Jacob  Astor,  he  studied  civil  engineering, 
and  practiced  it  with  success  until,  in  1850,  he  married  Mary  Alida,  second  daughter 
of  William  B.  Astor.  Shortly  after  this,  he  retired  from  business,  devoting  himself 
exclusively  to  the  management  of  his  own  and  his  wife's  property.  About  this  time, 
he  purchased  the  estate  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  known  as  Grassland,  at  the  corner  of  Nar- 
ragansett  avenue  and  Spring  street.  For  several  years  he  dwelt  in  Europe,  spending 
most  of  his  time  in  Germany,  where  his  children  were  being  educated,  and  thereafter 
lived  in  New  York  in  the  winter  season  and  in  Newport  in  summer,  being  conspicuous 
in  social  life. 

THOflAS  FAIR  CARHART,  merchant,  born  in  1827,  in  Warren  county,  N.  J.,  died 
in  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  6,  1882.  He  was  a  descendant  of  early  Dutch  settlers  of 
New  Jersey.  After  an  education  in  private  schools,  he  entered  business  life  as  early 
as  1848,  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  carried  on  a  trade  in  clothing  in  that  city,  New  Orleans 
and,  after  1854,  in  New  York  city,  until  his  death.  By  careful  cultivation  of  the 
qualities  which  ensure  progress,  and  the  possession  of  a  good  mind  and  character,  he 
achieved  distinct  success.  In  1858  he  married  Marie  Louise,  daughter  of  Lewis. 
Castera,  a  leading  lawyer  of  New  Orleans,  and  dwelt  for  many  years  with  his  familj 
at  White  Plains,  north  of  the  city.  His  wife,  two  sons  and  three  daughters  survived 
him. 

RICHARD  F.  CARMAN,  real  estate  owner,  born  in  1801,  died  July  13,  1867,  in 
Carmansville,  on  the  northern  part  of  this  island.  He  began  life  a  poor  boy,  making 
packing  boxes  for  merchants.  Then,  as  a  carpenter  and  builder,  he  gained  sufficient 
means  to  enable  him,  after  the  great  fire  of  1835,  to  take  contracts  for  rebuilding  the 
ruined  structures.  When  these  contracts  were  made,  labor  was  scarce  and  material 
was  high  in  price,  but  this  fact  attracted  so  large  a  rush  of  workmen  and  selling  agents 
to  New  York  city  that  wages  and  prices  depreciated  and  he  completed  his  contracts  at 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CA.  131 

great  profit.  He  followed  his.vocation  for  many  years  and  then  devoted  himself  to 
real  estate,  founding  and  creating  the  beautiful  village  of  Cannansville,  fronting 
the  Hudson  River,  on  the  upper  part  of  the  island.  This  suburb,  then  far  north  of 
the  city,  is  now  surrounded  by  a  dense  population,  and  the  land  is  enormously  valuable. 
His  children  were  Richard,  Charles  E.  and  Frances  Sage. 

ANDREW  CARNEGIE,  iron  and  steel  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Dunfermline, 
Scotland,  born  Nov.  25,  1837,  is  the  son  of  a  weaver.  The  family  came  to  America 
in  1848  and  settled  in  Pittsburgh.  In  1849,  Andrew  took  charge  of  a  small  stationary 
engine  and  later  became  a  telegraph  messenger  and  operator.  One  of  the  first  to  read 
telegraphic  signals  by  sound,  he  rose  to  be  clerk  to  the  manager  of  the  telegraph  lines 
of  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  While  in  this  position  he  joined  Mr.  Woodruff, 
inventor  of  the  sleeping  car,  in  an  effort  to  introduce  the  new  car.  The  success  of 
this  venture  gave  him  the  nucleus  of  his  wealth.  He  became  in  time  superintendent 
of  The  Pittsburgh  Division  of  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  His  first  large  operation 
was  a  share  in  the  purchase  of  the  Story  farm  on  Oil  Creek,  for  §40,000.  The  oil 
wells  on  this  tract  yielded  in  one  year  over  $1,000,000  in  cash  dividends.  With  the 
capital  thus  obtained,  Mr.  Carnegie  joined  with  others  in  establishing  iron  bridge  shops, 
and,  from  this  beginning,  went  on  until  he  had  become  the  controlling  owner  of  the 
largest  iron  and  steel  industry  ever  developed  in  the  United  States.  His  success  has 
been  phenomenal,  and  is  attributable  to  concentration.  Every  offer  of  a  directorship 
has  been  declined  by  him.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  appointed  Military  Superin- 
tendent of  Government  Railways  and  Telegraphs,  and  he  was  afterward  appointed  by 
President  Harrison  a  Delegate  to  the  Pan-American  Conference.  A  few  years  ago  all 
his  interests  were  consolidated  in  The  Carnegie  Steel  Co.  (Limited),  with  a  capital  of 
$25,000,000.  The  plants  comprise  eleven  blast  furnaces  in  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  capable  of 
producing  1,200,000  tons  of  pig  iron  per  year;  The  Edgar  Thomson  Steel  Works  at 
Bessemer;  The  Keystone  Bridge  Works,  The  Allegheny  Bessemer  Steel  Works,  The 
Pittsburgh  Steel  Works,  The  Beaver  Falls  Steel  Co.,  The  Frick  Coke  Co.,  and  other 
properties.  These  works  rank  as  the  largest  producers  of  pig  iron,  steel  rails  and  coke 
in  the  world,  and  now  make  armor  plate  for  war  ships.  Mr.  Carnegie  is  a  good  deal 
of  a  Scot  yet.  He  long  ago  owned  eighteen  English  newspapers,  which  he  conducted 
in  the  interest  of  radicalism,  and  has  received  the  freedom  of  seven  cities  of  his  native 
land.  In  1879,  he  erected  swimming  baths  for  the  use  of  the  people  of  Dunfermline, 
Scotland,  and  in  1880,  a  free  library.  In  1884,  he  gave  $50^00  to  Bellevue  Hospital  in 
this  city  for  a  laboratory;  in  1885,  §1,100,000  to  Pittsburgh  for  a  public  library,  music 
hall  and  art  gallery  and  a  second  million  to  endow  the  art  gallery  and  museum ;  in 
1886,  $250,000  to  Allegheny  City  for  a  music  hall  and  library,  and  §300,000  to  Edin- 
burgh, Scotland,  for  a  free  library.  He  has  also  established  free  libraries  at  Braddock, 
Ayr  and  Johnstown,  Pa.,  Fairfield,  Iowa,  and  other  places.  His  gifts  now  exceed 
§5,000,000.  Mr.  Carnegie  is  the  author  of  many  essays  on  labor  and  economic  questions. 
His  "Triumphant  Democracy,  "published  in  1886,  a  review  of  the  progress  of  America 
under  the  Republic,  attracted  attention,  went  through  eight  editions,  and  has  been 
published  in  French,  Italian,  Spanish,  Dutch,  and  even  in  Japanese.  An  essay  on 
"How  to  Get  Rich,"  in  THE  NEW  YORK  TRIBUNE,  in  which  he  declared  that  a  college 
education  was  not  essential  to  business  success,  greatly  aroused  the  college  men  and 
led  to  controversy.  His  other  books  include  "  Round  the  World"  and  "An  American 


132 


AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


Four  in  Hand  in  Britain,"  but  the  most  important  essay  is  the  one  on  "Wealth," 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  and  was,  at  his  request,  reprinted  in 
Britain  under  the  title,  "The  Gospel  of  Wealth."  It  holds  that  "  Surplus  wealth  is  a 
sacred  trust  which  its  possessor  is  bound  to  administer  in  his  lifetime  for  the  good  of 
the  community  from  which  it  is  derived.  It  teaches  that  the  man  who  dies  possessed 
of  millions  of  available  wealth,  which  was  free  and  his  to  administer  during-  his  life- 
time, dies  disgraced." 

OLIVER  STANLEY  CARTER,  merchant  and  banker,  a  native  of  New  Hartford, 
Litchfield  county,  Conn.,  born  July  25,  1825,  is  a  son  of  Hernias  and  Hannah  Booth 
Carter.  Reared  upon  a  farm,  he  gained  an  education  at  the  public  schools  during  the 
winter  seasons,  and  at  seventeen  years  of  age  obtained  a  situation  as  clerk  in  a  wholesale 
grocery  house  in  Hartford.  There  being  little  prospect  for  advancement,  he  came 
to  New  York  early  the  next  year  with  good  letters  of  recommendation,  went  from  store 
to  store  in  search  of  employment,  and  found  it  in  the  store  of  Civill  &  Whitlock,  grocers. 
The  firm  did  not  employ  a  porter.  That  work  was  expected  from  the  youngest  clerk. 
The  business  was  small  and  proved  of  great  advantage  to  Mr.  Carter,  as  it  gave  him  a 
knowledge  of  different  details  of  the  business.  Correspondence  was  principally  done 
in  the  evening  by  the  junior  partner.  The  letters  being  copied  by  hand  instead  of  by 
letter  press,  this  afforded  advantages  to  the  young  man.  The  senior  partner  soon  re- 
tired. Mr.  Kellogg  was  admitted  and  the  firm  took  the  name  of  John  W.  Whitlock  & 
Co.  Mr.  Carter  made  no  agreement  for  salary  after  the  first  year.  His  compensation, 
at  first  $150,  upon  which  he  had  to  live,  was  increased  from  time  to  time,  and  made 
$3,000  in  1853.  Jan.  i,  1854,  Mr.  Carter  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  which  then  displayed 
the  sign  of  Whitlock,  Kellogg  &  Carter.  The  business  had  now  increased  about  three- 
fold. After  Mr.  Whitlock's  death,  in  1858,  the  firm  took  the  name  of  Kellogg,  Carter 
&  Hawley,  the  latter  bringing  considerable  capital.  Mr.  Kellogg  died  in  1859,  when 
Mr.  Carter  admitted  a  brother  of  Mr.  Hawley  with  additional  capital,  and  the  firm 
became  Carter  &  Hawley;  afterward,  in  1868,  Carter,  Hawley  &  Co.  Jan.  i,  1880, 
George  H.  Macy,  Mr.  Carter's  son-in-law,  was  admitted.  Mr.  Carter  retired  from 
business  April  i,  1884.  At  the  expiration  of  the  co-partnership,  Mr.  Carter  having 
given  Mr.  Hawley  permission  to  do  business  under  the  firm  name  of  Carter,  Hawley 
&  Co.,  satisfactory  terms  could  not  be  made  between  Mr.  Hawley  and  Mr.  Macy,  in 
consequence  of  that  permission  to  him  individually,  and  Mr.  Carter  then  joined  Mr.  Macy 
as  Carter,  Macy&  Co.,  associating  with  them  two  employes  who  had  been  with  the  house 
for  many  years.  The  firm  have  increased  the  business  largely  over  that  formerly  carried 
on,  and  become  by  far  the  largest  importers  and  distributors  of  teas  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Carter  was  elected  a  director  of  The  North  American  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  in 
1856,  and  The  Home  Insurance  Co.,  about  1860,  which  positions  he  has  since  held. 
He  has  been  trustee  and  director  of  several  other  institutions.  In  1874,  he  was  elected 
director  of  The  National  Bank  of  the  Republic,  and  after  Henry  W.  Cannon  had  resigned 
to  take  the  presidency  of  another  bank,  Mr.  Carter  was  made  vice  president.  Not 
being  closely  confined  to  his  tea  business,  he  displayed  rather  more  interest  in  the  bank 
than  usual  for  a  director.  On  the  death  of  the  president,  the  Hon.  John  J.  Knox,  in 
February,  1892,  Mr.  Carter  was  persuaded  to  accept  the  presidency  of  the  bank,  which 
he  has  since  held.  He  owns  the  Carter  Building  at  Broadway  and  8th  street,  the 
Carter  &  Macy  Building  at  140-142  Pearl  street,  and  some  other  realty. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CA.  133 

By  his  marriage  with  Elizabeth  Hyde  Coley,  daughter  of  John  H.  Coley,  of  New 
Haven,  he  had  one  son,  who  died  in  infancy,  and  five  daughters,  who  are  married  and 
settled  in  their  own  homes.  In  1887,  he  was  married  to  Isis  Yterbide,  daughter  of 
Woodburn  Potter,  of  Washington,  D.  C.  Mr.  Carter  lived  in  New  York  city  two  or 
three  years,  when  he  moved  to  Brooklyn.  In  1862,  by  the  advice  of  a  physician,  he  trans- 
ferred his  residence  to  Orange,  N.  J.  His  beautiful  home  there  is  the  largest  in  the 
place.  Mr.  Carter  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Union  League 
and  Down  Town  clubs  of  this  city,  and  The  New  England  Society  of  Orange. 

WALDEMAR  CASPARY,  cloak  manufacturer,  born  in  Berlin,  Germany,  Jan.  i, 
1841,  began  life  as  a  salesman  in  his  native  city.  Doubtful  of  an  advancement,  equal 
to  his  ambition,  at  home,  he  arrived  in  New  York  city  May  16,  1872,  with  several  trunks 
full  of  samples  of  Berlin  made  garments,  and  visited  in  turn  all  the  large  cities  of  the 
United  States  as  far  west  as  St.  Louis,  meanwhile  closely  observing  the  shape  of 
American  clothing.  Laden  with  orders  from  importing  merchants,  he  returned  to 
Berlin.  In  1873,  he  opened  an  office  on  Mercer  street  in  New  York  city,  for  his  firm 
of  Hahn  &  Benjamin,  and  next  year  was  admitted  to  partnership.  He  was  the  pioneer 
in  the  introduction  of  Berlin  made  garments  to  the  American  market.  For  several 
years  he  imported  largely,  removing  in  1875  to  Broadway,  and  in  1877,  succeeding  the 
old  firm  in  the  new  one  of  Benjamin  &  Caspary.  The  American  tariff  finally  compelled 
him,  in  1882,  to  undertake  to  manfacture  his  cloaks  here.  He  has  gradually  developed 
the  industry  to  large  proportions.  In  1 884,  the  store  was  removed  to  more  spacious  quarters 
at  Broome  and  Greene  streets.  In  1876,  Mr.  Caspary  married  Miss  Amelia  Hexter  of 
this  city,  and  has  three  children,  Alfred,  Alice  and  Howard.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Progress  Club. 

JOHN  CASWELL,  merchant,  son  of  William  and  Mary  Buloid  Caswell,  was  born 
at  Newport,  R.  I.,  Dec.  6,  1797,  and  died  in  New  York  March  29,  1871.  He  came  to 
New  York  in  1811,  being  then  fourteen  years  old,  to  serve  as  clerk  for  his  uncle,  Robert 
Buloid,  then  in  business  on  Broadway  between  Maiden  Lane  and  Fulton  street.  In 
1820,  the  business  was  removed  to  Front  street,  near  Burling  Slip,  and  conducted  under 
the  name  of  Buloid  &  Finch.  Upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Finch  in  1822,  Mr.  Caswell  was 
taken  into  partnership,  and  the  firm  became  Buloid  &  Caswell,  until  the  death  of  Mr. 
Buloid  several  years  later.  Mr.  Caswell  then  carried  on  the  business  in  his  own  name 
for  a  time,  but  soon,  with  his  brother,  Solomon  T.  Caswell,  and  others,  formed  the  firm 
of  John  Caswell  &  Co.,  about  1836.  They  remained  at  No.  87  Front  street  until  the 
death  of  Mr.  Caswell.  They  were  one  of  the  representative  houses  in  the  trade  with 
China.  By  industry  and  integrity  Mr.  Caswell  acquired  a  high  reputation  and  a  fortune. 
He  was  a  modest  and  retiring  gentleman,  shrewd  and  sagacious,  and  distinguished  for 
his  conscientious  character  and  unostentatious  charity.  A  regular  attendant  at  St.  John's 
Chapel,  then  at  the  Church  of  the  Ascension,  and  afterward  of  Trinity  Chapel,  he  served 
as  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  for  many  years.  He  was  also  one  of  the  founders 
of  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  a  director  of  The  Union  Bank,  The  United  States  Trust  Co., 
The  Continental  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Second  National  Bank,  and  at  times 
held  other  positions  of  fiduciary  trust.  His  property  descended  to  his  wife  and  five 
children. 

JULIUS  CATLIN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  born  in  1833,  died  in 
Quebec,  Canada,  July  20,  1893.  Beginning  life  with  no  other  advantages  than  his  fel- 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

low  clerks  in  the  dry  goods  trade,  he  excelled  many  of  them  in  spirit,  fidelity  and 
power  of  application  and  in  the  courage  finally  to  undertake  business  on  his  own 
account.  His  house,  known  successively  as  Hunt,  Catlin  &  Valentine,  Catlin,  Brun- 
drett  &  Co.,  and  Julius  Catlin  &  Co.,  was  for  a  business  generation  conspicuous  in  the 
wholesale  dry  goods  districts  of  New  York  and  Boston.  The  friendships  made  among 
his  associates  led  to  his  election  as  director  of  The  United  States  Life  Insurance  Co., 
The  Importers  &  Traders'  National  Bank  and  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank.  He  was 
married  to  a  daughter  of  Seth  B.  Hunt  and  to  them  were  born  Julia  Hunt,  wife  of 
Trenor  L.  Park,  and  Mary  Helen  and  Edith  Raymond  Catlin.  Mr.  Catlin  lived  in 
Morristown,  N.  J  ,  but  was  nevertheless  a  member  of  prominent  clubs  in  New  York, 
including  the  Union  League,  Union,  City,  Merchants',  Yale  Alumni  and  New  York 
Yacht.  He  also  belonged  to  the  Morristown  Club  and  The  New  England  Society. 
Warm  hearted  and  liberal,  he  gave  generously  to  the  worthy  poor. 

CHESTER  WILLIAflS  CHAPIN,  railroad  president,  born  in  the  town  of  Ludlow, 
Mass.,  Dec.  16,  1798,  died  in  Springfield,  Mass.,  June  10,  1883.  Although  not  a  New 
Yorker  by  birth,  he  was  one  to  whose  memory  conspicuous  place  must  be  given  in  any 
adequate  review  of  celebrities  of  the  metropolis,  by  reason  of  the  prominence  he  com- 
manded in  some  of  the  most  important  traffic  enterprises  in  which  this  city  had  a  finan- 
cial and  commercial  interest. 

He  was  a  typical  American,  a  direct  lineal  descendant  in  the  sixth  generation  from 
Deacon  Samuel  Chapin,  who  came  from  Wales  to  this  country  in  1675,  and  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  city  of  Springfield,  Mass.  Ephraim  Chapin,  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  one  of  the  principal  land  owners  of  the  old  Bay  State,  his 
property  comprising  considerable  portions  of  the  towns  of  Chicopee,  Ludlow  and 
Springfield.  The  portion  thereof  lying  in  the  western  part  of  the  town  of  Ludlow, 
upon  which  was  the  old  "Torrey  house,"  passed  to  his  son  Ephraim,  and  there  Chester 
W.  Chapin  was  born,  the  youngest  of  seven  children. 

While  he  was  yet  a  boy,  the  death  of  his  father,  during  the  absence  of  his  older 
brother  Ephraim  at  college,  threw  upon  him  the  cares  of  manhood  and  the  manage- 
ment of  the  large  family  estate,  thus  imposing  at  an  unusually  early  age  a  severe  but 
excellent  practical  training,  which  was  of  inestimable  service  in  developing  the  .enter- 
prise, self-reliance  and  prudence,  which  were  his  distinguishing  traits  in  after  life. 
His  formal  education  was  limited  to  the  district  school  and  the  Westfield  Academy; 
but  his  active  mind,  rare  faculty  of  observation,  and  the  instructive  experience  of 
public  life,  speedily  equipped  him  with  an  education  so  thorough  and  practical  that  he 
was  enabled  easily  to  win  distinction  as  a  leader  among  men,  both  in  commercial  affairs 
and  legislative  councils. 

Upon  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Chapin  went  to  Springfield.  There  he  engaged 
in  mercantile  business,  married  a  daughter  of  Colonel  Abel  Chapin,  of  Chicopee,  and 
built,  by  contract,  the  paper  mill  at  Chicopee,  the  first  in  which  paper  was  made  by 
machinery  in  this  country.  This  narrow  field  did  not  content  him.  His  enterprising 
spirit  sought  wider  employment  and  found  it,  in  the  interest  which  has  enlisted  such  a 
number  of  the  ablest  and  most  progressive  of  our  public  men  and  built  up  so  many  of 
the  largest  fortunes  in  this  country,  that  of  traffic  enterprise. 

Like  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  he  began  in  a  modest  way,  although,  perhaps, 
with  some  advantage  in  the  matter  of  capital.  The  Commodore's  first  venture  as  a 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CH.  135 

master  of  transportation  was  in  a  pirogue  ferryboat,  of  which  he  was  commander  and 
crew.  That  of  Mr.  Chapin  was  in  a  stage  coach  line  between  Hartford  and  Brattle- 
boro.  He  not  only  invested  his  money  in  this  enterprise,  but  managed  it,  and  even  on 
occasion  held  the  reins.  The  stages  were  well  conducted  and  popular,  and  the  line 
speedily  became  profitable,  being  fully  up  to  all  the  requirements  of  that  day.  Mr. 
Chapin  was  not  slow  to  realize  that  the  progressive  spirit  of  the  age  would  soon  "make 
the  ancient  good  uncouth,"  and  by  the  utilization  of  steam  as  a  motor,  both  on  land 
and  water,  do  away  with  the  stage  coach  in  the  more  densely  populated  parts  of  the 
country.  Not  a  few  of  the  old-time  stage-line  owners  ruined  themselves  by  obstinate 
contention  against  the  new  order  of  things.  Mr.  Chapin,  however,  not  only  foresaw 
clearly,  but  gracefully  accepted,  and,  with  characteristic  promptness  and  energy,  made 
the  most  of  the  inevitable  change ;  and  he  took  early  measures  for  transference  of  his 
interests  to  the  new  and  greater  field. 

Soon  after  Mr.  Blanchard's  demonstration,  in  1830,  of  the  practicability  of  steam 
navigation  between  Springfield  and  Hartford,  Mr.  Chapin  bought  the  steamboats 
which  were  employed  in  that  trade,  and  for  a  dozen  years  controlled  that  profitable 
line  of  water  transportation  on  the  Connecticut  river.  During  the  same  period,  he 
also  acquired  a  large  interest  in  The  New  York  &  New  Haven  Steamboat  Line,  which  he 
retained  the  whole  of  his  life.  From  the  stage  coach  to  the  steamboat  was  a  long 
stride  in  advance,  but  he  realized  that  it  was  hardly  half  which  the  requirements  of 
traffic  would  demand. 

The  railroad  was,  in  the  natural  order  of  things,  a  necessity  of  the  then  immediate 
future.  Mr.  Chapin  consequently  took  a  leading  part  in  procuring  connection  by  rail 
between  Springfield  and  Hartford,  becoming  a  director  in  the  corporation,  controlling 
that  line  when  it  was  formed,  and  taking  an  active  and  most  efficient  part  in  the 
management. 

It  is  illustrative  of  his  resourcefulness  and  careful  conservatism  that  in  spite  of  all- 
these  important  changes,  Mr.  Chapin  did  not  allow  himself  to  lose  the  old  stage  coach 
line,  which  had  been  the  foundation  of  his  prosperity.  Its  usefulness  in  the  original 
field  was  at  an  end,  but  demand  could  be  made  for  it  elsewhere.  Securing  extensive 
postal  contracts  in  the  West,  he  took  these  stages  out  to  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
established  a  mail  coach  line  between  St.  Louis,  Mo. ,  and  Terre  Haute,  Ind. ,  which 
proved  as  successful  as  all  his  other  ventures. 

In  1850,  Mr.  Chapin  became  a  director  of  The  Western  Railroad,  and  in  the  same 
year  resigned  that  position  to  accept  the  presidency  of  The  Connecticut  River  Railroad. 
Four  years  later  he  was  made  president  of  The  Western  Railroad,  also,  and  in  1855, 
effected  in  London  a  loan  of  one  million  dollars  to  that  corporation  by  English  capital- 
ists. The  judicious  expenditure  of  that  money,  in  improvement  of  the  road  and  ex- 
tension of  its  facilities,  put  the  company,  for  the  first  time,  upon  a  solid  dividend  paying 
basis.  The  Albany  bridges,  the  iron  bridge  at  Springfield,  the  continuous  double 
track,  the  consolidation  of  The  Western  \vith  The  Boston  &  Worcester  Railroad  Co.  into 
the  Boston  &  Albany,  with  magnificent  tide-water  facilities,  a  huge  elevator  at  Boston, 
and  a  great  depot  at  Worcester,  all  were  due,  in  great  part,  to  President  Chapin's 
admirable  judgment  and  shrewd  management.  The  development  of  The  Boston  & 
Albany  Railroad  he  made  the  principal  work  of  his  life.  Of  that  company  he  was 
president  for  many  years. 


!36  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Among  the  more  important  of  his  widely  diversified  interests  outside  the  traffic 
lines  mentioned,  may  be  noted  his  directorship  in  The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford Railroad;  his  ownership  of  a  controlling-  share  of  The  Collins  Paper  Co.,  at  Wil- 
braham  and  The  Agawam  Canal  Co.,  at  West  Springfield;  his  presidency  of  The 
Chapin  Banking  &  Trust  Co.,  of  Springfield,  formerly  The  Agawam  Bank,  of 
which  he  was  founder;  and  the  Manhattan  Elevated  Railway. 

The  diversity  and  magnitude  of  his  business  concerns  did  not  preclude  his  taking  a 
prominent  part  in  public  affairs,  wherein  his  advice  and  conclusions  were  always  of  mo- 
ment. In  1853,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Constitutional  Convention,  and  in 
1874,  was  elected  a  representative  from  his  native  state  to  the  XLVIth  Congress.  In  all 
his  career  Mr.  Chapin  distinguished  himself  by  a  rare  blending  of  conservative  prudence 
with  liberal  and  energetic  enterprise,  which  in  many  instances  seemed  impelled  by 
prescient  inspiration.  In  manner,  he  was  cool  and  decided,  but  considerate,  kind  and 
obliging,  never  hasty,  but  always  prompt.  Of  all  the  various  enterprises,  traffic,  mer- 
cantile, manufacturing  and  financial,  with  which  he  was  connected,  and  which  were 
wholly  or  largely  under  his  control,  not  one  failed  of  important  benefit  by  his  shrewd 
foresight  and  skillful  management.  When  his  long  and  useful  career  was  ended  by  his 
death,  the  inheritors  of  his  well  won  honors  and  name  were  his  three  children,  Chester 
W.  Chapin,  Mrs.  William  Bliss  and  Mrs.  James  A.  Rumrill. 

ISAAC  F.  CHAPMAN,  ship  owner,  born  in  Damariscotta,  Me.,  April  8,  1812,  died 
in  Brooklyn,  Jan.  30,  1895.  He  came  from  a  family  planted  in  this  country  in  1635. 
Robert  Chapman,  his  father,  was  a  farmer,  the  owner  of  large  tracts  of  timber  land 
and  a  saw  mill,  and  a  ship  carpenter,  as  was  his  father  before  him.  Isaac  spent  his 
youth  on  the  farm  and  at  country  school  and,  learning,  in  1828,  the  shipwright's  art 
in  his  father's  employment,  for  eight  years  he  helped  frame,  plank  and  launch  wooden 
vessels.  In  1837,  he  became  a  storekeeper  in  Damariscotta,  but,  in  partnership  with 
Benjamin  Flint,  soon  afterward  built  a  small  bark  of  280  tons,  for  general  trading 
purposes.  This  led  the  two  men  into  more  extended  operations.  Chapman  &  Flint 
located  in  Thomaston  in  1843,  opened  a  ship  yard,  and  thereafter  built  a  wooden  ship 
about  once  a  year,  for  the  general  carrying  trade  of  the  world.  In  1858,  Mr.  Chap- 
man settled  in  Brooklyn,  in  order  to  manage  the  fleet  of  about  fifteen  large  ships  to  bet- 
ter advantage,  and,  by  his  energy,  close  attention  to  business,  and  careful  management, 
placed  the  name  of  Chapman  &  Flint  in  the  front  rank  in  American  maritime  circles. 
After  1868,  Mr.  Chapman's  ships  were  constructed  in  Bath  on  the  Kennebec,  under  the 
supervision  of  John  McDonald,  one  of  the  best  builders  in  New  England.  They  were 
among  the  largest  carriers  in  the  sailing  fleet  of  the  country.  In  1880,  the  old  firm 
dissolved,  to  be  succeeded  by  I.  F.  Chapman  &  Co.,  in  1883,  Albert  G.  Ropes,  a  son- 
in-law,  being  admitted  as  a  partner.  During  the  War,  Mr.  Chapman  and  Mr.  Flint 
built  all  the  houses  on  the  east  side  of  Montague  Terrace,  Brooklyn. 

NELSON  CHASE,  lawyer,  died  in  Ridgewood,  N.  J.,  March  18,  1890,  at  the  age 
of  seventy -nine.  In  early  life,  while  studying  law  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  he 
formed  the  acquaintance  of  the  celebrated  Madame  Jumel,  of  New  York  city,  and  of 
Mary  Jumel,  her  niece.  An  attachment  to  the  latter  led  him  to  New  York,  where,  in 
the  office  of  Aaron  Burr,  he  finished  his  legal  studies.  Two  years  later  he  married 
Mary  Jumel,  and  later,  through  his  wife,  inherited  a  large  share  of  his  mother-in-law's 
fortune  of  about  $3,000,000,  consisting  largely  of  real  estate  on  Liberty  street  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CH.  137 

Broadway,  the  famous  mansion  and  grounds  on  Washington  Heights,  and  a  farm  in 
Saratoga  county.  He  dwelt  in  the  Jumel  mansion  until  his  wife's  death,  about  1845, 
and  thereafter  until  1888,  when  he  removed  to  Ridgewood,  N.  J.  For  fifty  years  he 
practiced  law  in  New  York  city.  About  1870,  he  married  again.  Three  children  sur- 
vived him,  Eliza  Carye,  and  William  and  Raymond  Chase. 

ROBERT  AUGUSTUS  CHESEBROUQH,  inventor  and  manufacturer,  while  born  in 
London,  England,  Jan.  9,  1837,  is  a  scion  of  some  of  the  most  patriotic  and  ancient 
American  families.  The  paternal  ancestor  of  the  family  was  William  Chesebrough, 
who  sailed  from  Cowes  with  Governor  John  Winthrop,  March  29,  1630,  and  settled  in 
Boston,  Mass.  Here  he  filled  several  official  positions,  and  in  1634  was  chosen  High 
Sheriff.  In  1651,  he  obtained  by  grant  from  Connecticut,  about  2,300  acres  of  land, 
which  grant  was  confirmed  by  the  general  court  at  Pequot,  on  which  he  settled  and 
built  a  homestead.  On  this  land  now  stands  the  present  city  of  Stonington,  Conn. , 
where  live  many  of  his  descendents.  A  new  commonwealth  was  here  established. 
William  Chesebrough,  the  first  "Comytioner"  or  magistrate  thereof,  was  in  1664 
chosen  as  first  representative  to  the  General  Court  at  Hartford  to  adjust  the  dispute  as 
to  boundaries  with  the  State  of  Connecticut.  Robert  Chesebrough,  the  paternal 
grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  the  fifth  son  of  Nathaniel,  who  was  the 
grandson  of  William  Chesebrough. 

Henry  A.  Chesebrough,  father  of  Robert  A.  Chesebrough,  was  a  dry  goods  mer- 
chant of  New  York  city,  who  lived  at  No.  7  Bridge  street,  then  a  fashionable  place  of 
residence,  and  grandson  of  Robert  Chesebrough,  dry  goods  merchant  and  founder  and 
president  of  The  Fulton  Bank. 

Through  the  maternal  line,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  descends  from  William 
Maxwell,  founder  and  president  of  The  Bank  of  New  York,  the  first  financial  institu- 
tion ever  established  in  this  State,  who  upheld  the  cause  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  derived  his  pedigree  from  a  family  prominent  in  Scottish  history.  The  Maxwells 
were  earls  of  Nithsdale  and  barons  of  Herries.  James  Homer  Maxwell,  son  of  William, 
married  a  daughter  of  the  patriot,  Jacobus  Van  Zandt,  whose  family  were  driven  from 
New  York  city  by  the  British  occupation  and  saw  much  of  the  operations  and  experi- 
enced many  of  the  hardships  of  the  heroic  struggle  for  American  independence.  Miss 
Van  Zandt  became  an  actual  eye  witness  of  the  battle  of  Monmouth,  and,  as  a  bride, 
she  had  the  honor  of  opening  the  first  inauguration  ball  as  the  partner  of  General 
Washington.  Their  son,  William  H.  Maxwell,  was  the  titular  earl  of  Nithsdale  at  the 
time  of  his  death  in  1856.  Mr.  Chesebrough's  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Richard  M. 
Woodhull,  and  granddaughter  of  James  Homer  Maxwell,  and  also  a  grand  niece  of 
General  Woodhull  of  the  American  army,  who  fell  in  the  battle  -of  Long  Island.  The 
family  Bibles  of  the  Maxwells  and  Van  Zandts  are  yet  preserved  in  this  family,  and 
rank  among  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  relics  of  that  time.  But  there  are  two 
others  of  note,  which  may  be  seen  in  the  old  Senate  House  in  Kingston,  N.  Y.,  being 
large  oil  portraits  of  the  father  and  mother  of  the  wife  of  William  Maxwell,  which 
display  a  number  of  holes,  punched  by  the  bayonets  of  the  British  soldiers,  when  the 
latter  occupied  the  Maxwell  home  on  Wall  street.  They  were  presented  to  the  collec- 
tion by  Mr.  Chesebrough. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  attended  the  best  schools  in  New  York  during  boy- 
hood, and,  in  1858,  began  the  manufacture  of  the  products  of  petroleum.  This  in- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CH.  139 

dustry,  yet  in  its  infancy,  had  attracted  attention  for  a  few  years  only,  and  Mr.  Chese- 
brough  became  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  utilization  of  petroleum  for  the  purposes  of 
man.  Success  attended  his  efforts  from  the  start. 

As  a  result  of  continual  experiments  in  distilling  and  filtering  petroleum,  he  dis- 
covered and  patented,  in  1870,  the  substance  now  known  as  vaseline.  When  the  value 
and  uses  of  this  product  had  been  developed  and  introduced  by  him,  Mr.  Chesebrough 
engaged  in  its  manufacture,  and  has  introduced  it  not  only  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  at  large,  but  to  the  inhabitants  of  nearly  every  civilized  country  under  the  sun. 
In  1880,  the  business  was  incorporated  as  The  Chesebrough  Manufacturing  Co.,  with  a 
capital  of  $500,000,  Mr.  Chesebrough  acting  as  president  from  1880  to  the  present 
time.  The  production  of  vaseline  has  increased  steadily,  and  a  growing  foreign  trade 
has  resulted  from  the  establishment  of  branch  offices  and  distributing  depots  in  Lon- 
don, Paris,  Berlin  and  Montreal. 

His  discoveries  and  enterprise  having  been  followed  by  a  suitable  reward,  Mr. 
Chesebrough  has  now  become  a  large  owner  of  realty  in  the  metropolis.  In  1881,  he 
erected  the  huge  office  building,  which  bears  his  name,  facing  the  Battery,  and  was 
led  by  scientific  interest  to  devote  his  personal  attention  to  its  arrangement.  He  intro- 
duced heating  and  ventilating  appliances  of  his  own  invention  into  this  structure ;  and 
these  have  since  attracted  wide  attention  among  architects  and  owners.  The  Real 
Estate  Exchange  originated  with  Mr.  Chesebrough,  and  he  was  second  vice-president 
and  one  of  the  building  committee  of  the  Consolidated  Stock  Exchange.  The  removal 
of  the  immigrant  station  from  Castle  Garden  to  Ellis  Island  in  the  harbor  grew  very 
largely  out  of  his  vigorous  efforts  in  that  direction.  The  Battery  Park  is  now  no 
longer  flooded  with  unattractive  strangers  and  emigrants,  as  in  former  years. 

The  action  of  Mr.  Chesebrough,  in  1878,  with  reference  to  the  Paris  Exposition, 
illustrated  his  energy  and  public  spirit.  The  Federal  Government  had  been  unac- 
countably slow  in  providing  for  a  general  display  of  American  products  and,  finding 
the  inertia  of  the  authorities  too  great  to  be  overcome,  Mr.  Chesebrough  called  to- 
gether a  number  of  Americans  who  wished  to  exhibit  at  Paris,  and,  through  Frederick 
R.  Coudert,  the  lawyer,  secured  from  the  Duke  Descazes  permission  for  a  display  of 
products  by  Americans  on  their  private  account.  This  proceeding  spurred  the  State 
Department  into  action,  and  an  American  exhibit  finally  took  place  under  proper 
authority. 

During  the  exciting  Mayoralty  contest  in  Long  Island  City,  between  Mr.  Gleason  and 
Mr.  Sanford,  in  1892,  the  Street  Improvement  Commission  of  that  city,  of  which  Mr.  San- 
ford  was  president,  was  accused  of  gross  frauds  and  irregularities.  At  a  citizen's  meet- 
ing, Mr.  Chesebrough  was  elected  chairman  of  an  Investigating  Committee  to  ascertain 
the  facts.  He  employed  an  expert  accountant  to  examine  the  books  and  contracts,  and 
a  few  days  before  election  made  his  report,  exonerating  Mr.  Sanford  and  the  Commis- 
sion, which,  being  published  in  the  Long  Island  City  newspapers,  resulted  in  the  elec- 
tion of  Mr.  Sanford  by  a  few  hundred  majority,  showing  a  marked  change  of  public 
sentiment  against  Mr.  Gleason. 

Mr.  Chesebrough  has  always  shown  an  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  in  1894,  he 
received  a  nomination  for  Congress  from  the  Republicans  of  his  district  in  this  city. 
He  made  a  gallant  fight,  but  the  time  was  too  short  for  a  suitable  canvass  against  the 
heavy  Democratic  majority  of  the  district ;  and,  although  he  cut  down  the  Democratic 


i40  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

majority  from  over  10,000  to  1,300,  he  suffered  the  same  fate  as  Levi  P.  Morton  when 
he  first  ran  for  Congress,  and  was  beaten. 

By  his  marriage  with  Margaret  McCredy,  sister  of  Mrs.  Frederick  R.  Coudert, 
April  28,  1864,  Mr.  Chesebrough  has  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  Robert  M.,  William 
H.,  Frederic  W.,  and  Marion  M.  Chesebrough.  Mrs.  Chesebrough  died  April  3,  1887. 
The  summer  home  of  the  family  was  formerly  at  Legget's  Point  on  the  Sound,  north 
of  the  city,  but  has  now  been  sold  to  an  English  syndicate  for  division  into  lots.  The 
family  live  at  No.  17  East  45th  street  every  winter,  and  usually  spend  their  summers 
either  in  travel  or  in  the  suburbs.  Mr.  Chesebrough  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Riding  and  Manhattan  Athletic  clubs,  and  was  president  of  the  Down  Town  Republican 
Club  in  1890.  He  is  a  writer  of  ability,  and  author  of  "A  Reverie  and  other  Poems," 
which  were  favorably  reviewed  by  the  press.  A  calm,  judicious,  energetic  business 
man,  he  has  won  position  by  his  own  efforts,  and  the  general  esteem  by  his  upright 
character. 

SIMEON  BALDWIN  CHITTENDEN,  merchant,  born  in  Guilford,  Conn.,  March 
29,  1814,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  April  14,  1889.  After  preparing  for  Yale  College, 
he  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  college  course,  which  was  his  ambition,  and,  at  the  age 
of  fifteen,  he  entered  a  store  at  New  Haven,  Conn.  Having  saved  a  little  money,  he 
carried  on  business  on  his  own  account  for  a  while,  and  came  to  New  York  in  1842, 
where  he  opened  a  dry  goods  store,  and  was,  until  1874,  one  of  the  prominent  mer- 
chants of  the  city,  gaining  a  large  fortune.  He  was  vice-president  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  1867-69  a  founder  of  The  Continental  Bank  and  The  Continental  Fire 
Insurance  Co. ,  a  director  in  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  and  other  railroads, 
and  president  of  The  New  Haven  &  New  London  Shore  Line  Railroad  in  Connecticut. 
During  the  War,  he  served  upon  the  Union  Defense  Committee  of  New  York  and  the  War 
Fund  Committee  of  Brooklyn,  and  gave  generously  to  the  support  of  the  Government. 
He  always  dwelt  in  Brooklyn,  and  was  elected  to  Congress  from  that  city,  serving  from 
Dec.  7,  1874,  until  March  4,  1879,  as  an  Independent  Republican.  Mr.  Chittenden 
gave  liberally  to  the  Long  Island  Historical  Society  and  other  institutions  and,  in  1887, 
presented  $125,000  to  Yale  College  for  a  library  building.  He  also  gave  the  site  for  a 
building  in  Brooklyn  to  the  Young  Woman's  Christian  Association.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Sherman  Hartwell,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.  To  them  were  born  two  chil- 
dren, a  son,  Simeon  B.  Chittenden,  who  survived  him  and  resides  in  Brooklyn,  and  a 
daughter,  now  deceased,  wife  of  Dr.  William  T.  Lusk,  of  New  York  city. 

JOSEPH  HODGES  CHOATE,  lawyer,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  New  York  bar,  a 
native  of  Salem,  Mass.,  was  born  Jan.  24,  1832.  His  family  is  an  old  and  conspicuous 
one.  Graduating  from  Harvard  College  in  1852,  he  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  Massachusetts  in  1855.  He  came  to  the  metropolis  in  1856,  and  has  since 
attained  distinction  in  the  law,  public  oratory  and  statecraft.  If  the  fees  paid  to  Mr. 
Choate  are  sometimes  enormous,  his  clients  are  always  willing  to  admit  that  his  serv- 
ices have  been  worth  the  money.  He  has  appeared  in  many  noted  cases.  One  of  the 
old  Committee  of  Seventy,  which  routed  the  Tweed  Ring,  he  obtained  the  reinstate- 
ment of  Gen.  Fitz  John  Porter  to  his  rank  in  the  army  after  a  prolonged  struggle,  and 
successfully  defended  the  Cesnola  collection  of  ancient  statuary  in  the  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  against  imputations  affecting  its  integrity.  He  is  noted  both  as  a 
public  and  an  after-dinner  orator  and  for  his  independence  of  mind.  In  1894,  he  was 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CH. 


141 


chairman  of  the  Constitutional  Convention,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  work, 
for  which  he  had  labored  with  great  ability  and  energy,  triumphantly  ratified  at  the 
polls.  He  is  a  member  of  the  most  important  clubs  in  the  city,  including  the  Union 
League,  University,  City,  Century,  Grolier,  Bar,  Harvard,  Down  Town,  Racquet, 
Riding,  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  New  York  Athletic  and  Mendelssohn  Glee,  and  The  New 
England  Society,  and  various  other  organizations. 

AUSTIN  CHURCH,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  East  Haddam,  Conn.,  born  Jan  8, 
1799,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  7,  1879.  His  father,  Oliver  Church,  was  a  school 
teacher.  Left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  the  youth  of  Mr.  Church  was  full  of  hard- 
ship, but,  chiefly  by  his  own  efforts,  he  gained  an  education  in  the  Yale  Medical  School. 
During  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Ithaca,  Rochester,  Utica  and  Cooperstown, 
X.  Y.,  he  originated  the  notion  of  substituting  bi-carbonate  of  soda  in  place  of  the 
kindred  preparation  of  potash  for  baking  purposes,  and,  in  1832,  established  in  Rochester 
the  pioneer  factory  in  this  line.  Success  rewarded  his  enterprise,  and,  in  1845,  he  removed 
the  business  to  New  York  city,  where  his  firm  of  Church  &  Co.  rose  during  the  thirty 
years  following  to  a  leading  position  in  the  trade.  By  means  of  travelling  agents,  Mr. 
Church  increased  his  sales  year  by  year,  and  saw  his  production  increase  from  one  ton  to 
10,000  tons  a  year.  Since  his  death,  the  trade  has  more  than  doubled.  While  his 
office  was  at  No.  132  Front  street,  the  factory  was  in  Brooklyn,  in  which  city  he  dwelt 
for  over  twenty-five  years.  Mr.  Church  was  liberal  in  charity  and  an  excellent  man. 
In  1827,  he  was  married  to  Nancy,  daughter  of  Dr.  Elihu  Dwight,  a  prominent  physi- 
cian of  South  Hadley,  Mass.,  and  lived  to  celebrate  his  golden  wedding  in  Brooklyn, 
in  1877.  There  were  born  to  them  James  A.,  Elihu  Dwight,  and  Fannie  Church,  who 
live  at  the  old  home  in  Brooklyn,  and  Mrs.  Henry  Pease,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  now 
deceased.  Mrs.  Church  died  in  January,  1 890.  The  two  sons  now  manage  the  firm  of 
Church  &  Co. 

HORACE  BRIOHAM  CLAFLIN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Milford,  Mass.,  born  Dec 
1 8,  1811,  died  in  Fordham,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  14,  1885.  His  father,  John  Claflin,  was  a 
country  storekeeper,  farmer,  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Horace  graduated  from  Milford 
Academy,  and  became  a  clerk  for  his  father.  In  1831,  with  his  brother  Aaron  and  his 
brother-in-law,  Samuel  Daniels,  he  succeeded  to  his  father's  business.  In  1832,  they 
opened  a  branch  dry  goods  store  in  Worcester.  In  1833,  Aaron  took  the  Milford  store, 
leaving  to  the  other  partners  the  Worcester  business.  In  1843,  Horace  removed  to 
New  York  city,  and  with  William  F.  Bulkley  organized  the  importing  and  wholesale 
dry  goods  house  of  Bulkley  &  Claflin,  at  No.  46  Cedar  street.  In  1850,  the  firm  built 
a  store  at  No.  57  Broadway,  which  they  occupied  until  1853.  Mr.  Bulkley  withdrew 
in  1851,  the  business  being  conducted  as  Claflin,  Mellen  &  Co.  Meanwhile,  the  trade 
had  increased  rapidly.  To  obtain  larger  accommodations,  Mr.  Claflin,  with  others, 
erected  the  Trinity  building  at  No.  1 1 1  Broadway,  whither  the  business  was  transferred. 
In  1 86 1,  the  great  warehouse  on  Worth  street,  extending  from  Church  street  to  West 
Broadway,  was  secured,  and  this  gigantic  store  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  curi- 
osities of  New  York  city.  The  Civil  War  found  the  firm's  assets  rendered  almost 
worthless ;  and  they  were  compelled  to  ask  an  extension  of  time,  which  was  promptly 
granted.  The  liabilities  were  paid  with  interest  long  before  maturity.  Thereafter, 
the  house  entered  upon  a  career  of  unparalleled  prosperity.  In  1864,  the  firm  assumed 
the  name  of  H.  B.  Claflin  &  Co.  Mr.  Claflin's  sales  were  enormous,  often  amounting, 


i42  AMERICA'S  SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

in  a  single  year,  to  $70,000,000.  From  1865  to  the  time  of  his  death,  this  house  was 
the  largest  of  its  class  in  the  world.  Mr.  Clanin  invested  large  sums  in  real  estate  in 
Brooklyn,  and  at  Fordham  in  the  upper  part  of  New  York  city.  He  was  a  man  of 
domestic  habits  and  of  exemplary  life,  fond  of  books  and  of  horses.  Almost  daily  he 
drove  from  ten  to  twenty  miles.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  Henry  Ward 
Beecher's  church  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  resided  every  winter.  A  large  hearted  and 
generous  man,  his  readiness  to  assist  young  men  was  a  marked  trait  of  his  character. 
Probably  no  other  person  in  the  United  States  aided  so  many  beginners  with  money 
and  credit,  until  they  were  able  to  sustain  themselves.  In  politics,  an  opponent  of  - 
slavery  and  a  Republican  until  1884,  thereafter  he  supported  Mr.  Cleveland.  John 
Claflin  his  son,  is  now  the  head  of  the  firm,  while  Arthur  B.  Claflin,  another  son,  is  a 
banker. 

GEORGE  P.  CLAPP,  merchant  and  philanthropist,  a  native  of  Woodstock,  Vt, 
born  Sept.  6,  1831,  died  in  Algiers,  Africa,  Jan.  25,  1884.  He  descended  from 
New  England  ancestry,  and  his  father,  Joel  Clapp,  was  an  Episcopal  clergyman 
at  Woodstock.  Coming  to  New  York  city  about  1857,  he  entered  the  employ- 
ment of  Pinneo  &  Co.  in  Chambers  street  as  a  clerk.  Saving,  diligent,  and  de- 
ermined  to  succeed,  he  was  able,  in  1862,  to  found  the  firm  of  George  P.  Clapp  & 
Co.,  importers  and  jobbers,  in  this  city,  subsequently  carrying  on  the  business  in  the 
firm  of  Clapp  &  Braden,  later,  Clapp,  Braden  &  Co.  In  1877,  he  retired,  after  a 
successful  career.  He  was  married  in  1867  to  Desier  A.  Pryer,  the  niece  of  John 
Alstyne,  then  residing  at  No.  27  Madison  avenue.  Mrs.  Clapp  inherited  a  large 
property  from  Mr.  Alstyne,  and,  by  her  will,  gave  it  to  her  husband  upon  her  decease, 
in  1 88 1.  During  their  happy  married  life,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clapp  gave  away  large  sums 
of  money  for  benevolent  work.  The  Church  of  St.  Paul's- Within-the-Walls,  in  Rome, 
Italy,  was  one  recipient  of  their  bounty,  and  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Trinity,  in  Paris, 
France,  received  large  gifts.  Upon  the  decease  of  Mr.  Clapp,  more  than  $500,000 
of  the  Alstyne  property  was  distributed  under  his  will  to  worthy  religious  and  charit- 
able institutions,  mostly  in  the  city  of  New  York.  A  man  of  great  energy  and 
strength  of  character,  a  gentleman  of  cultivated  manners  and  attractive  personality, 
Mr.  Clapp  earned  from  the  Rev.  Dr.  Morgan  the  encomium  that  he  combined,  "in  rare 
association,  the  simplicity  of  childhood  with  the  wisdom  of  age."  He  was  buried  in  the 
cemetery  in  Algiers,  where  a  granite  monument  marks  his  resting  place. 

GEORGE  A.  CLARK,  cotton-thread  manufacturer,  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  in 
1824,  died  Feb.  13,  1873.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Clark  and  descendant  of  Peter  Clark> 
who,  in  1812,  made  the  first  cotton  thread  ever  used  in  sewing.  When  Napoleon  seized 
Hambuyg  and  destroyed  the  silk  in  that  port,  Peter  Clark,  who  had  been  making  silk 
needle  twine  in  Paisley,  found  himself  obliged  to  search  for  a  substitute  for  silk  in  its 
manufacture,  and  made  experiments  with  cotton  thread,  winding  it  on  bobbins  with  his 
own  hands,  for  sale  to  ladies  in  Paisley.  Convinced  that  his  discovery  was  valuable, 
he  abandoned  the  making  of  twine  and  founded  the  great  spool  cotton  industry,  which 
has  ever  since  been  carried  on  by  the  family.  George  A.  Clark  began  life  in  the 
employment  of  Kerr  &  Co.,  of  Hamilton,  Ont.  Four  years  later  he  returned  to 
Scotland,  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  Paiseley  shawls.  In  1850,  his  brother-in- 
law,  Peter  Kerr,  and  he  undertook  the  manufacture  of  cotton  thread,  their  interests 
being  afterward  merged  with  those  of  the  Clark  Bro's.  In  1856,  Mr.  Clark  came  to 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CL.  143 

New  York,  to  promote  the  sale  of  Clark  threads  here,  and,  in  1864,  was  led  by  the 
American  tariff  on  foreign  thread  to  start  a  small  factory  in  Newark.  In  1865,  The 
Passaic  Thread  Co.  was  organized  by  him,  with  George  A.,  Alexander  and  William 
Clark  and  Thomas  Barbour  as  incorporators.  Gigantic  works  were  constructed  and 
put  into  operation  in  1866.  Their  venture  was  successful.  Mr.  Clark  was  a  member 
of  The  Board  of  Trade  of  Newark  and  The  People's  Fire  Insurance  Company. 

HORACE  F.  CLARK,  LL.D.,  lawyer,  a  native  of  Southbury,  Conn.,  born 
Nov.  29,  1815,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  19,  1873.  He  was  graduated  from  Williams 
College  in  1833,  and  in  1837,  began  practice  of  the  law,  attaining  distinction  as  a  hard 
working,  prudent  and  far-seeing  practitioner.  In  1848,  he  married  a  favorite  daughter 
of  Commodore  Cornelius  Vanderbilt.  He  served  in  Congress  an  an  anti-Lecompton 
Democrat,  1857-61.  After  1857,  railroads  occupied  his  principal  attention,  leading  him 
into  the  directorate  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  and  various  other  lines; 
and  into  heavy  and  successful  operations  in  stocks  in  Wall  street.  He  displayed  great 
capacity,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  an  officer  in  the  management  of  as  many 
miles  of  railroad  as  any  other  man  of  his  day.  He  was  president  of  The  Lake  Shore, 
Michigan  Southern  &  Northern  Indiana  and  The  Union  Pacific  Railroads;  and  a  director 
of  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River,  The  Harlem,  The  New  Haven,  Hartford 
&  Springfield,  The  Shore  Line,  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroads,  among  others, 
as  well  as  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  He  was  also  president  of  The  Union 
Trust  Co.  In  the  assault  upon  the  Tweed  ring,  Mr.  Clark  did  valiant  work.  When 
the  robbers  had  been  driven  out  he  joined  Tammany  Hall.  Mr.  Clark  had  one  child, 
Marie  Louise,  who  was  thrice  married  and  died  in  1894. 

WILLIAM  CLARK,  manufacturer,  born  in  Paisley,  Scotland,  in  1841,  is  a  son  of 
the  late  John  Clark,  of  James  &  John  Clark,  manufacturers  of  cotton  thread.  He  was 
educated  in  the  local  grammar  schools,  and  at  once  entered  the  thread  factory  founded 
by  his  ancestors.  Coming  to  the  United  States  in  1860,  he  joined  his  brother,  George 
A.  Clark,  in  the  general  agency  of  the  Clark  threads  in  America.  In  1 864,  the  broth- 
ers started  a  cotton  thread  factory  in  Newark,  being  identified  with  The  Passaic  Thread 
Co.  from  the  start.  In  1873,  William  Clark  rose  to  seniority  in  the  house.  A 
great  spooling  factory  was  built  and  the  thread  works  were  enlarged  under  his  adminis- 
tration. The  works  now  occupy  ten  acres  of  ground  on  the  banks  of  the  Passaic 
river.  He  is  treasurer  of  The  Clark  Thread  Co.,  a  partner  in  George  A.  Clark  &  Bro., 
and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  New  York  Yacht  and  American  Yacht  clubs  of 
New  York,  and  the  Essex  and  Essex  County  Country  clubs,  of  Newark.  Numerous 
public  institutions  owe  much  to  his  generosity. 

BENJAfllN  Q.  CLARKE,  iron  manufacturer,  born  in  Easton,  Pa.,  in  1820,  died  in 
Antwerp,  Belguim,  Aug.  12,  1892.  Early  in  life  he  began  business  in  the  iron  and 
steel  trade,  and  remained  prominent  in  the  industry  until  the  end  of  his  days.  He  was 
a  founder  of  The  Thomas  Iron  Co. ,  at  Hokendauqua,  Pa. ,  one  of  the  largest  pig  iron 
concerns  in  the  country,  and  largely  interested  in  The  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Co., 
The  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Coal  Co. ,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad, 
The  Tilley  Foster  Iron  Co.,  The  Hudson  River  Ore  &  Iron  Co.,  The  New  Jersey  Zinc 
&  Iron  Co.,  of  which  he  was  president,  and  eight  or  ten  other  pipe,  iron  or  steel  com- 
panies. During  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Clarke  excelled  in  devotion  to  the  Union.  His 
advice  was  often  sought  on  matters  of  importance  by  the  Government,  and  he  devoted 


144  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

much  of  his  time  and  means  to  the  Union  cause,  until  the  War  was  over.  A  man  of 
noble  presence  and  generous  heart,  he  took  great  interest  in  assisting  young  men  in 
their  early  struggles.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  Club,  a  member  of  Dr. 
Parkhurst's  church,  and  much  interested  in  the  local  reform  movement  initiated  by  that 
clergyman.  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Thompson,  Mrs.  Julia  M.  Finck,  and  Anne  M.  and  Ada 
Clarke  are  his  children. 

HENRY  CLAUSEN,  brewer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  n,  1838,  died  here, 
Dec.  28,  1893.  He  was  the  son  of  -Henry  Clausen,  founder  of  the  brewing  establish- 
ments of  this  family.  The  lad's  education  in  the  public  schools  and  under  private 
tutors  was  supplemented  by  four  years  of  study  abroad.  He  grew  up  in  the  brewery 
started  by  his  father  about  1857,  and  became  a  partner  in  1866,  and  when,  in  1870,  a 
corporation  was  formed,  its  president.  A  few  years  ago  when  English  capital  sought 
investments  in  the  United  States,  H.  Clausen  &  Son,  and  Flannagan,  Nay  &  Co.,  con- 
solidated and  organized  The  New  York  Breweries  Co.,  with  a  capital  of  $4,500,000, 
admitting  a  syndicate  of  English  capitalists  to  part  ownership.  Mr.  Clausen  retained 
his  individual  interest.  He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  United  States  Brewers' 
Congress  and  of  The  Brewers'  Association  of  New  York  city,  and  one  of  the  managers 
of  The  Produce  Exchange.  At  his  death,  he  held  the  positions  of  vice-president  of  The 
Murray  Hill  Bank  and  Brewers'  Ice  Co.,  and  director  in  The  Harvey  Peak  Tin  Milling 
&  Mining  Co.,  The  Mount  Morris  Electric  Light  Co.,  and  The  Consolidated  Gas  Co 
The  Manhattan  and  Liederkranz  clubs  admitted  him  to  membership.  In  politics,  he 
was  naturally  a  Democrat,  and  served  in  the  State  Assembly,  and  as  Alderman-at-large 
of  this  city.  Three  sons  and  a  daughter  survived  him. 

HENRY  CLEWS,  stock  broker,  banker  and  author,  a  native  of  Staffordshire, 
England,  is  the  son  of  a  manufacturer  of  goods  for  the  American  market.  His  parents 
wished  that  he  might  enter  the  ministry,  but  temperament  fitted  him  for  a  more  active 
life.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  visited  America  with  his  father,  and  became  so  fascinated 
with  the  animation  and  opportunities  of  the  new  world,  that  he  decided  to  remain  here. 
After  a  thorough  training  in  the  store  of  Wilson  G.  Hunt  &  Co.,  importers  of  woolen 
goods,  he  entered  Wall  street  in  1859,  as  a  partner  in  Stout,  Clews  &  Mason,  stock 
brokers  and  bankers,  afterward  Livermore,  Clews  &  Co.  During  the  Civil  War,  his 
firm  acted  as  agents  for  the  sale  of  Government  5-20  bonds,  and,  with  Jay  Cooke 
&  Co.,  were  largely  instrumental  in  making  that  loan  a  success.  After  the  War,  he 
devoted  his  attention  to  banking  and  a  commission,  bonds  and  stocks  business.  He 
organized  the  present  firm  of  Henry  Clews  &  Co.  in  1877,  the  different  members  of 
which  pledged  themselves  never  to  take  speculative  risks.  They  deal  in  investment 
securities,  have  excellent  connections  abroad,  and  employ  over  a  hundred  clerks.  A 
few  years  ago,  Mr.  Clews  wrote  "  Twenty-Eight  Years  in  Wall  Street,"  which  was  well 
received  and  is  yet  frequently  quoted.  He  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  support  of 
public  institutions,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  Union  clubs.  In  1874,  he 
married  Miss  Lucy  Madison  Worthington  of  Kentucky,  a  grand  niece  of  President 
Madison. 

WILLlAfl  P.  CLYDE,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  November,  1839,  is  a  son  of  the 
founder  of  the  Clyde  line  of  coasting  steamers.  He  graduated  from  Trinity  College, 
and  began  business  life  in  the  office  of  his  father,  where  he  received  such  a  training 
as  acquainted  him  fully  with  the  management  of  freight  and  passenger  steamers.  He 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  145 

has  succeeded  to  the  business  which  is  now  conducted  under  the  name  of  William 
P.  Clyde  &  Co.  Mr.  Clyde  is  one  of  our  most  respected  merchants.  He  has  become 
thoroughly  identified  with  the  life  of  the  city,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Down  Town,  Riding,  St.  Anthony,  Racquet,  New  York  Yacht,  and  Trinity  Alumni 

clubs. 

GEORGE  SinMONS  COE,  banker,  a  native  of  Newport,  R.  I.,  was  born  March 
27  1817.  Anglo-Saxon  in  his  ancestry,  he  descends  from  John  Alden  and  Priscilla 
Mullins,  the  latter  the  first  female  child  born  in  America  in  the  earliest  Pilgrim  com- 
pany. His  father,  Adam  S.  Coe,  a  man  of  strong  common  sense  and  religious  faith, 
was  a  maker  of  cabinet  furniture.  George  went  from  the  common  schools  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  to  a  country  store,  where  he  served  for  four  years.  He  then  entered  a  bank  as 
general  clerk,  sweeper  and  messenger,  later  being  bookkeeper  and  teller.  Meanwhile, 
bv  extra  services,  he  added  to  his  earnings,  and  by  constant  reading  improved  his  store 
of  knowledge.  In  1838,  he  entered  the  bank  of  Prime,  Ward  &  King,  in  New  York 
city,  where  he  continued  about  six  3rears,  and  then  removed  to  Cincinnati,  to  represent 
the  firm  in  a  banking  and  commission  business.  Later,  he  became  cashier  of  The  Ohio 
Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co.,  in  New  York,  resigning  to  engage  in  banking  on  his  own 
account,  as  partner  in  a  house  already  established.  In  1856,  he  was  elected  cashier  of 
The  American  Exchange  Bank,  of  which  institution,  in  a  few  months,  he  became  vice- 
president,  and,  in  1860,  president,  which  office  he  held  until  1894,  when  he  was  forced 
by  illness  to  retire,  after  a  service  of  nearly  forty  years.  It  was  Mr.  Coe  who  conceived 
the  idea  of  combining  the  local  banks  in  the  Clearing  House,  and  of  making  use  of 
Clearing  House  certificates.  James  Punnett,  president  of  The  Bank  of  America,  and 
James  Gallatin,  of  The  National  Bank,  strongly  endorsed  the  young  financier's  idea, 
and  it  was  unanimously  adopted.  Clearing  House  certificates  have  since  been  re- 
sorted to  in  the  years  1873,  1884,  1890  and  1893,  on  each  occasion  with  good  results. 
By  the  same  expedient,  the  banks  were  enabled  to  combine  their  resources  so  as  to 
subscribe  for  §150,000,000  of  Government  bonds  at  the  beginning  of  the  War,  which 
they  would  not  otherwise  have  done.  Mr.  Coe  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  The 
National  Bankers'  Association,  and,  in  1881,  was  elected  its  president.  He  is  treasurer 
of  The  Children's  Aid  Society,  trustee  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  director  of 
The  Fidelity  &  Casualty  Co.,  The  Commercial  Cable  Co.,  and  The  Postal  Telegraph 
Cable  Co. ;  an  officer  in  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  and  member  of  The  Board  of  Foreign 
>ns.  Mr.  Coe  has  lived  in  the  beautiful  suburb  of  Englewood,  N.  J.,  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  but  is  a  member  of  the  Reform  Club  and  New  England  Society.  He  was 
married,  June  15,  1843,  to  Almira  Stanley,  of  New  Britain,  Conn.,  and  on  Nov.  5, 
1887,  to  Mary  E.  Bigelow,  of  Englewood.  To  him  and  first  wife  were  born  Edward 
Paine  and  Alice  Stanley  Coe. 

CHARLES  LEWIS  COLBY,  banker,  a  native  of  Roxbury,  Mass.,  now  part  of 
Boston,  was  born  May  22,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  Gardner  Colby,  and  descends  from 
English  ancestry.  Graduating  from  Brown  University  in  1858,  with  the  degree  of  B.A., 
he  found  his  first  occupation  in  the  shipping  house  of  Page,  Richardson  &  Co.  In 
1 86 1,  he  made  his  home  in  New  York  city,  and  organized  the  shipping  firm  of  Dunbar 
&  Colby,  of  which,  in  1 864,  on  the  death  of  the  senior  partner,  he  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. In  1870,  at  the  request  of  his  father,  he  interested  himself  in  the  construction 
of  The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  and  finally  abandoned  business  in  New  York  to 


I46  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 


devote  himself  entirely  to  railroad  and  mining  interests  in  the  West.  This  resulted,  in 
1874,  in  removal  to  Milwaukee,  where  he  became  an  active  citizen,  interested  in  many 
useful  and  public  enterprises.  Gardner  Colby,  president  of  The  Wisconsin  Central 
Railroad,  being  obliged  by  reason  of  ill  health  to  resign  his  position  before  the  line  was 
completed,  Charles  succeeded  him  in  the  presidency,  finished  the  railroad,  and  assumed 
a  leading  part  in  building  up  the  railroad  system  of  Northern  and  Central  Wisconsin. 
He  was  president  and  treasurer  of  The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad,  The  Milwaukee  &•« 
Lake  Winnebago,  The  Wisconsin  &  Minnesota,  The  Chippewa  Falls  &  Western,  The 
Minnesota,  St.  Croix  &  Western,  The  Penokee,  The  Chicago,  Wisconsin  &  Minnesota, 
and  The  Chicago  Great  Western  Railroads.  He  was  also  the  first  to  develop  the  iron 
regions  of  northwestern  Michigan.  The  Colby  mine,  the  first  one  opened,  belonged 
to  The  Penokee  &  Gogebic  Development  Co.,  of  which  Mr.  Colby  was  president  and 
treasurer.  He  afterward  became  president  of  The  Consolidated  Mines  and  The  Aurora 
Iron  Mining  Co.  Greatly  occupied  with  all  these  interests,  Mr.  Colby,  nevertheless, 
found  time  for  charitable  religious  and  educational  work.  He  contributed  the  larger 
portion  of  the  funds  required  for  the  construction  of  two  churches  in  Milwaukee,  was 
next  to  one  of  the  largest  contributors  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building,  and  gave  the  Babies' 
Home  the  land  on  which  their  building  stands,  besides  being  a  regular  contributor  to,i 
and  efficient  friend  of,  most  of  the  charitable  institutions  of  that  society.  The  Wayland 
University  at  Beaver  Dam  received  a  large  gift  from  his  generous  hand.  In  politics, 
Mr.  Colby  is  a  staunch  Republican,  and  his  speeches  during  the  Garfield  and  Elaine 
campaigns  met  with  an  enthusiastic  reception.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Wisconsin 
Legislature  in  1876,  and  was  sought  for  other  higher  political  positions,  which,  how- 
ever, he  declined  on  the  ground  that  duty  to  his  associates  in  business  would  not 
permit  him  to  forsake  them.  Mr.  Colby  returned  to  New  York  in  1890,  and  has  since 
been  senior  partner  of  the  firm  of  Colby  &  Hoyt,  in  Wall  street.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  Lawyers',  Down  Town,  University,  and  Brown  Uni- '•: 
versity  clubs,  and  the  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  and  The  New 
England  Society;  and  a  honorary  member  of  The  American  Society  of  Civil  Engin- 
eers. Since  graduation,  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  has  been  bestowed  upon  him, 
as  well  as  an  election  as  honorary  member  of  £.  B.  K.  He  has  for  several  years  been 
president  of  the  Brown  University  club,  and  is  also  a  Fellow  of  that  University.  He 
has  also  served  at  different  times  as  president  of  the  international  convention  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  vice-president  of  The  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,  trustee 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  of  New  York  city,  and  president  of  The  New  York  Baptist  Mission 
Society.  Mr.  Colby  is  a  director  of  The  Mercantile  National  Bank,  and  The  Farmers' 
Loan  &  T*rust  Co. 

JAHES  B.  COLGATE,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  March  4,  1818,  is  a  son  of 
William  Colgate,  who  came  to  America  in  1798,  settled  in  Harford  county,  Md.,  and, 
in  1804,  removed  to  New  York,  where  he  established  the  now  widely  known  industry 
of  manufacturing  Colgate's  soaps.  James  B.  Colgate  has  been  for  many  years  a 
banker  and  dealer  in  securities  and  bullion.  Although  he  makes  his  home  in  the 
adjoining  suburb  of  Yonkers,  he  has  contributed  generously  to  the  support  of  the 
great  museums  and  art  institutions  of  New  York  and  to  the  promotion  of  the  work  of 
the  Baptist  church.  One  of  his  latest  gifts  was  a  $60,000  house  of  worship  for  The 
First  Baptist  Church  of  White  Plains.  Large  donations  have  been  made  to  The  War- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  147 

burton  Avenue  Baptist  Church  in  Yonkers,  Madison  University,  Rochester  University, 
Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  Colby  Academy,  Peddie  Institute  and  Columbian 
University.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Down  Town  and  New  England  Society. 

ROBERT  COLGATE,  manufacturer,  born  in  1812,  died  July  4,  1885.  He  was  the 
oldest  son  of  William  Colgate,  manufacturer  of  soaps,  and  had  the  advantage  of 
beginning  life  in  an  established  industry.  While  long  connected  with  his  father's  firm, 
his  greatest  achievement  was  the  manufacture  of  white  lead  by  corrosion  for  use  in 
paints.  About  1845,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Robert  Colgate  &  Co.,  built  works  in 
the  city  of  Brooklyn  under  the  name  of  The  Atlantic  White  Lead  &  Linseed  Oil  Co., 
and  by  able  management  and  courageous  perseverance,  made  his  factories  the  largest 
of  their  class  in  the  world.  His  children  were  Robert,  Abner  W.,  Romulus  B., 
.,'iana  and  Alice  R.  Colgate.  The  family  made  their  home  in  Riverdale  on  the 
Hudson. — His  son,  SAflUEL  JAMES  COLGATE,  manufacturer,  born  in  this  city,  in 
died  here,  Feb.  15,1 893.  He  entered  The  Atlantic  White  Lead  &  Linseed  Oil  Works 
at  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  in  1885,  succeeded  his  father  as  president, continuing  in 
the  office  until  1889.  While  the  inheritor  of  large  means,  he  was  a  man  of  enterprise, 
and  conducted  his  business  successfully.  In  1882,  he  married  Cora,  daughter  of 
Samuel  Smith  of  New  Orleans,  and  his  wife,  with  one  daughter,  Adele  S.  Colgate, 
survived  him.  Mr.  Colgate  was  prominent  in  social  life,  possessing  the  acquaintance 
of  a  large  circle  of  refined  friends,  and  being  a  member  of  the  Union,  Knickerbocker, 
Racquet,  Down  Town,  Riding,  Hudson  River  Ice  Yacht,  New  York  Yacht,  Seawanhaka 
Corinthian  Yacht  clubs.  He  was  the  first  commodore  of  the  latter  club  and  the  origin- 
ator of  the  Corinthian  races.  At  Uplands,  his  country  place  at  New  Hamburg,  N.  Y.. 
Archibald  Rogers  and  he  managed  the  Dutchess  County  Hunt. 

SAMUEL  COLGATE,  manufacturer,  son  of  the  late  William  Colgate,  was  born  in 
Xc\v  York  city,  March  22,  1822.  At  an  early  age  he  took  a  position  in  the  works  of 
Colgate  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  soap,  and  has  since  devoted  his  business  life  to  this 
industry,  being  now  senior  partner  in  the  concern.  Mr.  Colgate  has  been  a  patron  of 
the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  In  conjunction  with  his 
brother,  James  B.  Colgate,  he  erected  the  Colgate  academy  building,  in  Hamilton, 
X.  Y.,  at  an  expense  of  $60,000.  He  is  president  of  The  New  York  Baptist  Educa- 
tion Society,  and  of  The  Society  for  the  Suppression  of  Vice,  and  a  member  of  The 
Board  of  the  American  Tract  Society. 

DAVIS  COLLAMORE,  merchant,  born  in  Scituate,  Mass.,  Oct.  7,  1820,  died  in 
Orange,  N.  J.,  Aug.  13,  1887.  His  ancestors  were  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  town, 
coming  from  England  in  1640.  The  pioneer,  Peter  Collamer,  died  without  children, 
leaving  his  estate  to  his  nephew,  Anthony  Collamer,  who  was  the  progenitor  of  nearly 
all  of  the  name  in  this  country.  About  1700,  the  spelling  of  the  name  was  changed  to 

,  Collamore,  although  some  of  the  descendants  of  Captain  Anthony,  among  them  the  late 
Hon.  Jacob  Collamer,  of  Vermont,  have  retained  the  original  orthography.  Col.  John 
Collamore,  father  of  Davis,  a  man  of  the  stern  old  Puritan  type,  was  twice  a  member 
of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  and  one  of  the  Convention  to  revise  the  State  Con- 
stitution  in  1820.  His  wife,  Michal  Curtis  was  a  woman  of  sweet  and  gentle  nature. 

',  Davis  Collamore,  the  youngest  of  twelve  children,  inherited  from  his  parents  that 
mingling  of  strength  and  gentleness  so  attractive  in  his  character.  In  1836,  he  came 
to  New  York  and  entered  the  china  and  glass  store  of  his  brother,  Ebenezer  Collamore, 


• 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  149 

Xo.  151  Broadway.  It  had  been  his  earnest  desire  to  study  law,  but  his  resolute 
character  appeared  in  the  fact  that,  having  once  decided  to  give  up  a  cherished  plan, 
he  entered  thoroughly  into  the  vocation  chosen  for  him  and  pursued  it  to  success.  In 
1842,  "he  established  himself  in  business,  at  his  own  risk,  at  No.  595  Broadway,  and 
was  enabled  about  a  year  later  to  marry  Hannah  Augusta  Fiske,  a  Bostonian  by  birth. 
Thev  had  four  children.  Mrs.  Collamore  died  Nov.  13,  1882.  Mr.  Collamore's  refined 
taste  led  him  to  emphasize  the  artistic  quality  of  his  china.  He  did  much  to  cultivate 
public  taste,  and  to  increase  the  love  of  ceramic  art.  In  1886,  the  firm  of  Davis  Colla- 
more &  Co.  became  a  stock  company,  with  Mr.  Collamore  as  president.  As  a  young  man 
Mr.  Collamore  was  a  member  of  the  7th  Regiment,  and  on  duty  at  the  the  Astor  Place 
riot.  The  recollection  of  his  boyhood  home  was  ever  fascinating  to  him,  and  as  soon  as 
business  cares  would  allow,  he  purchased  a  beautifully  wooded  tract  of  seventy  acres  on 
the  eastern  slope  of  the  Orange  mountains.  There  he  built  a  country  home,  which  was 
a  constant  source  of  pleasure  to  him.  It  was  beautiful,  not  only  from  its  surroundings, 
but  on  account  of  what  it  grew  to  be  under  the  direction  of  a  man  of  true  culture  and 
refinement.  Mr.  Collamore  was  an  active  member  of  The  American  Jersey  Cattle 
Club,  and  a  founder  of  The  New  England  Society  of  Orange,  N.  J.  The  members  of 
the  society  respected  Mr.  Collamore  for  the  purity  of  his  life,  the  gentleness  of  his 
manners,  and  the  traits  which  marked  him  pre-eminently  the  Christian  gentleman. 

WASHINGTON  EVERETT  CONNOR,  financier,  one  of  the  most  conspicuous 
stock  brokers  in  Wall  street  for  many  years  after  his  entrance  to  the  Stock  Exchange 
in  1871,  now  occupies  an  enviable  position  in  the  financial  world.  He  was  born  Dec. 
i ; .  1 849,  on  Spring  street  in  this  city,  in  a  house  standing  next  to  that  in  which  his 
grandfather  had  been  born,  and  which,  with  some  adjoining  property,  had  been  owned 
by  Mr.  Connor's  father  for  more  than  half  a  century.  This  locality  was  included  in 
the  ancient  village  of  Greenwich,  whither  the  city  government  of  New  York  fled  in 
1822-23,  for  security  during  the  cholera  epidemic.  The  elder  Connor  was  a  well 
known  merchant  of  the  Ninth  Ward,  and,  for  over  thirty-six  years,  connected  with  The 
Greenwich  Bank. 

At  an  early  age,  the  boy  entered  the  public  school  in  Clark  street,  from  which  he 
graduated  to  enter  the  College  of  New  York,  then  known  as  the  Free  Academy.  He 
proved  a  bright  scholar,  always  ranked  high  in  his  class,  and  especially  excelled  in 
mathematics. 

After  a  year  in  college,  he  entered  commercial  life,  having  secured  a  clerkship  in 
the  banking  house  of  H.  C.  Stimson  &  Co.  The  head  of  this  firm  being  a  heavy 
speculator  in  stocks,  Mr.  Connor  was  thus  brought  into  contact  with  many  noted  figures 
in  financial  circles,  among  them  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  and  secured  a  valuable  train- 
ing in  Wall  street  tactics.  His  experience  developed  the  possession  of  unsuspected 
talent  and  determined  his  vocation  for  life.  Ready,  appreciative,  and  faithful  to  duty, 
he  soOn  acquired  a  technical  knowledge  of  the  stock  brokerage  business,  and,  when  he 
came  of  age,  self-reliant,  conscious  of  his  own  strength,  and  ambitious,  he  purchased  a 
seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  was  admitted  to  membership  Oct.  6,  1871. 

From  the  beginning  of  his  Wall  street  career,  Mr.  Connor  met  with  marked  suc- 
cess. Clear  headed,  prompt,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  his  clients,  and  agreeable  in 
manners,  he  soon  drew  to  himself  a  large  number  of  important  clients.  Having 
attracted  the  notice  of  Jay  Gould,  Mr.  Connor  was  entrusted  by  him  with  various  com- 


rgo  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

missions,  which  he  executed  with  brilliant  energy  and  entire  success.  The  great 
financier  was  a  competent  judge  of  men,  and,  in  1881,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
the  young  broker,  under  the  name  of  W.  E.  Connor  &  Co.,  and,  in  time,  pleased  with 
his  adroitness,  energy  and  audacity,  admitted  him  to  intimate  friendship.  George  J. 
Gould  became  a  member  of  the  firm  upon  attaining  his  majority.  For  many  years, 
both  before  and  after  1881,  Mr.  Connor  was  the  confidential  representative  of  Jay 
Gould,  and  was  entrusted  with  the  management  of  many  important  operations  in  Wall 
street.  He  was  also  a  favorite  broker  of  Russell  Sage  and  other  leading  capitalists  in 
Wall  street.  By  unsparing  labor  and  able  and  sagacious,  management,  he  created  an 
extensive  business,  which,  with  his  own  operations  at  the  Exchange,  brought  him  an 
ample  fortune. 

The  successes  of  Mr.  Connor  and  Mr.  Gould  have  been  world  famed.  While  that 
partnership  existed,  financiers  marvelled  at  the  secrecy  with  which  they  conducted  their 
business.  Mr.  Connor  had  learned  the  art  of  dealing  through  a  large  number  of 
brokers  at  once,  some  of  them  buying,  some  of  them  selling  stocks  for  him,  and  all 
unaware  of  the  real  object  of  the  campaign  in  which  they  were  engaged.  When  Jay 
Gould  made  his  famous  campaign  in  the  stock  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co. , 
which  resulted  in  the  transfer  of  control  from  the  Vanderbilt  to  the  Gould  interest,  the 
purchases  of  stock  made  by  W.  E.  Connor  &  Co.  were  so  well  covered  that  Wall  street 
entertained  the  impression  that  the  firm  were  heavily  short  of  the  stock,  when,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  they  were  the  the  principal  buyers.  Washington  E.  Connor  himself 
conducted  all  the  operations ;  and  the  manner  in  which  the  transaction  was  managed  was 
always  a  matter  of  much  satisfaction  to  Jay  Gould,  who  subsequently  frequently 
referred  to  the  articles  published  in  the  newspapers,  predicting  that  he  would  be 
defeated. 

During  the  panic  of  1884,  it  was  ascertained  that  W.  E.  Connor  &  Co.  were  bor- 
rowers to  the  extent  of  $12,000,000;  and  a  combination  was  promptly  formed  on  the 
street  to  force  Mr.  Connor  and  Mr.  Gould  to  the  wall.  Attacks  were  made  on  their 
credit,  various  brokers  and  financial  institutions  were  induced  to  exclude  Missouri  Pacific 
securities  from  their  loans,  and  every  pressure  which  could  be  brought  to  bear  against 
them  was  used  as  strongly  as  possible.  The  policy  of  the  firm,  however,  of  giving  twice 
as  much  margin  for  their  loans  as  other  houses  and  of  "notifying  the  loaners  of  money 
that  they  could  have  more  margin  if  they  desired,  demonstrated  that  they  were  in  pos- 
session of  ample  security.  Wall  street,  instead  of  forcing  Mr.  Connor  and  Mr.  Gould 
to  sell  their  securities,  made  heavy  losses  through  being  "short"  of  Missouri  Pacific. 
So  great  were  these  losses,  that,  when  the  time  for  reckoning  came,  there  were  one 
hundred  and- forty-seven  houses  on  Wall  street  "short"  of  and  borrowing  Missouri 
Pacific  stock  from  W.  E.  Connor  &  Co.  The  price  of  the  stock  was  rapidly  carried 
from  64  to  par;  and  the  principal t"bears"  saw  themselves  forced  to  cover  at  between 
95  and  par,  at  great  loss  to  themselves  and  equally  great  gain  to  W.  E.  Connor  &  Co. 
In  1886,  Mr.  Gould  retired  from  Wall  street  and  Mr.  Connor  followed  a  year  later. 

During  recent  years,  Mr.  Connor  has  gained  an  interest  in  The  Louisville,  New 
Albany  &  Chicago  and  The  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  Railroads,  and  various  other  corpo- 
rations, and  devoted  himself  to  improving  his  properties.  He  has  been  a  director  of 
The  American  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Credit  Mobilier,  The  Texas  &  Colorado  Im- 
provement Co.,  The  Metropolitan,  The  Manhattan  and  The  New  York  Elevated  Rail- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  151 

way  Go's  and  The  New  Jersey  Southern  Railroad,  and  president  of  The  Central  Con- 
struction Co. 

Wall  street  draws  heavily  upon  the  vitality  of  the  leading  spirits  in  that  theatre  of 
exciting  competition,  but  Mr.  Connor  has  preserved  his  health,  clearness  of  mind,  and 
physical  vigor  by  open-air  recreations.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  steam  yacht  Utowana, 
and  has  spent  much  time  cruising  upon  salt  water.  He  is  also  a  regular  attendant  at 
the  opening  nights  of  new  plays  and  operas,  a  good  billiard  player,  and  a  familiar  fig- 
ure in  many  social  clubs,  in  which  his  unfailing  good  nature,  clear  head,  and  wide 
experience  render  him  a  popular  associate.  A  reader  of  excellent  books,  his  mind  is 
well  stored  with  general  information.  His  winter  home  is  at  No.  532  Madison  avenue, 
and  he  maintains  a  summer  cottage  at  Seabright  on  the  Jersey  coast.  He  has  been 
elected  to  membership  in  a  number  of  exclusive  social  clubs,  including  the  Union 
League,  Republican,  Arkwright,  Lotus,  New  York  Athletic,  American  Yacht,  Larch- 
mont  Yacht  and  Boston  Yacht,  and  with  praiseworthy  public  spirit  has  long  been  a 
supporter  of  various  important  public  institutions,  including  the  three  which  have  done 
so  much  to  develop  the  art  and  educational  interests  of  New  York,  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art,  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  and  The  Metropolitan 
Opera  House  Co.,  having  been  one  of  the  original  stockholders  of  the  latter. 

Mr.  Connor  also  stands  very  high  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  In  1877-78,  he  was 
Master  of  St.  Nichola  Lodge,  321;  in  1879,  District  Deputy  Grand  Master  of  the  Sixth 
Masonic  District;  in  1884,  Grand  Representative  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  and 
in  1885  was  made  Chief  of  Staff  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  New  York  and  Grand  Treasurer 
1887-89.  He  is  now  the  Representative  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  England. 

JAHES  MANSELL  CONSTABLE,  merchant,  was  born  in  Sussex,  England,  in 
1812.  While  a  young  man,  he  was  persuaded  by  an  uncle  to  accompany  him  on  a 
pleasure  trip  to  the  United  States.  After  his  return  to  England,  the  future  of  the 
United  States  appeared  so  bright  to  him,  that  as  a  result  of  thinking  the  matter  over 
for  two  or  three  years,  he  decided  to  make  this  country  his  future  home  and  in  1840 
sailed  for  New  York.  Upon  his  arrival,  he  visited  Aaron  Arnold,  then  of  the  firm  of 
Arnold,  Hearn  &  Co.,  founded  in  February,  1827,  whom  he  hadknown  on  his  previous 
visit,  and  decided  to  enter  their  employment.  Two  years  afterward,  in  1842,  upon  the 
retirement  of  the  Messrs.  Hearn,  he  became  a  partner  of  Mr.  Arnold  under  the  firm  name 
of  A.  Arnold  &  Co.  In  1853,  when  Richard,  the  only  son  of  Aaron  Arnold,  was  admitted 
to  the  firm,  the  style  was  changed  to  Arnold,  Constable  &  Co.,  and  as  such  has  been  con- 
tinued ever  since.  Mr.  Constable  married  Henrietta,  only  daughter  of  Aaron  Arnold, 
in  1844.  Their  surviving  children  are  Frederick  A.,  Harriet  M.,  wife  of  Hicks  Arnold, 
and  Amy  H.,  wife  of  Edwin  H.  Weatherbee. 

JOHN  H.  CONTOIT,  realty  owner,  born  in  1798,  who  died  Oct.  2,  1885,  was  a  son  of 
John  H.  Contoit,  a  native  of  France,  who  established  himself  in  this  city  in  the  early  part  of 
the  century  as  a  merchant  of  confectionery  on  Broadway  between  Murray  and  Warren 
streets.  He  was  the  favorite  purveyor  of  ice  cream  for  the  prosperous  families  of  that 
time.  Mr.  Contoit  gained  large  means  which  he  invested  in  real  estate.  The  son  suc- 
ceeded his  father  in  the  business  and  conducted  the  New  York  Garden  and  confection- 
ery store  on  Broadway,  opposite  the  old  Carlton  House,  which  he  made  a  famous  and 
fashionable  resort.  He  was  a  very  clear  headed,  capable,  and  judicious  man,  and  with 
confidence  in  the  future  of  New  York  as  the  commercial  emporium  of  the  United  States, 


152  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

followed  his  father's  example  and  invested  his  means  almost  wholly  in  real  estate,  which 
afterward  increased  enormously  in  value.  His  children  were  Maria  Hall  and  Charles 
H.  Contoit. 

HENRY  HARVEY  COOK,  capitalist,  a  native  of  Cohocton,  Steuben  county,  N.  Y., 
was  born  May  13,  1822,  and  is  the  oldest  surviving  son  of  the  late  Judge  Constant  Cook, 
lawyer  and  farmer  of  Warren,  N.  Y.  The  family  traces  its  line  to  persons  of  noble 
extraction  in  England,  and  was  founded  in  America  by  Capt.  Thomas  Cook  of  Earle's 
Colne  in  Essex,  England,  who  settled  in  Boston  before  1637.  Henry  left  the  academy 
in  Canandaigua  to  serve  as  a  dry  goods  clerk  in  Auburn  and  in  Bath,  N.  Y. ,  a  year  in 
each  place,  and  in  1844,  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Bath,  retiring  ten  years  later 
with  means.  In  1854,  his  father  and  he  organized  The  Bank  of  Bath  under  State 
laws,  reorganizing  as  a  national  bank  in  1864.  Mr.  Cook  served  as  cashier  until  1874, 
and  then  became  president  of  the  bank.  Mr.  Cook  came  to  New  York  city  in  1875, 
entered  financial  life,  and  is  now  a  prominent  man  in  the  railroad  world.  He  inherited 
some  means,  but  has  made  his  way  chiefly  by  his  own  abilities.  Operations  in  stocks 
have  occupied  him  to  some  extent,  and  his  ventures  have  been  exceedingly  successful. 
He  is  a  director  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  The  American  Surety  Co.,  The  New 
York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  The  Buffalo,  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  The 
State  Trust  Co.  and  The  National  Bank  of  North  America.  His  wife  is  Mary,  daughter 
of  William  W.  McCay  of  Bath,  agent  of  the  Poultney  estate,  and  his  children  are  Mrs. 
Clinton  D.  MacDougall,  Mrs.  M.  Rumsey  Miller,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Gansen,  and  Mrs.  C.  de 
Heredia.  Among  his  clubs  are  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League  and  Riding.  He  is 
also  a  life  member  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  and  the  Historical  and  Geo- 
graphical Societies. 

PETER  COOPER,  manufacturer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  12,  1791,  died  here 
April  4,  1883.  At  the  time  of  his  birth,  this  city  contained  less  than  30,000  inhabitants. 
His  father  and  his  mother's  father  were  soldiers  of  the  American  Revolution.  The  early 
life  of  Peter  Cooper  was  full  of  hardship,  and  his  original  schooling  was  confined  to 
an  attendance  every  other  day  for  one  year.  To  earn  a  support,  he  secured  employ- 
ment in  a  carriage  shop  in  1808,  at  $25  a  year  and  board,  and  when  he  had  become  an 
expert  workman,  invented  a  machine  for  mortising  the  hubs  of  carriage  wheels,  which 
proved  of  great  value.  His  earnings  were  at  first  spent  largely  for  books  and  the 
services  of  a  teacher  in  the  evening.  At  Hempstead,  L.  I.,  he  toiled  for  five  years  at 
$1.50  a  day,  and  having  saved  $500,  illustrated  the  nobility  of  his  character  by  giving 
it  all  to  relieve  the  necessities  of  his  parents.  Having  invented  an  apparatus  for 
shearing  the  nap  from  woolen  cloth,  he  manufactured  a  number  of  the  machines  and 
then  returned  to  New  York,  where  he  established  himself  as  a  merchant  of  groceries. 
Prosperity  now  rewarded  his  enterprise,  and  he  soon  established  a  glue  and  isinglass 
factory.  Mr.  Cooper  was  a  very  ingenious  man,  and  he  so  improved  the  manufacture 
of  glue  as  finally  to  control  the  trade  of  the  country.  This  industry  was  the  foundation 
of  his  fortune.  In  1828,  he  purchased  3,000  acres  of  land  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  on  which 
he  built  iron  furnaces  and  a  rolling  mill  and  a  few  locomotives.  In  1830,  he  constructed 
from  his  own  designs,  for  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad,  what  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  locomotive  constructed  on  this  continent.  The  Baltimore  industry  he  sold  a  few 
years  later  at  a  profit.  He  also  built  in  New  York  wire  works  and  a  rolling  mill,  which 
were  afterward  removed  to  Trenton,  became  the  pioneer  manufacturer  of  railroad  iron 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  153 

in  this  country,  and  operated  blast  furnaces  at  Trenton  and  Philipsburg.  A  supply  of 
iron  ore  was  drawn  in  part  from  mines  of  his  own  at  Andover.  In  his  various 
industries,  2,500  men  found  employment.  Mr.  Cooper  possessed  remarkable  mechanical 
ability  and  inventiveness.  He  was  active  in  the  development  of  the  telegraph  system 
of  the  United  States,  becoming  president  of  The  American  Telegraph  Co.,  and  The 
North  American  Telegraph  Association.  Marshall  O.  Roberts,  Cyrus  W.  Field, 
Wilson  G.  Hunt  and  he  and  a  few  other  associates,  laid  the  first  Atlantic  cable.  Mr. 
Cooper's  greatest  philanthophic  work  was  the  founding  of  The  Cooper  Union  for  the 
advancement  of  Science  and  Art.  Begun  in  1854,  the  building  was  finished  five  years 
later,  at  an  original  cost,  exclusive  of  the  site,  of  nearly  $1,000,000.  The  public  hall 
in  the  basement  of  this  building  has  since  become  historic  for  the  large  number  of 
great  public  meetings  held  within  its  walls.  Mr.  Cooper  was  married  in  1813  to  Sarah 
Bedel,  at  Hempstead.  Two  children  survived  him,  Edward  Cooper  and  Sarah  Amelia, 
wife  of  Abram  S.  Hewitt. — His  son,  EDWARD  COOPER,  manufacturer,  grew  up  in 
the  counting  room  of  Peter  Cooper  &  Co.,  and  since  1883,  has  been  the  senior  partner 
of  the  house,  now  known  as  Cooper,  Hewitt  &  Co.  He  is  a  very  capable  and  energetic 
man,  has  made  his  own  position,  and  is  a  highly  respected  citizen.  Under  his  admin- 
istration. The  Trenton  Iron  Works,  The  Trenton  Iron  Co.,  The  Pequest  Furnace  in 
Oxford,  N.  J.,  and  The  Dunham  Iron  Works  at  Riegelsville,  Pa.,  all  well  managed 
concerns,  have  increased  their  production  to  about  60,000  tons  of  pig  iron  annually, 
and  a  large  quantity  of  bridge,  roof  and  other  structural  iron  and  steel.  Mr.  Cooper 
has  taken  part  in  the  direction  of  The  United  States  Trust  Co. ,  The  American  Sulphur 
Co.,  The  New  Jersey  Steel  &  Iron  Co.,  The  New  York  &  Greenwood  Lake  Railway, 
The  American  Electric  Elevator  Co.,  The  Chrysolite  Silver  Mining  Co.  and  The  Metro- 
politan Opera  House  Co.  He  is  a  Democrat  and  has  been  Mayor  of  New  York. 

AUSTIN  CORBIN,  railroad  president,  a  native  of  Newport,  N.  H.,  was  born  July 
ii,  1827.  His  father,  Austin  Corbin,  was  a  farmer  and  for  several  years  a  State  Sen- 
ator in  New  Hampshire.  The  son  graduated  from  Harvard  Law  School  and  practiced 
law  for  two  years  in  New  Hampshire,  having  as  a  partner  Ralph  Metcalf,  afterward 
Governor  of  the  State.  In  1851,  he  removed  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  practiced  law  with 
success,  and  then  engaged  in  banking,  being  the  only  banker  in  Davenport  who  did  not 
close  his  doors  in  1857.  He  reorganized,  June  29,  1863,  as  The  First  National  Bank  of 
Davenport,  having  the  honor  to  be  the  first  man  in  the  United  States  to  begin  banking 
under  the  Federal  law.  In  1865,  he  came  to  New  York  and  engaged  extensively  in 
banking  and  the  negotiation  of  mortgage  loans  on  farms  in  Iowa  and  other  Western 
States.  The  Corbin  Banking  Co.,  of  which  he  is  the  head,  was  established  in  1873.  He 
has  become  famous  chiefly  through  his  marked  ability  and  success  in  railroad  enter- 
prises. His  first  operation  was  the  reorganization  of  The  Indiana,  Bloomington  & 
Western  Railroad,  which  under  his  presidency  was  made  a  paying  property.  In  1 880, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  The  Long  Island  Railroad,  purchased  a  large  number  of 
shares,  and  became  receiver  and  president  of  the  company,  Jan.  i,  1881.  Mr.  Corbin's 
management  resulted  in  payment  of  the  debts,  reconstruction  of  the  roadway,  and  a 
high  state  of  prosperity.  He  promoted  travel  by  developing  the  attractions  of  Coney 
Island,  Manhattan  Beach,  Rockaway  Beach,  Long  Beach,  and  other  resorts  on  the  sea 
coast,  gradually  placing  the  road  in  excellent  condition  and  its  traffic  upon  a  profitable 
basis.  Having  revealed  himself  as  one  of  the  most  capable  and  practical  railroad  men 


AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

in  the  United  States,  he  became  prominently  identified  with  the  reorganization  of  The 
Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  Co.,  and  served  as  its  president  from  September,  1886, 
to  June  27,  1890.  Having  been  appointed  receiver  of  that  company  in  October,  1886, 
he  repeated  his  previous  successes  with  great  eclat.  He  is  now  president  of  The  Long 
Island  Railroad,  The  Elmira,  Cortland  &  Northern  Railroad,  The  Manhattan  Beach 
Co.,  The  Manhattan  Beach  Hotel  &  Land  Co.,  and  The  New  York  &  Rockaway  Beach 
Railway;  and  a  director  of  The  American  Exchange  National  Bank,  The  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Co.,  The  New  York,  Brooklyn  &  Manhattan  Beach  Railway,  The  Nassau 
Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co.  In  1853,  he  was  married  to  Hannah 
M.,  daughter  of  Simeon  Wheeler,  of  Newport,  N.  H.,  and  his  children  are  Isabella,  wife 
of  George  S.  Edgell,  Anna  and  Austin  Corbin,  jr.  One  other  daughter,  Mary,  the  eldest 
of  the  family,  married  Rene  Cherennot  Champollion,  grandson  of  the  famous  Egyptian 
scholar,  but  she  died  in  Paris,  June  5,  1892.  The  husband  had  previously  died  in  this 
country.  They  left  one  son,  Andre,  the  only  male  descendant  of  the  family  of  the  illus- 
trious Champollion,  who  is  being  educated  in  America.  Mr.  Corbin's  clubs  are  the 
Manhattan,  Reform,  Players',  Lawyers',  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  Meadow  Brook, 
and  South  Side  Sportsmen's  clubs. 

JOHN  B.  CORNELL,  manufacturer,  born  at  Rockaway,  on  Long  Island,  Feb.  7, 
1821,  died  in  Lakewood,  N.  J.,  Oct.  26,  1887.  His  ancestor,  Thomas  Cornell,  of 
Cornell's  Neck,  born  in  England  in  1595,  died  in  Portsmouth,  R.  I.,  in  1655.  Reared 
'upon  his  father's  farm,  Mr.  Cornell,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  began  to  learn  the  trade  of 
iron  manufacturing.  In  1847,  with  his  brother,  W.  W.  Cornell,  he  opened  a  factory  in 
New  York,  which  subsequently  grew  to  large  proportions.  At  these  works  the  pro- 
prietors made  an  immense  amount  of  architectural  iron,  including  the  iron  for  the 
elevated  railroads  in  New  York  city.  In  1867,  Mr.  Cornell  admitted  his  son  to  partner- 
ship, taking  the  firm  name  of  J.  B.  &  J.  M.  Cornell.  A  devoted  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  practical"  Christian.  Mr.  Cornell  devoted  a  certain 
percentage  of  his  annual  income  to  benevolent  purposes.  As  his  wealth  increased,  his 
gifts  grew  proportionately.  His  annual  contributions  to  the  Methodist  church  fre- 
quently amounted  to  $50,000.  Over  100  churches,  within  as  many  miles  of  New  York, 
profited  more  or  less  by  his  munificence.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  active  in 
various  charitable  societies  and  the  Union  League  club,  a  director  of  The  Broadway 
Savings  Bank,  and  the  only  Christian  member  of  The  Hebrew  Society  for  the  Improve- 
ment of  Deaf  Mutes.  Seven  children  were  born  to  him. — His  son,  JOHN  n. 
CORNELL,  iron  manufacturer,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  27,  1846.  He  left 
school  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  then  learned  a  trade  in  his  father's  shops.  Upon 
attaining  his  majority,  he  was  taken  into  partnership  in  J.  B.  &  J.  M.  Cornell,  and 
since  1887,  has  been  sole  proprietor  of  the  works.  The  use  of  iron  and  steel  in  the 
framework  of  modern  buildings  is  a  new  science,  to  which  Mr.  Cornell  has  given 
patient  and  careful  study,  and  he  has  manufactured  enormous  quantities  of  these 
metals  in  structural  shapes.  Some  of  the  most  conspicuous  buildings  in  New  York  city, 
erected  since  the  era  of  gigantic  structures  began,  about  twenty  years  ago,  have  been 
supplied  with  the  interior  frame  work,  which  supports  all  the  rest,  from  the  Cornell 
shops.  Among  them  are  the  Hotel  New  Netherland,  the  Hotel  Waldorf,  The  Times 
building,  and  numerous  edifices  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city.  Mr.  Cornell  is  a  member 
of  the  Reform,  Building  Trades  and  Riding  clubs. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  155 

PETER  CORTELYOU  CORNELL,  manufacturer,  born  in  Red  Hook,  on  Long  Island, 
X.  Y.,  in  1803,  died  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  May  5,  1885.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Cornell, 
proprietor  of  a  large  flour  mill.  The  family  were  of  English  and  Dutch  pedigree,  the 
Cornells  tracing  their  line  to  the  Cornewells,  who  ranked  among  the  landed  gentry  of 
England  several  centuries  ago.  Thomas  Cornell,  founder  of  the  family  here,  received  a 
grant  of  Cornell's  Neck  from  Governor  Kieft,  in  1646.  Peter  entered  business  life  at  an 
early  age,  and  promoted  a  great  variety  of  enterprises.  He  was  for  many  years  prosper- 
ously engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  gunpowder,  as  president  of  The  Hazard  Powder  Co. 
on  Wall  street.  He  also  aided  in  the  establishment  of  local  gas  works,  ferry  lines,  banks, 
and  white  lead  works  in  Brooklyn.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Bunce.  They  had  no  children. 

HANSON  K.  CORNING,  merchant,  born  in  1821,  died  in  Para,  Brazil,  April  22, 
1878.  He  was  one  of  the  leading  merchants  in  the  South  American  trade  in  this  city, 
and  imported  rubber  and  other  tropical  products  for  many  years  with  success.  He 
owned  a  large  area  of  land  in  Minnesota,  Wisconsin  and  Dakota.  Retiring  in  1856, 
he  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Ephraim  L.  Corning,  who,  later,  himself  withdrew  from 
business,  and  made  his  home  in  Geneva,  Switzerland.  Three  children  were  born  to 
him,  Ephraim  L.  Corning,  Margaretta  C.  Stone  and  Anna  M.  Eraser.  An  invalid 
during  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  he  bore  his  sufferings  with  fortitude,  and  dis- 
played the  beauty  of  his  character  by  large  contributions  to  The  Presbyterian  Mission 
in  Brazil,  The  American  Bible  Society,  and  other  philanthropic  institutions. 

FREDERICK  H.  COSSITT,  merchant,  born  in  Granby,  Conn.,  Dec.  18,  1811,  died 
in  Xew  York  city,  Sept.  23,  1887.  His  ancestors,  French  by  descent,  enrolled  them- 
selves among  the  early  settlers  of  Connecticut,  going  there  as  early  as  1720.  Mr. 
Cossitt  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools  and  Westfield  (Mass.),  Academy. 
In  1827,  a  relative  conducting  a  dry  goods  store  in  Clarksville,  Tenn.,  gave  the  young 
man  employment  and  a  business  training.  Five  years  later,  Mr.  Cossitt  removed  to  La 
Grange,  Tenn.,  where  he  managed  a  dry  goods  house  with  an  uncle.  From  1835  to 
1842,  he  was  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  Pontotoc,  Miss.,  and  Helena,  Ark.,  and  in  the 
latter  year  started  a  wholesale  dry  goods  store  in  Memphis,  which  he  conducted  until 
1861.  Finding  it  necessary  to  be  represented  in  Xew  York,  he  made  his  home  in  this 
city  in  1850,  thereafter  making  the  purchases  for  his  Southern  trade.  His  attention 
having  been  drawn  to  metropolitan  real  estate  as  an  investment,  he  made  heavy  pur- 
chases on  Broadway  and  other  important  streets,  and  the  increase  in  value  of  this 
property  brought  him  a  fortune.  He  was  well  informed  concerning  railroad  properties, 
and  served  as  a  trustee  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  vice-president  of  The 
Central  Trust  Co.,  and  director  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  and  The 
Greenwich  Savings  Bank.  Three  daughters  survived  him,  May  C.,  wife  of  George 
E.  Dodge;  Helen  M.,  wife  of  Augustus  D.  Juilliard;  and  Mrs.  Elizabeth  R.  Stokes. 

PATRICK  CARROLL  COSTELLO,  tanner,  was  born  in  1829,  and  is  a  son  of  Will- 
iam Costello,  a  tanner.  He  is  of  Irish  ancestry.  From  the  common  schools  he  went 
into  his  father's  tannery.  Having  learned  the  useful  art  of  making  leather,  he  became 
an  operator  on  his  own  account  in  1848,  at  Camden,  X.  Y.,  in  the  firm  of  P.  &  P.  Cos- 
tello. Success  inspired  him  with  ambition,  and,  in  1873,  he  became  a  partner  in  the 
firm  of  Lapham,  Costello  &  Co.,  of  Xew  York  city.  Thoroughly  practical,  clear-headed 
and  energetic,  Mr.  Costello  has  risen  to  be  one  of  the  foremost  tanners  of  these  times. 
In  1886,  the  house  was  reorganized  as  P.  C.  Costello  &  Co.  He  has  been  a  resident  of 


I56  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

New  York  city  since  1881,  and  his  name  is  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  in  the  leather 
trade  in  "the  swamp."  His  firm  dissolved  in  1893,  to  join  The  United  States  Leather 
Co.,  one  of  the  greatest  corporations  in  the  country,  of  which  he  is  a  director.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Hide  and  Leather  and  Down  Town  clubs. 

CHARLES  HENRY  COSTER,  banker,  born  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  July  22,  1852,  is 
a  son  of  George  W.  and  Elizabeth  Oakey  Coster,  both  of  New  York.  His  grandfather, 
John  Gerard  Coster,  came  from  Holland  at  the  close  of  the  American  Revolution,  and 
rose  to  prominence  as  a  New  York  merchant.  The  maternal  grandfather,  Daniel 
Oakey,  an  Englishman  by  birth,  was  also  a  merchant  in  this  city.  Sept.  12,  1867, 
Charles  went  down  town  to  enter  the  office  of  Aymar  &  Co.,  at  34  and  35  South  street, 
as  a  clerk.  Occupied  with  the  importation  of  tea,  coffee,  etc.,  for  five  years,  Nov.  i, 
1872,  he  identified  himself  with  Fabbri  &  Chauncey,  at  47  and  48  South  street.  This 
firm  took  over  the  business  of  Aymar  &  Co.  They  were  shipping  and  commission 
merchants,  dealing  principally  with  the  West  coast  of  South  America  and  the  Philippine 
Islands.  Mr.  Coster  remained  with  them  until  October,  1883.  Jan.  i,  1884,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  partnership  in  the  great  banking  house  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.,  of  this  city, 
Drexel  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Drexel,  Harjes&  Co.,  of  Paris,  resident  in  New  York. 
He  has  since  proved  a  prudent,  capable  and  useful  member  of  these  firms.  Mr.  Coster 
has  joined  the  Metropolitan,  City,  St.  Nicholas  and  Reform  clubs,  and  is  prominently 
connected  with  The  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railway,  The  Southern  Railway,  The  Elgin,  Jo- 
liet  &  Eastern  Railway,  The  General  Electric  Co.,  and  The  Edison  Electric  Illuminating 
Co.  June  2,  1886,  he  married  Emily  Pell  Coster  and  has  two  children,  Emily  and  Helen. 

AMOS  COTTINQ,  merchant  and  banker,  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  born  about 
1827,  died  in  New  York  city,  May  13,  1889.  He  was  a  very  enterprising  and  courageous 
man,  who  having  spent  about  fifteen  years  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  St.  Louis,  came 
to  New  York  with  large  means  in  1866  with  his  partner,  Mr  Jameson,  and  established 
the  bank  of  Jameson,  Smith  &  Getting.  Equally  as  successful  in  finance  as  in  trade, 
Mr.  Cotting  retired  Jan.  i,  1889.  He  belonged  to  the  Union  League  and  other  clubs, 
and  was  one  of  the  most  highly  regarded  men  in  the  city. 

STAflATY  COVAS,  importer,  born  in  Greece  in  1816,  died  in  New  Brunswick, 
N.  J  ,  Sept.  16,  1881.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1851,  locating  in  New  Orleans  as  a 
merchant  in  the  firm  of  Covas  &  Negreunde,  but  in  1861  removed  to  New  York,  where 
for  twenty  years  he  carried  on  a  large  exportation  of  raw  cotton,  and  an  importation  of 
general  merchandise.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Produce  and  Cotton  Exchanges,  and 
by  a  long  life  of  patient  industry  gained  a  large  fortune.  His  wife  Ethelind,  and  two 
children,  survived  him.  The  family  made  their  home  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 

ELLIOT  CHRISTOPHER  COWDIN,  importing  merchant,  born  in  Jamaica,  Vt, 
Aug.  9,  1819,  died  in  New  York  city,  April  12,  1880.  He  was  a  son  of  Angier  Cowdin, 
landowner,  and  came  from  Scottish  ancestry.  Capt.  Thomas  Cowdin,  his  grandfather, 
of  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  served  his  country  in  the  American  Revolution.  Elliot  spent 
his  youth  in  Boston.  After  leaving  the  public  schools  he  was  employed  by  Allen  & 
Mann,  merchants  of  ribbons  and  millinery.  Nine  years  of  diligent  and  progressive 
service  led  to  his  admission  as  partner  to  the  succeeding  firm  of  W.  H.  Mann  &  Co. 
In  1853,  he  came  to  New  York,  and  in  the  firm  of  Elliot  C.  Cowdin  &  Co.,  engaged 
in  the  importation  of  silks  and  silk  ribbons,  rising  to  a  prominent  place  in  the  trade. 
The  panic  of  1857  left  him  almost  impoverished,  but  his  coolness,  tenacity,  and  per- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CO.  157 

sistent  enterprise  finally  brought  a  large  reward,  and  he  retired  in  1877  a  man  of 
means.  During  his  whole  life,  Mr.  Cowdin  was  remarkable  for  activity.  A  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  once  president  of  The  New  England  Society,  he 
aided  in  founding,  and  became  one  of,  the  vice-presidents  of  the  Union  League  club. 
He  also  joined  the  Century  club.  The  purchase  of  merchandise  led  him  constantly  to 
Europe,  and,  in  all,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  eighty-six  times.  In  general,  he 
held  aloof  from  political  strife,  but  was,  in  1862,  defeated  for  Congress,  and  in  1876 
elected  to  the  State  Assembly.  In  politics,  a  Republican,  he  spoke  frequently  on 
public  matters,  was  vehement  in  his  loyalty,  outspoken  in  his  views,  and  emphatic, 
though  courteous,  in  their  expression.  For  several  years  after  1869,  he  lived  in  Paris. 
On  the  approach  of  the  Prussian  army,  during  the  Franco-Prussian  war,  he  was 
obliged  to  leave  the  city.  As  a  Commissioner  to  the  French  Exposition,  Mr.  Cowdin 
made  a  report  on  silk  culture  which  received  much  praise.  In  1853,  he  married  Sarah 
Katharine,  daughter  of  Samuel  Wallis  Waldron,  of  Boston,  and  their  six  children  were 
Katharine  Waldron,  wife  of  Gaspar  Griswold;  John  Elliot  Cowdin;  Martha  Waldron, 
wife  of  Robert  Bacon;  Winthrop  Cowdin;  Alice,  wife  of  Hamilton  L.  Hoppin,  and 
Elliot  C.  Cowdin. 

ALFRED  ABERNETHY  COWLES,  manufacturer,  born  in  Torrington,  Conn., 
Sept.  28,  1845,  is  a  son  of  George  P.  Cowles,  vice-president  of  The  Ansonia  Brass  & 
Copper  Co.,  until  his  death  in  1887,  and  springs  from  English  and  Scottish  ancestry. 
His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Gen.  R.  C.  Abernethy,  of  Scottish  descent.  Educated 
in  the  schools  of  Connecticut  and  at  the  Sorbonne  in  Paris,  he  began  life  as  teller  in 
The  Ansonia  National  Bank.  Through  service  in  various  positions  in  this  institution 
he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  banking.  In  1867,  he  entered  the  employment  of 
The  Ansonia  Brass  &  Copper  Co. ,  gave  close  attention  to  the  business,  took  charge  of 
the  New  York  office,  and  has  risen  to  be  vice  president  and  executive  manager  of  the 
company.  The  Ansonia  Clock  Co.,  which  he  took  an  active  part  in  organizing  in 
1879,  is  now  the  largest  establishment  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  These  two  industries 
give  employment  to  thousands  of  working  people.  Mr.  Cowles  has  invested  his  savings 
largely  in  other  industries,  and  is  vice  president  of  The  Ansonia  Clock  Co. ,  president  of 
The  Birmingham  Water  Power  Co.,  treasurer  of  The  Ansonia  Land  &  Water  Power  Co., 
and  a  director  of  other  companies.  In  1872,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Frances,  daughter 
of  William  Bailey  of  Devonshire,  England.  Their  children  are  Russel  A.  and  Frederick  H. 
Cowles.  His  clubs  are  the  LTnion  League,  Fulton,  Blooming  Grove  Park  and  Suburban. 

LOTTA  M.  CRABTREE,  actress,  while  certainly  not  a  successful  man,  is  a  very 
beautiful,  worthy  and  successful  woman.  She  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  7, 
1847.  Her  father  kept  a  book  store  for  many  years  in  Nassau  street,  New  York,  went 
to  California  in  1851,  and  there  engaged  in  gold  mining.  His  wife  and  daughter 
followed  in  1854.  Lotta  made  her  first  appearance  on  the  amusement  stage  in  1855,  as 
a  singer  in  an  amateur  entertainment  at  La  Porte.  At  the  age  of  eleven  she  plaved  the 
part  of  Gertrude  in  the  "Loan  of  a  Lover,"  at  Petaluma.  Shortly  afterward  the  mother 
and  daughter  both  became  members  of  a  theatrical  company,  which  travelled  through 
California  in  1860.  The  success  of  Lotta  was  very  great.  To  a  piquant  and  bewitch- 
ing manner,  she  joined  vigorous  health,  a  bright  mind  and  dramatic  ability;  and  when, 
in  1864,  she  appeared  in  New  York  city  in  spectacular  plays  at  Niblo's  Garden,  her 
audiences  were  large  and  the  receipts  profitable.  Her  reputation  was  established  first 


i$8  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

in  John  Brougham's  "  Little  Nell  and  the  Marchioness."  She  soon  became  a  favorite 
with  the  American  public,  both  in  the  large  cities  and  the  smaller  towns,  in  comedy, 
and  has  usually  played  parts  especially  written  for  her.  Her  chief  successes  have  been 
as  "Topsy,"  "  Sam  Willoughby,"  "Firefly,"  "Zip,"  "Bob,"  "The  Little  Detective," 
and  "  Nitouche."  Lotta  is  a  good  business  woman,  and  has  had  the  prudence  to  invest 
her  earnings  in  real  estate  in  New  York  city  and  Boston,  the  appreciation  in  value  of 
which  has  made  her  rich. 

JACOB  CRAfl,  merchant  and  realty  owner,  born  in  Exeter,  N.  H..  about  1783,  died 
in  New  York  city,  July  6,  1869.  He  was  a  classmate  of  Daniel  Webster  and  Lewis 
Cass  in  the  Exeter  academy.  He  began  the  study  of  theology,  but  gave  it  up  for  a 
commercial  life,  entering  a  leading  store  in  Boston.  Gaining  experience,  to  which  he 
added  by  a  tour  of  Europe,  he  returned  and  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account. 
In  1816,  he  came  to  New  York  city,  and  was  long  known  as  a  sound,  upright,  and 
enterprising  merchant,  gaining  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  whole  community. 
His  fortune  was  invested  mainly  in  uptown  real  estate,  which  rose  enormously  in  value 
as  the  tide  of  population  surged  northwards  over  the  island.  He  also  owned  property 
of  this  class  in  Chicago.  Two  sons,  Henry  C.,  and  John  Sergeant  Cram,  and  two 
daughters  survived  him. 

WILLIAM  CRAWFORD,  dry  goods  merchant,  born  in  Lanarkshire,  Scotland,  in 
'  August,  1845,  after  attendance  in  the  parish  schools,  began  life  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
dry  goods  store  of  Thomas  Chalmers  &  Co.,  in  Glasgow.  In  1866,  he  came  to  America 
and  found  a  clerkship  with  Hogg,  Brown  &  Taylor,  dry  goods  merchants,  in  Boston. 
Three  years  later,  Scottish  thrift  enabled  him  to  start  a  store  of  his  own  in  Nashua, 
N.  H.  Later,  he  added  branch  stores  in  Manchester,  N.  H.,  and  Taunton,  Mass.  At- 
tracted to  New  York  by  a  favorable  offer,  he  joined  the  firm  of  Richard  Meares  &  Co., 
retail  dry  goods  merchants,  in  September,  1877.  He  infused  great  energy  into  the 
affairs  of  the  firm.  In  August,  1879,  the  house  reorganized  as  Simpson,  Crawford  & 
Simpson,  to  succeed  the  business  of  Mr.  Meares.  Under  the  new  firm,  a  highly  suc- 
cessful dry  goods  business  has  been  conducted,  and  the  store  on  Sixth  avenue  is  one  of 
those  which  now  form  a  necessary  part  of  the  route  of  ladies  on  a  shopping  tour.  Both 
his  partners  have  died,  and  Mr.  Crawford  is  now  sole  proprietor,  although  retaining  the 
previous  name.  He  has  joined  the  Manhattan,  Lotus,  Colonial,  New  York  Athletic 
and  Larchmont  Yacht  clubs.  He  is  not  married. 

RAMON  FERNANDEZ  CREADO  Y  GOMEZ,  planter,  born  in  Guines,  Cuba,  Dec. 
20,  1825,  died  in  Havana,  June  8,  1882.  His  father  was  Fernandez  Creado,  a  planter  of 
Spanish  blood,  owned  large  estates  and  was  widely  known  and  respected.  While 
Spanish  rule  in  Cuba-had  been  uninterrupted,  it  had  been  frequently  disturbed  by 
insurrections,  many  of  which  during  Mr.  Creado's  boyhood  and  youth  were  extensive 
and  serious.  The  island  abounded  with  rumor  and  intrigue,  and  the  elder  Creado  deter- 
mined to  educate  his  son  in  the  United  States,  where  he  could  have  the  advantage  of 
the  finest  facilities  and  political  tranquility.  Accordingly,  about  1840,  the  young 
Cuban  began  his  studies  in  St.  Mary's  College,  Baltimore,  where  he  spent  several 
years.  Of  an  ardent  and  earnest  nature,  he  early  became  an  admirer  of  the  American 
republic  and  qualified  as  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  This  step,  whether  entirely 
due  to  admiration  for  his  adopted  country,  or  the  result  of  the  unsettled  condition  of 
Cuba,  proved  the  means  eventually  of  preserving  his  life  and  preventing  the  loss  of  his 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CR.  159 

estate.  Called  home  by  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr.  Creado  found  himself  an  object  of 
suspicion.  Having  quelled  the  rebellion,  the  rapacity  of  the  Spanish  authorities  knew  no 
bounds.  They  plundered  and  maltreated  wealthy  planters  at  will,  and  the  mere  charge 
of  sympathy  with  the  rebellion  was  sufficient  justification  for  any  excess.  Conspicuous 
wealth  made  Mr.  Creado  an  object  of  attack.  It  is  true  that  he  freed  every  slave  in  his 
possession  and  treated  those  belonging  to  the  undivided  estate  with  great  kindness,  and 
that,  beholding  the  outrages  to  which  his  friends  were  subjected,  he  sympathized 
secretly  with  the  struggle  of  the  insurgents  for  liberty  in  1868,  but  well  understanding 
the  futility  of  the  catise,  he  gave  it  no  countenance  by  word  or  deed.  This,  however, 
was  immaterial.  The  Spanish  authorities  desired  his  large  estate,  proclaimed  him  a 
rebel,  and  ordered  the  confiscation  of  his  property.  Escaping  to  the  United  States,  Mr. 
Creado  proved  his  citizenship  in  the  United  States,  and  for  many  years  with  slender 
resources,  he  struggled  in  vain  to  secure  his  property,  William  M.  Evarts  acting  as  his 
counsel.  After  long  correspondence  between  the  State  Department  at  Washington  and 
the  Spanish  Government,  the  justice  of  Mr.  Creado's  contention  was  recognized,  the 
decree  against  him  was  rescinded,  and  in  1877  his  property  was  restored.  As  soon  as 
he  considered  it  safe,  Mr.  Creado  returned  to  Cuba  and  occupied  himself  with  the  mani- 
fold requirements  of  his  neglected  property,  which  consisted  not  only  of  extensive  plan- 
tations but  also  of  large  blocks  of  valuable  real  estate  in  Havana.  On  his  plantation 
'•  Xeda,"  and  wherever  his  influence  could  be  felt,  he  introduced  American  improve- 
ments, and  the  American  system  of  education.  He  also  made  every  effort  to  compel 
the  government  to  repay  the  income  wrongfully  appropriated  during  the  years  of  his 
exile,  but  in  this  he  failed.  Mr.  Creado  made  annual  visits  to  New  York,  which  he 
had  learned  by  many  years  of  residence  to  regard  as  home.  He  never  married. 

JOHN  DANIEL  CRIMMINS,  conspicuous  as  a  contractor  for  the  building  of  private 
and  public  works,  descends  from  Irish  stock,  and  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Ma)'  18, 
1844.  His  father,  Thomas  Crimmins,  was  a  man  of  sound  sense  and  great  enterprise, 
who,  having  settled  in  New  York  in  1837,  engaged  in  contract  work  in  1849,  and  retired 
from  business  in  1873,  the  possessor  of  a  fortune.  John  gained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  St.  Francis  Xavier  College,  and  then,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  found 
occupation  as  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  his  father.  The  vocation  suited  his  enterprising 
nature,  and  he  entered  upon  the  master}-  of  all  necessary  details  with  ardor  and  ability. 
At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  was  made  superintendent  of  his  father's  business,  and  at 
twenty  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  the  firm  name  being  Thomas  Crimmins  &  Son. 

The  contracts  executed  by  the  firm  previous  to  this  date  were  confined  mainly  to 
excavations,  water  front  improvements,  heavy  foundations,  etc.  The  influence  of  the 
junior  partner  was  now  seen  in  an  extension  of  the  operations  of  the  firm  to  the  con- 
struction of  buildings  under  contract.  The  first  work  of  this  nature  was  performed  in 
1866,  and  since  that  year  more  than  400  houses  have  been  erected  in  various  parts  of 
the  city.  This  branch  of  the  business  has  always  been  under  the  direction  of  John  D. 
Crimmins,  and  has  given  excellent  scope  for  the  power  of  organization,  the  foresight, 
energy  and  good  management,  which  are  characteristic  traits  of  the  man.  The  erec- 
tion of  dwellings  for  others  has  led  Mr.  Crimmins  into  real  estate  transactions  on  his 
own  account,  and  he  has  gradually  become  one  of  the  largest  operators  in  the  city. 

The  influence  of  Mr.  Crimmins  was  also  seen  at  an  early  day  in  the  employment 
of  machinery  upon  a  large  scale  in  making  excavations.  H  e  was  the  first  contractor  in 


160  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

New  York  city  to  adopt  machinery  for  this  purpose ;  and  his  greater  promptness  in 
executing  contracts  and  ability  to  perform  the  work  at  a  reasonable  compensation 
quickly  resulted  in  a  large  increase  of  the  general  contract  work  of  the  firm.  To  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  Mr.  Crimmins  has  now  for  thirty  years  been  identified  with  all 
the  large  construction  work  projected  in  New  York  city,  especially  with  operations 
requiring  the  highest  degree  of  ability  in  the  contractor.  He  accepts  few  if  any  con- 
tracts from  the  city.  His  work  is  almost  wholly  performed  for  corporations,  estates 
and  individuals.  He  laid  the  foundations  for  The  Manhattan  Railway,  built  the  elec- 
trical subway,  has  laid  many  miles  of  gas  mains,  built  the  tank  fotindations  for  various 
gas  companies,  and  constructed  the  Broadway  and  the  street  railroads  on  Lexington, 
Lenox  and  Columbus  avenues. 

Since  1873,  he  has  been  senior  member  and  the  leading  spirit  of  the  firm.  Mr. 
Crimmins  gives  to  every  contract  the  closest  personal  attention,  and  has  carried  forward 
to  a  successful  completion  every  enterprise  in  which  he  has  been  engaged.  His  work 
is  thorough  and  satisfactory,  and  contracts  are  generally  awarded  to  him  without  com- 
petition. He  is  one  of  the  largest  employers  of  labor  in  the  city,  seldom  carrying  fewer 
than  2,000  men  upon  his  pay  rolls,  and  often  as  many  as  6,000.  He  has  weathered  every 
financial  storm  with  skill,  and  has  never  missed  a  pay  day  or  disappointed  a  creditor. 

His  influence  with  his  workmen  is  remarkable.  Patient,  an  attentive  and  sym- 
pathetic listener,  just  in  his  conclusions,  while  at  the  same  time  ready  to  defend  with 
reasonable  argument  his  position  against  unwarranted  demands,  he  has  never  failed  to 
reach  a  friendly  settlement  of  every  dispute  with  his  own  men.  He  has  frequently 
been  called  upon  to  serve  as  arbitrator  in  strikes,  and  in  most  cases  has  aided  in  adjust- 
ing differences  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  The  principal  office  of  the 
firm,  at  50  East  spth  street,  is  to-day  within  half  a  mile  of  the  spot  where  Mr.  Crim- 
mins was  born. 

Mr.  Crimmins  is  now  largely  associated  with  street  railroad  enterprise  in  the  city 
and  is  an  important  stockholder  in  The  Metropolitan  Traction  Co.,  of  the  metropolis, 
and  The  Consolidated  Traction  Co.,  of  Jersey  City.  He  is  allied  with  the  progress, 
development  and  commercial  life  of  the  city  at  many  points.  A  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  he  is  a  director  in  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank  and  The  National 
Union  Bank,  president  of  The  Essex  &  Hudson  Land  Improvement  Co  ,  and  trustee 
of  The  North-Western  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.  of  Milwaukee.  He  is  also  a  member 
of  several  boards  of  trustees  of  charities  connected  with  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and 
of  the  building  committees  of  three  of  them,  and  has  superintended  the  building  of 
various  convents,  schools,  asylums  and  churches,  and  the  house  of  the  Catholic  Club. 

In  politics,  a  Deniocwat,  Mr.  Crimmins  has  played  some  part  in  public  affairs, 
although  too  busy  a  man  to  enter  upon  a  political  career.  He  was  a  Park  Commis- 
sioner, 1883-88,  and  served  at  various  dates  as  either  president  or  treasurer  of  that 
board.  At  one  time  appointed  by  the  President  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Visitors  to 
the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  he  has  also  been  a  Presidential  Elector  and 
member  of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  of  1894.  He  has  also  been  a  valued 
member  of  all  the  special  committees  of  citizens,  formed  during  the  last  ten  years  to 
represent  the  people  of  the  city  in  public  commemorations  and  the  achievement  of  non- 
partisan  objects,  in  which  prominent  people  are  accustomed  to  co-operate.  He  is  one 
of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Prison  Association. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CB»  Xgj 

In  manners,  he  unites  courtesy  and  refinement  with  the  thoroughness  of  discussion 
and  quickness  of  decision  of  an  experienced  business  man.  Several  of  the  best  known 
business  and  social  clubs  of  the  city  have  elected  him  to  membership,  including  the 
Manhattan,  Lawyers',  Democratic,  Catholic,  Players',  Suburban,  Stamford  Yacht,  and 
Building  Trades;  and  he  is  also  a  contributor  to  the  support  of  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

April  1 5th,  1 868,  he  was  married  to  Lily  L.  Lalor,  a  daughter  of  Martin  Lalor. 
His  family  now  consists  of  himself  and  eleven  children.  He  maintains  a  city  home  at 
40  East  68th  street,  near  Central  Park,  and  in  the  summer  dwells  at  his  fine  country 
seat  of  Firwood  on  the  Sound,  near  Noroton,  Conn. 

FREDERIC  CROnWELL,  treasurer  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  a  man  of 
notable  personality  and  a  valuable  citizen,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Cornwall  on  the 
Hudson,  Feb.  16,  1843.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  David  Cromwell,  who  retired  from 
business  in  New  York  city  nearly  sixty  years  ago  and  built  a  residence  in  Cornwall, 
where  he  died  in  1857.  The  family  is  of  English  ancestry,  tracing  its  descent  from  Col. 
John  Cromwell,  a  brother  of  the  Protector  and  third  son  of  Richard  Cromwell.  John 
Cromwell,  a  son  of  John,  emigrated  from  Holland  to  New  Amsterdam,  and  in  1686 
resided  at  Long  Neck  in  Westchester  county,  afterward  known  as  Cromwell's  Neck. 
Through  his  mother,  Rebecca  Bowman,  the  subject  of  this  biography  is  descended  from 
John  Bowman,  an  Englishman,  who  died  in  1661,  and  whose  son  Henry  joined  the 
Society  of  Friends  in  1666. 

After  a  full  experience  in  preparatory  schools,  Mr.  Cromwell  entered  Harvard 
College,  graduating  in  1863.  Of  the  following  two  years,  the  first  was  devoted  to  study 
of  the  law,  the  second  to  European  travel.  Every  experience  is  useful  to  a  man  of 
retentive  mind  and  progressive  spirit,  and  while  Mr.  Cromwell  preferred  an  active  to  a 
professional  career,  his  legal  studies  proved  of  value  to  him  in  later  years.  In  1865, 
he  established  himself  in  the  occupation  of  importing  British  cloths,  relinquishing  this 
in  1868,  in  order  to  devote  more  attention  to  other  important  interests. 

Mr.  Cromwell  was  one  of  the  originators  of  The  People's  Gas  Light  Co.,  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  in  1870  became  its  president.  He  was  also  interested  in  the  gas  companies  of 
Baltimore,  Md.  His  experience  with  the  manufacture  of  illuminating  gas  led  him,  in 
1870,  to  remove  to  St.  Louis,  Mo  ,  where  he  resided  four  years.  There,  under  his 
direction,  The  Laclede  Gas  Light  Co.  constructed  its  works.  He  managed  the  company 
from  its  inception  and  until  its  affairs  were  placed  upon  a  firm  and  profitable  basis,  one 
third  of  the  gas  used  in  the  city  being  supplied  by  these  works.  After  a  year  in 
Europe,  he  returned  to  Brooklyn  in  1875,  where  he  interested  himself  in  a  number  of 
corporate  enterprises.  In  conjunction  with  his  brother-in-law,  he  purchased  control  of 
one  of  the  street  railroad  companies  of  Brooklyn,  and  for  several  3-ears  directed  the 
extension  of  the  lines  until  an  important  system  had  grown  into  existence. 

The  people  of  Brooklyn  remember  Mr.  Cromwell  with  affection.  While  a  very 
active  business  man,  he  was  much  interested  in  matters  of  public  concern.  When  a 
Civil  Service  Reform  Association  was  formed  in  Brooklyn,  he  became  its  first  president, 
and  afterward  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  first  Civil  Service  Commission.  Further, 
he  was  active  in  promoting  the  higher  interests  of  the  people  of  the  city,  especially 
those  which  center  around  The  Brooklyn  Art  Association,  which  he  served  as  president, 
and  The  Philharmonic  Society,  of  which  he  was  vice-president. 


i6z  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

It  was  in  1880,  that  Mr.  Cromwell  was  chosen  a  trustee  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insur- 
ance Co.,  one  of  the  soundest  financial  institutions  in  the  metropolis,  which  occupies 
the  site  of  the  old  New  York  post  office,  formerly  an  historic  church,  on  Nassau  street. 
His  services  in  the  board  resulted  in  his  election,  in  1884,  to  the  responsible  position 
of  treasurer  of  the  company.  Great  as  are  the  interests  centering-  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  it  may  be  safely  stated  that  no  corporation  among  its  numberless  institutions 
places  a  heavier  burden  of  trust  and  responsibility  upon  its  financial  officer  than  does 
The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.  All  the  loans  of  the  company,  running  into  the 
millions,  fall  under  the  guidance  of  the  treasurer.  To  those  unacquainted  with  the 
details  of  the  operations  of  this  corporation,  an  adequate  idea  of  what  it  is  to  be  its 
treasurer  can  only  be  given  by  citing  a  few  figures.  The  assets  of  the  company  are 
$200,000,000  and  its  annual  receipts  and  disbursements  above  $50,000,000,  while  loans 
have  been  made  upon  proper  security  to  the  amount  of  $75,000,000.  These  trans- 
actions, stupendous  to  the  ordinary  mind,  require  the  supervision  of  a  treasurer  and 
board  of  directors,  calm  and  sound  in  judgment,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  financial 
affairs,  upright  and  beyond  suspicion,  and  capable  of  untiring  labor.  It  is  a  sufficient 
comment  upon  the  personal  quality  of  Mr.  Comwell,  to  say  that  he  holds  the  position 
of  treasurer  of  this  company,  and  has  filled  it  for  ten  years  to  the  eminent  advantage  of 
the  interests  he  serves  and  the  satisfaction  of  the  trustees,  of  whom  he  is  one.  Upon 
accepting  this  position,  Mr.  Cromwell  became  a  resident  of  New  York  city,  spending  his 
winters  in  town  and  dwelling  during  each  summer  upon  his  farm  at  Bernardsville,  N.  J. 

Mr.  Cromwell  is  represented  in  many  prominent  financial  institutions  and  bears 
an  active  part  in  their  counsels.  He  is  a  director  of  The  New  York  Guarantee  & 
Indemnity  Co  ,  The  National  Union  Bank,  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co. ,  The  Bank  of  New 
Amsterdam  and  other  institutions,  including  The  New  York  &  East  River  Gas  Co., 
which  recently  completed  a  tunnel  under  the  East  River. 

A  man  of  fine  presence,  large,  dark  featured,  courtly  in  demeanor,  Mr.  Cromwell 
enjoys  the  acquaintance  of  a  wide  circle  of  the  choicest  people  of  the  city.  He  married 
Esther,  daughter  of  Seymour  L.  Husted,  and  has  had  five  children,  of  whom  four  are 
living,  one  son  and  three  daughters.  He  is  associated  with  several  charities. 

He  has  joined  a  few  clubs,  including  the  Century,  Metropolitan,  University, 
Harvard  and  Down  Town  of  this  city,  and  the  Hamilton  of  Brooklyn. 

WILLIAM  BEDLOW  CROSBY,  realty  owner,  born  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  7, 
1786,  died  here,  March  18,  1865.  His  grandfather  was  Judge  Joseph  Crosby,  his  father 
Dr.  Ebenezer  Crosby,  a  leading  physician  of  this  city,  while  his  mother  was  Catharine, 
daughter  ot  William  Bedlow,  whose  family  possessed  Bedlow's  Island  in  New  York 
bay,  and  of  Catharine  Rutgers,  daughter  of  Hendrick  Rutgers.  Left  an  orphan  at  the 
age  of  two,  William  entered  the  family  of  his  great  uncle,  Col.  Henry  Rutgers,  who 
adopted  him  as  a  son.  By  inheritance  from  his  mother,  the  young  man  received  a 
large  share  of  the  old  Rutgers  estate,  which  included  the  greater  portion  of  the  Seventh 
Ward  in  New  York  city  and  became  very  valuable.  Mr.  Crosby's  time  was  greatly 
occupied  with  the  care  of  his  property.  He  found,  however,  both  time  and  inclination 
to  engage  largely  in  philanthropic  enterprises,  taking  an  active  interest  in  various  soci- 
eties of  a  public  character  and  giving  liberally  of  his  large  means  to  colleges  and 
charity.  The  American  Bible  Society  especially  enlisted  his  interest.  In  1821,  he 
became  a  life  director,  and  in  1853,  a  vice-preside'nt.  His  father  having  rendered 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CR.  103 

efficient  service  as  a  surgeon  during  the  Revolution,  William  B.  Crosby  became  oy  vir- 
tue thereof  a  member  of  The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati.  He  was  married,  Feb.  7,  1807, 
to  Harriet  A.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  William  Clarkson,  and  grand  daughter  of  William 
Floyd,  a  Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  His  children  were  William  Henry, 
John  Player,  Robert  Ralston,  Clarkson  Floyd,  who  died  Feb.  22,  1858,  Edward  Nicoll, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Howard  Crosby,  a  leading  Presbyterian  minister  of  New  York  city,  Cath- 
arine Clarkson,  Eliza  Smedes,  and  Mary;  and  Clarkson,  Anna  Bancker,  and  Harman 
Rutgers,  who  died  in  infancy.  Mrs.  Crosby  died  Dec.  13,  1859. — His  son,  JOHN 
PLAYER  CROSBY,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  May  22,  1810,  died  from  heart 
failure  while  bathing  off  Fire  Island  on  the  Long  Island  coast,  Sept.  19,  1876.  Gradu- 
ating from  Columbia  College  in  1827,  he  studied  law  and  engaged  in  the  active  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  until  his  death.  He  was  first  associated  with  R.  M.  Blatchford,  a 
son  of  Judge  Blatchford,  afterward  with  F.  F.  Marbury.  Yet  later,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Crosby,  Ostrander  &  Jones,  and  finally  of  Crosby,  Hoffman  &  Crosby. 
During  his  later  years,  he  attained  especial  prominence  as  referee  and  trustee  of  large 
estates.  He  belonged  to  the  Bar  Association  and  earnestly  promoted  the  work  of  sev- 
eral religious  and  charitable  institutions.  Nearly  all  his  life  he  served  as  an  elder  in 
the  Presbyterian  church.  In  February,  1835,  Mr.  Crosby  married  Ellen,  daughter  of 
John  R.  Murray.  His  wife  died  in  May,  1836.  In  1840,  he  married  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Attorney  General  during  part  of  President  Van  Buren's  admin- 
istration. Six  sons  and  three  daughters  were  born  to  him.  Franklin  Butler  Crosby,  one 
of  his  sons,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville.  Mr.  Crosby  was  a  man  of 
singular  frankness  and  courtesy,  and  his  cordial  and  generous  disposition  drew  about 
him  a  large  number  of  warm  friends. 

JEREMIAH  CURTIS,  manufacturer,  born  in  Hampden,  Maine,  in  1804,  died  in  New 
York  city,  March  24,  1883.  While  a  young  man,  he  established  a  bank  in  Calais,  Me., 
and  later  built  the  first  railroad  in  Maine,  from  Calais  to  Middletown,  and  accepted  the 
Abolition  nomination  for  governor  of  his  State,  being,  however,  defeated.  He  came 
:  Xe\v  York  about  1863,  and  entered  the  drug  business,  in  which  he  was  remarkably 
successful.  The  owner  of  several  formulas  for  medicines,  he  manufactured  largely, 
and  from  the  sale  of  Winslow's  Soothing  Syrup,  Brown's  Bronchial  Troches,  etc., 
amassed  a  large  fortune.  Several  years  before  his  death  he  retired  from  business, 
leaving  the  industry  to  the  conduct  of  his  sons.  He  was  a  man  of  estimable  private 
character,  and  until  age  compelled  him  to  retire,  he  was  accustomed  to  gather  around 
him  a  circle  of  choice  friends. 

DON  ALONZO  CUSHflAN,  merchant,  born  in  Coventry,  Conn.,  Oct.  i,  1792,  died 
in  New  York  city,  May  i,  1875.  The  Cushman  family  was  planted  in  America  by 
Robert  of  that  name,  who,  in  June,  1620,  chartered  the  Mayflower,  which  brought  over 
the  first  company  of  Pilgrims,  and  who  followed  them  to  New  England  on  the  Fortune 
in  the  following  November.  Allerton  Cushman  of  this  line  was  a  resident  of  Coven- 
try, Conn.  His  son,  Minerva,  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Otsego  county,  N.  Y.,  gave  all 
of  his  children  at  least  one  name  beginning  with  D,  and  his  fifth  son  was  Don  Alonzo 
Cushman.  Alonzo  grew  up  on  the  Otsego  county  farm,  gained  what  teaching  he  could 
in  the  country  schools,  and  in  1805  entered  a  store  in  Cooperstown,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
learned  to  sell  dry  goods  and  groceries.  He  took  private  lessons  in  arithmetic,  became 
bookkeeper  for  Col.  Russell  Williams,  and  through  the  kindness  of  the  latter  secured  a 


164 


AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


place  in  a  retail  dry  goods  store  on  Broadway,  New  York  city,  in  1810.  He  had  saved 
up  to  that  time  just  $17,  and  this  small  sum  was  soon  consumed  in  New  York.  Here, 
thrown  entirely  on  his  own  resources,  he  learned  at  the  outset  that  frugality,  industry 
and  merit  must  be  his  sole  reliance  for  success.  During  the  War  of  1812  he  served 
three  months  in  one  of  the  forts  of  the  harbor.  In  1815,  Charles  Weed,  his  employer, 
sold  his  store  on  credit  to  Mr.  Cushman  and  Archibald  Falconer,  and  invested  a  few 
thousand  dollars  as  their  partner  in  Cushman  &  Falconer.  The  young  merchant  expe- 
rienced many  and  great  trials  at  different  times  but  by  perseverance  finally  built  up  an 
immense  trade,  which  after  1824  was  confined  to  the  wholesale  branch  of  the  business. 
The  house  finally  became  known  as  D.  A.  Cushman  &  Co.  In  1855,  Mr.  Cushman  re- 
tired. He  was  a  pioneer  in  the  development  in  the  Chelsea  district,  extending  a  distance 
of  several  blocks  on  Ninth  avenue  above  i4th  street.  Upon  a  large  tract  of  land  there 
he  created  a  village  of  well-to-do  families,  and  established  his  own  dwelling  on  Ninth 
avenue,  opposite  the  Episcopal  Theological  Seminary.  Since  his  death,  the  house 
has  been  occupied  by  some  of  his  family.  This  region,  once  an  independent  village,  has 
since  been  swallowed  up  by  the  rush  of  population  northwards,  and  is  indistinguishable 
now  from  the  rest  of  the  densely  inhabited  region  of  which  it  is  the  center,  except  that 
it  retains  some  of  the  characteristics  of  the  older  New  York.  Mr.  Cushman  was  presi- 
dent of  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank,  and  director  in  several  insurance  companies. 
Married  in  1815  to  Matilda  C.  S.,  daughter  of  Peter  Ritter,  thirteen  children  were 
born  to  him,  Mary  Matilda  Falconer,  wife  of  Philip  F.  Pistor,  of  this  city;  Alonzo 
Ritter;  Catharine  Ritter,  wife  of  N.  B.  Smith,  of  New  Orleans;  Caroline  Thomas,  wife 
of  James  Talman  Waters;  John  Henry  Hobart;  Angelica  B.,  wife  of  Gustavus  W. 
Faber;  Emily  A.,  wife  of  George  Wilcoxson,  of  Nyack;  Archibald  Falconer,  Ephraim 
Holbrook,  James  Stewart  and  William  Floyd  Cushman.  Julia  Josephine  and  Elizabeth 
Emeline  died  while  young.— -JAflES  STEWART  CUSHHAN,  fifth  of  the  six  sons  of 
Don  Alonzo  Cushman,  born  in  New  York,  Nov.  19,  1836,  died  Nov.  25,  1894.  He  was 
educated  in  the  Columbia  College  grammar  school,  and  began  life  as  clerk  for  Reed, 
Drexel  &  Co.  He  started  in  business  for  himself  in  the  stock  brokerage  firm  of  Cush- 
man &  Gignoux,  who  were  succeeded  by  Christmas,  Cushman  &  Hurlbut,  and  later 
by  Cushman  &  Hurlbut.  A  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange  and  one  of  the  original 
members  of  the  Gold  Board,  he  became  prominent  as  a  stock  broker  and  operator  in 
Wall  street,  but  withdrew  about  1880  to  confine  his  attention  to  the  management  of  real 
estate  inherited  from  his  father.  He  was  a  man  of  solid  and  sincere  character,  influen- 
tial, well  known  and  universally  respected.  Although  fond  of  fine  horses  and  the  owner 
of  several,  he  was  too  conservative  to  become  greatly  addicted  to  the  race  track.  He 
dwelt  in  his  father's  old  mansion  on  Ninth  avenue,  where  he  maintained  the  Chelsea 
traditions  and  hospitable  customs  for  which  the  homestead  was  famous.  His  clubs 
were  the  Union  League,  New  York  and  New  York  Athletic. 

FRANCIS  BROCKHOLST  CUTTING,  an  eminent  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  in 
1805,  died  here  June  26,  1870.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Cutting,  lawyer,  and  grand- 
son of  the  Rev.  Leonard  Cutting,  proprietor  of  a  noted  grammar  school.  Graduating 
from  Columbia  College,  he  entered  the  law  and  advanced  in  the  arduous  labors  of  this 
profession  to  great  distinction,  largely  on  account  of  his  profound  acquaintance  with 
commercial  law.  From  1840  to  1855,  few  cases  were  tried  in  the  metropolis,  involving 
this  branch  of  legal  knowledge,  in  which  Mr.  Cutting  was  not  retained  as  leading  coun- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. CU.  165 

sel.  He  found  time  to  take  an  active  interest  in  politics,  and  frequently  gave  the  Demo- 
cratic party  the  benefit  of  his  talents  as  a  public  speaker.  During-  1836  and  1837,  he 
represented  New  York  city  in  the  State  Assembly.  The  sessions  were  exciting  and 
Mr.  Cutting  held  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  debates.  In  1853-55,  he  represented  one 
of  the  New  York  city  districts  in  Congress.  Kansas  and  Nebraska  were  leading  topics 
at  that  time.  Mr.  Cutting  refused  to  follow  the  lead  of  the  pro-slavery  Southern  Con- 
gressmen who  controlled  their  part}",  and  he  became  involved  in  a  personal  quarrel  with 
John  C.  Breckinridge,  which  was  finally  adjusted  without  a  duel.  At  the  outbreak  of 
the  war,  he  supported  the  Union  as  a  War  Democrat  vigorously,  and  aided  the  second 
election  of  Lincoln,  thereafter  retiring  from  politics  to  follow  his  profession.  Wealth 
came  to  him  in  part  by  inheritance  from  his  father,  who  was  the  principal  owner  of 
the  old  Brooklyn  Steamboat  Co.,  whose  boats  plied  as  a  ferry  between  New  York  and 
Brooklyn,  and  from  his  mother,  Gertrude,  daughter  of  Walter  Livingston  of  Living- 
ston Manor.  He  added  to  his  means,  however,  in  the  practice  of  the  law  and  by  invest- 
ments in  local  real  estate.  He  was  esteemed  as  a  man  of  fine  intellect,  graceful  accom- 
plishments and  kindly  manners.  His  son,  Gen.  William  Cutting  is  now  the  only 
survivor  of  his  children,  two  other  sons,  Heyward  and  Brockholst,  having  died. 

ROBERT  LIVINGSTON  CUTTING,  sr.,  son  of  the  late  William  Cutting,  born  in 
New  York,  in  February,  1812,  died  in  New  York,  Feb.  25,  1887.  He  graduated  from 
Columbia  College,  and  afterward  established  himself  in  a  stock  brokerage  business  in 
Wall  street.  Attractive  and  winning  in  manner,  clear  headed  and  capable,  he  was 
associated  with  some  of  the  giants  of  Wall  street  in  various  stock  operations  and  notably 
aided  Commodore  Yanderbilt  in  large  transactions,  when  the  latter  began  to  deal  in 
the  stocks  of  The  Harlem  and  Hudson  River  Railroads.  He  was,  in  1865,  president  of 
the  Stock  Exchange.  Aided  by  inheritance,  he  became  a  man  of  fortune.  About 
1870,  he  retired  from  business,  and  six  years  before  his  death,  sold  his  seat  in  the 
Stock  Exchange.  He  was  prominent  in  the  social  and  club  life  of  the  town,  a  member 
of  the  Union  Club,  a  stockholder  in  the  Academy  of  Music  and  a  promoter  of  grand 
opera.  In  1871,  he  joined  the  Committee  of  Seventy  and  labored  efficiently  for  the 
overthrow  of  the  Tweed  ring.  In  1835,  he  was  married  to  Juliana,  daughter  of  James 
DeWolf,  of  Bristol,  R.  I.,  and  was  survived  by  two  children,  Robert  L.  Cutting,  jr.,  and 
Walter,  who  lives  in  Pittsfield,  Mass.— His  son,  ROBERT  LIVINGSTON  CUTTING, 
broker  and  banker,  born  in  this  city,  July  2,  1836,  died  here,  Jan.  13,  1894.  He  was 
educated  at  Columbia  College,  graduating  in  1856,  and  fitted  himself  for  the  law,  but 
finally  entered  the  stock  brokerage  business  with  his  father.  He  became  a  member 
of  the  Stock  Exchange,  May  13,  1864,  and  later  special  partner  in  the  firm  of  John 
Benjamin  Lee  &  Co.,  which  succeeded  his  own.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  held 
a  similiar  interest  in  Lee,  Livingston  &  Co.  Mr.  Cutting  was  one  of  the  best  known 
men  in  social  life  in  New  York.  He  belonged  to  the  Union,  Metropolitan,  Knicker- 
bocker, Manhattan,  New  York  Athletic,  Racquet,  Tuxedo  and  Delta  Phi  clubs,  and 
the  Alumni  Association  of  Columbia  College.  He  was  handsome  and  commanding 
in  appearance,  a  prominent  patron  of  the  opera,  a  stockholder  in  the  Academy  of 
Music  and  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  and  an  epicure  of  wide  reputation,  while  at  the 
same  time  a  generous  giver  to  charity  and  a  regular  contributor  to  the  support  of  many 
public  institutions.  His  wife,  Judith  E.  Moale,  of  Baltimore,  a  sister  of  Mrs.  I.  Town- 
send  Burden,  and  two  sons,  James  De  Wolf  and  Robert  L.  Cutting,  survived  him. 


D. 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  DAflBMANN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Wiesbaden,  Ger- 
many, died  June  26,  1868,  in  this  city,  at  the  age  of  fifty-five.  The  family  had  made 
their  home  in  Wiesbaden  for  generations  and  were  reputable  traders  and  merchants. 
The  subject  of  this  memoir  might  have  made  his  mark  in  the  fatherland,  because  his 
friends  noted  in  him  from  youth  the  spirit  of  enterprise,  clearness  of  vision  and  origin- 
ality of  thought;  but  these  very  qualities  led  him,  after  a  short  experience  in  a  mercan- 
tile clerkship,  to  come  to  America  while  a  young  man  and  seek  the  enlarged  opportunities 
of  the  new  world.  He.  was  a  born  merchant,  and  after  a  modest  beginning  in  New 
York  city,  he  established  his  own  business,  and  in  the  firm  of  C.  F.  Dambmann  &  Co., 
importers  of  laces,  velvets  and  kindred  fabrics,  won  a  pronounced  success.  The  house 
first  occupied  a  store  on  Park  Row,  later  on  Franklin  street.  In  due  time,  when  large 
means  had  come  to  him  in  consequence  of  the  prudent  and  energetic  prosecution  of  his 
trade,  he  made  numerous  investments  of  his  capital  in  corporations.  Mr.  Dambmann 
was  connected  with  The  National  Park  Bank,  various  gas  companies  and  other  cor- 
porations, and  aided  in  founding  The  Continental  Insurance  Co. ,  and  The  Continental 
Bank,  being  a  director  of  both  until  his  death.  A  well  educated  man,  he  joined  various 
German  societies  and  clubs,  whose  members  esteemed  him  highly  for  his  soundness  of 
judgment,  well  informed  mind  and  probity.  By  his  marriage  with  Sarah,  daughter 
of  George  Long,  book  publisher,  he  had  four  children,  George  John  Adolph  Damb- 
mann; Louisa,  wife  of  Gustave  Cambefort,  now  living  in  Lyons;  and  Charles  Frederick 
William  D.  Dambmann,  jr.,  a  resident  of  Baltimore,  Md. ,  and  another  now  deceased. 

CHARLES  ANDERSON  DANA,  editor,  of  The  New  York  Sun,  was  born  in  Hins- 
dale,  N.  H.,  Aug.  8,  1819.  The  first  of  the  family,  Jacob  Dana,  came  from  France 
to  Boston  about  1640,  in  consequence  of  the  revocation  of  the  edict  of  Nantes,  and 
Daniel  Dana,  great  grandfather  of  Charles,  was  killed  in  the  massacre  of  Wyoming. 
His  father,  a  country  merchant,  failed  while  Charles  was  a  boy,  and  the  latter  left 
school  at  the  age  of  ten.  A  year  or  two  later,  the  youth  began  life  in  Buffalo  -as  clerk 
in  a  dry  goods  store,  where  he  stayed  several  years.  Having  fitted  himself  for  college 
under  many  discouraging  circumstances,  he  entered  Harvard  in  1839  and  remained 
until  the  end  of  the  sophomore  year,  when  serious  trouble  with  his  eyes  compelled  him 
to  abandon  the  idea  of  finishing  his  college  course.  Later  he  obtained  his  full  degree. 

In  1842,  led  by  sentiment,  Mr.  Dana  became  one  of  those  philanthropic  souls,  who 
engaged  in  the  famous  experiment  at  Brook  Farm,  being  associated  therein  with 
George  Ripley,  Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  Theodore  Parker,  Margaret  Fuller,  George 
William  Curtis,  William  Henry  Channing  and  others,  who  afterwards  rose  to  distinc- 
tion. These  philosophers  strove  for  a  high  plane  of  social  and  intellectual  life,  but 
Mr.  Dana  was  their  only  practical  man  and  the  experiment  finally  came  to  an  end. 

A  close  thinker,  sound  in  his  reasoning,  and  capable  of  expressing  himself  in 
forcible  language,  Mr.  Dana,  then  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  began  writing  for  The- 
Chronotype  of  Boston,  receiving  during  a  year  and  a  half  the  munificent  salary  of  $5 
a  week  He  had  had  previous  experience  upon  The  Harbinger,  devoted  to  reform  and 
general  literature,  and  now  learned  the  requirements  of  a  daily  newspaper.  In  1847, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DA.  167 

he  came  to  New  York,  procured  the  place  of  city  editor  on  THE  TRIBUNE  at  $10  a  week, 
subsequently  raised  to  $14,  and  made  his  mark  at  once.  In  1848,  he  spent  eight 
months  in  Europe  as  a  correspondent,  and  upon  his  return  in  1849,  became  managing 
editor  of  THE  TRIBUNE  at  §20  a  week  and  one  of  its  stockholders.  This  position  he  retained 
for  fifteen  years,  his  compensation  being  increased  until  it  reached  $50  a  week.  Mr. 
Dana  brought  the  force  of  tremendous  energy  into  the  operations  of  THE  TRIBUNE,  and 
labored  diligently  with  Mr.  Greeley  to  arrest  the  extension  of  slavery  to  the  Territories 
and  to  oppose  the  acquisition  of  any  foreign  domain,  which  should  increase  the  area 
of  American  soil  devoted  to  slave  holding.  He  was  especially  hostile  to  the  repeal 
of  the  Missouri  compromise  and  the  attempt  to  fasten  slavery  upon  Kansas  and 
Nebraska.  Between  Mr.  Dana  and  his  chief,  there  long  existed  a  most  intimate 
friendship  and  the  spirit  of  harmonious  co-operation.  In  1861,  Mr.  Dana  spent  con- 
siderable time  in  Albany  in  an  almost  successful  but  finally  fruitless  effort  to  secure 
the  election  of  Mr.  Greeley  as  United  States  Senator.  The  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War 
led  to  a  disagreement  between  the  two  men,  and  Mr.  Dana  resigned. 

Called,  thereupon,  to  the  service  of  his  country  in  the  War  Department  in  Wash- 
ington, and  employed  by  Secretary  Stanton  in  special  work,  his  efficiency  resulted  in 
his  appointment  as  Assistant  Secretary  of  War  in  1863.  For  the  duties  of  this  office, 
he  was  fitted  not  only  by  natural  force  and  a  capacity  for  untiring  labor,  but  by  his 
trained  judgment  of  men  and  measures,  and  accurate  information  of  affairs.  Both  the 
President  and  Mr.  Stanton  relied  greatly  upon  Mr.  Dana  during  this  period ;  and  it  is 
recollected  that  the  latter's  confidence  in  the  abilities  of  General  Grant  was  very  influ- 
ential in  saving  that  rising  officer,  at  one  time,  from  a  concerted  effort  on  the  part  of 
his  opponents  to  destroy  his  prestige  and  promotion.  Mr.  Dana  spent  some  time  at  the 
front  during  the  war  and  rode  in  the  saddle  during  the  campaigns  about  Vicksburg 
and  Chattanooga  and  in  those  in  Virginia  during  1864-65. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  Dana  edited  The  Chicago  Republican  for  a  short  time,  which 
failed,  owing  to  no  fault  of  the  editor,  and  in  1867  he  returned  to  New  York  to  enter 
upon  a  career  of  intrepid  endeavor  and  phenomenal  success.  With  a  few  friends,  he 
bought  from  Moses  Y.  Beach  The  New  York  Sun,  an  independent  daily  newspaper  of 
the  Democratic  faith,  whose  first  number  under  the  new  management  was  issued  Jan.  i, 
1868.  Nearly  thirty  years  have  elapsed  and  Mr.  Dana  is  yet  in  charge.  One  of  the 

equipped,  ablest  and  most  trenchant  wrriters  in  American  journalism,  he  has  made 
the  editorial  page  of  his  paper  famous  for  its  force,  purity  of  diction,  and  individuality. 
The  Sun  has  become  a  tremendous  power  both  in  attack  and  defense.  His  warfare 
upon  General  Grant,  by  whom  he  considered  himself  affronted,  was  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  to  which  a  prominent  man  in  America  was  ever  exposed.  His  criticisms 
of  the  administration,  while  General  Grant  was  president,  exposed  Mr.  Dana  to  an 
attempt  in  July,  1873,  to  t^6  him  to  Washington  for  trial  in  a  police  court  for  libel. 
The  enterprise  was  frustrated,  however,  Judge  Blatchford  of  the  United  States  Dis- 
trict Court  in  New  York  city  refusing  a  warrant  on  the  ground  that  the  proposed  form 
of  trial  was  unconstitutional. 

Mr.  Dana  spends  his  winters  in  New  York  and  his  summers  at  Dosoris,  an  island 
near  Glen  Cove  on  the  Long  Island  coast  of  the  Sound.  He  finds  happiness  in  direct- 
ing the  operations  of  his  paper,  and  recreation  in  the  society  of  his  library,  rather  than 
in  social  life.  He  is  a  charming,  dignified  and  always  instructive  and  entertaining 


i68  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

public  orator,  and  graces  every  occasion  when  he  is  present  as  a  speaker.  In  conver- 
sation, in  editorial  work,  and  in  utterances  from  the  platform,  he  is  concise,  forcible, 
and  entertaining  in  expression,  and  always  impatient  of  cant  and  verbosity.  By  virtue 
of  lineal  descent,  he  is  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  has 
been  their  Vice  President  General.  He  also  belongs  to  the  New  England  Society. 

He  was  married  March  2,  1846,  to  Eunice  Macdaniel,  and  has  four  children,  Zoe, 
Ruth,  Paul  and  Eunice. 

A  number  of  books  have  issued  from  his  pen,  including  "  The  Black  Ant,"  a 
volume  of  stories,  translated  from  the  German;  a  Life  of  General  Grant,  in  collabora- 
tion with  Gen.  James  H.  Wilson;  and  the  "  Household  Book  of  Poetry,"  a  charming 
collection,  of  which  many  editions  have  been  printed.  With  Rossiter  Johnson,  he  also 
edited  "  Fifty  Perfect  Poems,"  and  with  George  Ripley  he  planned,  in  1855,  and  edited 
the  "  New  American  Cyclopedia,"  published  by  the  Appletons. 

ALFRED  B.  DARLING,  the  senior  proprietor  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  for  many 
years  the  most  famous  and  successful  of  American  houses  for  the  accommodation  of 
travellers,  is  the  direct  descendant  of  an  English  sea  captain,  who  came  to  the  new 
world  from  Darlington  in  the  north  of  England  and  settled  in  Kingston,  N.  H.,  about 
the  year  1660.  Many  of  the  family  name  had  been  seafaring  men,  captains  of  mer- 
chant vessels,  but  in  the  new  world  they  adapted  themselves  to  the  occupations  of  the 
pioneers  of  a  new  country,  and  many  attained  eminence  in  the  various  walks  of  life. 
Their  ancestor,  the  settler  of  Kingston,  had  a  large  family  and  all  the  Darlings  in 
A.merica  are  believed  to  be  his  descendants. 

One  of  the  sons  of  the  English  sea  captain  was  Lieut.  John  Darling,  born  at 
Salisbury,  Mass.,  in  1714.  His  son,  Peter,  born  July  i,  1752,  married  and  settled  at 
Hopkinton,  N.  H.  The  latter's  son,  Major  Ebenezer  Darling,  the  father  of  Alfred 
B.  Darling,  settled  in  Caledonia  county,  Vt.,  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812  and  after- 
ward a  Major  in  the  State  militia.  He  represented  his  town  three  times  in  the  Legis- 
ture  and  otherwise  took  prominent  part  in  public  affairs. 

Alfred  B.  Darling  was  born  March  23,  1821,  in  Burke,  Vt.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  left  home  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Timothy  Fisher,  a  successful  farmer,  with  whom  he 
remained  until  twenty-one  years  of  age.  Mr.  Fisher  became  so  much  attached-  to  the 
young  man  that  he  proposed  to  deed  to  him  the  farm  they  were  cultivating,  Alfred,  in 
return,  to  take  care  of  the  old  people  while  they  lived.  But  Mr.  Darling's  views  of 
life  and  its  opportunities  led  him  to  seek  a  wider  field  of  activity  and  usefulness. 

An  expedition  to  Boston  by  the  two  men,  both  driving  teams  loaded  with  produce 
of  the  farm,  changed  the  whole  current  of  Mr.  Darling's  life,  as  many  another  unim- 
portant incident  has  opened  a  new  career  and  brought  fortune  to  others  of  America's 
successful  men.  Arriving  at  Charlestown  Neck,  the  two  men  stopped  at  the  inn 
established  in  earlier  years  by  the  Hon.  James  Sullivan,  a  sturdy  promoter  of  the 
American  Revolution,  a  writer  and  in  1807  Governor  of  Massachusetts.  The  proprietor 
of  the  house  gained  a  great  liking  for  Mr.  Darling  during  their  brief  stay  at  the  inn, 
and  the  result  was  that  the  latter  left  the  farm  and  went  to  the  hotel  on  Charlestown 
Neck  for  the  period  of  two  and  a  half  years.  There  he  formed  those  plans  which 
he  has  steadfastly  followed  and  which  have  made  him  in  later  years  one  of  the  most 
famous  hotel  proprietors  in  the  world. 

He  removed  next  to  Boston,  where  he  was  employed  by  Paran  Stevens,   the  lead- 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DA.  169 

ing  man  of  his  profession,  in  the  old  Revere  House,  famous  in  that  day  as  a  hostelry 
for  eminent  men,  notable  among  them  being  Daniel  Webster. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Darling  became  associated  with  Mr.  Stevens,  as  partner,  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  Battle  House  in  Mobile,  Ala.,  then  one  of  the  finest  and  most  costly 
hotels  in  the  South. 

It  ^Yas  finally  resolved  to  engage  in  the  hotel  business  in  New  York  city.  The 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  was  then  in  process  of  construction.  Mr.  Darling  came  to  New 
York  in  1858,  before  the  roof  had  been  placed  on  the  building.  In  1859,  a  partnership 
was  formed  between  Paran  Stevens,  Hiram  Hitchcock  and  Mr.  Darling,  under  the  title 
of  Hitchcock,  Darling  &  Co.,  and  the  firm  leased  the  hotel  which  was  destined  in  follow- 
ing years  to  shelter  more  men  of  public  and  social  distinction  than  any  other  in  the 
United  States. 

In  1867,-  the  interest  of  Mr.  Hitchcock  having  been  bought  by  Mr.  Griswold,  the 
firm  name  was  changed  to  Darling,  Griswold  &  Co. ;  but  in  1879,  Mr.  Hitchcock  bought 
back  his  interest,  and  the  old  name  was  re-adopted  and  has  ever  since  been  retained. 

The  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  has  been  a  remarkably  successful  house.  Owing  to  good 
management,  the  comfort  of  the  hotel,  its  excellent  table,  its  location  upon  the  beauti- 
ful Madison  Square  at  the  intersection  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Broadway,  and  its  nearness 
to  the  shopping  region,  the  hotel  not  only  soon  became  the  resort  of  travellers  of 
fashion  and  social  position  from  all  parts  of  the  United  States  and  Europe,  but  also  the 
favorite  abiding  place  in  the  town  of  public  men.  The  successive  registers  of  this  great 
hotel  bear  upon  their  pages  the  autographs  of  nearly  every  eminent  American  and 
European  who  has  visited  New  York  since  1859  They  form  a  historical  record  of  im- 
posing interest.  The  stories  of  entertaining  and  important  incidents  in  the  history  of 
the  house  would  fill  a  volume.  Political  committees  have  made  the  place  their  head- 
quarters for  years,  and  in  spite  of  the  modern  rage  for  the  construction  of  gigantic  and 
beautiful  hotels  in  other  parts  of  the  city,  the  old  Fifth  Avenue,  under  its  experienced 
proprietors,  retains  its  prestige  unshaken. 

Mr.  Darling  is  a  man  of  decided  convictions  and  of  broad  views  upon  all  questions 
of  public  interest.  He  has  attained  a  high  position,  and  has  become  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  and  highly  esteemed  citizens  of  the  metropolis,  because  of  his  inherent 
force  of  character  and  business  ability.  His  fortune  has  been  bravely  and  honestly 
earned  by  a  life  of  untiring  industry.  Mr.  Darling  has  served  from  time  to  time  as 
director  in  important  institutions,  among  them  being  The  Second  National  Bank,  The 
Fifth  Avenue  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  Union  Dime  Savings  Bank,  etc.  He  is  one  of  the 
earlier  members  of  the  Union  League  club  and  of  The  New  England  Society.  All 
patriotic  and  honorable  causes  receive  his  sympathy  and  approval. 

JAHES  DARRAQH,  merchant,  born  in  Lurgan,  Ireland,  in  1827,  died  in  Cairo, 
Egypt,  in  December,  1889.  He  emigrated  to  America  while  a  boy  and  found  employ- 
ment in  New  York  city  in  the  manufacture  of  coir  mats  and  matting.  Learning  that 
labor  was  low  in  price  in  India  and  that  mats  could  be  woven  there  at  the  smallest  ex- 
pense, he  sailed  for  Aleppy  on  the  west  coast  of  Malabar,  where,  although  beginning 
with  small  means,  he  gradually  developed  a  factory,  employing  a  thousand  natives  in 
this  industry.  He  spoke  the  native  language  with  fluency,  made  friends  among  the  high 
caste  residents,  was  kind  to  the  poor,  and  acquired  such  influence  as  to  earn  the  title  of 
"King  of  the  Coast."  The  house  in  this  city  took  the  name  of  Darragh  &  Smail,  in 


170  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

consequence  of  the  admission  of  Henry  Smail,  a  son-in-law,  to  partnership.  Mr.  Dar- 
ragh  was  the  first  person  to  manufacture  cotton  spool  thread  in  Travancore.  His  mill 
at  Quilon  cost  $350,000  to  build  and  gave  employment  to  1,500  natives  and  a  few  ex- 
pert Europeans.  The  Maharajah  and  his  cabinet  opened  the  mill  with  formal  cere- 
monies. Mr.  Darragh's  family  consisted  of  his  wife  and  two  daughters,  the  latter 
being  Mary,  wife  of  Henry  Smail,  and  Ellen,  wife  of  John  McStay  of  Belfast,  Ireland. 

BOWIE  DASH,  merchant,  born  July  i,  1834,  on  Varick  street,  opposite  old  St. 
John's  Park  in  this  city,  died  on  his  farm  at  Kingsbridge,  Sept.  28,  1895.  He  was  the 
ninth  child  of  Daniel  Bowie  and  Anzonetta  Burke  Dash,  and  grandson  of  John  Balthus 
and  Ann  Bowie  Dash,  all  natives  of  this  city.  He  first  attended  the  private  school  of 
Mr.  Greenough  and  then  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  received  a  busi- 
ness training  in  the  firm  of  Wolfe  &  Gillespie,  hardware  merchants.  In  1860,  he  mar- 
ried Louisa  Scott,  daughter  of  William  Scott,  a  coffee  merchant  well  known  in  business 
and  church  circles,  and,  by  her,  had  seven  children.  One  son  and  two  daughters 
are  now  living.  Mr.  Dash  happened  to  be  in  Montgomery,  Ala. ,  when  Jefferson  Davis 
was  inaugurated  President  of  the  Southern  Confederacy,  going  there  against  the  advice 
of  John  Sherman  and  others,  who  said  that  he  would  risk  his  life.  Mr.  Dash  advised 
his  firm  of  Wolfe,  Dash  &  Fisher,  to  accept  cotton  in  payment  of  their  claims  against 
Southern  merchants,  but  this  they  decided  not  to  do.  Mr.  Dash  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  becoming  a  strong  Republican  thereafter.  Unable  to  enlist  in  the  Union 
army,  he  gave  his  time  to  raise  money  to  equip  a  regiment  of  volunteers,  and  succeeded 
Charles  Strong  as  treasurer  of  the  Ladies'  Union  Bazaar.  Forty  thousand  dollars 
passed  through  his  hands  for  the  benefit  of  the  families  of  New  York  soldiers.  About 
1865,  Mr.  Dash  succeeded  the  firm  of  Scott  &  Wisner,  under  the  firm  name  of  Scott  & 
Dash,  and  afterward  became  a  large  importer  of  fine  teas  and  coffees,  continuing  in 
active  business  until  his  death.  In  his  enterprise  he  met  with  the  varied  success  and 
adversity  experienced  by  all  merchants.  He  was  honest,  capable  and  constantly 
sought  for  as  an  arbiter  by  his  fellow  merchants.  Several  times,  he  served  as  foreman 
of  grand  juries  and  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to  secure  justice  for  all  men.  One  of 
the  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church,  he  served  that  corporation  with  zeal  and  loyalty,  and 
was  also  a  vestrymen  of  the  Church  of  the  Mediator  at  Kingsbridge,  where  he  made 
his  home  on  a  farm  of  sixty  acres,  cut  in  half  by  Broadway  and  adjoining  Riverdale 
avenue  and  Van  Cortlandt  Park.  He  belonged  to  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution  and  the 
Down  Town  association;  and  was  a  man  who  pleased  not  himself  but  labored  for  the 
welfare  of  his  city  and  country  and  of  his  generation. 

JOHN  BALTHASAR  DASH,  merchant,^,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  12,  1818, 
died  here,  May  n,  1888.  The  son  of  Daniel  Bowie  and  Anzonetta  B.  Dash,  and  grand- 
son of  John  B.  Dash,  a  hardware  merchant  transacting  business  at  No  145  Broadway, 
he  was  educated  at  Mr.  Pond's  school  in  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  and  left  his  studies  at  the 
death  of  his  father  to  go  to  London  for  a  training  in  the  hardware  business.  He 
entered  the  house  of  Jacob  &  Co.,  and  under  the  care  of  Joseph  Farrell,  with  whom  he 
lived,  remained  in  London  a  suitable  time,  and  then  returned  to  New  York.  Here  he 
took  charge  of  his  father's  business  and  estate,  consisting  of  property  at  145  Broad- 
way and  86-88  Liberty  street,  which  has  now  been  a  family  possession  for  more  than  a 
hundred  years,  and  at  70  Cortlandt  street,  and  219  Fulton  street.  He  was  at  one 
time  with  Wolfe  &  Bishop,  hardware  merchants,  and  later  a  partner  in  Wolfe  Dash  & 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DA.  171 

Fisher.  A  conservative  man,  a  good  financier,  and  a  rare  judge  of  real  estate,  honest, 
and  of  the  highest  character,  he  prospered  greatly  in  his  business  affairs,  and  was 
greatly  respected.  Property  which  he  purchased  near  Kingsbridge  has  since  grown 
valuable.  He  never  married,  and  was  for  thirty  years  a  member  of  the  Union  club. 
He  attended  Trinity  chapel  on  West  25th  street.  Upon  his  death  his  estate  was  left  to 
his  brother  and  sisters,  Bowie  Dash,  Mrs.  Margaret  B.  Bininger,  Mrs.  Anzonetta  B. 
Wolfe,  and  Arabella  B.,  wife  of  Walter  H.  Lewis. 

JOHN  DAVIDSON,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Berwickshire,  Scotland,  March  i,  1837. 
He  is  the  son  of  George  Patterson  Davidson,  a  merchant  in  Berwick-on-Tweed.  John 
came  to  America  when  ten  years  of  age.  He  attended  the  College  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  studied  law  with  William  R.  Stafford,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1859.  He 
has  conducted  a  large  and  profitable  practice  in  New  York  city  for  thirty  years,  largely 
in  the  field  of  real  estate  law.  He  has  bought  land  and  built  houses  in  New  York, 
Brooklyn,  and  elsewhere,  and  has  large  interests  in  The  Sherwood  Park  and  other  land 
companies,  The  New  York  &  West  Shore,  The  Northern  Pacific  and  other  railroads. 
He  has  been  active  in  Republican  politics  in  New  Jersey.  Important  public  positions 
were  offered  to  him  by  Presidents  Lincoln  and  Grant,  but  declined.  Interested  in 
philanthropic  work,  Mr.  Davidson  has  served  as  superintendent  of  a  Sabbath  School 
in  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  for  nearly  thirty  years.  In  1860,  he  married  Adelia  S.  Wait,  of 
Perth  Amboy,  N.  J.  They  have  one  son,  William  Newcomb  Davidson,  and  two  daugh- 
ters, Jenny,  wife  of  Prof.  Hibben,  of  Princeton  University,  and  Margaret  Newcomb 
Davidson.  His  home  is  in  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  but  he  has  joined  the  Republican  and 
other  clubs  of  New  York  city. 

JAJ1ES  MORGAN  DAVIS,  stock  broker,  was  born  on  Staten  Island,  April  10,  1837. 
Always  from  youth  intelligent  and  progressive,  he  left  the  Episcopal  Collegiate  Insti- 
tute, determined  to  make  his  way.  After  an  apprenticeship  as  clerk  in  the  office  of  a 
Wall  street  firm,  he  joined  the  Stock  Exchange  in  February,  1860.  A  partner  of  Will- 
iam R.  Travers  for  three  years,  he  retired  in  1863,  but  subsequently  entered  the  firm 
of  Work,  Davis  &  Barton.  In  1873,  he  formed  the  well  known  firm  of  Davis  &  Free- 
man. Mr.  Davis  has  been  active  in  the  development  of  Staten  Island,  especially  in  The 
Staten  Island  Rapid  Transit  Railroad.  He  belongs  to  the  Metropolitan  and  New  York 
Yacht  clubs.  By  his  marriage  with  Mary  D.  Hazard  in  Brooklyn  in  1874,  he  has  three 
children,  Morgan,  Edythe  and  Anna  Davis. 

HENRY  DAY,  lawyer,  a  native  of  South  Hadley,  Mass.,  born  Dec.  25,  1820,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Jan.  9,  1893.  He  came  from  old  New  England  stock,  some  of  his 
ancestors  figuring  as  "minute  men"  during  the  American  Revolution.  The  family 
were  not  rich  in  this  world's  goods,  and  a  brother,  the  Rev.  Pliny  Da}-,  assisted  in  the 
education  of  Henry  by  sending  him  to  school  at  Deny.  By  his  own  labor,  he  then 
earned  enough  money  to  enter  Yale  College,  whence  he  graduated  in  1845,  supporting 
himself  while  studying  there  by  teaching  at  Fairfield,  Conn.  One  of  his  pupils  was  his 
future  brother-in-law,  George  De  Forest  Lord.  After  graduation  from  the  Law  School 
at  Harvard,  Mr.  Day  came  to  New  York  city,  where  in  1849  he  married  Miss  Phebe  L., 
daughter  of  Daniel  Lord,  the  latter  taking  him  into  partnership  in  the  firm  of  Lord, 
Day  &  Lord.  Through  the  possession  of  marked  ability,  Mr.  Day  became  a  noted  law- 
yer and  a  prominent  figure  in  the  social  life  of  the  city.  An  associate  of  Henry  B.  Hyde 
in  the  organization  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  he  was  elected  attorney 


172  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  director  of  the  Society,  and  was  also  director  of  The  Consolidated  Gas  Co. ,  The 
Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Lawyers'  Title  and  Guarantee  Co.  Various  important 
estates  were  entrusted  to  him,  including  those  of  S.  F.  B.  Morse  and  William  Morgan. 
For  many  years  he  managed  the  legal  affairs  of  the  Astor  estate.  Religious  mat  ers  in- 
terested him  greatly,  and  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  councils  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  accepting  the  place  of  director  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  and  defend- 
ing Dr.  Briggs  in  his  controversy  with  the  church  authorities.  Formerly  devoted  to  the 
"old  school"  branch  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  he  earnestly  advocated  union  between 
the  old  and  new  schools,  and  when  this  was  effected,  in  1869,  he  drafted  the  articles. 
Mr.  Day  wrote  much  for  publication,  among  his  works  being  "The  Lawyer  Abroad" 
and  "From  the  Pyrenees  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules."  At  his  death,  he  was  the  sole 
surviving  member  of  the  original  law  firm  of  Lord,  Day  &  Lord.  The  Union  League 
and  Reform  clubs  both  enrolled  him  a  member.  He  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  three 
children,  George  Lord  Day,  Sarah  Lord,  wife  of  R.  H.  McCormick,  of  Chicago,  and 
Miss  Susan  De  Forest  Day. 

FREDERICK  DE  BARY,  merchant,  born  in  Frankfort,  Germany,  Jan.  12,  1815,  is 
of  Huguenot  descent.  His  father,  Christian  De  Bary,  was  a  banker  in  Frankfort. 
Frederick  began  life  as  salesman  for  a  large  manufacturer  of  dry  goods.  In  1852,  he 
established  himself  in  this  city  as  agent  of  G.  H.  Mumm  &  Co.  's  champagne  and  other 
high  class  wines.  He  has  been  very  successful,  and  since  1869,  when  Adolph  De  Bary, 
a  son,  was  admitted  to  partnership,  has  displayed  the  firm  name  of  F.  De  Bary  &  Co. 
He  is  the  proprietor  of  several  orange  groves  in  Florida  and  other  real  estate,  is 
closely  devoted  to  business,  and  derives  his  prosperity  from  concentration  and  unceas- 
ing enterprise.  In  1843,  ne  was  married  to  Julia  Scherpenhausen.  To  them  have 
been  born  two  children,  Adolphe  De  Bary  and  Mrs.  Eugenie  von  Mauch. 

ALFRED  DE  CORDOVA,  stock  broker,  born  Aug.  19,  1848,  on  the  island  of 
Jamaica,  is  a  descendant  of  Gen.  Gonzalvo  de  Cordova,  who  annexed  Grenada  to  Spain 
and  stood  in  high  favor  at  the  court  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella.  His  education,  begun 
in  the  West  Indies,  was  finished  in  New  York  city,  whither  he  removed  early  in 
life.  First  a  broker  in  petroleum,  he  purchased  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange  in,  1875, 
and  his  firm  of  Alfred  de  Cordova  &  Son  have  since  been  successful  in  the  brokerage 
of  stocks.  In  1894,  he  was  elected  a  governor  of  the  Exchange.  Possessing  some- 
thing of  the  enterprise  of  his  military  ancestor,  Mr.  de  Cordova  is  fond  of  yachting, 
fine  horses,  and  carrier  pigeons.  A  large  trotting  horse  farm  in  New  Jersey  affords 
him  both  pleasure  and  health.  He  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  the  Lotus,  Mer- 
chants', Manhattan,  Colonial,  New  York,  Lajchmont  Yacht,  American  Yacht,  New 
York  Athletic,  Suburban,  Cuttyhunk,  Riding  and  Driving  clubs,  and  was  the  first  com- 
modore of  the  American  Yacht  club.  He  was  married  to  Mrs.  Helene  Louise  Schroe- 
der-Loweree,  Aug.  19,  1889,  at  the  Church  of  the  Heavenly  Rest. 

CORNELIUS  VANDERBILT  DE  FOREST,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  16,  1818, 
of  good  old  Dutch  stock,  died  here  Nov.  9,  1887.  He  was  the  son  of  John  De  Forest 
and  of  Charlotte  Vanderbilt,  oldest  sister  of  Commodore  Cornelius  Vanderbilt.  After 
receiving  a  common  school  education  on  Staten  Island,  where  his  parents  settled  during 
his  early  childhood,  he  was  apprenticed  to  his  cousin,  Cornelius  Simonson,  a  ship- 
builder. On  reaching  manhood,  he  returned  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  various  en- 
terprises with  more  or  less  success,  until  he  finally  settled  upon  the  manufacturing  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  173 

machinery  oils,  in  which  business  he  continued  for  many  years,  becoming  widely  known 
through  all  the  manufacturing  districts  of  New  England.  In  1863,  he  acquired  a  for- 
tune in  Wall  street  through  the  good  offices  of  the  Commodore,  who  always  looked  upon 
him  as  a  favorite  nephew  and  felt  for  him  a  strong  attachment.  Mr.  De  Forest  remained 
almost  constantly  at  the  bedside  of  his  uncle  during  the  latter's  last  illness,  comforting  and 
cheering  him  to  such  a  degree,  that  the  Commodore  desired  his  continual  presence.  Dur- 
ing this  illness  Mr.  De  Forest's  mother  contracted  a  heavy  cold,  which  soon  developed 
pneumonia  and  her  death  followed  that  of  the  Commodore  within  about  twenty-four  hours. 
Having  retired  from  the  oil  business,  he  accepted  the  position  of  purchasing  agent  of  The 
New  York  Central  Railroad,  and  for  thirteen  years  served  the  road  with  the  strictest  in- 
tegrity, doing  his  best  for  the  corporation  and  receiving  on  his  retirement,  which  was  due 
to  impaired  health,  most  flattering  testimonials  from  the  officers  of  the  road.  In  1879, 
he  withdrew  from  active  business,  retaining  an  interest  in  the  firm  of  Colbron,  Chauncey 
&  Co.  of  Wall  street.  Always  a  lover  of  good  horses,  he  enjoyed  for  many  years  his 
daily  brush  on  the  road  with  Frank  Work,  Joseph  Marker,  Wm.  Turnbull,  Wm.  H. 
Vanderbilt  and  other  owners  of  fine  horses.  In  early  life,  he  married  Miss  Katherine 
Rice,  daughter  of  a  sea  captain  of  Nantucket  and  of  old  Dutch  stock  through  her 
mother  who  was  a  Van  Pelt.  Mr.  De  Forest  left  an  unblemished  record  and  possessed 
the  sincere  affection  of  hundreds  to  whom  he  was  always  ready  to  extend  a  helping 
hand,  being  of  a  most  genial  and  kindly  nature.  He  left  a  son,  now  living  in  the  West, 
and  a  daughter,  Isabel  De  Forest,  the  wife  of  Wm.  T.  Colbron  of  New  York. 

HENRY  P.  DE  QRAAF,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  Herkimer,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  24, 
1825,  is  of  old  Holland  Dutch  descent.  Remarkable  even  in  youth  for  stature,  at  the 
age  of  fourteen,  when  he  first  left  home,  he  had  already  grown  to  be  over  six  feet  in 
height.  Ambitious  to  make  his  way  in  the  world,  he  learned  the  cabinet  maker's  trade 
in  Little  Falls,  and  in  three  years'  time  Young  &  Co  pronounced  him  the  best  of  their 
sixty  workmen.  Mr.  De  Graaf  practiced  the  trade  for  several  years  in  Albany  and 
Canajoharie.  In  1849,  he  went  to  California  in  a  ship  so  crowded  that  there  was  not 
space  enough  for  the  whole  company  to  sleep  at  once.  Arriving  in  San  Francisco 
after  a  voyage  of  six  months  and  mine  days,  he  proceeded  to  the  mines.  While  pros- 
pecting for  gold,  he  was  induced  by  the  high  price  of  provisions,  pork  then  selling  at 
$2  a  pound,  to  hunt  for  game  and  sell  the  meat  to  the  miners.  He  received  70  cents  a 
pound  for  venison  and  a  share  of  the  profits  of  the  miners  whom  he  supported,  and 
gained  a  little  capital  in  this  occupation.  A  thirteen  months'  stay  in  California  com- 
pletely satisfied  the  young  New  Yorker,  and  in  1851,  he  resumed  the  cabinet  maker's 
trade  in  Canajoharie.  Later,  he  again  visited  California,  and  opened  the  pioneer  ship 
chandler)'  store  of  San  Francisco.  This  venture  was  successful.  In  1852,  he  came  to 
Xe\v  York  city,  and  found  work  in  the  furniture  shop  of  the  firm  of  Wentworth  &  Sons, 
and  thereafter  for  many  years  followed  this  honest  calling.  Honest,  competent,  untir- 
ing, an  excellent  workman,  and  able  to  deny  himself  unnecessary  luxuries,  he  gained 
sufficient  capital  to  venture  in  business  alone,  and  in  1857,  he  started  a  furniture  factory 
of  his  own  on  Pearl  street.  This  enterprise  was  profitable  from  the  start,  although 
exposed  to  keen  competition  from  a  rival  store  adjoining.  The  firm  of  De  Graaf  & 
Taylor,  founded  in  1860,  moved  to  the  Bo%very,  and  in  a  few  years  attained  great 
importance.  In  1865,  this  firm  shipped  a  large  amount  of  furniture  of  their  own  mak- 
ing to  the  Pacific  coast.  The  consignee  refusing  to  accept  the  goods,  De  Graaf  &  Taylor 


174  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

promptly  established  their  own  branch  store  in  San  Francisco.  They  gained  the  point 
they  had  in  view,  and  then,  in  1867,  sold  the  store.  In  New  York  city,  their  trade 
gradually  attained  large  proportions  and  brought  to  its  enterprising  proprietors  ample 
rewards.  When  Mr.  De  Graaf  was  elected  president  of  The  Bowery  Bank,  he  placed 
his  oldest  son  in  charge  of  his  interests  in  De  Graaf  &  Taylor,  and  has  ever  since  given 
his  attention  to  the  bank.  Upon  the  death  of  his  son,  Mr.  De  Graaf  sold  his  interest  in 
the  factory,  which  is  continued  by  The  De  Graaf  &  Taylor  Furniture  Co.  Mr.  De  Graaf 
has  been  once  around  the  world  and  has  crossed  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  three  times, 
and  visited  portions  of  Central  and  South  America,  as  well  as  Europe.  He  spends  his 
winters  in  New  York  city,  his  summer  home  being  at  Oscawana  near  the  Hudson 
river.  By  his.  marriage  in  1843  with  Amanda  M.  Lloyd,  of  Canajoharie,  he  had  two 
sons  and  a  daughter. 

HENRY  DELAFIELD,  merchant,  born  at  his  father's  beautiful  country  seat  on  the 
East  River,  now  forming  a  part  of  Long  Island  City,  N.  Y.,  July  19,  1792,  died  in  this 
city,  Feb.  15,  1875.  His  father,  John  Delafield,  who  had  removed  from  London  to  New 
York  in  1783,  was  the  eldest  lineal  representative  of  his  family,  who  for  centuries  had 
been  prominent  proprietors  in  the  shires  of  Buckingham  and  Oxford.  Henry  prepared 
for  Yale  College,  but,  impatient  to  enter  upon  business  life,  gave  up  a  collegiate  course. 
After  a  few  years  of  experience  in  subordinate  capacities,  he  founded,  with  his  twin 
brother  William,  the  firm  of  H.  &  W.  Delafield,  and  conducted  an  extensive  foreign 
trade  with  England,  India,  China,  South  America,  and  later  with  the  West  Indies.  At 
one  time  the  firm  owned  the  largest  merchantman,  flying  the  American  flag,  sailing 
from  the  port  of  New  York.  The  great  fire  of  1835,  with  the  consequent  ruin  of  all 
except  two  of  the  insurance  companies,  reduced  their  large  fortune  to  such  an  extent, 
that  they  practically  had  to  begin  business  life  anew.  Again, .  they  met  with  well  de- 
served success.  Both  brothers  were  highly  esteemed  and  were  identified  as  directors  or 
officers  with  many  corporations.  Both  served  as  privates  in  the  war  of  1812  in  Captain 
Swartwout's  Iron  Grays.  When  Faustin  Soulouque  was  established  as  Emperor  of 
Haiti,  Henry  was  appointed  Consul  for  that  country  in  New  York,  retaining  the  office 
during  the  Emperor's  reign  and  a  part  of  that  of  his  successor,  President  Jeff  rard.  Early 
in  the  century  he  inherited  a  life  interest  in  the  Baker  estate,  a  property  of  over  forty 
acres  on  the  East  River,  near  what  is  now  75th  street,  and  almost  opposite  his  birth- 
place on  the  other  shore.  This  was  his  summer  home,  until  in  consequence  of  the  ever 
advancing  throng  of  buildings  and  the  heavy  assessments  for  avenues  and  streets,  he 
united  with  his  brother,  who  followed  him  in  the  entail,  and  transferred  the  property  to 
its  final  owner,  The  New  York  Protestant  Episcopal  Public  School.  William  died  un- 
married Nov.  20,  1853.  A  few  years  afterward  Henry  admitted  Tallmadge  Delafield, 
a  son  of  his  brother  John  to  the  firm,  which  was  thereafter  known  as  Henry  Delafield 
&  Co.  In  1857,  Henry  retired  from  shipping  and  foreign  business,  retaining  only  cer- 
tain banking  and  trust  interests,  which  a  few  years  later  were  transferred  to  Maturin 
L.  Delafield,  a  son  of  his  brother  Joseph.  Both  of  Mr.  Delafield's  nephews  were  suc- 
cessful in  the  business  so  acquired.  Two  older  brothers,  Major  Joseph  and  Dr.  Edward 
Delafield,  died  respectively  on  Feb.  12  and  13,  1875.  The  almost  simultaneous  death 
of  the  three  brothers,  all  of  them  over  four  score  years  of  age,  and  their  joint  funeral 
from  Trinity  Church,  excited  more  than  a  passing  interest.  Henry  married  late  in  life, 
Mary  Parish,  daughter  of  Judge  L.  Monson  of  Delaware  county,  N.  Y.,  and  had  an 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  175 

only  child,  Mary  Frances  Henrietta  Delafield,  born  June,   1869,  who  died  unmarried 
Oct.  27,  1886. 

JOSEPH  RAFAEL  DE  LA  MAR,  gold  and  silver  miner,  born  in  Amsterdam, 
Holland,  in  1848,  has  had  a  singularly  romantic  and  striking  career,  of  which  some 
account  should  be  given  in  these  pages.  His  grandfather,  a  banker  in  Paris,  estab- 
lished a  branch  bank  in  Amsterdam,  which  he  placed  in  charge  of  Joseph's  father. 
The  latter  married  a  charming  woman,  a  native  of  Holland,  but  of  German  descent, 
and  thus  Joseph  is  of  mingled  French  and  German  extraction.  His  father's  love  of 
art  and  painting  led  him  to  name  the  boy  after  the  great  painter  Rafael. 

Left  an  orphan  at  the  age  of  six  by  the  death  of  his  father,  Joseph's  self-reliance 
and  love  of  adventure  asserted  themselves  even  at  this  tender  age ;  and,  at  seven,  he 
ran  away  from  home,  secreting  himself  on  a  Dutch  vessel  outward  bound  in  the  East 
India  trade.  When  the  young  stowaway  was  discovered,  the  captain  made  him  cabin 
boy  and  assistant  to  the  cook,  without  wages.  The  voyage  was  an  exciting  one  to  his 
mind.  He  entered  heartily  into  the  work  of  the  ship,  gained  the  favor  of  the  captain, 
and  on  the  homeward  trip  earned  his  first  money,  his  wages  being  fixed  at  the  munifi- 
cent sum  of  one  guilder,  or  40  cents,  a  month.  He  followed  the  sea  for  many  years, 
encountering  all  the  vicissitudes  of  a  sailor's  life  and  sailing  to  nearly  every  part  of  the 
world.  His  education  was  gained  mainly  on  shipboard,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
officers,  whose  kindness  he  recompensed  by  various  services.  Only  one  text-book  was 
available,  the  "  Navigator's  Epitome."  From  this  he  learned  the  art  of  navigation, 
while  acquiring  the  rudiments  of  a  general  education.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he 
gained  a  master's  certificate,  and  at  twenty-three,  the  captain  of  his  ship  having 
died  in  a  distant  port,  he  brought  the  vessel  safely  home  and  obtained  a  captain's 
command. 

Although  his  advance  thus  far  had  been  reasonable,  Captain  de  la  Mar  appreciated 
the  fact  that  his  profession  held  out  no  very  nattering  promises  of  advancement.  His 
alert  mind  was  at  this  juncture  attracted  to  submarine  work,  a  vocation  then  profitable, 
owing  in  part  to  the  Civil  War  in  America.  With  characteristic  energy,  he  abandoned 
the  merchant  service  and  became  a  diver.  His  success  on  the  surface  of  the  water  was 
repeated  in  the  exploration  of  its  depths.  He  soon  became  a  submarine  contractor  on 
his  own  account,  with  headquarters  at  Vineyard  Haven,  Mass. ,  but  operating  along  the 
entire  coast  to  the  West  Indies.  During  this  period,  he  raised  not  less  than  forty -one 
sunken  vessels  and  had  many  interesting  encounters  with  the  inhabitants  of  the  deep. 
His  last  successful  operation  was  the  raising  of  a  cargo  of  1,600  tons  of  Italian  marble 
from  the  ship  Charlotte,  of  New  York,  submerged  off  the  Bermudas,  many  years 
before,  which  had  baffled  the  attempts  of  three  previous  wrecking  companies.  The 
steamer  William  Tibbetts,  which  had  grounded  on  the  rocks  off  Pesque  Island,  near 
Martha's  Vineyard,  led  to  an  adventure  which  nearly  cost  him  his  life.  Going  down  in 
his  diving  suit  to  examine  the  damage  personally,  he  lost  track  of  the  flight  of  time  and 
failed  to  observe  the  ebbing  of  the  tide,  when,  suddenly,  he  discovered  that  the  ship 
had  ceased  rolling  and  had  settled  down  in  her  bed  and  made  him  a  prisoner  under  its 
bottom.  There  was  no  chance  of  escape  for  hours.  He  waited  until  both  the  wind 
and  tide  should  cause  the  ship  to  become  waterlogged  again  and  resume  rolling.  His 
armor  had  been  leaking  and  the  water  crept  in  up  to  his  neck.  It  was  the  month  of 
February  and  the  water  chilled  him  to  the  bone.  He  finally  lost  consciousness  but 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  177 

returned  to  life  to  find  himself  on  board  his  own  ship,  having  been  rescued  by  the 
energy  and  untiring  devotion  of  his  mate,  after  thirty-six  hours'  imprisonment  in  the 
depths  of  the  sea.  This  experience,  and  others  which  preceded,  led  Captain  de  la  Mar 
to  relinquish  submarine  work. 

Having  accumulated  some  means,  Captain  de  la  Mar  studied  the  opportunities  of 
trade  with  Africa,  a  country  which  he  had  visited  during  his  early  voyages  as  a  sailor. 
Finally  convinced  that  Africa  held  out  the  promise  of  both  adventure  and  gain,  he 
assumed  charge  of  a  vessel  with  a  cargo  of  suitable  goods  and  sailed  for  the  land 
of  Ham.  Previous  to  that  time,  trading  companies  had  confined  their  operations 
mainly  to  the  coast,  where  they  met  the  natives  from  the  interior.  They  sold  to  the 
Africans  bars  of  copper,  iron  flint  lock  guns,  powder,  calicoes,  salt  beef,  flour  and 
tobacco,  exchanging  these  things  for  ivory,  gum  copal,  palm  oil,  bees'  wax,  dry  and  salted 
hides,  etc.  The  native  goods  were  brought  down  to  the  coast  on  the  shoulders  of 
negroes,  sometimes  coming  several  hundred  miles  and  growing  dearer  in  price  according 
to  the  distance  carried.  On  the  other  hand,  the  articles  supplied  by  the  traders  had  to 
be  carried  back  in  the  same  manner,  growing  higher  in  value  the  farther  they  were 
transported.  Captain  de  la  Mar  had  the  shrewdness  to  perceive  the  value  of  bringing 
the  t\vo  markets  together  and  doing  the  trading  in  the  interior.  The  scheme  involved 
danger  and  hardship.  Nevertheless,  it  was  at  once  carried  into  execution.  A  small 
vessel,  capable  of  navigating  the  African  rivers,  was  equipped  with  four  small  cannon 
and  a  dozen  blunderbusses,  the  crew  being  armed  with  rifles  and  ammunition,  while 
about  twenty-five  fighting  negroes  were  taken  aboard.  Thus  this  little  vessel  was 
fitted  up  very  much  like  a  man  of  war.  Captain  de  la  Mar  pushed  on  to  the  interior, 
exercising  constant  vigilance  to  prevent  attacks  from  hostile  tribes.  The  venture  was 
crowned  with  complete  success.  By  gaining  the  highest  selling  prices  for  his  goods 
and  buying  from  the  natives  at  the  lowest  prices,  Captain  de  la  Mar  soon  distanced  his 
competitors  in  the  trade.  Danger  and  adventure  thronged  upon  him  during  this 
period,  but  he  reaped  a  satisfactory  reward  before  his  imitators  had  crowded  the  field. 
He  kept  a  vessel  busily  engaged  plying  between  New  York  city  and  the  coast  for  three 
years,  and  was  the  pioneer  in  the  section  in  which  he  traded,  his  operations  being 
carried  on  principally  on  the  Gambia  and  Great  Jeba  Rivers,  southwest  coast  of  Africa. 
That  which  led  him  to  abandon  this  trade  was  the  climate.  Several  of  the  white  men, 
whom  he  had  brought  to  the  coast,  died  every  year  from  African  fever,  and_he  was 
himself  frequently  attacked.  Finally,  when  his  men  lowered  over  the  side  of  the  vessel 
the  body  of  his  faithful  mate,  the  last  of  the  original  white  crew,  he  determined  to 
return  to  New  York,  and  in  1878,  sold  his  outfit  to  an  English  company. 

At  this  time,  the  mining  excitement  at  Leadville  and  throughout  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains was  attracting  the  attention  of  the  country.  Something  in  a  miner's  life  appealed 
irresistibly  to  Captain  de  la  Mar's  adventurous  spirit.  Repairing  to  the  West,  he  recon- 
noitered  the  country  and  had  the  sagacity  to  decide,  without  delay,  not  to  be  governed 
by  the  impulses  of  the  amateur  miner  and  follow  the  blind  rush  to  new  "diggings," 
but  on  the  other  hand  to  acquire  a  sound  knowledge  of  metallurgy  and  chemistry,  in 
order  more  judiciously  to  invest  his  means.  •  He  therefore  returned  to  Chicago,  engaged 
the  sen-ices  of  a  professor,  and  devoted  himself  assiduously  to  stud}'.  At  the  end  of 
six  months,  he  had  become  sufficiently  educated  in  mining  engineering,  analysis  and 
assaying.  He  then  bought  the  Terrible  lead  mine  in  Custer  county,  Col.,  for  $3,500,. 


I78 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 


worked  it  profitably  until  1886,  and  sold  the  mine  to  The  Omaha  &  Grant  Smelting 
&  Refining  Co.,  for  a  handsome  profit.  Two  years  of  travel  among  the  mining  camps 
resulted  finally  in  locating  on  a  mountain,  six  miles  west  of  Silver  City,  Idaho,  where  he 
bought  a  group  of  claims  for  a  small  sum.  By  filing  a  number  of  other  claims,  he  came 
into  control  of  a  property  a  mile  long  and  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide,  covering  the 
whole  mountain.  Many  large  veins  of  gold  and  silver  were  discovered  on  this  property 
by  means  of  tunnels  driven  through  the  mountain,  and  the  owner  sold  half  of  his 
interest  in  1891,  after  he  had  taken  about  $1,500,000  from  the  mines,  to  The  De  Lamar 
Mining  Co.,  of  England,  for  $2,000,000. 

He  was  an  active  worker  for  the  admission  of  Idaho  as  a  State  and  in  1891  served 
as  State  Senator  in  the  first  Legislature,  where  he  occupied  the  chairmanships  on 
Finance,  Railroads  and  Constitutional  Amendments.  On  adjournment,  he  decided  to 
leave  Idaho  and  retire  from  business,  much  against  the  wish  of  the  representative  men 
of  his  State,  who  were  anxious  to  have  him  enter  the  political  field,  assuring  him  of 
hearty  co-operation  in  securing  the  highest  honors  in  the  gift  of  the  State.  But  politics 
being  distasteful  to  him,  he  removed  his  residence  to  New  York  city,  where,  May 
1 8  1893,  he  married  Nellie  Virginia  Sands,  whose  mother  belonged  to  the  old 
Virginia  Adams  family  and  was  a  direct  descendant  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  and  whose 
late  uncle,  Dr.  Henry  Burton  Sands,  left  behind  him  a  record  as  the  greatest  surgeon 
of  his  time. 

In  February,  1893,  Captain  de  la  Mar,  concluding  that  mining  life  had  not  lost  all 
its  fascination  for  him,  once  more  embarked  in  mining,  this  time  in  southeastern 
Nevada,  where  he  made  extensive  purchases,  and  is  now  building  large  reduction 
works,  telegraph  lines  and  waterworks,  and  is  employing  a  large  number  of  men.  He 
has  also  built  reduction  works  in  Colorado's  great  gold  field,  called  Cripple  Creek, 
near  Colorado  Springs.  Occasionally  visiting  his  Western  enterprises,  he  spends  his 
summers  on  his  yacht.  He  is  of  a  retiring  nature,  and  a  member  of  only  one  club  in 
this  city,  the  New  York  Yacht  club.  Like  the  great  Hiram  S.  Maxim,  he  believes  in 
aerial  navigation,  and  is  devoting  considerable  study  to  this  subject,  believing  that 
the  conquest  of  this  most  difficult  problem  is  among  the  possibilities  of  the  future. 
In  the  event  of  non-success  in  this  special  venture,  he  will  leave  behind  him,  neverthe- 
less, a  record  of  having  added  many  millions  to  the  gold  and  silver  reserves  of  the 
world,  and  of  building  three  prosperous  mining  towns  on  sites  where  he  scarcely  found 
more  than  a  man  and  a  dog  on  his  arrival,  viz.:  Use,  Colorado;  De  Lamar,  Idaho; 
and  De  Lamar,  Nevada.  The  latter  two  were  christened  after  him  by  his  appreciative 
employ6s. 

Although  so  actively  engaged  in  business  pursuits,  Captain  de  la  Mar  has  not  lost 
sight  of  the  refinements  of  life,  and  takes  especial  pleasure  in  the  collection  of  fine 
paintings,  of  which  he  has  now  a  number  of  masterpieces,  painted  by  the  best 
European  and  American  artists. 

CORNELIUS  HENRY  DE  LAMATER,  manufacturer,  born  Aug.  30,  1821,  in 
Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  died  in  this  city,  Feb.  7,  1889.  On  his  father's  side,  his  ancestors 
were  Huguenots.  His  mother  was  Scotch,  her  maiden  name  being  Douglas.  He  was 
an  only  child.  Beginning  life  in  a  hardware  store  in  New  York  city,  kept  by  a  Mr. 
Swords,  he  was  only  there  a  few  years,  when  he  left  to  become  a  clerk  in  The  Phoenix 
Iron  Foundry,  of  which  James  Cunningham  was  proprietor.  When  about  twenty-one 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  179 

years  of  age,  he  took  the  f oundry  and  two  years  later  moved  to  the  foot  of  West  1 3th 
street,  and  about  1851  founded  The  De  Lamater  Iron  Works.  They  had  run  the  works 
about  four  years  when  Mr.  Hogg,  his  partner,  wishing  to  embark  in  sugar  refining,  sold 
out  his  interest  to  Mr.  De  Lamater,  taking  his  notes  in  payment.  Before  these  fell 
due,  Mr.  Hogg  urged  payment  of  them  in  cash.  Mr.  De  Lamater  complied,  in  order 
to  accommodate  him,  and  thereby  became  so  embarrassed  that  he  had  to  ask  an  exten- 
sion of  five  years  from  his  creditors,  they  taking  his  notes  for  that  length  of  time  with 
interest.  A  little  over  two  years  later,  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  giving  a  great  impetus 
to  the  foundry  business,  and  work  became  so  remunerative  that  Mr.  De  Lamater 
rapidly  made  money,  and  when  the  notes  were  two  and  one  half  years  old  he  took  them 
up  with  interest.  Owing  to  an  intimate  friendship  with  Captain  John  Ericsson,  Mr. 
De  Lamater  built  the  engines  for  the  ship  Ericsson,  the  largest  hot  air  engines  ever 
manufactured.  The  ship  proved  to  be  both  a  commercial  and  a  mechanical  failure. 
The  investors  lost  heavily,  one  of  them  being  ruined.  Captain  Ericsson  and  Mr.  De 
Lamater  continued  to  experiment  with  hot  air  engines,  however,  for  many  years,  at 
heavy  cost.  About  1875,  ^r-  De  Lamater  designed  the  present  style  of  Ericsson  hot 
air  pumping  engine,  which  is  closed,  with  a  vertical  cylinder,  and  uses  the  same 
air  over  and  over  again.  This  engine  is  now  in  extensive  use  all  over  the  country. 
Mr.  De  Lamater  was  a  pioneer  in  many  respects.  The  Iron  Witch,  the  first  iron 
wheel  steamboat  on  the  Hudson,  and  the  Matanzas,  the  first  iron  ocean-going  steamer 
built  in  America,  were  both  constructed  by  him,  and  he  led  in  the  manufacture 
of  screw  propellers  for  many  years.  He  also  built  the  engine  for  the  first  Monitor, 
waiting  for  payment  until  the  boat  had  been  tested  in  action.  Later,  he  built  the 
machinery  for  a  large  number  of  monitors,  and  the  hull  and  machinery  for  the  Dicta- 
tor, at  that  time  the  largest  of  her  class.  Government  work  brought  no  profit,  owing 
to  the  rapid  increase  in  cost  of  labor  and  material,  but  it  did  bring  reputation  and  ren- 
dered his  work  for  private  individuals  lucrative.  A  natural  sequence  to  engine  build- 
ing was  the  acquirement  of  a  large  interest  in  steamship  property,  and  Mr.  De  Lamater 
joined  with  H.  B.  Cromwell  and  C.  H.  Mallory  in  the  lines  running  to  Galveston  and 
New  Orleans.  One  of  the  undertakings  which  illustrated  his  energy  was  the  contract 
he  filled  for  the  Spanish  Government  for  furnishing  thirty  gunboats  inside  of  eight 
months.  Since  1889,  general  business  has  been  discontinued  at  The  De  Lamater  Iron 
Works,  and  operations  are  confined  to  hot  air  engines,  by  a  son,  William  De  Lamater, 
and  his  brother  in  law,  Leander  A.  Bevin,  the  present  proprietors.  Mr.  De  Lamater 
married,  when  twenty-two  years  old,  Ruth  O.  Caller.  They  had  seven  children,  one 
girl  dying  in  infancy.  Six  are  living  at  the  present  time,  five  daughters  and  one  son. 
He  was  Rapid  Transit  Commissioner,  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  and  for 
many  years  prominent  as  a  member,  and  at  one  time  president,  of  The  General  Society 
of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen. 

JOHN  DE  LAHATER,  builder,  born  in  New  York  city,  July  30,  1792,  died  here 
Dec.  21,  1877.  His  great  grandfather  came  to  this  country  from  France,  with  other 
Huguenots,  about  1700.  Learning  the  carpenter's  trade,  he  followed  this  industry  all  his 
life,  and  helped  build  many  of  the  large  warehouses  and  public  edifices  of  his  times. 
He  was  one  of  the  prominent  men  who,  about  1835,  moved  from  Greenwich,  in  the  old 
9th  Ward,  to  the  i6th  Ward.  For  more  than  fifty  years,  after  the  common  schools  were 
instituted  in  this  city,  until  his  death,  he  was  connected  with  those  useful  institutions, 


180  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

either  as  founder,  commissioner,  inspector,  or  trustee,  and  he  devoted  the  last  twenty 
years  of  his  life  to  the  schools  of  the  i6th  Ward.  He  represented  the  9th  Ward  as 
Alderman  in  1834  and  1835.  He  was  a  charter  member  and  director  of  The  Greenwich 
Bank,  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank  and  The  Greenwich  Insurance  Company.  By  his 
marriage  with  Eliza  Ostrander,  of  Walden,  N.  Y.,  he  became  the  father  of  Samuel, 
Benjamin,  Charles  H.,  and  John  W.  De  Lamater  and  Mrs.  Eliza  H.  Allason  and  Mrs. 
Harriet  Myers. 

JOHN  F.  DELAPLAINE,  lawyer,  oldest  son  of  John  F.  Delaplaine,  was  born  in 
New  York  city,  April  24,  1815,  and  died  at  his  home,  No.  27  East  63d  street,  Feb.  14, 
1885.  His  father,  an  honorable,  enterprising  and  successful  shipping  merchant,  like  so 
many  others  of  the  founders  of  families  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  purchased  large 
blocks  of  land  in  this  city  when  the  price  was  low,  both  in  town  and  in  the  outlying 
districts  north  of  the  center  of  the  city,  and  gained  a  second  fortune  from  the  rise  in 
value  of  his  property  alone.  He  possessed  not  only  the  piers  on  the  East  River  from 
Burling  Slip  to  Fly  Market  Slip,  but  lots  and  buildings  on  Broadway,  the  Bowery, 
Monroe,  Rivington  and  Pike  streets,  and  some  in  Brooklyn,  New  Jersey  and  elsewhere. 
The  son  graduated  from  Columbia  College  and  studied  law  but  never  practiced.  His 
time  was  fully  occupied  with  the  management  of  his  father's  estate.  While  William 
H.  Seward  was  Secretary  of  State,  Mr.  Delaplaine  was  appointed  Secretary  of  the 
American  Legation  at  Vienna,  which  position  he  held  for  nearly  twenty  years.  At 
Vienna,  he  was  noted  for  his  hospitality.  Thoroughly  versed  in  the  continental  lan- 
guages, he  gave  many  entertainments  cosmopolitan  in  their  character.  While  in 
Vienna,  he  made  a  notable  collection  of  pictures,  statuary,  clocks  and  other  works  of 
art.  He  returned  to  New  York  in  1884.  He  died  unmarried,  and  his  fortune  de- 
scended in  part  to  two  daughters  of  his  brother  Isaac,  but  a  large  sum  was  given  to 
charitable  institutions. 

DAVID  A.  DE  LlflA,  commission  merchant  in  the  South  American  trade,  born 
in  the  Island  of  Curacao,  Dutch  West  Indies,  Feb.  19,  1837,  died  in  New  York  city, 
May  5,  1891.  He  was  of  Dutch  descent,  his  ancestors  coming  from  Amsterdam  to 
Curagao  in  the  latter  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  He  received  his  education  in 
the  island,  and  there  also  began  his  business  career.  He  was  married  in  1860  to  Sarah 
Wolff,  daughter  of  Ralph  Wolff  and  Judith  Pinto,  who,  with  five  children,  survived 
him.  His  sons  are  Elias,  Edward  and  Charles,  and  his  daughters  Esther  and  Lylia. 
In  1870,  Mr.  De  Lima  came  to  this  country,  and,  with  a  capital  of  $10,000,  established 
a  commission  house,  which,  by  dint  of  great  perseverance,  he  gradually  built  up  into 
one  of  the  most  important  in  its  line.  He  was  a-sound,  conservative  and  enterprising 
merchant,  limiting  himself  strictly  to  his  own  affairs,  and  avoiding  always  all  tempta- 
tions of  outside  enterprises.  Since  his  death  the  business  has  been  continued  by  his 
oldest  son  and  his  son  in  law,  under  the  firm  name  of  D.  A.  De  Lima  &  Co.  During 
the  years  1870-74,  and  1877-78,  Mr.  De  Lima  represented  the  Dominican  Republic  in 
this  city,  as  its  Consul  General.  While  acting  in  this  capacity,  he  did  everything  in  his 
power  to  secure  the  annexation  of  Santo  Domingo  to  the  United  States.  He  was  a 
director  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  Transportation,  and  The  Panama  Railroad,  and  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Coffee  Exchange. 

JOHN  DELflAR,  realty  owner,  was  born  in  Ireland,  Sept.  6,  1838.  The  family 
moved  to  the  United  States  in  1849,  locating  in  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Delmar's  first  venture 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  l8l 

on  his  own  account  was,  in  1860,  the  sale  of  milk,  his  office  being  at  the  corner  of 
Second  avenue  and  pth  street.  After  three  years  in  this  trade,  he  entered  politics, 
for  which  his  countrymen  have  a  passion  (and  these  two  cities  present  such  great  oppor- 
tunities), and  became  chief  clerk  to  the  Superintendent  of  the  Poor  in  Brooklyn. 
Elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1867,  and  twice  re-elected,  he  became  County  Clerk  in 
1876.  This  office  gave  him  an  acquaintance  with  the  values  of  real  estate  in  Brooklyn, 
and  led  him  in  1881  to  open  a  real  estate  agency  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  Ninth 
street  in  that  city.  A  large  amount  of  property  has  been  transferred  through  his 
office,  and  by  investments  of  his  own,  mainly  near  Prospect  Park,  he  has  gained  a 
fortune.  He  is  the  leader  of  the  Democrats  of  the  Twenty-second  Ward  of  Brooklyn, 
and  is  a  director  of  The  City  Savings  Bank  and  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  and  president 
of  The  Citizens'  Electric  Illuminating  Co. ,  all  of  Brooklyn,  and  is  connected  with  The 
Knickerbocker  Steamboat  Co.  and  other  enterprises.  He  served  in  the  old  volunteer 
fire  department,  and  was  foreman  of  Hose  Co.  No.  14,  for  several  years,  and  for  twenty- 
five  years  director,  and  for  the  last  seven  years  treasurer,  of  the  Widows  and  Orphans 
fund  of  the  old  department. 

CHARLES  C.  DELMONICO,  restaurateur,  born  in  1840,  died  near  Orange,  N.  J., 
Jan.  5,  1884.  He  belonged  to  a  family  long  famous  as  restaurateurs  and  wine  mer- 
chants, who  came  to  this  country  from  Switzerland  early  in  this  century.  The  great 
reputation  which  the  Delmonicos  acquired  as  caterers  was  largely  due  to  the  ability  and 
untiring  efforts  of  Lorenzo  Delmonico,  who  was  distinguished  for  his  politeness  and 
the  excellent  cooking  and  purity  of  the  wines  supplied  to  patrons.  Francois  and  Siro 
Delmonico,  his  brothers,  were  associated  with  him  in  business,  Francois,  in  fact,  being 
the  proprietor  of  the  original  restaurant  on  William  street.  One  or  two  restaurants 
were  always  maintained  down  town,  as  well  as  one  up  town.  To  this  business  Charles 
succeeded,  rising  to  its  head  after  the  death  of  Siro  and  Lorenzo  in  1881.  Under  his 
administration,  the  large  banquet  hall  in  the  upper  part  of  the  up-town  restaurant 
became  the  scene  of  many  important  balls  and  functions  in  social  life,  and  of  a  constant 
succession  of  notable  public  banquets,  and  famous  throughout  the  United  States  and 
Europe.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce,  The  New  England  Society,  and  other  great 
organizations  have  held  their  annual  banquets  here  for  years,  and  nearly  all  the  most 
conspicuous  men  in  the  United  States  have  been  heard  at  public  dinners  there.  Mr. 
Delmonico's  fortune  descended  to  collateral  relatives. 

LORENZO  DELHONICO,  the  most  famous  restaurateur  and  caterer  of  the  United 
States,  born  in  the  Canton  of  Ticino,  Switzerland,  March  13,  1813,  died  in  Sharon 
Springs,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3,  1881.  He  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  19.  His  uncles  had 
established  a  small  candy  store  at  No.  23  William  street,  and  Lorenzo  was  taken  by  his 
unwilling  relatives  into  their  employment.  This  proved  afterward  of  great  advantage 
to  them.  In  1833,  the  first  Delmonico  restaurant  was  opened,  only  to  be  burned  in  the 
great  fire  of  1835.  They  started  again  at  No.  78  Broad  street,  with  a  lodging  house 
attachment.  This  new  restaurant  was  burned  in  1845,  and  next  year  a  new  one  was 
opened  on  Broadway  at  Morris  street.  The  finest  cooking  and  finest  wines  in  the  city 
soon  made  this  place  famous  and  the  best  in  the  city.  About  1856,  it  was  removed  to 
the  corner  of  Chambers  street.  Later,  the  famous  cafe  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  avenue 
and  i4th  street  was  established,  followed  by  the  restaurants  at  No.  22  Broad  street,  the 
one  on  Fifth  avenue  at  26th  street,  and  one  at  No.  112  Broadway.  In  1876.  the  branches 


182  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

at  the  corner  of  Chambers  street  and  i4th  street  were  discontinued.  The  management 
of  the  great  business  devolved  entirely  upon  Lorenzo  Delmonico,  who  was  distinguished 
by  -his  courtesy  and  business  ability.  He  lost  about  half  a  million  of  money  in  1861  by 
a  speculation  in  petroleum,  but  paid  the  debt  in  full  in  a  few  years.  While  married,  he 
had  no  children,  and  his  business  descended  to  his  brother  Siro  and  his  nephew  Charles. 

WILLIAM  DEMUTH,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  born  in  Germany  in  1835,  is 
the  son  of  Zacharias  Demuth,  who  was  engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  After 
his  education,  ambition  at  the  age  of  seventeen  led  him  to  the  new  world,  apd  in 
New  York  he  entered  the  business  of  importing  smokers'  articles.  After  years  of  con- 
scientious attention  to  the  interests  of  his  employer,  he  foresaw  the  greater  possibilities 
of  manufacturing  on  his  own  account,  and  with  enterprise  opened  a  small  store  and 
factory  in  Liberty  street.  These  quarters,  ample  at  the  beginning,  became,  through 
the  energy  instilled  into  the  business,  too  contracted,  and  he  found  larger  and  more 
prominent  quarters  on  Broadway.  Here,  by  honorable  business  methods  and  untiring 
zeal,  he  has  built  up  a  business  which  is  the  largest  of  its  kind.  Mr.  Demuth  has 
demonstrated  to  the  world  the  superiority  of  American  made  smokers'  articles,  not 
alone  through  exhibits  at  the  Centennial  and  Chicago  World's  Fairs,  but  also  by  enter- 
ing, as  it  were,  the  lion's  den,  and  taking  away  the  gold  medal  at  Paris.  His  creation 
,  and  enlargement  of  the  industry  in  this  country  have  naturally  made  him  an  ardent 
Republican  and  protectionist. 

CHAUNCEY  MITCHELL  DEPEW,  LL.D.,  president  of  The  New  York  Central  & 
Hudson  River  Railroad,  descends  through  remote  paternal  ancestors  from  French  Hugue- 
nots, who  were  among  those  who  came  to  America  in  the  early  days  of  the  country 
and  founded  the  village  of  New  Rochelle,  in  Westchester  county.  His  mother,  Martha 
Mitchell,  was  of  illustrious  and  patriotic  New  England  descent,  being  a  member  of  the 
family  to  which  belonged  Roger  Sherman,  a  Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence, 
and  he  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  Rev.  Josiah  Sherman,  Chaplain  of  the  7th  Conn. 
Continental  line,  and  Gabriel  Ogden  of  the  New  Jersey  militia,  both  of  whom  served  in 
the  American  Revolution.  The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Depew  settled  in  Peekskill,  N.  Y.,  two 
hundred  years  ago,  and  the  farm  they  then  occupied  yet  remains  a  family  possession. 

Mr.  Depew  was  born  in  Peekskill,  April  23,  1834.  He  received  an  education  in  his 
native  village  and  graduated  from  Yale  College,  with  honors,  in  the  famous  class  of 
1856.  Returning  to  Peekskill,  he  studied  law  with  the  Hon.  William  Nelson  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858.  Successful  from  the  start,  interested  in  the  higher  politics 
and  the  national  issues  of  the  day,  and  a  passionate  lover  of  human  liberty,  he  joined, 
while  yet  a  young  man,  the  new  Republican  party,  then  rising  from  the  ruins  of  the 
old  Whig  organization,  and  became  one  of  its  most  active  champions.  His  talents 
being  promptly  recognized,  he  was  chosen  a  delegate  to  the  State  Convention  in  1858. 

In  1860,  Mr.  Depew  took  the  stump  for  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  made  many  speeches 
and  displayed  a  solidity  of  logical  argument,  a  brilliancy  of  wit,  and  a  power  of  holding 
the  steadfast  attention  of  an  audience,  which  placed  him  at  once  among  the  successful 
orators  of  the  period.  Elected  by  personal  popularity  to  the  Legislature  in  1861  and 
1862,  in  spite  of  Democratic  ascendancy  in  his  county,  he  revealed  extraordinary  abilities 
during  his  two  terms  in  that  body,  and  was  seen  to  be  a  man  with  a  great  and  brilliant 
future.  In  1863,  he  was  elected  Secretary  of  State  by  30,000  majority,  reversing  the 
majority  of  the  year  before  for  Horatio  Seymour  as  Governor.  Declining  a  renomina- 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

tion,  as  well  as  the  position  of  Minister  to  Japan,  tendered  him  by  Secretary  Seward, 
he  resumed  the  practice  of  law. 

In  1866,  his  abilities  having  attracted  the  attention  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt  and 
of  his  son,  William  H.  Vanderbilt,  Mr.  Depew  was  appointed  attorney  for  The  New  York 
&  Harlem  Railroad.  In  1869,  he  was  made  attorney  for  The  New  York  Central  & 
Hudson  River  Railroad  and  afterward  a  director.  This  was  the  period  of  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Vanderbilt  system  of  railroads.  Mr.  Depew  was  a  constant  adviser  of  the 
Vanderbilts,  and  by  his  good  judgment  and  excellent  advice  maintained  their  constant 
respect  and  friendship.  In  1875,  he  was  made  General  Counsel  for  the  entire  system 
and  a  director  in  each  one  of  the  roads. 

His  growing  popularity  led  to  his  being  named,  in  1872,  by  the  Liberal  (or  Greeley) 
party  of  New  York,  for  Lieutenant  Governor  of  the  State,  but  he  shared  in  the  defeat 
of  his  colleagues,  and,  the  Liberal  party  having  run  its  course,  he  again  became  an 
ardent  Republican. 

In  1885,  he  was  prominently  named  for  United  States  Senator,  and,  although 
reluctant,  assented  to  the  use  of  his  name  in  the  contest,  which  took  place  over  filling 
the  vacancies  caused  by  the  resignation  of  Senators  Conkling  and  Platt.  In  the  joint 
meeting  of  the  Legislature  at  Albany  in  the  early  part  of  1885,  there  was  a  stirring 
contest.  Mr.  Depew's  name  gradually  made  its  way  to  the  front  among  those  who  had 
been  nominated,  until  on  the  nineteenth  ballot  it  came  within  ten  votes  of  an  election, 
and  on  the  thirty-fourth  ballot  it  was  yet  as  near  to  the  goal.  On  the  fortieth  ballot, 
his  strength  yet  undiminished,  Mr.  Depew  withdrew. 

In  1884,  he  was  tendered  an  election  as  United  States  Senator  by  all  factions 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  would  have  been  elected  without  opposition  had  he  not 
become  so  committed  to  business  obligations  as  to  be  compelled  to  decline. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Depew,  after  three  years  of  service  as  vice  president  of  The  New 
York  Central  Railroad,  was  elevated  to  its  presidency.  While  thus  given  a  position  of 
great  influence  in  the  business  world,  his  growing  reputation  made  him  eligible  for 
greater  political  honors  than  any  for  which  he  had  yet  been  named.  In  1888,  he  was 
the  candidate  of  the  Republicans  of  New  York  State  at  the  National  Convention  of  the 
party  for  President  of  the  United  States.  He  received  the  solid  vote  of  the  New  York 
delegation,  but  withdrew  his  name.  President  Harrison  offered  him  the  position  of 
Secretary  of  State,  to  succeed  Mr.  Blaine,  but  Mr.  Depew  again  declined. 

He  is  now  president  of  two  railroads  of  the  Vanderbilt  system  and  a  director  in 
twenty-eight  others,  besides  being  a  director  in  The  Wagner  Palace  Car  Co.,  The  Union 
Trust  Co.,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  JSquitable  Life  Assurance  Society, 
The  Western  Transit  Co.,  The  West  Shore  &  International  Bridge  Co.,  The  Morris 
Run  Coal  Mining  Co.,  The  Clearfield  Bituminous  Coal  Corporation,  The  Hudson  River 
Bridge  Co.,  The  Canada  Southern  Bridge  Co.,  The  Niagara  River  Bridge  Co.,  The 
Niagara  Grand  Island  Bridge  Co.,  The  Tonawanda  Island  Bridge  Co.,  The  American 
Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light  Co.,  and  The  Brooklyn  Storage 
and  Warehouse  Co. 

Mr.  Depew  stands  extremely  high  socially,  and  is  a  member  of  many  of  the  first 
class  clubs  of  New  York  city,  including  the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  Lotus, 
University,  Century,  Lawyers',  Tuxedo,  Republican,  Press,  Players'  and  Quaint. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  several  yacht  clubs  and  societies.  He  was  president  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  185 

The  Union  League  Club  for  seven  years,  a  term  longer  by  several  years  than  that  given 
to  any  other  occupant  of  this  distinguished  position ;  declining  a  re-election,  he  was 
made  an  honorary'  life  member.  He  was  for  ten  years  president  of  The  Yale  Alumni 
Association,  and  at  the  close  of  his  decade  of  service,  was  elected  an  honorary  member 
for  life.  He  is  president  of  the  local  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 

While  a  successful  lawyer  and  business  man,  Mr.  Depew  is,  if  possible,  more  widely 
known  as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  entertaining  of  the  orators  of  this  generation. 
For  over  thirty  years  he  has  been  continually  in  demand  for  addresses  at  public  dinners 
and  in  celebrations  of  public  moment  of  the  most  important  and  impressive  character. 
He  has  probably  been  invited  more  times  than  any  other  man  in  the  United  States,  to 
speak  to  public  assemblages.  His  presence  as  a  speaker  ensures  the  success  of  any  cele- 
bration; and  his  wit,  scholarship,  strength  of  argument  and  clearness  of  exposition,  never 
fail  to  charm  and  delight  his  hearers.  He  is  without  an  equal  in  America  as  an  after 
dinner  orator. 

FREDERIC  JAMES  DE  PEYSTER,  lawyer,  born  in  this  city,  Feb.  5,  1839,  is  a 
son  of  Capt.  James  Ferguson  De  Peyster,  and  his  wife,  Frances  Goodhue  Ashton.  The 
men  of  the  family  have  been  prominent  as  land  holders,  and  in  public  affairs  for  250 
years.  He  graduated  from  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  fitted  himself 
for  the  legal  profession  at  Columbia  Law  School.  Mr.  De  Peyster  is  exempt  from 
the  necessity  of  daily  toil,  and  devotes  his  abilities  to  the  study  of  history,  public 
lectures  and  addresses,  and  the  management  of  various  societies.  He  is  president 
of  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  The  St.  Nicholas  Society,  and  an  officer  of  various 
charitable  institutions.  For  many  years  president  of  The  Archaeological  Society,  he 
took  a  leading  part  in  the  founding  and  building  of  an  American  school  of  classical 
study  in  Athens.  Oct.  10,  1871,  he  married  Augusta  McEvers  Morris,  daughter  of 
William  H.  Morris,  of  Morrisania. 

JOHN  WATTS  DE  PEYSTER,  Brevet  Major  General,  State  of  New  York,  was 
born  March  9,  1821,  at  No.  3  Broadway,  New  York  city,  the  only  child  of  Frederic  De 
Peyster  and  Mary  Justina,  youngest  daughter  of  the  Hon.  JOHN  WATTS,  II,  and  Jane 
De  Lancey.  The  history  of  his  ancestors  on  both  sides,  his  blood  relatives  and  connec- 
tions, was  the  history  of  New  York,  down  to  the  close  of  the  Revolution ;  on  his  father's 
side,  '  'through  six  generations,  from  father  to  son,  each  a  leader  of  men  in  his  day,  and 
charged  with  civic  trusts  when  public  life  meant  honorable  fame."  The  grandfather 
on  his  mother's  side,  John  Watts,  vir  equanimitatis,  who  was  the  last  Royal  Recorder 
of,  and  founder  and  endower  of  The  Leake  &  Watts  Orphan  House  in,  the  city  of  New 
York,  was  born  in  that  city,  Aug.  27,  1749  (O.  S.),  and  died  there,  Sept.  3,  1836  (N.  S.). 
He  was  the  second  son  of  the  Hon.  John  Watts,  I.,  president  of  the  King's  Council,  first 
president  of  The  New  York  City  Hospital,  etc.,  and  in  high  favor  and  respect  Avith  the 
Home  Government,  in  consequence  of  which  he  was  put  under  the  ban,  and  his  ample 
fortune,  among  other  properties  his  beautiful  country  seat  about  Twenty-first  street  on 
the  East  river  in  New  York  city,  confiscated  by  the  Revolutionary  authorities.  A  por- 
tion of  this  property  was  purchased  from  the  Committee  of  Sequestration  by  John 
Watts,  II.  (not  restored,  as  often  falsely  stated),  perhaps  owing  to  the  fact  that  his 
brother  Robert  married  Mary,  daughter  of  William  Alexander,  titular  Earl  of  Stirling, 
Continental  Major  General,  whose  grandmother  was  daughter  of  Johannes,  first 
De  Peyster  in  this  country. 


i86  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Frederic  de  Peyster,  vir  auctoritatis,  was  born  in  New  York,  Nov.  n,  1796,  and 
died  at  Rose  Hill,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  17,  1882.  He  was  sixth  in  descent 
from  Johannes,  who  was  Schepen,  1655-65,  Alderman  under  the  English  and  Burgo- 
master under  the  Dutch  administrations,  Deputy  Mayor  1677,  and  appointed  Mayor 
the  same  year,  but  declined.  His  two  sons,  Abraham  and  Johannes,  were  Mayors  of 
New  York,  the  former  1691-95,  the  latter  1698-99.  Abraham  was  the  most  distin- 
guished of  the  family,  of  superior  ability  and  worth:  Colonel,  commanding  Regiment 
of  New  York  city  Troops,  horse  and  foot,  685  men,  in  1700,  Alderman  1685,  Mayor 
1691-95,  Assistant  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court  1698,  Chief  Justice  1700,  President  of 
the  King's  Council  and,  as  such,  Acting  Governor  1701,  Treasurer  of  the  Provinces  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey  1706-1721,  confidant  of  New  York's  best  Royal  Governor, 
the  Earl  of  Bellomont,  and  friend  of  William  Penn.  He  was  born  July  8,  1657,  and 
died  Aug.  2,  1728. 

Frederic  de  Peyster's  three  grandsons  served  in  the  Union  Army  during  the  Slave- 
holders' Rebellion,  and  two  lost  their  lives  in  consequence.  The  eldest,  John  Watts  de 
Peyster,  jr.,  was  Major,  ist  New  York  Volunteer  Artillery,  and  brevetted  Colonel, 
U.  S.  V.,  principally  for  distinguished  conduct  at  Chancellorsville.  The  second, 
Frederic  de  Peyster,  jr.,  was  brevetted  from  2d  Lieutenant  to  Major,  U.  S.  V.,  and 
to  Colonel,  N.  Y.  V.,  especially  for  gallantry,  etc  ,  at  first  Bull  Run,  1861;  and  the 
third,  Brevet  Lieutenant  Colonel,  U.  S.  V.,  and  Colonel,  N.  Y.  V.,  for  general  merit 
and  for  having  had  the  signal  opportunity  of  hoisting  "the  first  American  flag"  over 
the  Capitol  of  captured  Richmond,  April  9,  1865. 

John  Watts  de  Peyster  is  as  much  a  self-educated  man  as  a  majority  of  those  who 
have  won  that  reputation,  and  through  study  and  observation  and  reflection,  assisted  by 
marvellous  memory,  his  forecasts  and  judgments  in  matters  to  which  he  has  given  his 
attention  have  proved  almost  infallible.  A  catalogue  of  his  literary,  historical  and 
scientific  works,  by  no  means  complete,  in  the  Annual  Reports  of  the  American  His- 
torical Association,  occupies  more  than  a  dozen  pages.  These  works  have  won  for  their 
author  all  the  university  degrees,  honorary  or  corresponding  memberships  or  fellow- 
ships, in  historical,  literary  and  scientific  societies,  at  home  and  abroad,  and  many  val- 
uable medals  and  decorations,  the  latest — the  "Gold  medal,  for  1894,  of  the' Society 
of  Science,  Letters  and  Art,  of  London,"  "for  scientific  and  literary  attainments."  In 
the  military  service  of  the  State  of  New  York  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier  General, 
and  is  the  first  officer  so  appointed  by  any  Governor  individually,  his  every  promotion 
having  been  made  for  special  services,  and,  in  1866,  he  was  commissioned  Brevet  Major 
General,  "for  meritorious  services  rendered  to  the  State^and  the  United  States  prior  to 
and  during  the  Rebellion,"  by  special  act  or  concurrent  resolution  of  the  State  Legis- 
lature, and  he  is  the  first  and  only  officer  receiving  such  a  distinction  from  the  State  of 
New  York  or  any  State.  By  inheritance  from  his  grandfather,  John  Watts,  he  was  the 
last  Patroon  or  owner  of  the  lower  Claverack  Manor  and  other  lands  in  Columbia 
county,  N.  Y.,  virtually  confiscated  by  the  Legislature  pandering  to  Anti-Rent,  and 
through  his  father  of  extensive  hereditary  lease-lands  in  the  county  of  Dutchess,  N.  Y. 

NICHOLAS  DE  PEYSTER,  who  died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  17,  1889,  was  a  direct 
descendant  of  Johannes  De  Peyster,  first  of  the  name  in  New  York,  250  years  ago. 
Nicholas  was  educated  by  private  tutors.  He  inherited  large  means  from  the  De 
Peyster  estate,  but  increased  it  by  his  own  efforts.  In  1849,  ne  went  to  California, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  187 

where  he  was  exceedingly  successful.  After  his  return  to  the  East,  he  spent  much 
time  in  foreign  travel.  In  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Marianna  Moore,  and  his  wife 
and  one  son,  William  D.  De  Peyster,  survived  him.  He  was,  at  different  times,  a 
member  of  the  St.  Nicholas,  New  York,  Century  and  American  Yacht  clubs. 

CHRISTIAN  EDWARD  DETflOLD,  civil  engineer,  born  in  Hanover,  Germany, 
Feb.  2,  1810,  died  in  New  York  city,  July  2,  1887.  Graduating  from  a  military 
academy  in  Hanover,  he  came  to  America  in  1826,  intending  at  first  to  enter  the 
Brazilian  Army,  but  subsequently  adopting  the  profession  of  civil  engineer  and 
settling  in  New  York  city.  A  man  of  very  energetic  nature  and  ingenious  mind,  he 
made  a  number  of  surveys  in  the  South;  drew  plans  in  1828  for  the  first  locomotive 
engine  built  by  the  Messrs.  Kemble ;  constructed  The  Charleston  &  Hamburg  Railroad 
in  South  Carolina,  one  of  the  first  in  the  country;  and  in  1833  and  1834  laid  the  founda- 
tions of  Fort  Sumter  under  the  direction  of  the  War  Department.  Later,  he  con- 
structed canals  in  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania,  and  built  the  Crystal  Palace  in  New 
York  city,  on  the  site  of  what  is  now  the  Fifth  avenue  reservoir,  completing  it  in 
1853.  He  then  purchased  a  large  interest  in  coal  mines  in  Pennsylvania,  and  engaged 
in  manufacturing  iron,  in  which  he  made  valuable  improvements.  He  built  the  works 
of  The  New  Jersey  Zinc  Co.,  at  Newark,  N.  J.,  being  president  of  the  company,  and 
developed  the  manufacture  of  spiegel  iron  from  the  residue  of  zinc  ore.  Failing 
health  finally  compelled  him  to  seek  recreation  abroad,  and  he  spent  a  number  of  years 
in  Paris,  returning  to  New  York  in  1885.  At  one  time  he  served  upon  the  committee 
for  investigating  the  Tweed  frauds.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Century  and  Union 
League  clubs,  and  gave  evidence  of  literary  ability  by  translating  the  principal 
writings  of  Machiavelli.  His  wife,  Phoebe  L.  Crary,  and  two  daughters,  survived 
him,  the  latter  being  Wilhelmina  Emilie,  wife  of  Count  Gaston  d'Arschot,  Charge 
d'Affaires  for  Belgium,  at  Washington,  and  Zella  Trelawney,  wife  of  Joseph  Lentilhon. 

JACOB  GERHARD  DETTnER,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Piqua,  O.,  Aug.  31, 
1845.  He  is  of  German  descent  and  a  son  of  Justus  G.  Dettmer,  who  emigrated  to  Ohio 
from  Hanover,  German}',  in  1829.  A  bright  student  at  the  local  high  school,  Jacob 
learned  the  dry  goods  trade  as  a  clerk  in  Troy,  O.,  and  was  made  a  partner  two  years 
later,  in  Steil  &  Dettmer.  In  1866,  he  moved  to  St.  Louis,  to  embark  in  a  wholesale 
woolen  goods  trade,  as  junior  in  the  firm  of  Reiter,  Steil  &  Co.  While  adherence  to 
one  line  of  business  is  usually  the  best  guarantee  of  success,  Mr.  Dettmer  improved 
his  position  materially  in  1871,  by  coming  to  New  York  and  engaging  in  the- manu- 
facture of  cream  of  tartar,  tartaric  acid,  baking  powder  and  other  grocers'  sundries  in 
The  Royal  Baking  Powder  Co.  and  The  New  York  Tartar  Co.  He  retired  in  1886. 
He  is  a  director  of  The  Bedford  Bank,  The  People's  Trust  Co.  and  The  City  Savings 
Bank  of  Brooklyn,  and  now  a  large  owner  of  excellent  real  estate.  He  makes  his  home 
in  Brooklyn,  where  he  has  joined  the  Hamilton,  Union  League,  Montauk  and  other 
clubs  and  societies. 

CHARLES  DEVLIN,  contractor,  a  native  of  Lurgan,  Ireland,  born  March  15,  1805, 
died  in  Xe\v  York,  Feb.  i,  1881.  His  ancestors  had  dwelt  in  the  same  part  of  Ireland 
as  he  for  generations,  and  had  fought  and  bled  in  the  struggle  for  freedom.  He  came 
to  this  country  at  the  age  of  twenty-seven,  finding  occupation  as  an  apprentice  and 
then  as  a  journeyman  baker.  By  careful  saving,  he  soon  gained  the  capital  to  start  in 
the  baking  business  on  his  own  account.  Honest  and  hard  working,  he  -was  prospered 


188  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

greatly.  About  1850,  through  being  compelled  to  finish  a  piece  of  work,  undertaken 
by  a  contractor,  who  had  defaulted  and  for  whom  he  had  given  security,  he  became 
a  contractor  himself.  His  first  signal  success  was  a  contract  for  building  part  of  The 
Hudson  River  Railroad,  and  he  then  engaged  in  the  construction  of  sewers  and  other 
public  works,  including  the  greater  part  of  the  heavy  grading  and  rock  cutting  in 
Central  Park.  In  time,  he  grew  to  be  one  of  the  best  known  contractors  in  the 
country.  In  politics  a  Democrat,  he  served  the  city  twice  as  School  Commissioner. 
A  famous  dispute  arose  in  1857,  when  Fernando  Wood  appointed  him  a  Street  Commis- 
sioner. The  Governor  having  appointed  Daniel  D.  Conover  a  Street  Commissioner  at 
the  same  time,  a  conflict  of  authority  followed,  celebrated  in  the  municipal  history 
of  the  city.  Such  intellectxial  giants  as  Charles  O'Conor,  James  T.  Brady  and  David 
Dudley  Field  engaged  in  the  battle.  The  Mayor's  appointee  won.  The  Hackley 
street  cleaning  suit  against  the  city,  which  occupied  the  courts  for  upward  of  thirty 
years,  was  carried  on  by  Mr.  Devlin  as  assignee  of  Andrew  J.  Hackley,  and  has  been 
recently  argued  by  the  Court  of  Appeals  on  behalf  of  John  B.  Devlin,  executor.  Mr. 
Devlin  came  into  prominence  in  1871,  as  one  of  Tweed's  bondsmen  for  $300,000. 
Although  then  considered  worth  $2,000,000,  his  liberality  led  him  into  difficulties, 
which  in  1878,  ended  in  his  bankruptcy.  In  the  settlement  of  his  estate,  upward  of 
$300,000  in  notes,  for  money  he  had  lent  to  friends,  were  sold  for  $39.  On  receiving 
his  discharge  from  bankruptcy,  Mr.  Devlin  resumed  work  as  a  contractor,  paid  his 
legitimate  creditors  in  full,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  again  ranked  as  a  man  of 
wealth.  He  was  never  connected  with  corporations,  but  was  a  large  holder  of  real 
estate.  By  his  marriage  in  this  country  with  Mary  Mackin  of  Dromore,  Ireland,  he  had 
six  children,  Charles  B. ,  John  B.  and  Joseph  A.  Devlin,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Tully,  Mrs. 
Isabel  Bram  and  Mrs.  Frances  Croft. 

FREDERICK  WILLIAM  DEVOE,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  city,  where  he  was  born  Jan.  26,  1828.  He  descends  from  a  very  ancient  family, 
whose  share  in  public  affairs  has  been  so  conspicuous,  that  it  can  be  traced  back  in  his- 
tory for  fully  eleven  centuries.  The  name  has  undergone  changes  in  process  of  time,  and 
has  been  spelled  De  Voe,  De  Veau,  de  Veaux,  de  Vaux,  and  otherwise.  It  seems  to-  have 
been  derived  from  the  district  of  Vaux  in  Normandy,  the  original  seat  of  the  family. 
Various  possessors  of  the  name  were  of  high  rank  and  related  to  royalty  by  marriage. 

The  first  member  of  the  family  to  find  his  way  to  America  was  Matheus  de  Vos,  a 
Huguenot,  who  found  in  the  new  world  the  liberty  of  conscience  denied  to  him  in 
France.  He  was  a  resident  of  New  Amsterdam  with  his  family  at  least  as  early  as 
1653,  and  came  into  prominence  as  a  notary  and  attorney  ir/the  Court  of  Burgomasters 
and  Schepens.  Daniel  and  Nicholas  de  Vaux  came  to  America  later  and  settled  in  Har- 
lem. Their  brother,  Frederick  de  Veaux,  ancestor  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  native 
of  Annis,  in  France,  fled  from  his  native  land  with  his  father's  family  to  escape  massacre 
by  the  King's  troops.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  Manheim,  became  a  merchant,  and  emi- 
grated to  New  York  in  1675.  He  settled  in  Harlem  with  his  brothers,  and  there  mar- 
ried Hester  Terneur,  daughter  of  Daniel  Tourneur,  and  thus  came  into  possession  of  a 
tract  of  land,  known  later  as  the  Cromwell  farm,  near  the  Central  bridge.  For  several 
generations  the  persons  in  this  line  were  farmers  and  owners  of  land,  now  enormously 
valuable.  Frederick  De  Veaux  made  several  purchases,  from  time  to  time,  and 
acquired  184  acres,  comprising  a  neck  of  land  at  the  bridge  at  McComb's  Dam,  a  farm 


190  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

in  Morrisania,  and  two  farms  at  New  Rochelle,  these  last  containing  300  acres.  He 
died  in  1743  in  Morrisania.  His  oldest  son,  Frederick  de  Voe,  jr.,  born  in  1684,  died 
in  1753,  leaving  a  large  estate.  Frederick  de  Voe,  son  of  the  latter,  born  about  1710, 
settled  upon  a  farm  on  the  Philipse  manor,  below  Yonkers.  When  the  Revolution 
occurred,  he  was  too  far  along  in  years  to  bear  arms,  but  his  son  John  was  a  soldier  in 
the  southern  battalion  in  the  town  of  Yonkers.  The  family  suffered  the  loss  of  all 
their  possessions  for  their  loyalty  during  the  War.  After  the  peace,  John  bought  136 
acres  of  the  old  Philipse  manor,  and  there  dwelt  the  remainder  of  his  days..  In  1779, 
he  married  Rebecca  De  Voe,  a  daughter  of  his  father's  half  brother  Daniel.  Eleven 
children  were  born  to  them,  of  whom  John  was  the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
John  De  Voe  possessed  the  martial  spirit  of  his  father,  and  served  a  part  of  the  first 
year  of  the  War  of  1812  in  the  regiment  of  Lieut.  Col.  Jonathan  Varian.  In  1807,  he 
married  Sophia,  daughter  of  Thomas  Farrington,  of  Mile  Square,  in  Yonkers.  Of  his 
family  of  ten  children,  Frederick  William  De  Voe  was  the  youngest. 

Frederick  was  educated  in  private  schools,  and  in  1843  became  a  clerk  in  the  coun- 
try store  of  his  brother  Isaac,  in  Spotswood,  N.  J.  The  training  in  these  country  stores 
is  always  an  excellent  one,  and  Frederick  was  well  equipped  for  more  important  labors, 
when,  in  1846,  he  returned  to  New  York  city  to  enter  the  store  of  Jackson  &  Robins, 
drug  and  paint  brokers  on  Wall  street.  This  engagement  proved  congenial  to  him  and 
fixed  his  occupation  for  life.  His  brother  John  was  a  junior  partner  in  the  firm,  who 
were  engaged  in  the  trade  of  paints,  varnish  and  oils,  succeeding  the  old  house  of 
William  &  Gerardus  Post,  at  the  corner  of  Water  and  Fletcher  streets. 

In  1848,  Frederick  improved  his  position  by  becoming  clerk  for  Butler  &  Raynolds. 
He  was  able,  diligent  and  ambitious,  and,  by  1852,  felt  sufficiently  confident  of  himself 
to  undertake  business  on  his  own  account,  and  formed  the  firm  of  Raynolds  &  Devoe. 
In  1855,  the  firm  established  their  store  on  Fulton  street,  succeeding  Schanck  & 
Downing  in  the  paint  and  varnish  business.  The  partners  displayed  all  the  qualities 
which  are  necessary  to  business  success  and  made  their  way  steadily. 

In  1864,  the  firm  reorganized  as  F.  W.  Devoe  &  Co.  They  have  made  steady 
progress  until  the  present  time  and  during  their  history  of  thirty-one  years  have,  borne 
a  high  reputation  for  enterprise  and  business  honor. 

For  several  years  Mr.  Devoe  was  also  engaged  in  refining  petroleum  and  the  ship- 
ment of  it  in  cans  and  cases.  His  product,  called  "  Devoe's  Brilliant  Oil,"  enjoyed  a 
very  extended  sale,  and  was  shipped  to  Germany,  the  Mediterranean,  the  East  Indies, 
Australia,  China,  and  the  Pacific  coast,  besides  having  a  large  sale  in  the  United  States. 
This  branch  of  the  business  was  afterward  carried  on  under  the  name  of  The  Devoe 
Manufacturing  Co. ,  and  was  sold,  in  1873,  to  other  owners.  Although  thus  largely 
interested  in  petroleum,  Mr.  Devoe  was  never  in  any  way  connected  with  any  of  the 
land  companies  formed  for  the  production  of  crude  oil. 

Mr.  Devoe  has  a  natural  taste  for  mechanics,  and  much  of  his  machinery  and  fac- 
tory plant  were  built  after  his  own  plans,  during  the  early  part  of  his  career.  In  1890, 
the  business  was  incorporated  under  their  former  name,  with  Mr.  Devoe  as  president. 
In  1892,  by  a  consolidation  of  two  concerns,  the  business  assumed  the  name  of  The 
F.  W.  Devoe  &  C.  T.  Raynolds  Co.  Both  firms  were  on  Fulton  street,  occupying  large 
stores  nearly  opposite  to  each  other.  The  present  company  is  one  of  the  leading  con- 
cerns in  the  country,  and  Mr.  Devoe  is  its  president  and  treasurer. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DE.  19! 

Mr.  Devoe  has  little  taste  for  political  life,  but  has  served  his  city  and  State 
acceptably  in  several  official  positions.  He  was  appointed  by  Mayor  Cooper,  in  1880, 
a  Commissioner  of  Education,  and  was  reappointed  by  Mayors  Edson,  Hewitt  and 
Grant.  He  resigned  from  the  Board  in  1891.  His  labors  in  this  position  were  devoted 
to  such  changes  and  improvements  in  the  course  of  study,  as  to  render  a  public  school 
education  of  more  practical  utility.  His  persistent  efforts  did  much  towards  preparing 
the  way  for  the  industrial  schools,  which  are  now  a  valuable  feature  of  the  public 
school  system. 

Governor  Hill  appointed  him  in  1890  as  a  trustee  of  The  Middletown  Homoeopathic 
Hospital  for  the  Insane,  in  place  of  Fletcher  Harper,  deceased.  Mr.  Devoe  is  also  a 
trustee  of  The  New  York  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  and  Hospital.  In  1890,  when 
the  "Greater  New  York"  commission  came  into  existence,  he  received  the  honor  of 
appointment  as  one  of  its  members.  To  the  duties  of  all  these  positions  he  pays  close 
attention.  The  work  to  which  he  is  most  actively  devoted  is  The  New  York  Juvenile 
Asylum,  of  which  he  became  a  director  in  1890,  being  elected  vice-president  in  1893. 
He  is  now  its  president. 

He  was  married  in  1853  to  Sarah  M.,  daughter  of  Walter  Briggs.  This  union 
brought  them  five  children.  Two  daughters  died  in  infancy,  and  Henry  Meyer  De 
Voe,  the  only  son,  when  eight  years  old.  The  family  now  consist  of  Mr.  and  Mrs 
Devoe  and  two  daughters,  young  ladies.  They  have  a  charming  home  on  Jerome  avenue, 
in  Fordham,  now  a  part  of  the  Twenty-fourth  Ward,  opposite  St.  James's  Episcopal 
Church.  Mr.  Devoe  is  strongly  opposed  to  social  club  life,  is  fond  of  home  life,  and 
enjoys  the  respect  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Holland  and 
St.  Nicholas  Societies,  as  well  as  of  The  New  York  Microscopical  Society.  The  family 
possess  cultivated  musical  taste,  and  are  associated  with  several  musical  societies. 
Finally,  it  may  be  said  that  Mr.  Devoe  is  one  of  the  wardens  of  The  Church  of  Zion 
and  St.  Timothy  on  West  57th  street. 

HENRY  DEXTER,  president  of  The  American  News  Co.,  was  born  in  West  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.,  March  14,  1813,  and  is  a  son  of  Jonathan  Marsh  Dexter,  a  fur  merchant. 
The  latter  was  the  oldest  son  of  David  Dexter,  who,  with  his  younger  brother,  the 
well  known  Dr.  Aaron  Dexter  of  Boston,  professor  in  Harvard  College,  1783-1829, 
was  born  in  Maiden,  Mass.,  the  original  seat  of  the  Dexter  family  in  this  country, 
where  land,  purchased  in  1663,  has  been  continuously  held  in  the  Dexter  name  to  this 
day.  They  were  sons  of  Richard,  son  of  Richard,  son  of  John,  son  of  Richard  Dexter, 
who  seems  to  have  fled  from  the  massacre  of  the  Protestants,  which  took  place  in  Ire- 
land in  October,  1641,  and  who  was  probably  descended  from  Richard  De  Exeter, 
Governor  of  Ireland  in  1269.  The  subject  of  this  biography  was  educated  in  West 
Cambridge,  and  in  publishing  houses  in  Boston  and  Cambridge.  He  removed  to  New 
York  city  in  1836,  and  carried  on  the  hardware  business  for  several  years  with  the 
Whittemores,  the  inventors  of  the  famous  cotton  card  making  machine.  In  1842,  be- 
coming convinced  of  the  capabilities  of  the  wholesale  trade  in  books,  magazines,  peri- 
odicals and  newspapers,  which  his  brother  George  had  already  taken  up,  he  joined  the 
latter  and  laid  the  foundations  of  the  eminence,  to  which  he  has  since  attained.  Mr. 
Dexter  originated  the  conception  of  The  American  News  Co.,  which  he  was  finally  able, 
with  the  aid  of  others  in  the  same  business,  to  realize  in  1864.  Under  the  enterprising 
management  of  himself  and  associates,  this  company  has  extended  its  operations  to 


192  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN 

every  part  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  and  transacts  business  in  England,  France 
and  Germany,  as  well  as  South  America  and  the  East  Indies.  Its  sales  amount  to  more 
than  twenty-five  millions  of  dollars  annually.  Mr.  Dexter,  who  has  thoroughly  grasped 
the  principles  of  the  business,  is  a  clear  headed  man,  of  great  purity  of  character.  He 
has  travelled  extensively,  both  on  this  continent  and  in  Europe,  Egypt  and  Palestine. 
The  family  own  a  little  less  than  2,000  acres  in  the  Adirondacks,  which  they  use  for  a 
summer  residence.  Oct.  n,  1853,  Mr.  Dexter  married  Lucretia  Marquand  Perry, 
daughter  of  Orrando  Perry  of  Easton,  Conn.  They  have  surviving  a  daughter  and  one 
son,  Orrando  Perry  Dexter. 

WATSON  BRADLEY  DICKERMAN,  stock  broker,  born  Jan.  4,  1846,  is  a  native 
of  Mount  Carmel,  Conn.,  and  a  son  of  Ezra  Dickerman.  Every  drop  which  flows  in 
his  veins  is  derived  from  the  Puritans  of  New  England.  The  pioneer  of  the  family 
settled  in  Massachusetts  in  1635.  Receiving  an  education  in  Williston  Seminary,  East- 
hampton,  Mass.,  the  young  man  found  his  first  employment  in  the  banking  house  of 
Jacob  Bunn,  in  Springfield,  111.  This  engagement  fixed  his  occupation  for  life.  In 
1868,  he  joined  the  Open  Board  of  Brokers  in  this  city,  subsequently  consolidated  with 
the  Stock  Exchange,  and  in  1870,  with  W.  G.  Dominick,  established  the  brokerage  firm 
of  Dominick  &  Dickerman.  He  has  been  successful  both  in  his  business  and  in  win- 
ning the  confidence  and  entire  goodwill  of  his  fellow  brokers.  In  1890  and  1891,  they 
elected  him  president  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  He  is  president  of  The  Norfolk  & 
Southern  Railroad,  and  director  of  The  Long  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co.  In  1869,  he 
was  married  to  Martha  E.,  daughter  of  Samuel  and  Mary  Phelps  Swift,  of  Brooklyn. 
Their  child,  a  son,  died  when  two  years  old.  The  family  make  their  home  at  Hilland- 
dale  farm,  near  Mamaroneck,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Dickerman  has  joined  the  Metropolitan,  Union 
League,  Country,  New  York  Yacht,  and  Brooklyn  clubs. 

PATRICK  DICKIE,  merchant,  a  native  of  Balquhine,  Scotland,  born  June  26, 
1793,  died  in  this  city,  Nov.  16,  1877.  A  shrewd,  wide  awake  yoting  man,  he  began 
life  in  London,  and  came  to  the  new  world  in  1817,  establishing  here  the  drug  store 
in  which  he  made  his  fortune.  His  trade  was  very  extensive.  Samuel  Houston 
received  aid  from  him  in  the  form  of  medical  supplies  for  the  Texan  army,  and  in  his 
gratitude  gave  Mr.  Dickie  nearly  75,000  acres  of  land.  This  grant  was  repudiated, 
however,  after  the  battle  of  San  Jacinto.  Mr.  Dickie  filled  excellent  contracts  with 
the  city  government  in  New  York.  He  was  far  seeing  enough  to  invest  his  savings 
in  local  real  estate;  and  a  public  garden,  which  he  bought  in  1820,  at  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Canal  street,  realized  a  million  dollars  in  profits  in  the  next 
forty-two  years.  Married  to  Susan  Orr  Perry,  his  children  were  Emma  D. ,  wife  of 
Jasper  T.  Van  Vleck;  Serena  D.,  wife  of  Charles  I.  Turrell;  Charles  P.  Dickie,  now 
deceased;  Edward  P.  Dickie;  Helen  D.,  wife  of  Jay  L.  Adams;  Horace  P.  Dickie,  and 
Susan  Dickie,  now  deceased. 

JOHN  BUMPSTEAD  DICKINSON,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  June  29, 
1814,  died  in  Chicago,  March  16,  1875.  He  lived  with  his  uncle,  P.  K.  Dickinson,  in 
North  Carolina,  until  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  then  came  to  New  York  to  connect 
himself  with  commercial  pursuits,  in  which,  from  the  outset,  he  was  successful  to  a 
marked  degree.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Wakeman,  Gookin  & 
Dickinson,  in  the  California  trade,  and  amassed  a  large  fortune.  A  director  of  The 
National  Shoe  and  Leather  Bank,  The  Union  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  Broadway 


THE     C1TV     OF     NEW     YORK. DI.  iq-j 

Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Brooklyn  Dry  Dock  Co.,  and  at  one  time  president  of  The 
Tenth  National  Bank,  he  was  also  president  of  The  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
and  largely  interested  in  The  Brooklyn  Ferry  Co.  His  election  to  these  trusts 
illustrated  the  integrity  and  ability  of  his  character.  Though  reared  an  Episcopalian, 
he  united  in  early  manhood  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  whose  interests  and 
welfare  he  loyally  promoted.  Mr.  Dickinson  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being 
Almira  Cocks,  sister  of  John  D.  Cocks,  president  of  The  Atlantic  Fire  Insurance  Co. 
His  second  wife,  who  survived  him,  was  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Lowe,  of  Massachusetts,  a  lady 
of  rare  culture,  well  known  for  her  lifelong  work  along  educational,  literary  and 
philanthropic  lines.  Mr  Dickinson  contributed  largely  to  the  benevolent  enterprises 
of  his  church,  and  his  private  charities  were  numerous  and  unostentatious.  As  trustee 
and  director,  he  managed  the  affairs  of  others  with  the  same  fidelity  and  prudence 
which  marked  the  direction  of  his  own  business.  Eight  children  survived  him: 
Platt  K.,  John  P.,  Howard  C.,  and  Frank  F.  Dickinson;  and  Almira,  widow  of 
Benjamin  F.  Sherwood,  of  San  Francisco;  Adelaide,  widow  of  Frank  Harrison  Carter; 
and  Jane  Vance  and  Mary  Dickinson. 

SIDNEY  DILLON,  railroad  president,  born  in  Northampton,  Montgomery  county, 
X.  Y.,  May  7,  1812,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  9,  1892.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
and  his  maternal  grandfather  a  soldier  in  the  American  Revolution.  From  the 
common  school  he  went,  while  yet  a  youth,  to  a  situation  as  errand  boy  on  The 
Mohawk  &  Hudson  Railroad,  and  afterward  held  a  similar  position  on  The  Rensselaer 
&  Saratoga  Railroad.  Next,  overseer  for  the  contractors,  who  were  building  The 
Boston  &  Providence  Railroad,  later  he  was  employed  as  foreman  and  manager  of 
work  upon  The  Stonington  Railroad,  and  foreman  in  some  heavy  rock  work  on  The 
Western  Railway  of  Massachusetts.  Acquiring  confidence,  he  made  a  bid  for  a  section 
of  the  latter  work,  which  he  successfully  completed  in  1840.  This  was  the  beginning 
of  Mr.  Dillon's  career  as  a  contractor.  He  next  took  a  heavy  contract  on  The  Troy  & 
Schenectady  Railway,  employing  for  the  first  time  a  steam  excavator;  and  after  that 
time,  either  alone,  or  in  association  with  others,  he  successfully  completed  a  number 
of  large  contracts  in  the  construction  of  railroads,  including  The  Hartford  &  Spring- 
field, The  Cheshire,  The  Vermont  &  Massachusetts,  The  Central  of  New  Jersey,  The 
Boston  &  New  York  Central,  and  The  Philadelphia  &  Erie  roads.  He  was  remarkable 
for  energy,  power  of  organization,  and  ability  in  the  management  of  forces  of  men.  In 
1865,  Mr.  Dillon  identified  himself  with  construction  work  on  The  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road, and  meantime  filled  several  other  important  contracts.  In  1869,  Mr.  Dillon  laid 
the  last  rail  which  established  railroad  connection  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
coasts.  He  was  twice  president,  at  intervals,  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  held' 
that  position  at  his  death,  and  was  also  intimately  associated  with  various  other  rail- 
road systems.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Canada  Southern  Railroad,  The  Chicago, 
Rock  Island  &  Pacific,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  The  New  York,  Lacka- 
wanna  &  Western,  The  Manhattan  Elevated  and  The  Missouri  Pacific  Railways,  The 
Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  The  Wabash  Railroad,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Co.,  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  The  Safe  Deposit  Co.  of  New  York,  and  other  corpora- 
tions. In  1841,  Mr.  Dillon  married  Hannah  Smith,  who  died  Dec.  6,  1884.  Two 
daughters,  Julia  D.,  wife  of  J.  D  wight  Ripley,  and  Cora  D.,  wife  of  Peter  B.  Wyckoff, 
survived  him.  While  brusque  in  manner,  as  men  of  force  sometimes  are,  he  was  clear 


194  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and   direct    in    conversation,  kindly  and   generous  in   his   disposition,  and  highly  re- 
spected. 

WILLIAfl  B.  DINSMORE,  president  of  The  Adams  Express  Co.,  was  born  in 
Boston  in  1810,  and  died  in  New  York  city,  April  20,  1888.  Deprived  of  the  advantages 
of  early  education,  William  went  to  work  on  a  farm  at  the  age  of  eleven,  remaining 
there  for  three  years,  when  he  returned  to  Boston  and  obtained  employment  in  a 
saddlery  establishment.  A  few  years  later,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Alvin  Adams, 
who  sent  him  to  New  York  to  take  charge  of  the  Adams  express  business  here. 
After  a  hard  struggle,  Mr.  Dinsmore  placed  the  local  branch  upon  a  good  footing.  His 
energy  and  power  of  application  were  remarkable.  He  afterward  took  John  Hoey 
into  his  employment,  and  from  that  time  these  two  men  toiled  untiringly  to  build  up 
The  Adams  Express  Co.  In  a  few  years,  they  had  extended  the  route  of  the  company 
to  all  parts  of  the  country.  Mr.  Dinsmore  was  a  large  owner  in  the  stock  of  the  cor- 
poration. He  was  also  a  director  of  The  American  Exchange  Bank,  The  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  and  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  and  a  member  of  the 
Union  and  New  York  clubs.  A  liking  for  the  country  led  Mr.  Dinsmore  to  establish 
a  stock  farm  for  Alderney  cattle,  as  soon  as  he  gained  the  means,  and  he  made  it  the 
largest  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States.  His  wife,  Augusta  M.  Snow,  of  Boston,  with 
'two  sons,  survived  him,  the  latter  being  William  B.  Dinsmore,  jr.,  and  Clarence  Gray 
Dinsmore.  His  name,  throughout  a  long  career,  was  a  synonym  for  integrity,  manli- 
ness and  energy. 

CHARLES  HEALY  DITSON,  publisher  of  music,  was  born  Aug.  n,  1845,  and  is 
a  son  of  the  late  Oliver  Ditson,  founder  of  the  house  of  Oliver  Ditson  &  Co. ,  in  Boston. 
He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  Boston,  and  began  business  life  as  an  employe  in  his 
father's  store.  He  showed  capacity  and  was  admitted  to  the  firm  in  1867.  The  same 
year  the  firm  established  a  branch  house  in  New  York  city,  under  the  name  of  Charles 
H.  Ditson  &  Co. ,  incorporated  under  New  York  laws,  and  Charles  has,  since  that  time, 
made  New  York  city  his  home.  He  is  treasurer  of  the  now  incorporated  firm  of  The 
Oliver  Ditson  Co.,  in  Boston,  which  owns  the  branch  house  in  Philadelphia,  and  is  part 
owner  of  Lyon  &  Healy,  in  Chicago.  Mr.  Ditson  belongs  to  the  Players'  club  and  The 
New  England  Society  of  this  city,  and  The  Algonquin  club  of  Boston. 

ALFRED  P.  DIX,  note  broker,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  was  born  Dec.  12,  1839. 
He  is  a  grandson  of  Gen.  Artemas  Ward  of  the  Continental  army  in  the  American 
Revolution,  and  the  possessor  of  a  valuable  collection  of  papers  and  letters,  belonging 
to  the  period  of  that  war,  including  letters  from  George  Washington,  General 
Gates,  General  Ward,  Lord  Howe,  John  Winthrop  arid  others.  Alfred  left  the 
Lawrence  Academy  in  Groton,  Mass.,  to  spend  five  years  in  a  clerkship  in  a  dry 
goods  store  in  Worcester,  and  five  years  more  in  the  same  occupation  in  Boston. 
He  came  to  New  York  city  in  1864,  and  was  a  partner  for  five  years  in  Harden 
&  Dix,  commission  merchants,  and  five  years  the  representative  of  the  Lawrence 
aid  Pemberton  Mills  of  Lawrence,  Mass.  In  1875,  he  engaged  in  banking,  dealing 
in  credits  and  the  purchase  and  sale  of  notes.  John  J.  Phyfe  joined  him  the  following 
year.  The  firm  of  Dix  &  Phyfe  originated  the  business  of  discounting  the  notes  of 
merchants,  who  were  required  to  establish  a  credit  with  their  bankers  as  well  as  with 
their  selling  agents.  This  system  has  since  come  into  general  use.  The  caution  and 
discrimination  of  Dix  &  Phyfe  cause  paper  approved  by  them  to  be  in  demand  in 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — DO.  195 

banking  circles.     Mr.  Dix  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss  Carruth  of  Boston,  and  has  one 
daughter  living,  Mildred  Carruth  Dix. 

WILLIAn  EARLE  DODGE,  merchant,  born  near  Hartford,  Conn.,  Sept.  4,  i8os> 
died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  9,  1883.  His  father,  David  Low  Dodge,  a  cotton  manu- 
facturer in  Bozrahville,  near  Norwich,  Conn.,  gave  William  employment  for  a  time, 
after  a  brief  attendance  at  the  public  schools.  About  1818,  the  family  removed  to  New 
York,  when  the  son  became  the  boy  of  all  work  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  store.  In 
1827  he  started  a  small  dry  goods  store  on  his  own  account.  Conspicuous  from  youth 
for  an  agreeable  presence  and  high  character,  about  1830,  he  was  married  to  a  daughter 
of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  who,  with  Elisha  Peck,  had  established  an  important  business  in 
the  importation  of  metals.  In  1833,  Mr.  Dodge  was  taken  into  the  office  of  Phelps  & 
Peck.  Shortly  afterward,  the  house  reorganized  under  the  name  of  Phelps,  Dodge  & 
Co. ,  a  title  which  has  been  retained  to  the  present  time.  The  energetic  policy  of  Mr. 
Dodge,  who,  for  years,  directed  the  operations  of  the  house,  resulted  in  a  trade,  conti- 
nental in  its  extent  and  highly  profitable  to  the  firm.  As  he  gained  the  means,  Mr. 
Dodge  invested  his  earnings  in  important  enterprises  and  was  an  extensive  operator  in 
lumber  in  Michigan,  Wisconsin,  Georgia,  Texas,  West  Virginia  and  Canada,  where  he 
owned  several  million  acres  of  forest  lands.  He  was  also  a  director  of  The  New  York, 
Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  and  prominently  connected  with  The  Delaware  &  Lack- 
awanna  Iron  &  Coal  Co.,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  and  other 
corporations.  Mr.  Dodge  attained  distinction  no  less  through  the  elevation  and  purity 
of  his  character  than  through  phenomenal  success  in  business  pursuits.  He  was 
unbending  in  his  advocacy  of  the  sacredness  of  the  Sabbath  day  and  left  the  directory 
of  The  Erie  Railroad  when  the  company  began  to  run  .trains  on  Sunday.  His  contribu- 
tions to  religious,  charitable  and  educational  institutions  were  extensive.  The  devotion 
of  a  portion  of  his  income  to  philanthropic  work  began  early  in  life  and  was  with  him 
systematic.  For  several  years,  his  contributions  amounted  to  from  §200,000  to  $350,000 
to  worthy  objects,  and  over  §300,000  was  given  in  his  will  to  institutions.  His  wife, 
Melissa  P.,  and  seven  children  survived  him,  the  latter  being  William  E.,  Anson  G.  P., 
David  Stuart,  Charles  C  ,  George  E.,  Norman  W.,  and  Arthur  M.  Dodge. — His  son, 
WILLIAM  EARLE  DODGE,  jr.,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  15,  1832, 
received  his  education  in  this  city.  Associating  himself  with  his  father's  business,  he 
was  admitted  to  partnership  in  Phelps,  Dodge  &  Co. ,  which  afterward  became  one  of 
the  leading  houses  in  the  city  in  the  importation  of  metals.  While  inheriting  a  portion 
of  his  father's  estate,  he  has  increased  his  patrimony  in  the  management  of  the  old 
house,  of  which  he  has  been  since  one  of  the  senior  members.  He  is  a  man  of  marked 
ability  and  fine  character.  His  firm  control  The  Commercial  Mining  Co.,  at  Prescott, 
Arizona,  and  valuable  mines  at  Big  Bug  and  Senator,  Arizona,  including  the  Hack- 
berry  mines,  the  Senator  gold  mines,  and  The  Copper  Basin  Mining  Co.  Mr.  Dodge 
is  president  of  The  Ansonia  Brass  &  Copper  Co.,  and  The  Ansonia  Clock  Co.,  and 
director  or  trustee  of  The  Copper  Queen  Consolidated  Mining  Co.,  The  Commercial 
Mining  Co.,  The  Detroit  Copper  Mining  Co.,  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The 
New  York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co. ,  and  The  Lackawanna  Steel  Co. ;  and  president 
of  the  trustees  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  of  The  Evangelical 
Alliance.  The  clubs  to  which  a  man  belongs  illustrate  his  tastes  and  social  standing, 
and  on  this  point  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  Mr.  Dodge  belongs  to  the  Metropolitan, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DO.  197 

Union  League,  City,  Century,  Down  Town,  Riding,  Reform,  Presbyterian,  Country,  and 
Commonwealth  clubs,  and  The  New  England  Society. 

ALFRED  DOLGE,  manufacturer,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  for  whom 
America  is  indebted  to  the  mother  land  of  Germany,  was  born  in  Chemnitz  in  that 
country,  Dec.  22,  1848.  His  father,  August,  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  Revolution 
of  1 848-49,  and  the  honor  of  being  twice  tried  by  court  martial  was  accorded  to  him. 
Twice  he  was  sentenced  to  death,  but  the  penalty  of  his  courageous  efforts  for  liberty 
was  afterward  changed  to  imprisonment  for  fifteen  years. 

Alfred  attended  the  public  schools  of  Leipzig  during  his  boyhood,  and  then  learned 
the  trade  of  piano  making  in  his  father's  factory,  an  art  requiring  the  highest  mechani- 
cal skill.  Attracted  to  America  by  the  greater  liberty  and  more  promising  opportuni- 
ties of  the  new  world,  he  landed  at  Castle  Garden  on  the  gth  of  September  in  1 866.  A 
strongly  built,  capable  and  practical  youth,  he  accepted  the  first  employment  which 
offered,  and  found  work  on  a  farm  in  Wisconsin  for  one  season.  Returning  then  to 
the  East,  he  spent  two  and  a  half  years  at  his  trade  of  piano  making.  With  $500, 
which  he  had  earned  by  diligent  labor  at  the  bench  and  saved  by  careful  economy,  Mr. 
Dolge  began,  in  July,  1869,  the  importation  of  piano  materials  from  Europe.  The 
felts  employed  by  piano  makers  in  this  country  were  at  that  time  purchased  abroad, 
but  Mr.  Dolge  believed  that  they  could  be,  and  should  be,  made  in  America.  To 
believe  is,  with  a  nature  as  energetic  as  his,  to  act.  In  1871,  therefore,  Mr.  Dolge 
began  the  manufacture  of  piano  felts,  in  Brooklyn,  and  thus  became  the  actual 
pioneer  of  this  valuable  industry  in  the  LTnited  States.  In  1874,  he  moved  the 
works  to  Dolgeville,  in  Herkimer  county,  N.  Y.  In  this  beautiful  town,  a  large 
factory  has  gradually  come  into  existence  through  his  persistent  energy;  and  at  these 
works  Mr.  Dolge  has  also  developed  the  most  highly  approved  felt  machinery  known  to 
the  whole  industry.  Departments  for  making  the  different  parts  of  pianos  have  been 
added  to  the  factory',  one  after  another,  until  Mr.  Dolge  is  now  the  proprietor  of  the  most 
complete,  the  largest  and  most  highly  developed  piano  material  manufactory  in  the 
world.  Employment  is  given  to  a  large  force  of  skillful  operatives;  and  probably  no 
where  in  the  United  States  can  there  be  found  a  finer  group  of  working  people  than 
those  to  whom  Mr.  Dolge  has  been  both  an  employer  and  benefactor.  His  enterprise 
has  finally  put  an  end  to  the  importation  of  piano  materials  from  Europe,  and  rendered 
America  entirely  independent  of  every  other  land  for  its  supply  of  these  articles.  If 
it  be  added  that  the  performance  of  public  services  of  great  utility  has  brought  Mr. 
Dolge  a  fortune,  it  must  be  said  on  the  other  hand  that  he  has  bestowed  far  greater 
benefits  than  he  has  received. 

But  to  say  that  he  is  a  successful  manufacturer,  by  no  means  sums  up  the  remarka- 
ble career  of  Alfred  Dolge.  The  village  of  Dolgeville,  founded  by  him,  has  become  the 
model  industrial  town  of  American  origin,  both  in  its  social  and  economic  aspects.  It 
has  all  the  advantages  of  modern  ideas  and  city  methods,  without  the  disadvantage  of 
the  paternalism  usually  associated  with  so  called  ideal  towns.  A  free  public  school 
and  an  academy  of  the  highest  order,  fully  equipped  with  scientific  apparatus  and  with 
all  the  modern  appointments,  have  been  built  by  Mr.  Dolge  and  given  to  the  town. 
Houses  containing  from  six  to  nine  rooms  have  been  built,  many  of  them  wholly  or  in 
part  by  Mr.  Dolge,  and  now  belong  to  the  workmen  themselves.  Mr.  Dolge  has  also 
converted  the  woodlands  surrounding  the  town  into  parks,  which  will  always  remain  a 


198 

permanent  and  beautiful  feature  of  the  place.  In  all  which  pertains  to  making  Dolge- 
ville  a  model  town  in  its  sanitary,  educational  and  picturesque  aspects,  Mr.  Dolge  has 
shown  a  practical  good  sense,  amounting  to  real  greatness.  He  is  the  leader  of  his 
people,  not  their  patron. 

The  most  significant  of  the  new  ideas  introduced  at  Dolgeville,  and  the  one  whose 
influence  will  be  the  most  permanent  and  far  reaching,  is  Mr.  Dolge's  contribution  to 
the  solution  of  the  labor  problem.  One  of  the  most  depressing  features  of  the  present 
industrial  system,  apparently  the  one  most  difficult  of  treatment,  is  the  discharge  of 
workmen,  when  they  reach  the  stage  of  "  diminishing  returns,"  or  declining  efficiency. 
It  is  a  complaint  against  modern  capital,  that  it  takes  labor  when  it  is  young  and 
vigorous,  exploits  its  vitality,  and  ruthlessly  throws  it  aside,  when  it  has  passed  the 
prime  of  life  or  approaches  old  age.  The  workmen  are  then  too  old  to  learn  a  new 
trade.  Except  in  rare  cases,  they  are  liable  to  become  recipients  of  charity  or  entirely 
dependent  for  support  upon  the  younger  members  of  their  families. 

It  is  thus  held,  and  not  without  force,  that  a  hopeless  old  age  is  all  the  average 
working  man  can  hope  for,  unless  he  dies  in  the  harness.  This  is  made  the  basis  of 
much  of  the  Socialistic  attack  upon  modern  capital. 

For  this  complaint,  Mr.  Dolge  has,  by  experiments  continued  through  twenty 
years,  developed  a  successful  remedy,  based  upon  economic  and  scientific  principles, 
which  enables  every  workman  to  retire  at  the  age  of  sixty  with  a  competence  for  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  It  is  a  system  of  industrial  insurance,  which  is  to  labor  what  a 
depreciation  fund  is  to  capital.  It  provides  for  the  retirement  of  workmen  when  they 
reach  the  age  of  declining  efficiency,  in  the  same  way  that  a  depreciation  fund  provides 
for  replacing  old  machinery  with  new.  This  system  entirely  eliminates  the  inhumanity 
hitherto  involved  in  the  discharge  of  old  and  often  faithful  workmen.  By  providing 
for  them  a  permanent  income  for  the  remainder  of  their  lives,  the  hopelessness  of  old 
age  is  entirely  overcome. 

In  an  article  in  The  Social  Economist  for  June,  1892,  presenting  the  leading  features 
of  his  system,  Mr.  Dolge  says:  "  In  order,  therefore,  to  obtain  the  best  results  from 
laborers,  they  must  not  only  live  under  good  conditions  while  working,  but  they  must 
be  placed  beyond  the  fear  of  want  in  their  old  age.  To  secure  this,  a  labor  deprecia- 
tion or  insurance  fund  should  be  made  an  established  part  of  the  cost  of  production, 
just  the  same  as  depreciation  for  machinery  is  provided  for  now.  From  these,  two 
important  advantages  are  obtained:  (i.)  Laborers  can  be  retired  without  becoming 
paupers,  when  they  cease  to  be  profitable  factors  in  production,  or  when  they  reach 
what  economists  call  the  stage  of  'diminishing  returns.'1'  (2.)  Their  future  being 
assured,  laborers  would  feel  safe  in  keeping  their  wives  at  home,  sending  their  children 
to  school,  and  otherwise  living  up  to  the  full  extent  of  their  income.  Thus,  instead  of 
constantly  trying  to  restrict  their  standard  of  living  to  provide  for  old  age,  they  would 
have  every  inducement  for  extending  it,  which  would  tend  to  increase  their  intelligence, 
social  character  and  individuality,  and  develop  not  only  more  efficient  laborers,  but  a 
higher  manhood  and  superior  citizenship  among  our  people." 

Mr.  Dolge's  plan  is  entirely  free  from  the  slightest  taint  of  paternalism,  being  based 
upon  strictly  economic  and  thoroughly  practical  business  principles  and  verified  by  a 
test  of  twenty  years.  It  is  susceptible  of  universal  application.  If  this  were  made  a 
national  policy,  as  it  easily  might  be,  it  would  tend  to  eliminate  pauperism  from  this 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DO. 


199 


country,  might  do  it  altogether,  and  would  certainly  do  much  to  destroy  the  acri- 
monious spirit  which  is  creating  a  social  antagonism  against  present  methods  of  pro- 
duction. 

In  this,  Mr.  Dolge  has  proved  himself  a  social  philosopher  as  well  as  a  successful 
manufacturer,  qualities  rarely  found  together.  To  grow  rich,  and  at  the  same  time 
to  become  more  democratic  towards  the  masses,  is  a  quality  of  greatness. 

Mr.  Dolge  is  now  the  head  of  the  great  firm  of  Alfred  Dolge  &  Son ;  a  partner  in 
C.  F.  Zimmerman  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of  autoharps;  and  Daniel  Green  &  Co.,  second 
vice  president  of  The  Little  Falls  &  Dolgeville  Railroad,  and  in  New  York  city,  trustee 
of  The  German  Savings  Bank,  and  member  of  the  Republican  and  Liederkranz  clubs. 

By  his  marriage,  Dec.  22,  1868,  to  Anna  Auguste  Horn,  he  has  five  children, 
Rudolf,  William,  Ernst,  Henry  and  Fritz  Dolge.  His  home  is  now  in  New  York  city, 
where  he  has  become  widely  known  and  greatly  respected.  He  is  an  interesting 
speaker  and  has  frequently  been  heard  with  profit  before  public  assemblages  in  ex- 
planation of  economic  questions. 

JOHN  DOLLARD,  merchant,  born  in  County  Kilkenny,  Ireland,  March  15,  1840, 
died  in  New  York  city,  July  4,  1892.  He  was  the  son  of  Patrick  Dollard,  prominent  as 
a  grain  merchant  and  the  owner  of  large  real  estate  interests  in  the  southern  part  of 
this  city.  The  father  died  about  1890,  leaving  a  valuable  estate.  John  attended  the 
public  schools  and  finished  his  education  in  St.  Peter's  parochial  school  in  the  basement 
of  the  church  on  Barclay  street.  A  messenger  and  clerk  in  a  Wall  street  bank  about 
six  years,  he  then  joined  his  father  and  succeeded  him  in  the  grain  business,  which  he 
managed  with  ability.  His  office  was  at  63  Pearl  street.  He  was  a  vigorous,  active 
man,  and  at  one  time  a  member  of  Washington  Engine  Co.,  No.  20,  in  the  old  volunteer 
days.  He  was  married  in  1868,  to  a  daughter  of  John  Galavan  ;  his  wife  and  five 
sons  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Patrick  A.  and  Kerrin  X.  Dollard,  both  now  grain 
merchants;  James  J.  Dollard,  lawyer,  John  and  Edward  Dollard. 

WILLIAM  PROCTOR  DOUGLAS,  capitalist,  born  in  October,  1842,  in  New  York 
city,  is  a  son  of  George  Douglas,  gentleman  farmer,  who,  born  in  1792  and  a  descend- 
ant of  the  great  Scottish  family  of  Douglas,  spent  most  of  his  life  on  a  large  estate 
at  Douglaston,  L.  I.  The  family  sold  their  lands  in  Scotland  and  bought  property  in 
America.  William  received  his  education  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland.  The  town  house 
of  the  family  was  at  26-28  Park  Place,  this  property  being  yet  one  of  the  many  pieces 
of  realty  owned  by  Mr.  Douglas  in  this  city.  When  Park  Place  filled  up  with  stores,  the 
family  moved  to  i4th  street,  where  they  occupied  a  large  mansion,  situated  in  grounds 
comprising  nine  city  lots,  which,  superbly  kept,  were  for  years  the  talk  of  the  town. 
Every  lover  of  art  remembers  this  mansion  as  long  the  home  of  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  before  its  removal  to  Central  Park.  Mr.  Douglas  inherited  from  his 
father  the  manor  of  about  270  acres  at  Douglaston,  Little  Neck  Bay,  Long  Island,  and 
a  large  amount  of  property  in  this  city.  He  has  managed  his  estate  capably  and  is  a 
director  in  The  Greenwich  and  The  North  River  Insurance  Go's,  and  a  stockholder  in 
several  banks.  Mr.  Douglas  is  known  all  over  the  world  for  his  patriotic  efforts  in  the 
defense  of  the  America's  Cup  against  British  challengers.  The  Sappho  which  defeated 
the  Livonia  in  1871  was  his  boat.  For  a  later  contest,  James  Gordon  Bennett  and  he 
built  the  Priscilla.  In  1879,  he  married  Adelaide  L.,  daughter  of  Effingham  Townsend, 
the  dry  goods  auctioneer.  Their  children  are  Edith  Sybil  and  James  Gordon  Douglas. 


200  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Mr.  Douglas  belongs  to  the  best  clubs  of  the  United  States  and  Europe,  including  the 
Metropolitan,  Union,  Racquet,  Tuxedo,  Coaching,  Lambs',  Country,  Carteret  Gun, 
New  York  Yacht,  Corinthian  Yacht,  Douglaston  Yacht,  Austrian  Yacht,  Westminster 
Kennel,  New  York  Athletic,  Palmer  Island,  Rockaway  Hunt,  and  Meadow  Brook. 

DAVID  DOWS,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  merchants  of  his  time,  was  born  on 
a  farm  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  16,  1814,  and  died  in  New  York  city,  March  30, 
1890.  The  Dows  or  Dowse  family,  which  originated  in  the  neighborhood  of  Colchester 
and  Billerica  in  Essex,  England,  was  of  the  strict  Puritan  type,  and  one  of  its  members, 
Eleazar,  served  as  a  Colonel  under  Oliver  Cromwell  in  the  army  of  the  Common- 
wealth. About  1630,  Ebenezer  and  Maximilian  Dowse,  brothers  of  Eleazar,  sought 
freedom  of  worship  in  the  Colonies,  and  under  the  leadership  of  Governor  Winthrop 
aided  in  the  founding  of  Boston.  Later,  Ebenezer  settled  in  Charlestown,  Mass.,  and 
from  him  was  descended  Eleazar  (father  of  David  Dows),  who  was  born  in  1764.  Be- 
coming a  soldier  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  Eleazar  served  under  General  Sullivan 
in  Rhode  Island  and  subsequently  at  West  Point  under  the  command  of  Benedict 
Arnold.  In  1788,  he  established  himself  on  a  farm  near  Schenectady,  in  what  was  then 
a  wilderness.  His  ability,  energy,  and  decision  of  character  soon  brought  him  success 
and  made  him  the  leading  man  in  his  part  of  the  county.  By  his  marriage  with  Linda, 
daughter  of  Capt.  John  Wright,  of  Ballston  (an  officer  of  the  Continental  army),  he  be- 
came the  father  of  six  sons  and  six  daughters.  David  Dows  was  the  youngest  of  the  sons. 

David  worked  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended  the  district  school  until  he  became 
fourteen  years  of  age.  Then,  in  accordance  with  the  example  of  his  older  brothers,  he 
decided  to  leave  home  and  make  his  way  in  the  world.  His  first  step  in  this  direction 
was  to  obtain  a  clerkship  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Albany,  one  of  the  duties  of  which  was, 
to  open  the  shop  every  morning  and  make  as  attractive  as  possible  a  display  of  goods 
in  the  show  window.  It  is  not  without  interest  to  note  that  the  compensation  for  his 
services,  which  were  rendered  with  characteristic  energy  and  intelligence,  was  $100, 
$150,  and  $250  per  annum  respectively,  in  the  first,  second  and  third  years  of  his  ser- 
vice, and  that  he  boarded  and  clothed  himself. 

While  David  was  thus  employed,  his  brother  John,  a  man  of  remarkable  business 
sagacity  and  strength  of  character,  was  building  up  a  profitable  business  as  a  forwarder 
of  grain,  first  on  the  Mohawk  river,  later  on  the  Erie  Canal,  with  headquarters  in  New 
York.  Feeling  that  he  could  make  use  of  his  brother's  services,  John,  in  1832,  invited 
David  to  take  a  clerkship  in  his  firm  of  Dows  &  Gary,  which  was  gradually  withdrawing 
from  the  transportation  business  in  order  to  attend  to  the  rapidly  growing  commission 
business  which  had  been  undertaken.  Various  changes  now_occurred  in  the  composi- 
tion and  name  of  the  firm,  and  in  1837,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  David  was  admitted  to 
partnership  in  the  newly  constituted  house  of  Dows  &  Cary.  In  1844,  John  Dows  died 
and  David  continued  the  business  with  Mr.  Cary  as  an  equal  partner.  In  the  following- 
year,  in  the  midst  of  the  universal  money  stringency,  Dows  &  Cary  were  compelled  to 
suspend  payment  on  those  acceptances,  which,  owing  to  the  failure  of  certain  country 
dealers  to  forward  the  produce,  had  not  been  covered  by  shipments  of  property.  Owing 
to  the  confidence  of  their  creditors,  they  were  enabled  almost  immediately  to  resume 
business,  and  in  the  following  year,  one  of  unusual  activity  and  large  profits,  the  firm 
proved  that  this  confidence  was  well  placed,  because  it  paid  all  its  obligations,  dollar 
for  dollar  with  interest,  including  those  which  had  been  legally  compounded. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DO.  2O1 

An  important  event  now  occurred.  Mr.  Gary  was  forced  by  ill  health  to  leave 
active  business,  and  the  management  of  the  house  fell  to  Mr.  Dows.  This  was  Mr. 
Dows's  opportunity  and  he  grasped  it  with  a  firm  hand.  Following  a  broad  and  bold 
policy,  he  made  large  advances  on  property  shipped  to  him  from  the  interior  and  suc- 
ceeded in  opening  up  new  and  important  avenues  of  trade.  His  integrity,  sound  judg- 
ment and  high  credit  soon  made  Dows  &  Gary,  and  the  new  firm  of  David  Dows  &  Co., 
formed  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Gary  in  1854,  by  the  admission  of  Mr.  Dows's  nephew, 
John  D.  Mairs,  the  most  prominent  commission  house  in  New  York.  Indeed,  the 
business  of  the  firm  grew  to  such  proportions  that  Mr.  Dows,  in  spite  of  an  iron  consti- 
tution, felt  the  need  of  relief  from  detail  work,  and  on  this  account  made  certain 
changes  both  in  the  composition  and  name  of  the  firm,  which  resulted,  in  1861,  in  the 
admission  of  Alexander  E.  Orr  (a  nephew  by  marriage),  and  the  restoration  of  the 
name  of  David  Dows  &  Co.,  which  has  been  continued  to  the  present  time.  The  pres- 
tige of  the  firm  was  soon  yet  farther  increased  by  its  survival  in  that  fierce  struggle  for 
financial  existence,  which  marked  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  and  in  which  so  many 
business  institutions  went  to  the  wall;  and  it  was  this  moral  influence,  derived  from 
past  successes,  which  made  it  natural  that  the  agents  of  the  Federal  Government  should 
turn  to  David  Dows  &  Co.,  for  the  help  of  which  that  government  soon  stood  in  need 
in  provisioning  the  large  armies  which  it  had  in  the  field.  The  task  to  which  Mr.  Dows 
had  now  to  apply  himself  was  the  purchase  of  enormous  quantities  of  provisions  with- 
out permitting  the  speculators,  who  sought  to  make  excessive  profits  out  of  the  govern- 
ment's necessities,  to  run  up  the  price  of  these  provisions.  This  was  done  with  signal 
success  and  with  absolute  secrecy  as  to  the  nature  of  the  transaction. 

It  was  during  the  progress  of  these  operations,  involving,  as  they  did,  the  disburse- 
ment of  many  millions  of  dollars,  that  Secretary  Chase  took  the  first  steps  towards  the 
creation  of  the  national  bank  system,  the  immediate  purpose  of  which  was  to  create  a 
market  for  the  bonds  of  the  government.  The  needs  of  the  Treasury  were  press- 
ing, and  it  was  of  the  utmost  importance  to  the  country  that  the  system  suggested  by 
Mr.  Chase  should  receive  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  leaders  in  the  financial 
world.  But  when  the  Secretary  came  to  New  York  and  urged  that  a  prominent 
national  bank  should  be  at  once  organized,  in  order  to  secure  the  confidence  of  the 
country  in  the  new  system,  he  was  met  on  all  sides  with  hesitancy  and  prediction  of 
failure.  In  this  critical  time,  for  it  was  indeed  such,  David  Dows  and  a  few  others 
came  to  the  front  and  at  once  organized  The  Fourth  National  Bank  with  a  capital  of 
$5,000,000.  They  agreed  that  the  books  should  remain  open  just  four  days,  and  that 
they  would  personally  take  all  the  stock  which  might  remain  unsubscribed  for  at  the 
end  of  that  time.  This  determined  support  made  the  undertaking  a  success  and  was  of 
inestimable  aid  to  the  government  in  initiating  a  most  admirable  financial  system. 
The  firmness  with  which  this  system  has  become  established,  makes  it  hardly  possi- 
ble for  the  younger  generation  of  men  to  realize  how  much  public  spirit  and  pluck  were 
required  to  put  it  on  its  feet. 

In  the  foregoing  sketch,  note  has  been  taken  of  the  chief  features  of  Mr.  Dows's 
distinctive  vocation,  that  of  a  merchant.  It  remains  to  make  some  mention  of  his 
connection  with  the  railroads  and  financial  institutions  of  the  country.  When  Mr. 
Dows  began  his  career  as  a  merchant,  the  Erie  Canal  had  just  begun  to  make  an 
Eastern  market  for  the  produce  of  the  lake  bound  States;  and  two  years  before  he  came 


202 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


to  New  York  there  were  only  twenty-three  miles  of  railway  in  the  country.  For  a 
time,  water  transportation  sufficed;  but  it  soon  became  clear  to  Mr.  Dows  that  the 
fertility  of  the  great  West  could  be  turned  to  practical  account  only  by  the  develop- 
ment of  a  great  system  of  railways.  He  therefore  began,  some  years  before  the  Civil 
War,  to  apply  his  restless  energies  and  increasing  capital  to  the  construction  and 
development  of  railways  in  the  West  and  Northwest,  and  in  time  took  part  in  the  con- 
struction and  direction  of  The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  (of  which  he  was  long 
vice  president  and  in  which  he  took  especial  pride  and  interest  as  an  investor),  The 
Chicago  &  Northwestern,  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul,  The  Chicago,  St.  Paul, 
Minneapolis  &  Omaha,  and  The  Union  Pacific  Railroads.  He  also  in  time  became 
a  director  of  The  Delaware  &  Hudson,  and  a  promoter  of  The  Chicago  &  Eastern 
Illinois  as  well  as  of  many  smaller  railway  corporations.  But  it  should  be  clearly 
noted  that  Mr.  Dows's  work  as  a  railway  man  was  the  logical  outcome  of  his  position 
as  a  merchant,  and  was  undertaken  primarily  as  a  means  of  making  a  great  market  in 
the  East  for  the  produce  of  the  West  and  of  correspondingly  increasing  his  business 
as  a  merchant.  And  directly  in  line  with  this  underlying  plan  was  the  establishment, 
from  time  to  time,  of  branch  houses  of  David  Dows  &  Co.  in  Chicago,  Duluth,  St. 
Paul  and  Baltimore,  the  building  of  elevators  in  the  West  along  important  avenues  of 
traffic,  and  the  erection  of  the  Dows  Stores  on  the  Brooklyn  water  front.  Similar  con- 
siderations, too,  actuated  Mr.  Dows  in  bending  his  forces  to  the  solution  of  the  rapid 
transit  problem  in  New  York  city,  for  he  felt  that  New  York  could  not  become  the 
commercial  center  of  the  United  States  and  control  the  business  of  the  West,  unless 
some  provision  were  made  for  its  more  rapid  growth,  which  was  hindered  by  the 
peculiar  shape  of  Manhattan  Island.  From  the  first,  he  favored  the  construction  of  an 
elevated  road  to  be  operated  by  steam,  and  after  some  discouragements  with  a  cable 
system,  took  an  active  part  in  organizing  The  New  York  Elevated  Railroad  Co.  in  1872. 
For  ten  years  he  took  an  energetic  part  in  the  control  of  this  road  and  for  several 
years  more  remained  a  director  of  the  new  Manhattan  Railway  Co. 

The  latest  period  of  Mr.  Dows's  business  career  is  marked  by  his  activity  in  the 
world  of  finance,  the  natural  result,  first,  of  large  wealth  seeking  investment,  and, 
secondly,  of  the  demand  of  financial  institutions  for  men  of  large  and  varied  experience. 
He  thus  helped  to  organize  and  direct  The  Corn  Exchange,  The  Fourth  National  and 
The  Merchants'  Banks,  The  Central  Trust  Co.  of  New  York  and  The  Union  National 
Bank  of  Chicago.  He  was  identified  with  the  management  of  many  large  insurance 
companies,  including  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co.  and  The  North  British  & 
Mercantile  Insurance  Co.  (American  branch),  and  for  many  years  was  president  of  the 
New  York  Corn  Exchange,  from  which  developed  the  present  Produce  Exchange. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Dows  was  an  unswerving  Republican,  who  never  forgot  the  great 
work  done  by  his  party  in  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 
Though  exceedingly  liberal  in  matters  of  religion,  he  was  a  firm  believer  in  the  Protest- 
ant Episcopal  Church,  and  was  for  many  years  Senior  Warden  of  St.  George's.  He 
was  interested  in  several  charitable  works,  to  which  he  gave  liberally,  but  without 
ostentation. 

Hardly  anybody  came  into  relation  with  Mr.  Dows,  even  casually,  without  being 
sensibly  impressed  by  his  striking  personality.  The  tall  and  commanding  figure,  the 
massive  head  with  its  high  and  slightly  retreating  forehead,  the  quick,  expressive  eyes 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. 1)R.  203 

shaded  by  their  heavy  brows,  the  prominent,  well  shaped  nose  and  the  large,  firm 
mouth,  were  unmistakable  indications  of  the  force,  high  spirit  and  intellectual  vigor  of 
the  man.  But  the  impression  which  he  created  was  not  merely  that  which  comes  from 
the  possession  of  fine  physical  and  mental  powers,  for  his  simple  and  courteous  but 
dignified  manner  exerted  a  charm,  which  it  is  difficult  to  describe,  but  which  was  the 
expression  of  his  kindly  disposition  and  inborn  refinement  of  nature.  And  yet  it 
would  be  a  serious  error  to  suppose  that  Mr.  Dows  took  the  world  easily.  No  man 
ever  felt  the  seriousness  of  life  more  than  he,  and  no  man  ever  put  more  earnestness 
into  his  work  or  could  be  more  stern  and  unbending  when  occasion  required. 

Although  it  is  a  difficult  task,  it  is  always  interesting  to  try  to  form  some  estimate 
of  the  qualities  which  have  enabled  a  man  to  do  a  great  life  work.  The  achievements 
of  David  Dows  were  made  possible  by  the  possession  of  an  extraordinarily  vigorous 
and  penetrating  intellect,  of  a  fine  sense  of  fairness  and  justice,  of  a  singular  combina- 
tion of  boldness  and  caution,  and  of  an  iron  constitution,  which  was  preserved  until  the 
last  by  uniform  moderation  in  living.  To  these  characteristics  were  united  an  excep- 
tional insight  into  human  nature,  undaunted  courage  in  adversity,  and,  what  is  even 
more  rare,  a  balance  of  mind  wholly  undisturbed  by  repeated  successes  and  due  to  the 
entire  absence  of  anything  even  allied  to  vanity. 

Such  were  some  of  the  chief  traits  of  a  man  whose  fortune  it  was  to  begin  his 
career  in  a  time  when  the  world  was  trembling  with  the  impact  of  new  moral,  intellec- 
tual and  physical  forces,  and  whose  life,  while  given  to  commerce,  was  interwoven 
with  the  growing  fortunes  of  his  country  in  such  a  way  that  every  personal  success  was 
at  the  same  time,  and  in  greater  degree,  a  contribution  to  the  material  prosperity  of  the 
country  and  the  welfare  of  its  people. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Dows  married  Margaret  E.,  daughter  of  Horatio  Worcester,  of  New 
York  city.  He  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  seven  children:  Annie  L.,  wife  of  Richard 
M.  Hoe;  Linda,  wife  of  George  B.  Cooksey;  David  Dows,  jr.;  Margaret  W. ,  wife  of 
Dr.  Carroll  Dunham;  Susan,  wife  of  Dr.  C.  A.  Herter;  Mary,  wife  of  Dr.  E.  K. 
Dunham,  and  Tracy  Dows. 

JOSEPH  WILHELtt  DREXEL,  banker,  born  in  Philadelphia,  Jan.  24,  1831,  died 
in  New  York  city,  March  25,  1888.  His  father  was  Francis  M.  Drexel,  the  banker. 
Joseph  was  educated  in  the  high  school  of  his  native  city,  and  was  soon  admitted  to 
the  bank  of  Drexel  &  Co.  Shortly  afterward,  he  engaged  in  business  for  himself  in 
Chicago.  Owing  to  his  popularity  there,  one  of  that  city's  finest  avenues,  the  Drexel 
Boulevard,  was  named  after  him.  After  his  father's  death,  he  returned  to  Philadelphia, 
and  in  1871,  with  Junius  S.  Morgan,  of  London,  established  in  New  York  city  the 
banking  house  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.,  becoming  its  head.  He  was  also  at  the  head 
of  the  Paris  house  of  Drexel,  Harjes  &  Co.,  and  had  an  interest  in  The  Philadelphia 
Public  Ledger.  He  retired  from  business  in  1876,  with  a  large  fortune.  Esteemed  as 
was  Mr.  Drexel  among  his  business  associates,  it  is  not  as  a  mere  amasser  of  wealth 
that  his  memory  will  endure.  Highly  cultivated,  and  deeply  interested  in  musical  and 
artistic  affairs,  and  in  charities,  he  was  closely  connected  with  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art,  and  made  liberal  gifts  to  that  institution,  among  them  bejng  some 
early  Italian  paintings,  collections  of  Egyptian  casts,  a  collection  of  ancient  musical 
instruments,  and  a  painting  called  "  Harpsichord."  He  owned  a  large  and  valuable 
library  of  books  relating  to  music,  which  he  bequeathed  to  the  Lenox  Library,  was 


204  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

president  of  The  Philharmonic  Society,  and  a  director  of  The  Metropolitan  Opera 
House,  a  trustee  of  The  Bartholdi  Statue  Fund,  and  treasurer  of  The  Cancer  Hospital. 
He  did  much  to  make  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  a  complete  institution 
of  its  kind.  Mr.  Drexel's  character  and  financial  strength  led  to  his  election  as 
director  of  The  Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.,  The  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  The  Western 
Car  Co.,  The  Model  Tenement  House  Co.,  and  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.  He  owned 
a  large  tract  of  land  in  Maryland,  and  called  it  "  Klej  Grange,"  the  name  being  formed 
from  the  initials  of  his  four  daughters'  names.  Having  taught  poor  families  how  to  farm 
at  this  place,  he  would  send  them  West.  He  kept  an  agent  at  the  Tombs  in  New  York 
city  to  look  after  the  families  of  poor  convicts,  and  contributed  largely  to  the  support  of 
the  Episcopal  Church.  He  was  married  in  1865  to  Lucy,  daughter  of  Thomas  Floyd 
Wharton,  and  his  wife  and  four  daughters  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Katharine, 
wife  of  Dr.  Penrose,  of  Philadelphia;  Lucy,  wife  of  Eric  B.  Dahlgren;  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  John  Winton  Dahlgren;  and  Josephine  Wharton  Drexel. 

EDMUND  DRIQQS,  warehouseman  and  insurance  president,  born  in  Columbia 
county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  25,  1809,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  July  31,  1889.  His  father  was 
a  Connecticut  farmer.  First  engaged  in  sloop  navigation  of  the  Hudson,  then  a  grocer 
and  provisions  merchant  in  the  river  trade  at  New  York,  he  secured  a  situation  after 
the  great  fire  of  1835  as  weighing  master  and  found  profitable  employment  in  weighing 
the  steel,  wire  and  metal  collected  from  the  ruins  of  the  great  fire.  Under  Jesse  Hoyt, 
Collector  of  the  Port,  he  was  appointed  Inspector  of  Customs.  In  1840,  he  returned  to 
the  grocery  business  at  Broadway  and  Twelfth  street,  but  in  1843  sold  his  store  to 
accept  an  appointment  as  Inspector  of  potash  and  pearl  ash  for  New  York  city.  He 
was  the  last  official  of  this  class  under  State  appointment.  He  then  converted  a  part  of 
the  premises,  which  he  had  used  for  inspection,  into  a  storage  warehouse,  and  this  store 
became  the  first  bonded  warehouse  established  under  the  United  States  law  of  1846. 
He  conducted  this  store  for  three  years.  In  1848,  he  settled  in  Williamsburg,  now  a 
part  of  Brooklyn,  and  was  thereafter  intimately  identified  with  the  affairs  of  the  village, 
being  elected  its  president  in  1850.  In  1853,  he  helped  organize  The  Williamsburg 
Bank,  which  became  The  First  National  of  Brooklyn,  The  Williamsburg  Savings  Bank 
and  The  Williamsburg  Fire  Insurance  Co.  He  was  a  director  in  each  concern  and 
president  of  the  latter  until  his  death,  excepting  for  a  brief  period,  while  serving  as 
Collector  of  Taxes.  He  was  prominent  in  securing  the  consolidation  of  Williamsburg 
and  Brooklyn  in  1854,  served  as  Tax  Collector  of  Brooklynr  1859-65. 

DENNING  DUER,  banker,  born  in  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  in  December,  1812,  died  at 
his  home  near  Weehawken,  N.  J.,  March  10,  1891.  The  Duer  family  has  been  identified 
with  the  history  of  the  country  and  of  New  York  city  from  the  early  Colonial  days. 
William  Duer,  grandfather  of  Denning,  came  to  this  country  from  Devonshire,  England, 
and  in  1779  married  Lady  Catherine,  daughter  of  Gen.  William  Alexander,  Earl  of 
Stirling,  of  the  Continental  Army.  An  ardent  patriot,  Mr.  Duer  served  his  country  as 
Deputy  Adjutant  General  of  the  New  York  militia  and  member  both  of  the  Provincial 
Congress  and  Continental  Congress.  Judge  William  Alexander  Duer,  of  Albany,  son 
of  the  latter,  afterward  president  of  Columbia  College  from  1829  to  1841,  was  a  noted 
man  in  his  day.  He  married  Maria  Denning,  their  son  being  Denning  Duer.  The 
young  man  came  to  New  York  city  in  his  seventeenth  year,  to  take  a  place  as  clerk  in 
the  counting  room  of  W.  F.  Gary  &  Co.  Having,  in  1837,  married  Caroline,  daughter 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DU.  205 

of  James  Gore  King,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  banking  house  of  Prime,  Ward  & 
King,  one  of  the  oldest  in  Wall  street.  The  style  of  the  firm  was  afterward  changed 
to  James  G.  King  &  Sons,  and  later  to  James  G.  King's  Sons.  Of  the  latter  firm,  Mr. 
Duer  was  senior  member  until  failing  health  compelled  his  retirement  in  1875.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange  from  1843  until  his  death.  Mr.  Duer  never  entered 
public  life,  but  was  a  strong  Republican,  and  one  of  the  earliest  members  of  the  Union 
club,  joining  in  1838.  Mrs.  Duer  died  in  1863.  He  left  six  children,  Edward  A., 
James  Gore  King,  William  Alexander,  and  Denning  Duer,  jr. ,  and  two  daughters,  and 
was  buried  at  Jamaica,  L.  I. ,  long  the  home  of  members  of  the  Duer  and  King  families, 
where  they  have  owned  a  large  area  of  land  since  the  days  of  the  Revolution. 

ANTHONY  DUQRO,  born  in  Alsace,  France,  in  1823,  died  in  this  city,  Oct.  9, 
1884.  He  came  to  America  early  in  life,  engaged  in  contract  work,  and  owned  the 
stage  line  on  Sixth  avenue,  which  yielded  him  a  large  return.  With  a  foresight,  which 
did  great  credit  to  his  judgment,  Mr.  Dugro  invested  his  savings  mainly  in  real  estate 
in  portions  of  the  city,  destined  to  become  crowded  with  stores  and  residences,  and, 
as  a  result,  left  a  large  property  to  his  children.  In  1852,  he  was  elected  one  of  the 
directors  of  the  Alms  House,  which  then  had  entire  charge  of  the  prisons  and  charities 
of  the  city,  being  re-elected  in  1857.  In  1876,  he  served  on  the  Democratic  ticket  as 
elector.  His  children  were  Philip  H.,  Jacob  W. ,  and  Francis  A.  Dugro,  and  Mrs. 
Dorothea  Buttles  —His  son,  PHILIP  HENRY  DUGRO,  jurist,  born  in  New  York  city, 
Oct.  2,  1855,  graduated  from  Columbia  College  in  1876  and  from  Columbia  Law 
School  in  1878.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  John  McKeon  and  Recorder  Frederick 
Smyth,  and  after  being  admitted  to  the  bar,  practiced  his  profession  ably  and  success- 
fully. He  dealt  largely  in  real  estate,  of  which  he  inherited  much  from  his  father. 
In  1878,  he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  from  the  XlVth  District,  as.  a  Democrat,  and 
declined  a  renomination.  In  1880,  after  a  sharp  contest  he  defeated  William  Waldorf 
Astor  for  Congress  from  the  old  VHth  District.  He  declined  a  renomination  and 
renewed  his  practice,  but  was,  in  1886,  elected  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court.  In  1888, 
he  sought  the  Tammany  nomination  for  Mayor,  but  through  Mr.  Croker's  influence, 
the  office  went  to  Hugh  J.  Grant.  He  has  lately  taken  no  active  part  in  politics.  He 
is  the  owner  of  the  Hotel  Savoy  on  the  Plaza  at  the.  entrance  to  Central  Park,  which 
was  built  1890-92,  and  has  been  remarkably  successful.  Judge  Dugro  has  joined  the 
Manhattan  and  University  Athletic  clubs.  Married  in  1876,  he  has  two  children, 
Charles  and  Antonia. 

ROBERT  GRAHAF1  DUN,  sole  proprietor  of  The  Mercantile  Agency,  at  314  Broad- 
way, has  gained  his  high  financial  standing  by  his  extended  system  for  reporting  on 
mercantile  credits  and  by  investments  in  real  estate. 

Mr.  Dun  descends  from  an  excellent  family  of  Scotland.  For  twenty  years,  his 
grandfather,  the  Rev.  James  Dun,  was  a  minister  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland  in 
Glasgow.  His  father,  Robert  Dun,  received  a  fine  education  and  was  destined  for  the 
ministry,  but  emigrated  to  America  about  1815,  settled  in  Virginia  and  engaged  in 
practical  pursuits,  afterward  moving  to  Ohio.  He  married  Lucy  W.  Angus,  who  was 
also  of  Scotch  parentage.  Robert  Graham  Dun  was  born  in  Chillicothe,  Ohio,  in  1826. 
The  young  man  was  educated  at  the  local  district  schools  and  academy,  and  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  at  a  salary  of  §2  a  week,  began  life  in  the  employment  of  a  business  house, 
in  which  he  soon  rose  to  be  a  partner.  In  1850,  he  removed  to  New  York  city,  where 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DU.  207 

he  entered  The  Mercantile  Agency  then  conducted  by  Tappan  &  Douglass.  His  zeal 
in  the  work  of  the  house,  his  fidelity  to  duty  and  intelligence,  resulted,  in  1854,  upon 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Tappan,  in  Mr.  Douglass  admitting  him  to  partnership  under  the 
firm  name  of  B.  Douglass  &  Co.  In  1859,  Mr.  Dun  bought  the  interest  of  Mr.  Doug- 
lass. Realizing  that  there  must  be  one  controlling  head  in  an  organization  so  com- 
plex and  extended  as  that  cf  The  Mercantile  Agency,  Mr.  Dun  has  continued  sole 
proprietor  of  the  business  until  the  present  day. 

The  immense  expansion  of  the  internal  commerce  of  the  United  States  which  has 
taken  place  since  1859,  has  rendered  increasingly  necessary  the  existence  of  The  Mer- 
cantile Agency.  Under  Mr.  Dun's  ownership,  the  business  of  the  house  has  kept  pace 
with  the  times  and  grown  with  the  growth  of  the  country.  As  new  cities  sprang  up  in 
the  West  and  South,  their  enterprising  merchants  have  felt  the  absolute  necessity  of  the 
services  of  an  agency,  which  should  devote  its  attention  carefully  to  reporting  upon 
credits  and  incidentally  to  collections.  A  large  number  of  branch  offices  have  been 
established  by  Mr.  Dun,  in  almost  every  instance  at  the  request  of  the  local  merchants, 
until  now  the  house  is  represented  in  all  the  distributing  centers  of  the  United  States 
and  the  Canadas  and  in  the  leading  cities  of  Great  Britain  and  continental  Europe.  At 
many  points,  the  local  income  is  necessarily  limited  and  insufficient  to  pay  the  actual 
expenses  of  the  local  offices.  Nevertheless,  a  staff  is  maintained  at  each  center  of  trade, 
thus  better  to  report  the  locality  and  make  the  records  for  the  whole  country  more  accu- 
rate and  complete.  An  existence  of  over  half  a  century  has  enabled  The  Mercantile 
Agency  of  R.  G.  Dun  &  Co.  to  acquire  an  experience  and  accumulate  an  amount  of 
capital,  which  enable  it  to  fulfil  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  mercantile  community  the 
important  duties  which  it  is  called  on  to  discharge.  The  whole  business  world  is 
acquainted,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  with  its  general  purposes  and  system.  The 
Agency  possesses  many  distinctive  features  of  great  interest,  however,  and  it  yearly 
secures  the  support  of  a  growing  number  of  those  whose  business  is  such  as  to  require 
them  to  extend  either  confidence  or  credit. 

Mr.  Dun  has  never  entered  politics,  or  cared  for  political  preferment.  Away  from 
business,  he  enjoys  the  pleasures  of  social  life.  The  winter  season  is  spent  by  him  in 
New  York  at  a  comfortable  home  in  the  best  residence  section  of  Madison  avenue,  and 
in  the  summer  time,  he  is  often  seen  at  his  handsome  country  house  at  Xarragansett 
Pier.  He  is  a  member  of  both  the  Union  League  and  the  Manhattan  clubs,  which 
are  respectively  the  leading  Republican  and  Democratic  social  organizations  in  New 
York.  He  is  a  patron  of  some  of  the  public  institutions  of  the  city. 

DAVID  DUNCAN,  merchant,  born  in  Scotland  in  1819,  died  at  his  summer  home 
at  Sea  Bright,  X.  J.,  June  15,  1891.  John  Duncan,  his  father,  brought  the  family  to 
America  in  1830,  and  opened  a  store  on  Broadway,  in  this  city,  for  the  importation  of 
fancy  groceries.  David  continued  in  this  business  all  his  life,  and  on  his  father's  death, 
became  senior  member  of  the  firm,  known  as  John  Duncan's  Sons,  his  partner  being 
his  brother,  John  P.  Duncan.  In  1851,  the  retail  branch  was  moved  to  i4th  street. 
About  the  year  1887,  the  firm  discontinued  the  retail  department,  retaining  only  the 
wholesale  business.  This  was  conducted  for  many  years  in  Beaver  street  and  in  Col- 
lege Place,  but  afterward  removed  to  No.  43  Park  Place.  Mr.  Duncan  died  unmarried. 
He  was  a  man  of  quiet  tastes  and  retiring  disposition,  and  a  life  long  member  of  Rev. 
Dr.  John  Hall's  church. 


208  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ROBERT  DUNLAP,  hatter,  born  in  this  city,  Oct.  17,  1834,  is  the  son  of  William 
Dunlap,  leather  merchant  from  1835  until  his  death  in  1858.  Robert  attended  the 
public  schools,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen  began  life  as  an  errand  boy  in  a  hat  store. 
An  apprentice  and  then  a  salesman,  he  learned  every  branch  of  the  trade,  and  in  1857, 
established  a  hat  store  on  his  own  account  at  No.  557  Broadway,  and  in  1859,  when  the 
Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  opened  its  doors,  another  store  in  that  building.  This  was  a  bold 
venture  for  the  young  man.  He  overtaxed  his  resources  and  fell  into  embarrassment, 
but  perseverance,  industry  and  integrity  won  the  day,  and  he  has  for  twenty  years  past 
made  steady  progress.  His  firm  of  R.  Dunlap  &  Co.,  of  which  he  is  sole  partner,  are 
now  the  leading  hatters  of  New  York  city.  He  has  branch  stores  in  Chicago  and  Phila- 
delphia, and  authorized  agents  for  the  sale  of  his  hats  in  all  the  principal  cities.  The 
factory  is  in  Brooklyn.  Having  once  secured  the  confidence  of  the  public,  he  has  since 
retained  the  lead  in  style  and  fashion  of  gentlemen's  hats,  and  his  business  is  now  one 
of  the  largest  in  the  United  States  and  very  profitable.  He  is  the  largest  owner  in  The 
Lake  Hopatcong  Hotel  &  Land  Improvement  Co.  Mr.  Dunlap  is  a  very  capable  man, 
public  spirited,  a  generous  contributor  to  the  museums  and  public  institutions  of  the 
city,  and  a  valued  member  of  several  New  York  clubs,  among  them  the  New  York, 
Manhattan,  Colonial,  Lambs',  New  York  Athletic,  Larchmont  Yacht  and  New  York 
Yacht  clubs.  By  his  marriage  with  a  daughter  of  Dr.  T.  H.  Burras  of  New  York,  Oct. 
17,  1860,  he  is  the  father  of  four  daughters  and  one  son. 

FREDERICK  WILLIAfl  DUNTON,  railroad  promoter,  was  born  in  Northville, 
Sullivan  county,  N.  H.,  June  9,  1851,  and  springs  from  a  worthy  and  reputable  family. 
He  began  life,  like  thousands  of  other  honest  boys,  as  a  farmer,  clerk  in  a  store  and 
clerk  in  a  post  office,  finally  at  the  age  of  sixteen  going  to  Iowa,  where  he  entered  the 
employment  of  Austin  Corbin,  remaining  with  him  as  clerk  and  partner  for  about 
twenty  years.  His  association  with  his  intrepid  partner  has  led  him  into  railroad 
enterprises,  and  he  is  a  director  of  The  Chicago  &  Ohio  River,  The  Elmira,  Cortland 
&  Northern,  The  New  York  &  Rockaway  Beach  and  The  New  York,  Brooklyn  & 
Manhattan  Beach,  and  other  railroad  companies.  Mr.  Dunton  is  a  man  of  extremely 
progressive  ideas  and  untiring  energy.  His  name  is  a  household  word  on  Long  Island 
where  he  now  resides,  and  in  the  development  of  which  he  has  played  a  prominent 
part.  He  was  among  the  first  to  perceive  the  merits  of  the  bicycle  principle  as 
adapted  to  railroads,  and  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  at  the  head  of  the  first  and 
only  bicycle  electric  railroad  yet  built,  a  section  of  which  has  recently  been  completed 
near  Patchogue.  So  fully  has  this  road  met  the  expectations  of  its  builders  and  the 
public,  and  so  clearly  has  Mr.  Dunton  shown  its  special  advantages  for  Long  Island, 
that  the  dream  of  a  few  has  become  the  hope  of  the  many,  and  subscriptions  for  its 
extension  indicate  that  it  will  soon  be  in  active  commercial  operation  between  all  impor- 
tant points.  In  1891,  he  served  his  fellow  citizens  of  Queens  county  as  chairman  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors.  February  13,  1876,  he  married  Emily  M.  Morgan  in  Brooklyn, 
and  they  have  four  children,  Lois,  Emily,  William  and  Katheryn. 

CHARLES  W.  DURANT,  railroad  president,  born  in  Hinsdale,  Mass.,  April  23, 
1821,  died  in  New  York  city,  April  5,  1885.  He  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Durant,  mer- 
chant. At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  entered  the  office  of  his  uncle,  Clark  Durant,  of  the 
firm  of  Durant  &  Lathrop,  shippers  of  grain  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  when  of  age,  took 
the  place  of  his  uncle,  who  then  retired,  the  firm  becoming  Durant,  Lathrop  &  Co. , 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DU.  209 

known  for  many  years  as  the  largest  grain  firm  in  the  East.  They  were  among  the 
first  owners  of  towing  boats  on  the  Hudson  River.  In  1859,  Mr.  Durant  became  inter- 
ested in  The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroad,  and  was  its  president  for  many 
years.  When  his  sons,  Charles  W.  and  Frederick  C.  Durant  grew  to  manhood,  he 
engaged  in  the  sugar  refining  business  with  them,  under  the  name  of  Charles  W. 
Durant  &  Sons,  in  which  he  continued  until  failing  health  compelled  his  retirement. 
His  wife,  Margaret  L. ,  died  in  December,  1884.  Their  children  were  Thomas  F., 
Charles  W.,  Frederick  C.,  and  Howard  M.  Durant,  and  Estelle,  wife  of  Henry  C. 
Bowers. 

THOflAS  C.  DURANT,  fl.  D.,  railroad  builder,  born  in  Lee,  Berkshire  county, 
Mass.,  about  1820,  died  at  his  home  in  North  Creek,  Warren  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  5, 
1885.  His  father,  Thomas  Durant,  was  a  merchant  and  manufacturer,  and  his  grand- 
father, William  Durant,  an  officer  in  the  American  Revolution  and  a  member  of  th.e 
Boston  Committee  of  Safety.  Selecting  medicine  as  a  profession,  Thomas  entered  the 
Albany  Medical  College,  and  graduated  at  the  age  of  twenty.  After  practicing  three 
years,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  shipping  firm  of  Durant,  Lathrop  &  Co.,  of  Albany, 
who  maintained  branches  in  Boston,  Chicago  and  New  York,  and  agencies  in  different 
parts  of  the  country.  Besides  owning  and  employing  a  large  number  of  vessels  for 
the  transportation  of  merchandise,  Dr.  Durant  had  special  charge  of  the  New  York 
branch,  and  shipped  largely  to  all  the  European  ports.  The  business  was  carried  on 
with  unexampled  success  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  French  Revolution  in  1848. 
A  knowledge  of  the  resources  of  the  great  West  induced  Dr.  Durant  then  to  turn 
his  attention  to  railroad  matters.  He  assisted  materially  in  promoting  The  Michigan 
Southern  Railroad,  and  under  contract  helped  construct  The  Chicago  &  Rock  Island 
and  The  Mississippi  &  Missouri  Railroad.  In  1862,  after  preliminary  surveys  of  the 
Platte  valley  for  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  Dr.  Durant  procured  the  subscription  of 
two  millions  of  stock,  and  in  1863-64,  obtained  from  Congress  important  amendments 
to  the  charter.  During  1 864,  he  perfected  the  financial  organization  under  which  the 
road  was  carried  to  completion.  Immediately  after  laying  the  last  rail,  Dr.  Durant 
retired  from  The  Union  Pacific,  and  began  the  construction  of  the  Adirondacks  Rail- 
way, of  which  he  was  president  and  general  manager,  until,  his  death.  He  left  a  wife 
and  daughter  at  North  Creek,  and  a  son,  W.  W.  Durant. 

GEN.  HIRAM  DURYEA,  manufacturer,  born  in  Manhasset,  Long  Island,  April 
12,  1834,  is  a  lineal  descendant,  in  the  seventh  generation,  of  Joost  Durie,  a  French 
Huguenot,  who,  with  other  refugees,  settled  in  Manheim  in  the  Palatinate  and  came 
to  this  country  with  his  wife,  Magdalina  Le  Febre,  in  1660.  He  died  in  Bushwick, 
L.  I.,  in  1727.  Hiram's  father,  Hendrick  Vanderbilt  Duryea,  born  at  Syosset,  L.  I., 
Feb.  23,  1799,  died  April  i,  1891,  while  his  mother,  born  at  Glen  Cove.,  L.  I.,  Sept. 
12,  1801,  died  Jan.  9,  1881.  The  latter  was  a  daughter  of  Zebulon  Wright,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Peter  Wright,  who  settled  at  Oyster  Bay,  L.  I.,  in  1653,  having 
emigrated  from  Norfolk,  England,  to  Massachusetts,  in  1635.  Hiram  received  a 
common  and  private  school  education  and  gave  much  time  to  military  studies.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was  taken  into  partnership  with  his  father,  under  the 
name  of  H.  V.  Duryea  &  Son,  in  the  manufacture  of  starch.  His  brothers  started 
in  the  same  business  later,  and  the  firm  then  merged  their  interests  with  the  latter. 
Located  at  Glen  Cove,  L.  I.,  the  company  was  known  as  The  Glen  Cove  Starch  Manu- 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

facturing  Co.  General  Duryea  was  vice  president  of  that  company  for  many  years, 
and  its  president,  when,  in  1890,  it  sold  and  closed  its  business.  He  has  since  devoted 
his  time  to  personal  affairs,  except  that  he  served  for  eighteen  months  as  president  of 
The  National  Starch  Co.  He  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Clark,  Feb.  5,  1855, 
ist  Lieutenant  of  Artillery,  48th  Regiment,  N.  Y.  S.  M.  In  consequence  of  a  change 
of  residence  he  resigned  July  22,  1857.  Immediately  after  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter, 
he  tendered  his  services  to  the  State  and  was  commissioned  Captain  in  the  5th  N.  Y. 
Inf.,  July  4,  1 86 1,  and  was  promoted  in  August,  at  the  request  of  superior  officers,  to 
the  rank  of  Major,  and  Sept.  7,  1861,  to  the  Lieutenant  Colonelcy.  The  Colonel  of 
the  regiment  was  G.  K.  Warren,  a  grand  man  and  able  soldier,  who  afterward  distin- 
guished himself  as  a  corps  commander.  For  a  short  time  Colonel  Duryea  commanded 
the  regiment.  The  sth  served  as  engineers  and  artillerymen  in  Baltimore,  building 
there  Fort  Federal  Hill  and  finishing  Fort  Marshall.  In  the  siege  of  Yorktown,  it 
built  and  served  batteries.  In  the  Peninsula  Campaign,  by  reason  of  its  efficiency  and 
high  record,  the  5th  was  assigned  to  the  division  of  regulars  and  thereafter  acted 
continuously  with  them  until  the  end  of  its  service.  Colonel  Duryea  had  the  honor  of 
special  mention  in  official  reports  for  distinguished  services  in  the  siege  of  Yorktown, 
and  at  the  battle  of  Gaines  Mills,  Va.,  the  first  of  the  seven  days'  fights.  He  was 
commissioned  Colonel,  Oct.  29,  1862,  and  May  26,  1866,  brevet  Brigadier  General.  In 
consequence  of  permanent  injuries,  and  serious  illness,  he  resigned  in  November,  1862, 
General  Butterfield  complimenting  him  highly  in  special  orders.  General  Duryea  is  a 
member  of  the  United  Service  club  and  the  Loyal  Legion.  His  children  are,  H.  H., 
C.  B.,  Anna  E.,  and  Milicent  S.  Duryea. 

SAflUEL  BOWNE  DURYEA,  realty  owner  and  philanthropist,  born  in  Brook- 
lyn, March  27,  1845,  died  there  June  7,  1892.  He  was  the  son  of  Harmanus  Barkuloo 
and  Elizabeth  Bowne  Duryea,  the  latter  the  daughter  of  Samuel  Bowne.  After  an 
education  in  the  Polytechnic  Institute  of  Brooklyn  and  the  University  of  the  City  of 
New  York,  he  entered  the  Yale  Theological  Seminary,  but  did  not  finish  there,  because 
property  interests  demanded  his  immediate  attention.  By  inheritance  from  the  Bowne 
family,  Mr.  Duryea  came  into  the  ownership  of  a  large  amount  of  real  estate  in  Brook- 
lyn, which  he  managed  with  sagacity  and  success.  He  was  noted  for  philanthropic  and 
progressive  spirit.  All  the  leading  public  institutions  of  Brooklyn  were  actively  pro- 
moted by  him,  and  his  action  for  the  preservation  of  forests,  streams  and  fish,  made 
him  a  valuable  citizen.  He  wrote  many  thoughtful  essays  on  personal  character  and 
education.  Sept.  23,  1869,  he  married  in  Milwaukee,  Wis.~~r  Kate,  daughter  of  Walter 
P.  Flanders,  a  lawyer  of  position.  In  his  will  he  bequeathed  much  property  to  his 
wife  and  relatives,  but  left  a  large  tract  of  land,  in  trust,  for  schools,  churches  and 
societies. 

WRIGHT  DURYEA,  starch  manufacturer,  born  on  Long  Island  in  1824,  died  at 
his  home  at  Glen  Cove,  Sept.  17,  1889.  He  was  the  oldest  of  seven  sons  of  Hendrick 
V.  Duryea.  He  began  life  as  a  civil  and  mechanical  engineer.  In  1855,  his  father,  his 
brother  Hiram  and  he  with  others,  established  The  Glen  Cove  Starch  Manufacturing 
Co.  Mr.  Duryea  was  an  inventor  in  various  fields,  and  his  originality  was  shown  in 
the  manufacture  of  starch  and  discoveries  in  the  science  of  electricity.  Mr.  Duryea 
was  twice  married.  His  second  wife,  and  two  sons,  Louis  T.  and  Frank  Duryea,  sur- 
vived him.  Mr.  Duryea's  will  provided  that  his  monument  should  be  a  large,  rough, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. DU.  211 

natural  boulder,  not  less  than  4,000  pounds  in  weight,  as  in  some  sense  indicating  his 
life,  inscribed  with  his  name,  age,  date  and  cause  of  death. 

JOHN  BOWDISH  DUTCHER,  railroad  manager,  was  born  Feb.  13,  1830,  in  Dover, 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.  His  father,  David  Dutcher,  died  June  9,  1853,  and  his 
mother,  Amy  Bowdish  Dutcher,  died  June  5,  1875.  His  paternal  grandfather  came 
to  this  country  from  Holland,  while  his  mother's  family  were  Massachusetts  people. 
Mr.  Dutcher  obtained  his  education  chiefly  in  the  common  schools,  was  reared  as  a 
farmer  and  has  always  been  a  farmer.  He  remained  on  the  farm  until  April,  1861, 
when  he  removed  to  the  adjoining  town  of  Pawling,  where  he  has  since  resided.  In 
1857,  he  was  made  Supervisor  of  Dover  and  the  ensuing  year  Justice  of  the  Peace. 
In  politics,  originally  a  Whig,  upon  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party,  he 
attached  himself  to  them,  and  is  yet  a  stout  advocate  of  their  principles,  having  been, 
during  the  war,  an  active  and  zealous  partisan  of  the  Union  cause.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Assembly  in  1861  and  1862,  and  of  the  State  Senate  in  1864  and  1865.  Since  1864, 
he  has  been  a  director  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad,  and  in  1865  took  charge 
of  the  department  of  live  stock  transportation  on  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson 
River  Railroad.  He  is  president  of  The  Union  Stock  Yard  &  Market  Co.  of  New  York 
and  prominently  identified  with  other  corporations,  being  a  director  of  The  Spuyten. 
Duyvil  Railroad,  The  Poughkeepsie  &  Eastern  Railroad,  The  New  York  &  Putnam 
Railroad,  The  American  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  The  Mizzen  Top 
Hotel  Co.,  at  Quaker  Hill,  and  president  of  The  National  Bank  of  Pawling.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Produce  Exchange,  the  Union  League 
club,  and  the  St.  Nicholas  Society  of  New  York  city,  and  president  of  the  village  of 
Pawling  and  The  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society.  Not  the  least  of  Mr. 
Dutcher's  labors  has  been  a  successful  effort  for  the  improvement  of  the  village  of 
Pawling.  He  has  devoted  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the  management  of  his  farm  property, 
and  is  now  the  owner  of  1,600  acres  of  fine  grazing  land  in  Dutchess  county,  stocked 
with  thoroughbred  cattle  and  horses.  In  1860,  he  married  Miss  Christina,  daughter  of 
the  late  Daniel  Dodge,  of  Pawling.  To  them  was  born  one  son,  J.  Gerow  Dutcher, 
who  now  manages  the  stock  farms  and  other  interests  at  Pawling.  In  April,  1894,  he 
married  Helen  Titus  Willets,  daughter  of  Edward  Willets,  of  Roslyn,  L.  I. 

AMOS  T.  DWIQHT,  merchant,  born  in  New  Haven,  Conn.,  died  in  New  York 
city,  Feb.  6,  1881,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  When  a  young  man,  he  went  to  New 
Orleans  and  established  himself  in  the  clothing  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Dwight,  Trowbridge  &  Co.  In  1848,  he  came  to  New  York  and  started  the  firm 
of  Trowbridge,  Dwight  &  Co.  on  Chambers  street.  About  1865,  he  became  a  mer- 
chant of  cotton  in  Hopkins,  Dwight  &  Trowbridge,  and  continued  in  that  vocation 
until  1878,  when  he  retired  with  a  large  fortune,  although  retaining  his  interest  in  the 
firm.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Home  Fire  Insurance  and  The  Commercial  Mutual 
Marine  Insurance  Co.'s,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  left  one  son,  Frederick  A.  Dwight,  and  a  daughter,  Jeannette  Atwater,  wife  of 
George  T.  Bliss. 


E 

WILLIAM  PITT  EARLE,  hotel  proprietor,  in  his  day  a  famous  New  York  hotel 
keeper,  was  born  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  about  1812,  and  died  in  this  city,  Jan.  2,  1894. 
Mr.  Earle  entered  upon  business  life  early  and  made  his  way  with  much  energy.  When 
he  opened  Earle's  Hotel  on  Park  Row,  he  began  those  operations,  which,  owing  to 
his  foresight  and  sagacity,  were  marked  with  almost  monotonous  success.  In  recent 
years,  he  conducted  Earle's  Hotel  on  Canal  street  at  the  corner  of  Centre  street,  and 
invested  his  earnings  mainly  in  real  estate  in  different  parts  of  the  city,  which  advanced 
greatly  in  value.  He  was  one  of  the  originators  of  The  National  Park  Bank  and  The 
Consumers'  Ice  Co.  His  wife  and  five  children  survived  him,  the  latter  being  William 
H.,  Gen.  Ferdinand  P.,  Eugene  M.,  and  Frank  T.  Earle  and  Emma  Louise,  wife  of 
John  L.  Chadwick.  The  sons  are  all  hotel  men.  Gen.  Ferdinand  P.  Earle,  formerly 
of  Earle's  Hotel  and  lately  proprietor  of  the  Hotel  New  Netherland,  now  conducts  the 
Normandie  and  a  summer  hotel  of  the  same  name  on  the  New  Jersey  coast,  is  a  man 
remarkable  for  public  spirit,  and  has  lately  bought  the  famous  mansion  of  Madame 
Jumel,  in  which  he  lives  on  Washington  heights.  He  was  a  member  of  the  military 
staff  of  Governor  Flower. 

TIMOTHY  C.  EASTHAN,  merchant,  born  about  1821,  died  at  his  home,  Tarry- 
town,  N.  Y. ,  Oct.  n,  1893.  He  began  life  poor,  working  along  the  river  front,  where 
he  became  familiar  with  the  handling  of  cattle  in  transportation,  and  showed  so  much 
energy  that  a  position  was  given  him  on  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Rail- 
road. In  the  course  of  time,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  all  the  cattle  business  of  the 
company.  Having  saved  some  means,  he  went  into  business  for  himself,  and  gained 
fortune  by  effecting  a  revolution  in  the  methods  for  supplying  England  with  American 
beef.  He  not  only  shipped  thousands  of  live  cattle  to  England  and  whole  cargoes  of 
fresh  beef  in  refrigerating  chambers  by  steamship,  but  promoted  retail  market  stores 
in  all  parts  of  the  United  Kingdom.  In  1889,  he  founded  The  Eastman's  Co.,  with  a 
capital  of  $750,000  to  carry  on  this  trade,  and  was  its  president,  his  son  Joseph  being 
treasurer.  Large  abbatoirs  were  established  at  the  foot  of  West  S9th  street.  He  was 
a  director  in  The  West  Side  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Produce  Exchange.  He  was 
survived  by  his  wife,  Mrs.  Lucy  P.  Eastman,  and  his  children,  Joseph  Eastman  and 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bell.  Mr.  Eastman  belonged  to  the  Manhattan,  New  York  and  Law- 
yers' clubs,  and  The  New  England  Society. 

THOHAS  ALVA  EDISON,  inventor,  was  born  Feb.  n,  1847,  in  Alva,  O.  His 
only  schooling  was  given  him  by  his  mother,  who  had  been  a  teacher.  When  twelve 
years  old,  the  lad  went  to  work  as  a  newsboy  on  The  Grand  Trunk  Railroad,  and, 
during  leisure  moments  on  the  train,  managed  to  study  qualitative  analysis  and 
diversify  existence  in  the  baggage  car  with  chemical  experiments.  A  grateful 
station  master,  whose  child  he  had  saved  from  death  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  taught 
him  telegraphy,  and  he  soon  became  a  skillful  operator.  While  yet  a  boy,  he  invented 
the  "automatic  repeater."  In  1864,  the  possibility  of  sending  two  messages  at  once 
over  the  same  wire,  suggested  itself  to  his  mind;  and  he  perfected  an  invention  for 
this  purpose  in  1872,  developing  it  not  only  to  duplex  but  even  sextuplex  transmission. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — ED. 


213 


In  1871,  he  came  to  New  York,  and  was  made  superintendent  of  The  Gold  &  Stock 
Telegraph  Co.,  inventing  for  it  the  quotation  ticker.  He  established  a  large  workshop 
in  Newark,  X.  J. ,  for  the  making  of  his  machines,  but,  in  1876,  transferred  his  mechanical 
interests  to  the  hamlet  of  Menlo  Park,  N.  J. ,  where  he  devoted  himself  to  inventing. 
Among  his  new  devices  have  been  the  carbon  telephone  transmitter,  the  microtasi- 
meter,  aerophone,  megaphone,  phonograph,  phonometer,  and  the  incandescent  electric 
lamp.  The  last  he  brought  out  in  December,  1879,  within  a  year  after  leading  English 
scientific  men  had  testified  that  sub-division  of  the  electric  light  was  an  impossibility. 
His  perfection  of  the  small  incandescent  electric  lamp  has  effected  "a  revolution  in  the 
lighting  of  business  buildings  and  hotels.  In  1878,  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.  D. 
from  Union  College,  and  during  the  same  year  was  made  an  officer  of  the  Legion  of 
Honor  by  the  French  Government.  He  is  a  member  of  The  Ohio  Society,  Press  and 
Essex  Count}'  Country  clubs,  and  The  Theosophical  Society.  Since  1885,  he  has  lived 
in  Lle%vellyn  Park,  N.  J.  Mr.  Edison  was  married  in  1873  to  Miss  Mary  Stilwell, 
daughter  of  N.  Stilwell.  In  1881,  he  was  left  a  widower,  and  in  1885,  he  again 
married,  his  wife  being  Miss  Minna  M.,  daughter  of  Lewis  Miller,  of  Akron,  O.  Mr. 
Edison  is  a  director  in  a  large  number  of  companies,  founded  upon  his  patents,  and 
owner  of  works  for  electrical  manufacture  and  experiment.  He  is  one  of  the  few 
inventors  who  have  profited  by  their  inventions.  His  telegraph  patents  yielded  at  one 
time  a  large  royalty,  and  his  electric  light  appliances  have  brought  him  wealth.  His 
latest  device  is  the  kinetoscope. 

FRANKLIN  EDSON,  merchant,  was  born  in  Chester,  Vt.,  April  5,  1832,  and 
received  a  common  school  education.  When  nineteen  years  old,  he  went  to  Albany, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  was  associated  with  his  brother  Cyrus  in  a  distiller}'  until  1866.  In 
that  year  he  removed  to  New  York,  and  established  himself  in  the  grain  commission 
business,  by  which  and  in  real  estate  operations,  he  has  since  amassed  a  fortune.  Three 
times  president  of  the  Produce  Exchange,  namely,  in  1873,  1874,  and  1878,  he  has  been 
distinguished  for  public  spirit  and  active  leadership  in  the  movement  for  free  canals. 
His  political  affiliations  have  been  with  the  County  Democracy,  and  in  1882,  he  was 
elected  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  is  i  member  of  the  Manhattan  club  and  The  New  Eng- 
land Society,  and  has  been  for  many  years  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  New  York.  In 
1856,  he  married  Fannie  C.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Wood,  of  Bath,  N.  Y.,  and  has  had 
seven  children,  Cyrus  Edson,  M.  D.,  Health  Commissioner  of  New  York;  David  O., 
Franklin.  Henry  Townsend,  Robert  Stewart,  Edith,  and  Ethel  Townsend  Edson. 

JOHN  EICHLER,  brewer,  born  at  Rothenburg,  Bavaria,  Oct.  20,  1829,  died  in 
Goellheim,  Bavaria,  Aug.  4,  1892.  Having,  in  his  native  place,  served  an  apprentice- 
ship in  the  employment  of  Brewer  Ott,  he  became  a  journeyman,  toiled  in  various 
great  German  breweries,  and  then,  in  1854,  came  to  this  country.  He  obtained 
employment  as  brew-master  in  Franz  Ruppert's  old  Turtle  Bay  Brewer}7  on  47th  street, 
in  this  city.  After  a  time,  Mr.  Eichler  managed  to  start  a  little  brewery  of  his  own  in 
partnership  with  a  friend.  Later,  he  purchased  Kolb's  Brewer}',  a  small  establishment 
which  stood  where  the  huge  concern  of  The  John  Eichler  Brewing  Co.  now  does.  This 
company,  incorporated  Feb.  17,  1888,  with  a  capital  of  $600,000,  owns  property  now 
worth  far  more  than  that  amount  and  does  a  very  large  business.  Mr.  Eichler  married 
Marie  Siegel  of  Goellheim,  in  New  York,  Nov.  2,  1856,  and  his  only  child,  Minnie 
Augusta,  died  when  not  six  years  old.  He  was  a  member  of  various  brewers'  associa- 


214  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

tions,  the  Produce  Exchange,  the  Arion  and  Liederkranz  clubs,  and  many  other  social 
organizations.     Honest,  straightforward  and  sensible,  he  was  highly  regarded. 

LEWIS  EINSTEIN,  banker  and  manufacturer,  who  originated  in  Wurtemburg, 
Germany,  was  born,  Sept.  6,  1812,  and  died  April  22,  1874.  Coming  to  the  United 
States  in  July,  1835,  Mr.  Einstein  spent  nearly  forty  years  in  the  successful  pursuit 
of  banking  and  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods.  He  was  for  many  years  a  resident 
of  Cincinnati.  Few  men  display  more  enterprise  and  sound  judgment  than  did  he 
and  The  Raritan  Woolen  Mills  became  an  important  property  under  his  management. 
To  him  and  his  wife,  Judith  Lewis  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  were  born  six  sons  and  five 
daughters. — His  son,  DAVID  LEWIS  EINSTEIN,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Cincin- 
nati, O.,  May  20,  1839,  but  has  been  a  resident  of  New  York  city  since  childhood,  and 
has  followed  his  father's  vocation  all  his  life.  His  fortune  has  been  derived  partly 
from  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  woolen  goods,  but  mainly  from  successful  transactions 
in  real  estate,  of  which  he  is  a  large  buyer.  He  is  a  shrewd  and  capable  man,  and 
part  proprietor  of  extensive  woolen  mills  in  Raritan,  N.  J.  He  has  various  other 
corporate  interests,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  club  and  supporter  of  The 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  Mr. 
Einstein,  in  1870,  married  Miss  Caroline  Fatman,  daughter  of  A.  Fatman,  of  this  city. 
Their  children  are  Lewis  D.  Einstein,  Mrs.  Theodore  Seligman  and  Amy  Einstein.— 
EDWIN  EINSTEIN,  another  son  of  the  late  Lewis  Einstein,  born  in  Cincinnati,  Nov. 
18,  1842,  was  brought  by  his  parents  to  New  York,  when  four  years  old.  Here  he 
graduated  from  the  old  Free  Academy,  and  then  received  a  full  course  at  Union 
College.  He  began  life  as  clerk  in  his  father's  woolen  mill,  and,  when  thirty  years 
old  was  a  mill  owner.  He  is  yet  interested  in  The  Raritan  Woolen  Mills  and  the  Ivan- 
hoe,  Va.,  iron  mills,  concerns  which  employ  about  3,000  persons.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  there  has  never  been  a  strike  among  the  employes  of  either.  Mr.  Einstein  has 
also  been  largely  connected  with  banking  interests.  Although  not  so  actively  engaged 
in  business  as  formerly,  he  is  president  of  The  Swan  Incandescent  Electric  Light  .Co. , 
and  a  director  in  The  Alabama  Mineral  Land  Co.,  and  The  Brush-Swan  Electric  Light 
Co.  In  1878,  he  was  elected  to  the  Forty-sixth  Congress,  and  declined  a  renomination, 
which  was  tendered  to  him.  In  1892,  the  Republicans  of  New  York  city  placed  him 
in  nomination  for  the  Mayoralty,  and  gave  him  98,000  votes.  In  1895,  he  became  a 
Commissioner  of  Docks.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  The  Union 
College  Alumni,  vice  president  of  the  Sigma  Phi  club,  and  a  ^genial,  public  spirited  and 
agreeable  man.  In  1877,  Mr.  Einstein  was  married  to  Miss  Fanny  Hendricks. 

DANIEL  RIKER  ELDER,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  July  7, 
1838,  died  April  25,  1875.  The  youngest  son  of  George  and  Hannah  Eliza  Elder,  he 
was  through  the  paternal  line  of  English  descent,  and  through  his  mother's  family,  the 
Rikers,  of  Dutch  ancestry.  He  was  educated  at  Yale  college,  and  began  life  as  a 
wholesale  grocer  in  the  firm  of  George  Elder  &  Sons,  previously  known  as  Elder  & 
Painter.  The  trade  of  the  firm  brought  him  a  fortune.  Always  genial  and  popular, 
he  gained  by  travel  a  wide  acquaintance  with  affairs  and  his  conversation  revealed  a 
well  informed  mind.  He  made  one  tour  around  the  world,  and  spent  two  winters  in 
Italy  and  Austria.  The  survivors  of  his  family  were  his  sisters,  Mrs.  Julia  Baldwin 
Adams,  Mrs.  Mary  Louisa  Havemeyer,  and  Jane  Painter  Elder. 

GEORGE  W.  ELDER,  merchant,  who  died  at  his  residence  in  this  city,  March  25, 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EL.  215 

1873,  in  his  forty-fifth  year,  was  one  of  the  able  merchants  of  New  York,  and  a  capable, 
conscientious  and  clear  headed  man.  During  his  active  life,  he  devoted  himself  to  the 
care  of  the  large  wholesale  grocery  business,  founded  by  his  father,  George  Elder,  to 
the  control  of  which  he  had  succeeded.  Toward  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  when  ill 
health  had  compelled  him  to  relinquish  the  engrossing  duties  of  his  trade,  he  devoted 
his  time,  when  able,  to  the  affairs  of  The  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Co.,  of  which  he 
was  vice  president  for  a  number  of  years.  He  was  a  man  of  quiet  and  domestic 
tastes  and  never  cared  for  public  life.  His  widow  and  several  children  survived  him. 

JOSEPH  LAWRENCE  ELDER,  sugar  refiner,  born  in  Hester  street,  in  this  city, 
Jan.  24,  1832,  died  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  on  the  isth  of  August,  1868.  '  He  belonged  to 
the  family  of  that  name,  long  prominent  in  this  city,  which  came  originally  from  Man- 
chester, in  England.  As  a  boy,  employed  in  the  store  of  Elder  &  Painter,  whole- 
sale grocers  in  Dey  street,  he  grew  up  in  this  vocation,  became  a  partner  of  his  father 
and  his  brother  George  in  a  large  wholesale  grocery  and  sugar  trade,  and  distinguished 
himself  by  a  corner  in  sugar,  which  was  managed  with  great  skill  and  success.  About 
1862,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  by  his  father  in  law,  Frederick  C.  Havemeyer, 
in  the  sugar  refining  business,  under  the  name  of  Havemeyer  &  Elder,  and  it  was  in 
part  through  his  marked  energy  and  ability  that  his  concern  rose  to  eminence  in  the 
refining  of  raw  sugars.  Jan.  18,  1858,  he  married  Miss  Mary  O.  Havemeyer,  and 
was  the  father  of  Minnie,  wife  of  McCoskry  Butt,  and  Frederick  H.  Elder.  He  was 
thoroughly  interested  in  whatever  would  promote  the  welfare  of  New  York  city,  and 
served  in  the  Amity  Hose  Co.  and  the  State  militia. 

HENRY  ELIAS,  brewer,  who  died  in  Wilhelmshohe,  Germany,  Feb.  26,  1888, 
made  his  fortune  in  this  city  in  the  brewing  trade.  The  influx  of  German  population 
to  the  United  States  during  the  last  thirty  years  has  created  a  remarkable  demand  for 
malt  liquors,  and  the  presence  of  several  hundred  thousand  Germans  in  the  city  of 
of  New  York  has  created  an  important  local  market.  Mr.  Elias  gradually  developed  a 
large  business,  which  is  now  incorporated  as  The  Henry  Elias  Brewing  Co.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Produce  Exchange  and  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  several  children. 

STEPHEN  BENTON  ELKINS,  lawyer,  financier,  Secretary  of  War  in  the  Cabinet 
of  President  Harrison,  and  now  United  States  Senator,  a  man  of  striking  appearance, 
exceptional  ability  and  unlimited  capacity  for  work,  has  gained  for  himself  by  his  own 
talents  and  application,  an  honorably  attained  fortune.  He  was  born  in  Perry 
county,  Ohio,  Sept.  26,  1841,  his  father  being  a  farmer.  During  his  early  boyhood, 
the  family  moved  to  Missouri.  Mr.  Elkins  received  an  excellent  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  at  the  University  of  the  State,  and  displayed  ambition  even  in 
school,  where  he  applied  himself  so  diligently  as  to  attract  attention.  He  graduated  in 
1860,  at  the  head  of  his  class.  After  fitting  himself  for  practice  of  the  law,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  bar  in  1863  During  the  war,  he  joined  the  Union  forces,  and  for  a  while 
served  on  the  Missouri  border,  with  the  rank  of  captain. 

The  spirit  of  adventure  and  a  desire  to  practice  his  profession  in  a  field  which  was 
not  over  crowded,  led  him  in  1864  to  cross  the  plains  to  New  Mexico,  then  a  rough 
border  country,  inhabited  by  a  population  two-thirds  of  whom  were  Spanish.  The 
life  of  the  territory  was  full  of  hardship  and  danger  at  that  time  but  presented 
opportunities  for  success  to  an  enterprising  man.  Finding  it  necessary,  at  once,  to 
master  the  Spanish  language,  Mr.  Elkins  became  proficient  in  that  tongue  within 


- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EL. 


2I7 


one  year.  Stalwart  and  capable,  he  soon  attracted  important  clients  and  a  large  prac- 
tice, and  gained  popularity  and  influence.  In  1866,  he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature. 
His  speeches  in  that  body  revealed  great  force  of  character  and  devotion  to  the  welfare 
of  the  territory.  In  1867.  he  rose  to  the  position  of  Attorney  General  of  New  Mexico. 

In  1868,  President  Johnson  appointed  Mr.  Elkins  to  be  United  States  District 
Attorney  of  the  territory,  and  he  was  one  of  the  few  officials  of  that  administration 
whom  President  Grant  did  not  remove.  In  this  position,  it  fell  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Elkins 
to  enforce  the  act  of  Congress,  prohibiting  slavery  or  involuntary  servitude  in  the  ter- 
ritories of  the  United  States,  and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  restoring, to  liberty  several 
thousand  peons,  who  were  then  held  in  practical  slavery  by  the  Mexican  residents.  He 
was  the  first  public  official  to  enforce  this  law,  and  performed  his  task  in  the  face  of 
serious  opposition,  against  the  prejudices  of  the  rich  and  influential  and  under  threats 
of  personal  violence. 

In  1869,  Mr.  Elkins  was  elected  president  of  The  First  National  Bank  of  Santa 
Fe  and  held  this  position  for  thirteen  years  His  income  from  law  practice  and  other, 
sources  was  large  and,  being  careful  in  his  expenditures,  at  an  early  day  he  was  enabled 
to  invest  large  sums  of  money  in  lands  and  mines,  soon  taking  rank  as  one  of  the 
largest  land  proprietors  in  the  country  and  an  extensive  owner  in  the  silver  mines  of 
Colorado. 

In  1873,  Mr.  Elkins  received  an  election  as  Delegate  from  New  Mexico  to  Con- 
gress, defeating  his  opponent,  a  Mexican,  by  4,000  majority.  In  Congress  he  served 
his  constituents  so  well,  that,  in  1875,  while  travelling  in  Europe,  notwithstanding  a 
positive  refusal  to  accept  the  office  again,  his  district  re-elected  him  handsomely  to 
the  XLIVth  Congress.  He  could  do  no  less  than  accept  the  honor  thus  bestowed 
and  serve  a  second  term.  In  Congress,  he  quickly  gained  prominence  by  industry, 
ability  and  effective  support  of  important  measures.  During  his  second  term,  he 
was  especially  untiring  in  efforts  to  secure  the  admission  of  New  Mexico  as  a  State. 
An  elaborate  speech,  setting  forth  the  resources  and  claims  of  the  then  little  known 
territory,  gained  for  him  a  national  reputation. 

While  in  Congress,  Mr.  Elkins  married  a  daughter  of  ex-Senator  Henry  G. 
Davis  of  West  Virginia,  a  woman  of  great  refinement  and  social  ability. 

Four  years  of  experience  in  Washington  brought  Mr.  Elkins  well  into  the  arena  of 
public  affairs.  From  the  beginning,  an  active,  earnest  and  aggressive  Republican,  he 
favored  especially  the  policy  of  protection  to  American  industry.  His  advocacy  of  con- 
structive measures  made  him,  during  his  first  term  in  Congress,  one  of  the  leaders  of 
his  party,  and  in  1875,  a  member  of  the  Republican  National  Committee.  Upon  this 
committee,  he  served  during  three  Presidential  campaigns.  In  1884,  the  executive 
committee  elected  him  chairman.  A  warm  and  intimate  friendship  soon  sprang  up  be- 
tween James  G.  Elaine  and  Mr.  Elkins,  and  the  latter  was  influential  in  bringing  about 
the  nomination  of  Mr.  Elaine  for  the  Presidency  in  1884.  He  was  equally  instrumental 
in  the  nomination  of  Benjamin  Harrison  in  1888  and  1892. 

Dec.  17,  1891,  he  became  Secretary  of  War  under  President  Harrison.  He  was 
especially  well  fitted  to  perform  the  duties  of  this  office,  having  had  a  large  acquaint- 
ance with  the  affairs  of  the  War  Department  in  the  West.  His  appointment  brought 
into  the  service  of  the  army,  a  man  of  intellectual  strength,  an  excellent  organizer 
and  a  courteous  gentleman.  He  was  invariably. cordial  and  obliging  to  persons  engaged 


2i8  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

in  public  business,  and  exceedingly  helpful  to  Senators  and  Members.  Patient  in  inves- 
tigation, prompt  in  decision,  and  sincerely  desirous  of  promoting  the  welfare  of  the 
army,  he  proved  a  successful  and  useful  Secretary  of  War. 

Mr.  Elkins's  reputation  does  not  rest  entirely  upon  his  public  services.  His  pro- 
gress in  the  field  of  business  and  finance  has  been  marked.  About' 1878,  he  removed 
from  New  Mexico  to  West  Virginia,  and  there  devoted  himself,  in  company  with  ex- 
Senator  Davis,  to  the  development  of  the  railroads  of  the  State,  and  the  coal  and  timber 
lands  of  the  Cumberland  region.  While  practical  affairs  soon  compelled  him  to  aban- 
don legal  practice  in  the  courts,  yet  he  has  always  retained  his  interest  in  the  law  and 
superintends  all  legal  matters  connected  with  his  various  enterprises.  Success  has  fol- 
lowed effort  in  these  enterprises,  but  it  should  be  mentioned,  that  while  adding  to  some 
extent  to  his  private  fortune,  Mr.  Elkins  has  conferred  upon  the  people  of  his  adopted 
State  far  greater  benefits  than  he  has  received.  He  has  been  vice  president  of  The 
West  Virginia  Central  &  Pittsburgh  Railway  Co.  since  its  organization,  and  of  The 
Piedmont  &  Cumberland  Railroad,  and  is  president  of  The  Davis  Coal  &  Coke  Co. 
Through  his  agency  large  amounts  of  capital  have  been  brought  into  the  State  and 
employment  provided  for  thousands  of  men. 

In  December,  1892,  Mr.  Elkins  received  the  complimentary  vote  of  the  Republi- 
cans of  the  Legislature  of  West  Virginia  for  United  States  Senator.  A  forcible  or- 
ator, he  has  made  many  public  addresses,  all  of  which  have  shown  originality,  public 
spirit,  and  thorough  acquaintance  with  economic  and  political  questions.  During 
the  campaign  of  1894,  he  led  the  Republicans  of  West  Virginia  in  the  struggle,  which 
for  the  first  time  since  the  period  of  reconstruction  broke  the  Solid  South.  Congress- 
man Wilson,  in  whose  district  Mr.  Elkins  resides,  was  defeated  by  a  decisive  majority  ; 
four  Republicans  were  elected  to  Congress  ;  the  Legislature  was  made  Republican  by 
twenty-nine  majority  on  joint  ballot ;  and  the  State  carried  by  13,000  majority.  Asa 
result  of  this  revolution,  the  Legislature  elected  Mr.  Elkins  United  States  Senator  in  1895. 

His  home  is  the  beautiful  country  seat  of  "  Halliehurst,"  at  Elkins,  in  Randolph 
county,  W.  Va.  This  large  mansion  stands  upon  a  mountain  site  of  unusual  beauty, 
commanding  a  magnificent  view  of  the  valley  beneath  and  the  forests  and  mountain 
peaks  which  frame  the  scene  The  house,  four  stories  high,  with  towers,  seems  from  a 
distance  greatly  like  an  old  time  castle.  A  porch  surrounds  the  structure  on  three 
sides,  and  the  main  hall,  fifty-eight  feet  long  by  twenty-five  feet  wide,  indicates  the 
size  of  the  other  apartments. 

During  his  casual  residence  in  New  York,  where  his  Imsiness  affairs  required 
him  to  pass  much  of  his  time,  he  associated  himself  with  many  local  interests, 
thoroughly  in  accord  with  his  energetic  nature,  and  became  a  member  of  the 
Union  League,  Republican,  Ohio,  United  Service,  Metropolitan  and  Manhattan  Ath- 
letic clubs,  and  the  Southern  Society.  Like  other  public  spirited  citizens,  he  also  con- 
tributed to  the  support  of  those  favorite  projects  of  refined  New  Yorkers,  The  Metro- 
politan Museum  of  Art,  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  as  well  as 
The  American  Geographical  Society. 

A  man  of  strong  and  sturdy  build,  more  than  six  feet  in  height,  with  fine  features, 
and  a  large  head  set  firmly  on  powerful  shoulders,  he  is  yet  in  the  prime  of  life  and  an 
active  force  in  affairs.  His  favorite  room  at  home  is  his  library,  and  he  spends  most  of 
his  time  there,  in  the  company  of  a  large  and  well  selected  collection  of  books. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EL.  219 

JOHN  ELLIS,  M.  D.,  oil  refiner,  a  native  of  Ashfield.,  Mass.,  born  Nov.  26,  1815, 
is  a  son  of  Dimick  Ellis,  a  farmer,  and  a  great  grandson  of  the  founder  of  the  family  in 
America,  who  came  from  Dublin,  Ireland,  at  the  age  of  twelve.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  family  originated  in  Wales  After  a  course  of  study  in  the  academies  of  Ashfield 
and  Shelburne  Falls,  he  graduated  as  a  physician  from  the  Berkshire  Medical  College 
in  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  in  1842.  Dr.  Ellis  practiced  the  healing  art  in  Chesterfield,  Mass., 
a  year;  in  Grand  Rapids,  Mich.,  two  years;  in  Detroit,  Mich.,  fifteen  years;  and  in  New 
York  city  about  thirteen  years.  After  more  than  thirty  years  of  practice  of  an  honor- 
able profession  and  at  an  age  when  most  men  begin  to  think  of  retiring  from  responsi- 
bilities of  an  exacting  nature,  Dr.  Ellis,  who  had  learned  through  his  scientific  studies 
many  things  not  connected  with  the  influence  of  drugs  upon  the  human  system, 
resolved  to  embark  in  practical  business  pursuits.  In  1874,  therefore,  with  moderate 
capital,  in  union  with  his  son,  Wilbur  D.  Ellis,  and  his  wife's  nephew,  Theodore  M. 
Leonard,  he  established  an  oil  refinery  in  South  Brooklyn,  under  the  name  of  John 
Ellis  &  Co.,  and  began  refining  petroleum  by  a  process  of  his  own  invention.  The 
venture  was  successful.  In  1881,  the  firm  bought  a  plot  of  land  at  Edgewater,  N.  J., 
directly  opposite  Grant's  tomb,  and  removed  the  works  to  that  place  and  developed 
them  into  a  large  plant.  Their  production  is  largely  in  the  nature  of  lubricating  oils. 
In  spite  of  the  risks  to  which  this  business  is  exposed,  and  an  occasional  fire,  Mr.  Ellis 
has  made  steady  progress,  and  has  gained  a  fortune,  owing  largely  to  the  activity  of 
his  partners  in  finding  a  market  for  the  product  of  the  works.  Mr.  Ellis  has  an  interest 
in  various  corporations  but  holds  no  office  in  them.  In  1843,  ne  was  united  in  marriage 
in  Chesterfield,  Mass.,  to  Mary  E.  Coit,  who  died  in  Detroit  in  1850.  In  1851,  he 
married  Sarah  M.  Leonard,  of  Troy,  Mich.  His  one  child  living  is  Wilbur  Dixon 
Ellis.  Mr.  Ellis  published,  in  1859,  a  work  on  "Avoidable  Causes  of  Disease,"  and 
has  written  many  tracts  on  temperance  and  other  reforms,  in  which  he  is  deeply 
interested  and  concerning  which  he  discourses  with  ripened  judgment  and  enter- 
taining force. 

JOHN  WASHINGTON  ELLIS,  banker,  born  in  Williamsburg,  Ohio,  Aug.  15, 
1817,  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Ellis,  and  a  descendant  of  the  pioneer  Ellis,  who  came  from 
Sandwich,  England,  in  the  seventeenth  century.  Benjamin  Ellis  emigrated  from 
Sandwich,  Mass.,  to  Maine,  and  went,  in  1809,  to  Ohio,  traveling  from  New  York  to 
Pittsburgh  on  horseback,  and  rowing  a  skiff  thence  to  Cincinnati,  there  being  then  no 
steamboats.  John  was  educated  in  Cincinnati  and  Kenyon  College  Grammar  School. 
While  a  young  man  he  came  to  New  York,  but  in  1840  returned  to  Cincinnati  and 
entered  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business,  in  which  he  continued  until  1865,  making 
himself,  during  that  time,  most  favorably  known  to  the  importers  and  commission- 
merchants  of  the  East.  When  the  National  Bank  Act  was  passed  in  February,  1863, 
Mr.  Ellis  organized  the  first  National  Bank  of  Cincinnati,  with  a  capital  of  §1,000,000, 
within  a  week's  time.  In  the  estimation  of  Chief  Justice  Chase,  Mr.  Ellis  was  one  of 
those  who  ' '  did  most  to  give  the  national  bank  system  a  real  start  and  a  firm  founda- 
tion." In  1869,  Mr.  Ellis  was  invited  to  New  York  to  take  the  management  of  the  bank 
of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  who  had  been  doing  a  large  Western  business.  This  invi- 
tation he  accepted,  and  this  position  he  retained  until  1883,  when  he  retired  from  busi- 
ness. The  most  important  operation  of  his  life  was  the  resusicitation  of  The  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  Co.,  in  1879-80,  after  the  failure  under  Jay  Cooke's  management  in 


220  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

1873.  Mr.  Ellis  formed  a  syndicate,  which  took  $40,000,000  of  Northern  Pacific  bonds 
and  finished  the  road  to  the  Pacific.  He  retired  from  the  directory  in  1886.  By  his 
marriage,  in  1845,  with  Caroline,  daughter  of  Abraham  Lindley,  he  is  the  father  of 
Sallie,  wife  of  Professor  Postlethwaite,  of  West  Point;  Mary,  wife  of  George  Hoffman, 
now  deceased,  of  New  York;  Helen,  wife  of  Hugh  L.  Cole,  of  New  York;  and  Ralph 
N.  Ellis,  also  of  this  city.  Mr.  Ellis  is  a  member  of  The  Ohio  and  New  England 
Societies  and  the  Down  Town  and  Union  League  clubs,  and  a  contributor  to  the 
support  of  many  charities  and  public  institutions. 

EDWARD  ELSWORTH,  merchant,  born  at  No.  213  Church  street,  in  this  city, 
Jan.  3,  1811,  died  at  his  home,  No.  20  West  49th  street,  June  23,  1886.  He  came  from 
Knickerbocker  stock,  being  a  son  of  John  W.  Elsworth,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Chris- 
topher (or  Christoffel,  as  the  early  Dutch  records  have  it,)  Elswaerts,  who  came  from 
Holland  to  the  Island  of  Manhattan  in  1653.  Beginning  life  in  New  York  city  as  clerk 
for  his  brother  Henry,  he  was  taken  into  partnership  in  1837,  in  H.  &  E.  Elsworth,  and 
for  nearly  thirty  years  carried  on  a  wholesale  oil,  drug  and  paint  business.  He 
entered  heartily  into  all  the  local  interests  of  the  city,  was  a  volunteer  fireman,  and 
played  a  valiant  part  in  fighting  the  great  fire  of  1835.  At  one  time  he  had  a  large 
interest  in  clipper  ships,  being  part  owner  of  the  Wisconsin  and  Tornado  among  others, 
and  also  had  an  investment  in  the  Hudson  river  steamboat  Niagara,  which  ran  to 
Albany.  Later,  he  was  president  of  Enoch  Morgan  &  Sons,  manufacturers  of  Sapolio, 
and  of  The  Keyport  Steamboat  Co. ,  which  operated  a  number  of  harbor  steamboats. 
He  was  also  a  director  of  The  Commercial  Insurance  Co.,  The  Niagara  Insurance  Co., 
The  Merchants'  Exchange  National  Bank,  and  The  North  River  Bank.  By  his  mar- 
riage wish  Phcebe  A.,  daughter  of  D.  B.  Martin,  he  was  the  father  of  fifteen  children, 
of  whom  twelve  survived  him.  Three  of  his  sons  served  in  the  Union  army  or  navy, 
one  being  killed  at  the  second  Bull  Run,  another  at  Port  Hudson. 

HENRY  ELSWORTH,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Sept.  30,  1808,  died 
there,  Jan.  18,  1873.  He  was  in  the  seventh  generation  in  descent  from  Christoffel  (or 
Stoffel)  Elswaerts,  who  emigrated  from  England  to  Holland,  and  then  to  America,  in 
1653,  becoming  first  of  his  line  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  and  thus  the  founder  of  one 
of  the  oldest  families  in  the  city.  There  is  some  reason  to  believe  that  the  Ellsworths 
of  Connecticut  and  the  Aylsworths  of  Rhode  Island  descended  from  the  same  stock  as  the 
New  York  family.  The  name  is  derived  from  a  small  village  near  Cambridge  in  Eng- 
land, situated  upon  a  rivulet  once  famous  for  eels.  The  Saxon  word  "worth"  signified 
"place,"  and  the  village  was  called  Eelsworth.  The  family  name  arose  from  the  circum- 
stance, it  is  said,  that  it  was  the  custom  for  the  first  settler  in  a  new  place  to  call  himself 
after  the  name  of  the  settlement.  The  descendants  of  old  Christoffel  Elswaerts  were 
men  of  good  repute  in  New  Amsterdam  and  New  York,  and  some  of  them  were  prom- 
inent in  their  day.  Henry  Elsworth's  grandfather,  William  J.  Elsworth,  was  a  deacon 
in  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  school  trustee,  first  chief  engineer  of  the  fire  depart- 
ment, and  assistant  Alderman,  1789-91.  The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir  were 
John  W.  and  Sarah  Hinton  Elsworth.  Beginning  life  in  the  employment  of  Jonathan 
Southwick,  a  merchant  of  oils  and  paints  in  this  city,  Mr.  Elsworth's  industry,  energy 
and  trustworthiness  secured  for  him  rapid  promotion,  and  he  became,  while  young,  the 
head  of  the  business  in  succession  to  Mr.  Southwick.  In  1837,  after  his  brother  had 
become  a  partner,  he  adopted  the  firm  name  of  H.  &.  E.  Elsworth,  and  for  a  full 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EL.  221 

business  generation  carried  on  a  successful  wholesale  drug  and  paint  business.  An 
American  business  man  of  the  best  type,  he  displayed  intelligence  of  a  high  order, 
firmness,  rectitude  and  enterprise,  and  in  spite  of  his  marked  modesty,  obtained  distinc- 
tion without  seeking  it.  He  promoted  the  foundation  of  The  Manhattan  Fire  Insurance 
Co. ,  and  the  Society  Library,  served  as  first  president  of  The  Merchants'  Telegraph 
Co.,  and  was  a  trustee  of  various  charities.  May  26,  1831,  he  married  Mary,  daughter 
of  William  and  Mary  Morris  Ryer.  Besides  his  widow,  who  survived  him  nine  years, 
Mr.  Elsworth  left  two  daughters,  Sarah,  wife  of  John  H.  Hinton,  M.  D.,  and  Mary, 
wife  of  Edward  C.  Gregory. 

AMBROSE  KITCHELL  ELY,  merchant,  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  highly 
esteemed  among  the  leather  men  of  the  "Swamp,"  was  born  in  Livingston,  N.  J., 
Jan.  31,  1823.  The  family  moved  to  New  York  two  years  later.  In  1844,  Mr.  Ely 
entered  his  father's  firm  of  Ring  &  Ely,  leather  merchants,  at  No.  1 7  Ferry  street, 
afterward  known  as  Thorne,  Watson,  Corse  &  Co.,  at  No.  18  Ferry  street.  In  1857, 
he  withdrew,  taking  out  as  his  share  of  the  capital  about  $250,000,  and  went  into  busi- 
ness alone,  manufacturing  and  selling  leather.  At  the  same  time,  he  engaged  largely 
in  real  estate  transactions.  In  both  lines  of  enterprise  he  has  been  in  the  highest 
degree  successful.  During  a  number  of  years  past,  he  has  been  virtually  out  of  the 
leather  business,  but  retains  an  office  in  the  Swamp  to  manage  his  real  estate  interests. 
He  is  a  bachelor  and  has  never  felt  any  leaning  toward  club  life. 

DAVID  JAY  ELY,  merchant,  born  in  Lyme,  Conn.,  May  5,  1816,  died  Feb.  24,  1877. 
He  was  one  of  the  old  class  of  merchants,  and  famous  for  the  virtues  and  characteristic 
traits  of  his  New  England  ancestry.  The  family  was  planted  in  this  country  abou' 
1650.  Mr.  Ely  came  to  New  York,  a  boy  of  thirteen,  and  began  as  clerk  for  Don 
Alonzo  Cushman,  was  then  engaged  in  business  in  the  South  for  a  few  years,  and 
finally  located  in  Chicago  during  the  '405,  where  he  carried  on  the  importation  of  tea, 
coffee,  sugar,  molasses,  etc.  His  firm  were  known  first  as  Reynolds,  Ely  &  Co.,  then 
as  D.  J.  Ely  &  Co.  He  was  a  very  wide  awake  and  capable  merchant,  and  saw  Chicago 
develop  into  a  great  city.  In  1866,  he  removed  to  New  York  and  imported  coffee  on 
a  large  scale  as  D.  J.  Ely  &  Co.,  until  his  death.  He  married,  Jan.  27,  1848,  Caroline, 
daughter  of  James  Duncan  of  Massillon,  O.  The  two  children  now  surviving  are  James 
R.  Ely,  and  Mary,  wife  of  Charles  A.  Miller. 

HENRY  GILBERT  ELY,  merchant,  born  in  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  March  7, 
1824,  died  at  his  home  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Aug.  8,  1877.  Gaining  an  education  in  West- 
field  academy,  he  would  have  entered  college,  had  not  his  health  failed.  He  came  to 
Brooklyn  in  1847  to  enter  the  employment  of  his  uncle,  William  Kent,  in  the  dry 
goods  trade,  and  later  and  up  to  1857,  was  senior  member  of  Ely,  Bowen  &  McConnell, 
and  Ely,  Clapp  &  Bowen.  He  afterward  established,  in  New  York  city,  the  firm  of 
H.  G.  Ely  &  Co.,  leather  merchants,  of  which  he  was  at  the  head  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  They  were  prominent  in  the  trade,  and  conducted  a  large  and  successful 
business.  By  his  marriage  with  Mary  P.,  daughter  of  Samuel  Putnam,  Feb.  27,  1851, 
he  was  the  father  of  Leicester  K.,  Samuel  P.,  Bessie  P.,  and  Mary  G.  Ely.  Mr.  Ely 
was  the  forty-fourth  person  to  join  Plymouth  Church,  and  took  an  active  interest  in 
its  affairs  from  the  foundation.  Quiet  and  unassuming  in  manner,  but  a  man  of  firm 
and  upright  character,  the  foe  of  all  wrong  doing,  he  was  highly  respected  in  social 
and  business  circles. 


222  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

SfllTH  ELY,  ex-Mayor  of  New  York  city,  was  born  at  the  residence  of  his  maternal 
grandfather,  Ambrose  Kitchell,  in  Hanover,  Morris  county,  N.  J.,  April  17,  1825. 
His  father,  Epaphras  C.  Ely,  a  leather  merchant  and  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  was 
born  in  this  city  in  1795.  Moses  Ely,  the  grandfather  of  ex-Mayor  Ely,  served  in  the 
army  of  the  Revolution,  and  his  great  grandfather  and  great,  great  grandfather, 
William  and  Richard  Ely,  were  both  captains  during  the  old  French  war.  By  virtue 
of  his  ancestry,  Mr.  Ely  is  a  member  of  The  Society  of  the  War  of  1812,  The  Sons  of 
the  Revolution,  and  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars.  His  maternal  great  grandfather, 
Judge  Aaron  Kitchell,  who  was  Congressman,  United  States  Senator  and  Presidential 
Elector  at  Large,  was  also  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  Arm}'-. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  studied  law  for  three  years  in  the  office  of  Frederic  de 
Peyster,  and  afterward  graduated  at  the  University  Law  School,  but  he  never  practiced 
the  profession  for  a  livelihood,  having  devoted  his  middle  life  to  mercantile  pursuits. 

Mr.  Ely  has  always  been  a  Democrat.  In  1856,  he  was  elected  School  Trustee  of 
the  Seventh  Ward,  and  held  the  position  for  four  years.  In  1857,  he  was  elected  a  State 
Senator  by  a  large  majority,  being  the  first  Democrat  ever  elected  from  his  district.  In 
the  Senate,  he  figured  as  the  only  Democrat  on  the  most  important  two  committees — 
the  Committee  on  Cities  and  the  Sub-Committee  of  the  Whole — and  he  was  thus  enabled 
to  do  much  good  and  defeat  much  evil  in  legislation. 

In  1860,  Mr.  Ely  received  an  election  as  County  Supervisor,  one  of  whose  functions 
was  to  raise  the  money  and  men  to  carry  on  the  war.  He  held  this  office  for  eight 
years,  and,  while  a  member  of  the  Board,  became  conspicuous  by  his  opposition  to  the 
extravagancies  of  the  Board.  In  1867,  he  was  re-elected  in  opposition  to  the  regular 
Democratic  and  Republican  candidates.  In  1870,  a  union  of  the  Democratic  factions 
took  place,  and  Mr.  Ely  was  elected  to  the  Forty-second  Congress  from  the  Seventh 
District,  and  did  good  service  on  the  Railroad  Committee,  upon  which  he  was  placed 
by  Speaker  Elaine.  He  received  a  re-election  in  1874,  and  an  appointment  by  Speaker 
Kerr  on  the  Committee  on  Foreign  Relations,  the  Committee  on  Public  Buildings,  and 
the  Committee  on  the  Expenditures  of  the  Treasury  Department,  of  which  latter  he 
was  chairman. 

In  1876,  while  Mr.  Ely  yet  held  his  seat  in  Congress,  the  different  Democratic 
elements  in  New  York  city  united  upon  him  as  a  candidate  for  Mayor.  The  Republi- 
cans nominated  the  distinguished  soldier  and  statesman,  ex-Governor  John  A.  Dix,  but 
Mr.  Ely  was  elected  by  more  than  55,000  majority. 

Mayor  Ely's  administration  was  characterized  by  wise"-and  strict  economy.  In 
each  of  the  years  of  his  term  the  net  amount  of  the  city  debt  was  reduced,  and,  not- 
withstanding the  increase  of  population,  the  amount  of  the  tax  levy  was  each  year 
diminished,  viz. : 

Net  City  Debt.  Total  Tax  Levy. 

January,  1877 $119,811,310  $31,109,521 

January,  1878 117,700,742  29,178,940 

January,  1879 113,418,403  28,008,888 

This  financial  success  was  never  paralleled  by  any  other  Mayor. 

Before  he  left  the  Mayor's  office,  the  Democratic  party  in  his  old  Congressional 
District  offered  Mr.  Ely  the  nomination  for  Congress,  but  he  declined  the  honor,  pre- 
ferring to  return  to  private  life. 

In  1867,  Mr.  Ely  was  Commissioner  of  Public  Instruction,  and  in  1880  was  nom- 
inated as  one  of  the  Presidential  electors  on  the  Democratic  State  ticket. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EN.  223 

Mr.  Ely  is  a  bachelor.      His  clubs  are  the  Century,   Manhattan,    Drawing  Room, 
and  the  Presbyterian  Union. 

JOHN  ENQLIS,  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  steamboat  builders  of  this  port, 
was  born  Nov.  25,  1808,  and  died  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  Oct.  25,  1888.  His  father, 
of  the  same  name,  an  honest  Scot,  came  to  America  in'  1795,  and  made  this  city  his 
home.  John,  the  son,  derived  shrewdness,  health  and  ability  from  his  parents,  and 
received  from  them  a  training  in  character  which  was  of  far  more  value  to  him  than  an 
inherited  fortune.  The  fortune  he  made  for  himself.  A  promising,  sturdy  and  vigor- 
ous boy,  he  studied  during  youth  in  the  schools  of  New  York  city,  and  then,  when 
he  had  mastered  the  elements  of  a  sound  education,  sought  the  means  of  earning  his 
own  support.  This  he  found  on  the  East  river  front  in  the  ship  yard  of  Smith  & 
Dimond,  who  ranked  among  the  most  noted  ship  builders  of  their  times.  The  occupa- 
tion suited  his  active  nature,  and  here,  with  axe  and  hammer,  he  toiled  for  several 
years,  learning  to  shape  the  frame  timbers,  lay  the  planking  and  assemble  the  various 
parts  of  vessels.  His  progress  was  rapid,  and  he  decided  to  adopt  marine  construction 
as  his  vocation  for  life.  In  a  few  years,  he  had  risen  to  be  a  journeyman,  and  soon 
became  foreman  for  Bishop  &  Simonson,  another  conspicuous  firm  of  builders.  While 
he  gained  a  valuable  experience  in  both  these  yards,  it  was  evident  early  in  life  that  the 
fame  of  the  student  was  destined  in  time  far  to  surpass  that  of  his  teachers. 

In  1837,  when  steam  navigation  was  being  introduced  upon  the  great  lakes,  Mr. 
Englis  had  already  earned  sufficient  reputation  to  be  invited  to  Lake  Erie,  to  build  two 
steamboats  for  the  northern  trade.  He  constructed  the  Milwaukee  and  Red  Jacket, 
both  excellent  boats,  under  contract,  and  then  returned  to  New  York.  Experience  had 
now  brought  to  him  a  confidence  in  his  powers,  and  he  opened  a  shipyard  on  his  own 
account  at  the  foot  of  East  loth  street  on  the  East  river. 

While  other  shipwrights  occupied  themselves  \vith  the  construction  of  the  clippers, 
packet  vessels,  and  freighting  ships  required  for  the  extended  foreign  commerce  of  this 
port,  Mr.  Englis  devoted  his  own  energies  to  the  separate  and,  if  possible,  more  impor- 
tant, branch  of  his  art,  in  which  he  had  begun.  Steamboat  building,  then  in  its 
infancy,  required  the  highest  talent  in  the  designers  of  models  and  the  greatest  skill 
and  ingenuity  in  construction.  Intended  for  the  navigation  of  comparatively  shoal 
waters  and  to  be  propelled  by  powerful  steam  engines,  these  boats  were  in  model 
utterly  unlike  those  of  the  sailing  ships,  and  presented  many  difficult  poblems  to  the 
marine  architect.  It  was  to  this  branch  of  the  art  that  Mr.  Englis  applied  himself. 
Beginning  modestly,  but  filling  every  contract  with  painstaking  care  and  with  fidelity 
to  the  interests  of  his  clients,  he  soon  attracted  attention  and  commendation  among 
the  merchants  of  New  York,  and  gradually  rose  to  be  the  greatest  builder  of  steam- 
boats at  this  port.  It  is  a  noteworthy  fact  that  during  the  nearly  fifty  years  of  his 
active  business  life,  nearly  all  the  great  side  wheel  steamers  for  the  trade  and  travel  of 
Long  Island  Sound,  and  the  finest  river  steamboats  in  the  world,  were  launched  from 
his  yard.  Nor  did  he  confine  himself  to  river  boats.  Many  noble  steamships  for  the 
ocean  trades  were  produced  by  him,  and  scores  of  vessels  for  the  merchants  of  other 
commercial  centers.  In  all,  he  constructed  eighty-nine  vessels,  propelled  by  steam, 
averaging  1,500  tons  each,  an  aggregate  of  about  135,000  t6ns.  He  was  exceedingly 
careful  in  the  selection  of  materials,  ingenious  in  his  models  and  the  adaptation  of 
means  to  ends  in  the  framing  of  his  boats,  and  thorough  in  workmanship.  His 


224  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

methods  were  studied  by  other  progressive  builders,  and  copied  in  all  parts  of  the 
country.  During  the  Civil  War,  his  yard  was  especially  busy.  From  250  to  450  of  the 
best  class  of  shipwrights,  carpenters,  joiners,  and  other  mechanics,  earned  their  liveli- 
hood in  his  employment. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  present  a  catalogue  of  all  the  vessels  set  afloat  from  his 
famous  yard.  A  few  of  the  more  noteworthy  may,  however,  be  referred  to.  Old 
merchants  and  thousands  of  travellers  remember  the  Drew,  St.  John,  Dean  Richmond, 
Newport,  Old  Colony,  C.  H.  Northam,  Tremont,  Falmouth,  Columbia,  Saratoga,  City 
of  Troy,  and  Grand  Republic,  which  were  built  for  river  and  Sound  service,  and  the 
ocean  steamers,  City  of  Mexico,  City  of  Merida,  City  of  Havana,  City  of  Vera  Cruz, 
City  of  Atlanta,  City  of  Columbia,  Villa  Clara,  Gloria,  Trinidad  and  others,  constructed 
for  deep  water  navigation.  Many  of  these  boats  are  yet  in  existence  and  giving  great 
satisfaction. 

Seven  of  his  boats  were  built  for  service  in  China,  and  one  of  them,  the  Sumo 
Nada,  is  credited  with  a  run  of  a  thousand  miles  from  Hong  Kong  to  Shanghai  in  fifty- 
six  hours.  These  boats  were  the  despair  of  the  builders  of  England,  who  had  expended 
immense  sums  in  the  construction  of  craft  for  the  same  trade,  but  had  never  produced 
one  which  equalled  the  creations  of  Mr.  Englis. 

In  1853,  he  constructed  for  the  Lakes  the  Plymouth  Rock  and  Western  World, 
which  outstripped  every  rival  in  speed  as  well  as  in  beauty  for  many  years,  and 
during  the  days  before  the  railroads  had  fairly  conquered  the  West,  carried  an  im- 
mense number  of  travellers  to  and  from  the  West,  proving  exceedingly  profitable  to 
their  owners. 

As  an  illustration  of  his  energy,  the  construction  of  the  Unadilla  may  be  referred 
to.  This  was  the  first  of  the  gunboats  and  was  delivered  to  the  Federal  Government 
in  1861,  in  forty-eight  days,  or  twelve  less  than  the  time  allowed.  The  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  expressed  great  satisfaction  with  this  vessel,  and  wrote,  under  date  of  Oct.  8, 
1 86 1 :  "It  gives  the  Department  much  pleasure  to  add  that  the  reports  of  the  inspec- 
tors are  in  the  highest  degree  complimentary  of  the  manner  in  which  the  wor-k  has 
been  executed."  An  equally  remarkable  achievement  was  the  building  and  launching 
of  the  steamboat  Columbia  in  forty-two  days,  or  within  fifty-eight  days  from  the 
date  of  signing  the  contract.  This  large  and  handsome  boat  was  finished,  complete,  in 
ninety  days. 

The  St.  John  for  The  People's  Line  on  the  Hudson  River,  trading  between  New 
York  and  Albany,  was  at  her  birth  the  greatest  triumph  of-the  day,  and  signalized  a 
new  era  not  only  in  marine  construction  but  in  the  traffic  of  the  river  which  was  her 
home.  The  enterprise  which  led  the  proprietors  to  project  this  magnificent  boat  was 
handsomely  seconded  by  the  skill  of  her  constructor.  Of  3,400  tons  burden,  capable  oi 
carrying  1,700  passengers  and  700  tons  of  freight,  upon  a  draft  of  6£  feet  of  water, 
this  noble  boat  usually  breasted  the  swift  current  of  this  crooked  river  and  touched  her 
pier  in  Albany  within  nine  hours  of  her  departure  from  New  York.  The  cabins  were 
marvels  of  exquisite  workmanship,  and  the  two  tiers  of  state  rooms,  lighted  by  gas, 

icated  by  steam,  and  furnished  in  a  costly  manner,  were  the  subject  of  flattering  com- 
ment in  the  travelling  world.  The  consort  of  this  boat,  the  Dean  Richmond,  308  feet  in 

ength  and  82  feet  in  width  across  the  guards,  took  a  place  on  the  line  in  1867,  and 
proved  no  less  famous  and  successful. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. EN.  225 

Among  the  steamers  built  for  the  traffic  of  Long  Island  Sound  may  be  mentioned 
the  Newport,  340  feet  in  length,  44  feet  beam,  and  14  feet  in  depth  of  hold,  which  made 
the  trip  to  Newport,  a  distance  of  160  miles,  in  eight  hours,  a  record  which  has  not  been 
beaten  even  by  the  gigantic  vessels  which  are  now  plying  upon  that  route.  The  Old 
Colony,  315  feet  in  length,  42  feet  in  beam,  and  14  feet  depth  of  hold,  was  also  notable. 

Mr.  Englis  possessed  the  power  of  handling  large  masses  of  men  and  of  co-ordi- 
nating their  energies  with  skill  and  efficiency.  He  was,  in  fact,  as  much  of  a  business 
man  as  an  expert  in  marine  architecture ;  and  it  came  about  naturally  that,  in  time,  he 
acquired  an  interest  in  many  important  business  ventures.  He  always  preferred  navi- 
gation enterprises,  however,  and  invested  a  large  share  of  his  savings  in  The  People's 
Line  to  Albany,  The  International  Line,  The  Maine  Steamship  Co.,  The  Charleston 
Line,  The  Knickerbocker  Steamboat  Co.,  and  The  New  York,  The  Union  and  The 
Metropolitan  Ferry  Co.'s.,  and  The  Brighton  Pier  Co.  Highly  respected  for  sound 
judgment  and  high  character,  he  might  have  shared  in  the  direction  of  many  financial 
institutions,  but  he  declined  every  responsibility,  calculated  to  divert  his  attention  from 
the  labors,  which  were  the  ruling  passion  of  his  life.  He  was  a  member  of  The  Gen- 
eral Society  of  Mechanics  &  Tradesmen,  and  promoted  every  movement  for  the  welfare 
of  the  working  classes. 

He  was  married  in  New  York  city  in  February,  1832,  to  Mary  A.,  daughter  of 
Abram  Quackenbush.  His  only  son,  John  Englis,  jr.,  a  capable  and  progressive  man, 
now  conducts  the  old  ship  yard. 

AflOS  RICHARDS  ENO,  realty  owner,  born  in  S"imsbury,  Conn.,  Nov.  i,  1810, 
traces  his  ancestry  back  to  James  Eno,  an  Englishman,  who  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn., 
in  1648.  The  family  were  men  of  sturdy  character  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  early 
wars.  Salmon  Eno,  father  of  Amos,  was  a  member  of  the  Connecticut  Legislature. 
About  1831,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  New  York,  and  with  his  cousin,  John  Jay 
Phelps  of  Simsbury,  opened  a  little  dry  goods  store  on  Exchange  place.  They  bought 
mainly  at  the  large  auction  sales,  paying  cash,  while  others  paid  in  notes,  and  in  a  year 
or  two  were  firmly  established  in  business.  Eno  &  Phelps  soon  became  the  largest  pur- 
chasers at  auction  sales.  Their  store  burned  to  the  ground  in  the  fire  of  1835.  There- 
after, they  carried  on  business  on  Hanover  Square  and  ranked  among  the  soundest  and 
best  merchants  in  the  city.  The  firm  dissolved  in  1850,  and  Mr.  Eno  then  engaged 
largely  in  real  estate  transactions,  in  which  he  had  already  become  interested.  He  was 
among  the  first  to  operate  on  Dey,  Warren  and  Chambers  streets  and  Broadway,  and 
built  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  at  a  cost  of  about  a  million.  His  properties  have  in 
recent  years  grown  enormously  in  value.  Mr.  Eno  is  a  director  of  The  Second 
National  Bank,  and  a  member  of  the  Reform  club  and  New  England  Society. 

RAflON  MARIA  ESTEVEZ  RODRIGUEZ  DE  CARDENAS,  merchant,  born  in 
Matanzas,  Cuba,  May  16,  1808,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  16,  1888.  His  grand- 
father was  a  colonel  in  the  Spanish  army,  and  his  father,  Don  Jeronimo  Estevez,  held  a 
very  high  and  honorable  position  in  Matanzas,  given  to  him  for  life  by  the  Spanish 
government.  He  was  first  cousin  of  Jose  Maria  de  Cardenas,  Marquis  de  Prado  Ame"no. 
During  the  earlier  portion  of  his  business  career,  he  was  a  sugar  broker  in  Cuba,  and 
for  several  years  prior  to  1857  carried  on  an  extensive  business  in  Havana.  Owing  to 
the  unsettled  state  of  affairs  in  Cuba,  he  came  to  New  York  city  in  1857,  and  founded 
the  successful  firm  of  Angulo  &  Estevez,  and  later,  that  of  Estevez  &  Govin  &  Bro. 


226  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

He  retired  from  business  during  the  Cuban  rebellion  and  engaged  in  heavy  transactions 
in  local  real  estate,  his  capital  in  these  ventures  being  re-inforced  by  that  of  Felix 
Govin  y  Pinto,  also  a  wealthy  Cuban  planter.  Senor  Estevez's  wife  was  Louisa  San 
Jorje,  daughter  of  the  Baron  San  Jorje.  His  wife  passed  away  before  him.  His  only 
child,  Ramon  Maria  Estevez,  jr.,  also  now  deceased,  married  Inez  Morales  de  Mauresa. 
The  only  survivors  of  his  immediate  family  are  two  granddaughters,  sisters,  to  whom 
he  left  his  entire  fortune.  They  were  Mary  Ignacia  Estevez,  and  Caroline  Cecilia,  who 
became  the  wife  of  Thomas  H.  Terry,  Dec  3,  1890. 

JAflES  EVERARD,  brewer,  the  architect  of  his  own  fortunes,  born  in  Dublin,  Ire- 
land, in  August,  1829,  came  from  a  mercantile  family  and  passed  his  earlier  years  in 
the  laborious  occupations  of  printing  and  stereotyping  and  mason  work  and  building. 
When  the  war  with  Mexico  broke  out,  he  joined  the  American  army  and  fought  in 
many  battles  under  General  Scott  and  General  Taylor.  After  the  war,  he  served  for  a 
time  on  the  New  York  city  police  force,  and  resigned  to  engage  in  contracting  and  build- 
ing. He  fulfilled  important  contracts  in  the  construction  of  the  New  York  Post  Office 
and  with  the  city  for  paving,  grading,  etc.,  continuing  from  1857  to  1868.  In  1876,  he 
bought  the  Whitney  brewery  for  the  manufacture  of  ales  and  porter,  and  in  1886  built 
a  lager  beer  brewery  at  i33d  street,  extending  at  the  present  time  from  i32d  to  ijsth 
streets,  and  including  extensive  bottling  works,  stables,  wagon  and  blacksmith  shops, 
etc.  In  1894,  he  abandoned  the  Whitney  brewery  and  built  a  new  one  for  ale  and  porter, 
extending  from  134111  to  135111  street,  and  erecting  on  the  site  of  the  old  brewery  at 
West,  Washington  and  loth  streets  a  large  warehouse,  fourteen  stories  high,  for  govern- 
ment  stores.  In  1890,  he  utilized  property  in  West  28th  street  by  building  Russian  and 
Turkish  baths  of  great  luxury  and  comfort.  Mr.  Everard  is  a  director  of  The  Fifth 
National  Bank,  has  interests  in  a  variety  of  other  enterprises,  and  is  credited  with  giv- 
ing away  much  in  charity.  He  is  married  and  has  one  daughter,  Olga  Jule  Everard. 


F. 

EBERHARD  FABER,  lead  pencil  manufacturer,  born  in  Stein,  Bavaria,  Dec.  6, 
1822,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  2,  1879.  Caspar  Faber,  the  first  member  of  the 
family  engaged  in  this  industry,  began  the  manufacture  of  lead  pencils  in  1761,  in  the 
little  village  of  Stein,  in  Bavaria,  and  the  industry  has  since  been  carried  on  by  his 
family.  In  1784,  his  son,  Anthony  William  Faber,  took  charge  of  the  business,  and 
was  succeeded  by  his  son,  George  Leonard  Faber.  About  1 849,  Lotha  von  Faber,  head 
of  the  German  house,  saw  the  necessity  of  establishing  a  branch  of  the  business  in 
America;  and  accordingly,  in  that  year,  Eberhard,  son  of  George  Leonard  Faber,  who 
preferred  a  practical  career  to  the  study  of  the  law,  which  he  had  been  pursuing  at 
several  of  the  German  Universities,  was  sent  to  New  York  city.  In  1851,  he  opened  a 
house  at  No.  133  William  street,  as  the  agent  of  the  A.  W.  Faber  lead  pencils,  and  in 
1852  began  the  exportation  to  Germany  of  red  cedar.  In  1861,  he  built  the  first  lead 
pencil  factory  in  the  United  States  at  the  foot  of  42d  street  on  the  East  river,  and  when, 
in  1872,  this  was  burned,  he  built  another  at  Kent  and  West  streets  in  Green  point.  In 
1877,  the  office  of  the  house  was  removed  from  William  street  to  Broadway.  Mr.  Faber 
also  introduced  the  manufacture  of  pen-holders,  gold  pens  and  rubber  goods  of  all 
varieties,  connected  with  the  stationery  trade.  He  enjoyed  a  practical  monopoly  of  the 
pencil  industry  for  many  years,  and  by  his  enterprise  made  the  A.  W.  Faber  lead  pen- 
cils as  well  known  in  every  home  and  school  in  America  as  that  of  the  parent  house  in 
Germany  has  made  it  in  Europe.  Mr.  Faber's  surviving  children  are  John  Eberhard, 
Lothair,  Bertha,  Sophia,  Louise  and  Rosie  Faber. — His  son,  JOHN  EBERHARD 
FABER,  born  March  14,  1859,  in  New  York  city,  was  christened  John  Robert  Faber 
and  was  educated  at  the  School  of  Mines,  Columbia  College,  and  in  Nuernberg,  Ger- 
many, and  Paris,  France.  He  then  entered  the  office  of  his  father,  where  he  learned 
every  necessary  detail  of  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  lead  pencils.  In  1879,  ne  took 
charge  of  the  business  in  America,  and  then  received  permission  from  the  courts  to 
change  his  middle  name  to  Eberhard.  Several  years  later,  he  admitted  his  brother 
Lothair  to  the  firm.  Mr.  Faber  is  a  very  capable  manager  of  his  business.  He 
operates  a  factory  in  Brooklyn,  and  derives  his  supply  of  red  cedar  from  Florida,  which 
State  alone  grows  this  wood  in  perfection.  Mr.  Faber  operates  a  large  cedar  yard  and 
factor}'  in  Cedar  Keys,  Fla.,  at  which  the  red  cedar  logs  are  sawed  into  slabs,  ready  for 
transportation  to  New  York  or  Europe.  His  agents  are  continually  exploring  Florida 
for  cedar  lands,  and  have  purchased  for  him  large  tracts  of  the  standing  timber.  Mr. 
Faber  is  a  director  of  The  First  National  Bank  of  Staten  Island,  The  American  Life 
Union,  and  The  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  a  member  of  the  Staten  Island  Cricket 
and  Staten  Island  Athletic  clubs.  He  was  married  in  1887  to  Abby  Boles  Adams. 

EQISTO  PAULO  FABBRI,  banker,  born  Dec.  28,  1828,  in  Florence,  Italy,  died 
there,  June  25,  1894.  His  father,  Giovanni  Fabbri,  was  a  merchant  of  silk.  His  mother 
was  Russian.  Egisto  received  a  sound  education  in  Italy  and  England  and  planned  to 
be  a  surgeon.  Upon  the  death  of  his  father,  however,  he  entered  a  shipping  house  in 
Livorno  and  when  it  failed  went  to  Paris.  In  1851,  he  came  to  the  new  world.  In  1852, 
he  returned  to  Italy,  but  came  to  America  again  in  1854.  After  a  year's  search  for 


228  AMERICA  S    SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

employment,  he  became  bookkeeper  for  John  Randall  &  Co.,  shipping  merchants,  was 
admitted  as  a  partner  seven  years  later  and  so  remained  until  1867.  Then,  he  founded 
the  shipping  house  of  Fabbri  &  Chauncey,  which  enjoyed  a  prosperous  career,  finally 
becoming  extinct  in  1884.  In  1875,  Mr.  Fabbri  became  a  partner  in  Drexel,  Morgan  & 
Co.  Ill  health  compelled  his  retirement  Dec.  31,  1885.  During  his  last  nine  years,  he 
travelled  extensively  in  Europe  and  purchased  a  beautiful  estate  in  Florence,  upon  which 
he  dwelt  thereafter.  For  his  services  in  behalf  of  Italian  independence,  King  Victor 
Emanuel  bestowed  upon  him  the  unusual  right  of  regaining  Italian  citizenship  at  his 
own  pleasure.  In  his  amiable,  courtly,  personal  address,  his  famous  hospitality,  and  his 
musical  accomplishment,  he  reflected  his  Italian  birthright,  and  in  his  business  career, 
revealed  financial  sagacity  and  executive  ability.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Metropolitan  Opera  House  in  this  city.  He  was  married  June  28,  1849,  to  Mary  Kealey. 
Being  without  issue,  in  1890,  he  adopted  the  children  of  his  deceased  brofher  Ernesto. 

ERNESTO  QUISEPPE  FABBRI,  merchant,  born  in  Florence,  Italy,  March  17, 
1830,  died  at  Lake  Mahopac,  N.  Y.,  July  3,  1883.  He  came  to  this  city  at  the  age  of 
twenty-three,  found  employment  as  a  clerk  for  John  Randall  &  Co.,  subsequently 
became  a  partner,  and  then  married  a  daughter  of  the  senior  partner.  The  firm  was 
dissolved  in  1861.  Mr.  Fabbri  returned  to  Italy  and  in  Genoa  established  the  firm  of 
Valerio  &  Fabbri,  commission  merchants.  In  1865,  he  returned  to  this  city  and  entered 
the  commission  house  of  Fabbri  &  Chauncey  on  South  street,  of  which  his  brother 
Egisto  P.  Fabbri  was  a  partner.  In  1876,  Ernesto  succeeded  his  brother  as  the  head 
of  the  firm.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Central  &  South  American  Telegraph  Co. ,  The 
Orient  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  United  States  Rolling  Stock  Co.,  and  a  member 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of  The  Maritime  Association.  Active  in  the  Com- 
mittee on  Italian  Schools,  he  befriended  his  poorer  countrymen  in  so  many  ways,  that 
the  Italian  Government  conferred  upon  him  the  honor  of  knighthood  and  the  orders  of 
the  Crown  of  Italy  and  Sts.  Maurice  and  Lazarus.  His  marriage  with  Sara,  daughter 
of  John  Randall,  brought  him  eight  children,  Egisto  P.,  Ernestine,  Marie  Pauline, 
Ernesto  G.,  Alice,  Nathalie,  Cora,  now  deceased,  and  Alessandro.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  the  Holy  Communion. 

JOSEPH  FAHYS,  manufacturer,  was  born  May  23,  1832,  in  Belport,  France. 
Educated  in  France,  he  came  to  New  York  city  and,  in  June,  1857,  with  a  few  hundred 
dollars,  started  the  manufacture  of  watch  cases  on  a  small_scale.  Afterward,  he  estab- 
lished a  factory  in  Carlstadt,  N.  J. ;  in  1866,  one  in  Brooklyn  ;  and  in  1881,  one  in  Sag 
Harbor,  which  is  the  present  location  of  the  industry.  His  enterprise  is  now  incorpor- 
ated as  The  Fahys  Watch  Case  Co.,  making  1,500  cases  a  day.  The  business  office  is 
on  Maiden  Lane  in  this  city.  Mr.  Fahys  is  the  owner  of  the  building  bearing  his  name 
at  No.  54  Maiden  Lane;  president  of  The  Fahys  Watch  Case  Co. ;  a  director  of  The 
Brooklyn  Watch  Co.,  The  Montauk  Steamboat  Co.,  and  The  Third  National  Bank  of 
New  York;  and  trustee  of  the  Lafayette  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  and  The 
Homoeopathic  Hospital  in  Brooklyn.  The  family  live  near  Sag  Harbor  in  the  summer, 
and  find  delight  in  cruising  in  their  yacht  Alsace.  Their  winter  residence  is  in  Brooklyn. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Down  Town  club  of  New  York,  and  the  Hamilton  and  Riding 
and  Driving,  clubs  of  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Fahys  was  married  April  19,  1856,  to  Maria  L. 
Payne  of  Sag  Harbor,  and  their  children  are  Marie  Louise,  Lena  M.,  Maria  D.,  Bertha 
A.,  and  George  E.  Fahys. 


THE    CITV     OF     NEW     YORK. FA.  229 

EDWARD  GEORGE  FAILE,  merchant,  a  native  of  Semiston,  Roxboroughshire, 
Scotland,  and  born  Feb.  9,  1799,  died  at  his  home  at  Hunt's  Point,  Westchester  count}-, 
April  20,  1864.  His  father,  George  Faile,  was  a  farmer,  while  his  mother,  Joan  Hall, 
was  a  descendant  of  the  Burrells  of  Northumberland,  England,  and  of  John  Burrell,  a 
courtier  of  Henry  V.,  and  bore  upon  her  family  arms  the  sturdy  motto,  "  I  adhere." 
The  family  came  to  this  country  in  1801,  settling  in  Westchester  county,  where  Edward 
was  educated.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  the  youth  became  a  clerk  for  Abram  Valen- 
tine, wholesale  grocer  in  New  York.  Remaining  in  that  store  until  1821,  he  then 
started  for  himself  on  the  corner  of  Peck  Slip  and  Front  street.  Feb.  i,  1825,  he  ad- 
mitted his  brother  Thomas  as  a  partner,  under  the  name  of  E.  G.  Faile  &  Co.  He  was 
diligent,  honest,  and  untiring,  and  prospered  rapidly.  In  1840,  the  firm  bought  the 
store  at  181  Front  street,  moved  into  it,  and  for  thirteen  years  carried  on  a  large  whole- 
sale grocery  trade,  attaining  celebrity  by  their  success.  In  1853,  both  the  senior  partners 
retired,  being  succeeded  by  their  sons  and  Richard  Williams,  in  Faile,  Williams  &  Co. 
Mr.  Faile  was  always  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  a  director  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem 
Railroad  in  the  early  days  and  of  The  New  York  Central  Railroad,  while  Erastus  Corning 
was  president.  It  was  he  who  made  a  suggestion  to  Richard  M.  Hoe,  which  resulted 
in  the  invention  of  the  first  machine  for  stamping  and  dating  tickets  as  issued,  ever 
used  in  this  country.  He  helped  organize  The  Metropolitan  Bank  and  was  a  member 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Mr.  Faile  had  a  home  in  Westchester  county  and  was 
connected  with  the  agricultural  school  in  Ovid,  N.  Y. ,  and  the  Pease  Farm  Industrial 
School,  and  served  as  president  of  The  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society.  He  was 
married,  Dec.  8,  1821,  to  An  i  Delia,  daughter  of  Abram  Valentine.  Their  children  were 
Ann  D.,  Edward,  Thomas H.,  Charles  V.,  Henry,  Samuel,  Mary  E.,  Harriet  and  Caroline. 

THOflAS  HALL  FAILE,  merchant,  son  of  the  late  George  Faile  of  Westchester 
count}-,  was  born  in  Eastchester,  Feb.  4,  1803,  after  the  family  had  made  their  home  in 
the  United  States.  He  died  abroad,  in  Nice,  Jan.  13,  1873.  From  his  family  he  in- 
herited a  fine  physique,  a  noble  countenance,  a  mind  sagacious  and  bold,  and  a  char- 
acter above  reproach.  Beginning  life  as  a  clerk  for  his  brother,  Edward  G.  Faile, 
wholesale  grocer  of  New  York,  he  became  a  partner,  Feb.  i,  1825,  and  during  the 
following  twenty-eight  years  was  active  and  prominent  in  the  trade,  and  a  leading 
spirit  in  the  life  of  New  York  city.  To  secure  better  opportunities  for  study  to  mer- 
chants' clerks,  of  whom  he  had  been  one,  in  1846,  he  joined  The  Clinton  Hall  Association 
as  a  trustee,  labored  to  stock  the  library  with  good  and  useful  books,  and  fought  every 
proposition  to  open  the  doors  on  Sundays.  He  joined  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
became  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  America  in  1839,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  and  Racquet  clubs  and  St.  Andrew's  Society,  and  at  one  time  president  of 
The  New  York  State  Agricultural  Society.  During  a  journey  to  Europe,  taken  largely 
with  this  object  in  view,  he  visited  many  asylums  for  the  insane,  made  a  special  study 
of  their  management,  and,  as  a  governor  of  The  New  York  Hospital,  and  permanently 
charged  with  the  supervision  of  The  Bloomingdale  Insane  Asylum,  he  introduced  many 
improvements  in  the  system  of  the  latter  institution.  This  labor  of  love  occupied  the 
last  fifteen  years  of  his  life.  His  public  spirit  was  illustrated  by  his  co-operation  in 
establishing  at  the  old  Rotunda  the  Gallery  of  Fine  Arts,  celebrated  for  its  exhibition 
of  Cole's  paintings  of  the  Course  of  Empire  and  the  Voyage  of  Life.  His  life  was  an 
unbroken  record  of  success,  generosity  and  philanthropy.  Mr.  Faile  never  married. 


23° 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 


BENJAJIIN  LEWIS  FAIRCHILD,  lawyer,  was  born  Jan.  5,  1863,  in  Sweden, 
N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Fairchild,  who  served  through  the  Civil  War  and  then 
settled  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  did  not  see  his  son  until  the  latter  was  two  years  old. 
The  family  are  of  English  descent  and  long  known  in  Connecticut,  where  the  pioneers 
settled.  Mr.  Fairchild's  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Schaeffer  family  and  of  German 
ancestry.  The  subject  of  this  biography  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  and  the  law  department  of  Columbian  University.  At  the  age  of  thirteen, 
he  became  a  draughtsman  in  the  Patent  Office,  and  from  fourteen  until  twenty-two, 
held  a  clerkship  in  the  Treasury  Department,  meanwhile  pursuing  his  studies.  Having 
been  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  came  to  New  York  in  1885,  without  means,  was  successful 
in  his  profession,  and  invested  his  earnings  in  the  development  of  real  estate  properties 
in  Westchester  county,  in  compliance  with  an  injunction  he  had  heard  in  boyhood  to 
buy  land  by  the  acre  and  sell  it  by  the  foot.  He  continues  to  practice  law,  his  firm 
being  Southard  &  Fairchild,  and  has  large  realty  interests  at  Pelham  Heights  and 
Mount  Vernon.  He  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  popular  man.  In 
1894,  the  tidal  wave  of  public  sentiment  swept  him  into  a  seat  in  Congress  from  a 
Democratic  district.  He  was  married  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  28,  1893,  to  Anna  E., 
daughter  of  the  late  James  Crumbie.  He  is  a  member  The  Society  of  Medical  Juris- 
prudence and  the  Republican  and  New  York  Athletic  clubs. 

CHARLES  STEBBINS  FAIRCHILD,  lawyer,  born  April  30,  1842,  in  Cazenovia, 
N.  Y.,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Sidney  T.  Fairchild,  a  distinguished  lawyer,  for  many  years 
counsel  for  The  New  York  Central  Railroad,  who  died  Feb.  15,  1889,  the  possessor  of 
a  large  estate.  Graduating  from  Harvard  University  in  1863  and  from  the  Harvard 
Law  School  in  1865,  Mr.  Fairchild  read  law  iii  the  office  of  Hand,  Hale  &  Swartz,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  Albany,  and  in  1873  became  a  member  of  the  firm  above  named. 
In  1874,  he  was  called  into  the  public  service  as  Deputy  Attorney  General  of  the  State, 
and  the  following  year  was  elected  Attorney  General  as  a  Democrat.  In  1878  he  visited 
Europe.  Upon  his  return  in  1880,  he  established  a  law  office  in  New  York  city,  and 
has  since  become  identified  with  large  interests.  He  is  president  of  The  New  York 
Security  &  Trust  Co. ,  and  has  been  president  of  The  State  Charities  Aid  Association. 
From  March,  1885,  to  April,  1887,  Mr.  Fairchild  held  the  important  position  of 
Assistant  Secretary,  and  from  the  latter  date,  to  the  end  of  President  Cleveland's  term, 
that  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Century, 
University,  Manhattan,  Aldine,  Lawyers',  Reform,  Bar,  Democratic,  Harvard  Alumni, 
and  Alpha  Delta  Phi  clubs.  He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Columbian 
and  Harvard  Universities  in  1888. 

ARNOLD  FALK,  merchant,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  born. in  March,  1843,  came 
to  the  new  world  in  1858,  after  an  education  in  the  public  schools  in  the  fatherland, 
and  was  the  constant  partner  of  his  brother,  Gustav,  in  various  enterprises  connected 
with  the  tobacco  trade.  First  a  cigar  manufacturer,  he  gained  in  that  industry  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  various  classes  of  tobacco  leaf,  and  then,  in  1859,  joined  in 
establishing  the  firm  of  G.  Falk  &  Bro.,  to  import  Sumatra  and  other  foreign  tobacco 
and  export  the  native  leaf  of  America.  Success  came  to  this  house  through  their  enter- 
prise, industry  and  good  character.  Mr.  Falk  was  a  member  of  The  German  Society. 
He  married  Miss  Fannie  Wallach  of  this  city  in  1876,  and  had  two  sons,  Myron  and 
Kaufman  Falk,  and  died  in  Heidelberg,  Germany,  June  18,  1891. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FA.  231 

QUSTAV  FALK,  importer  of  tobacco,  born  in  Germany,  April  19,  1841,  is  a  son 
of  M.  J.  Falk,  merchant,  who  came  to  America  in  1858  and  settled  in  New  York  city. 
Gustav  received  an  education  in  the  schools  of  Herford,  Westphalia.  Most  of  his 
success  in  life  has  been  due  to  native  shrewdness  and  ability.  After  a  valuable  ex- 
perience as  a  cigar  manufacturer  in  this  city,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Arnold,  in  1859,  as  G.  Falk  &  Bro.,  for  wholesale  handling  of  foreign  and 
domestic  leaf  tobacco.  They  were  the  first  house  to  import  Sumatra  tobacco  upon  a 
large  scale,  and  as  they  had  no  competition  for  several  years,  their  business  was  exceed- 
ingly profitable.  Their  trade  in  Sumatra  tobacco  is  yet  large  but  the  house  also  packs 
and  exports  American  tobacco  also  extensively.  Owing  remotely  to  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh's  office  in  making  the  leaf  popular,  but  more'  immediately  to  Mr. 
Falk's  own  industrious  career  of  thirty-five  years,  he  has  become  one  of  the  wealthiest 
dealers  in  the  trade.  He  maintains  store  houses  in  this  city  and  Lancaster,  Pa.  In 
1871,  he  married  Miss  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Kaufman  Wallach,  and  has  five  children, 
Julia,  wife  of  David  M.  Frank,  Kaufman  S. ,  Sophia,  Jesse  M.,  and  Milton  J.  Falk. 

JOHN  TEMPLE  PARISH,  merchant,  a  native  of  Virginia,  born  about  1820,  died 
at  his  home  on  Park  avenue,  in  this  city,  May  13,  1891.  Before  he  had  attained  his 
majority,  he  came  to  New  York  to  live  with  his  uncle,  Lewis  Rogers,  then  a  prominent 
merchant,  who  acted  as  agent  for  the  Rothschilds  in  the  purchase  of  American  tobacco. 
Mr.  Parish  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  Rogers  &  Co. ,  and  conducted  so  profitable 
an  exportation  of  tobacco  that  he  was  able  to  retire  when  hardly  forty  years  old.  From 
that  time  forward,  he  was  occupied  entirely  with  investments.  In  1870,  he  married 
Martha,  a  daughter  of  Justice  Grier  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  Mr. 
Farish  was  deeply  interested  in  charities,  .and  expended  a  large  part  of  his  income  in 
philanthropic  work.  He  was  a  regular  attendant  of  St.  Bartholomew's  church.  His 
wife  survived  him.  By  will,  he  gave  to  St.  Luke's  Hospital  the  sum  of  $50,000,  to 
The  New  York  Bible  Society  $10,000,  to  The  Home  for  Incurables  $50,000,  to  the 
Missions  of  the  Episcopal  Church  $20,000,  to  The  Church  Mission  for  Deaf  Mutes 
$20,000,  and  to  other  institutions,  $120,000. 

FRANKLIN  FARREL,  manufacturer,  has  achieved  signal  success  in  varied  lines 
of  industrial  enterprise  and  is  entitled  to  a  prominent  place  in  the  ranks  of  successful 
men.  He  was  born  Feb.  17,  1828,  in  Waterbury,  Conn.  His  youth  was  passed  in  a 
mechanical  atmosphere,  his  father  being  a  skilled  mechanic,  and  early  in  life  it  became 
evident  that  he  had  himself  special  aptitude  in  this  direction.  His  early  education  was 
obtained  in  Waterbury,  being  rounded  out  by  a  course  at  West  Point,  where  he  received 
the  degree  of  Civil  Engineer.  Mr.  Parrel's  first  distinct  business  venture  was  the 
organization  of  The  Parrel  Machine  Co  ,  in  Ansonia,  Conn.,  about  forty-five  years  ago. 
It  was  a  modest  beginning,  the  outfit  consisting  of  a  single  lathe  and  planer.  For  many 
years  Mr.  Parrel  gave  this  plant  his  closest  attention,  and  such  business  ability  did  he 
bring  to  its  management  that  the  results  are  apparent  to-day  in  an  establishment  con- 
taining over  two  hundred  and  fifty  machine  tools,  many  of  them  among  the  largest  in 
the  world,  and  employing  in  prosperous  times  over  seven  hundred  men. 

Mr.  Parrel  is  essentially  a  leader,  and,  when  he  lends  his  personality  and  efforts  to 
the  promotion  of  a  project,  success  is  practically  assured.  A  striking  illustration  of  this 
is  shown  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.  In  1883,  the  western  section  of  the  city  was  undevel- 
oped, a  great  part  of  the  territory  being  covered  by  a  thick  growth  of  underbrush.  He 


232  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

was  able  to  foresee  the  possibilities  of  the  section,  and  the  unexcelled  rail  and  water 
facilities,  which  could  be  obtained  by  proper  development.  The  Bridgeport  Forge  Co., 
a  concern  of  which  Mr.  Farrel  is  president  and  principal  owner,  was  organized  and 
located  in  this  seemingly  desolate  region.  The  Bridgeport  Copper  Co.  was  organized 
soon  afterward  through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Farrel,  and  its  first  buildings  erected  in  the 
same  locality.  Owing  to  the  business  energy  of  Mr.  Farrel  and  his  associates,  these 
companies  have  shown  constant  growth  and  must  now  be  ranked  among  the  most 
prosperous  concerns  in  Connecticut.  Encouraged  by  such  enterprise,  other  large  firms 
have  since  located  in  this  part  of  the  city,  fine  streets  have  been  laid  out  and  worked, 
substantial  dwelling  houses  and  blocks  erected,  and,  as  if  touched  by  a  magic  wand,  the 
section  in  a  single  decade  has  become  one  of  the  most  prosperous  and  flourishing  in 
the  city  of  Bridgeport. 

After  earning  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  most  expert  founders  and  machin- 
ists in  the  country,  and  establishing  several  of  the  largest  firms  in  Connecticut  on  a 
successful  basis,  Mr.  Farrel  turned  his  attention  in  other  directions.  He  embarked  in 
the  sugar  business  in  1879,  and  from  a  small  beginning  has  achieved  notable  success. 
He  selected  capable  and  energetic  associates,  and  wise  co-operation  and  concerted  effort 
have  brought  about  fine  results.  The  sugar  estates  are  located  in  Cuba  and  Santo 
Domingo,  and  some  idea  of  their  proportions  may  be  conveyed  when  it  is  said  that 
three  of  these  estates  require  in  their  operation  over  twenty-five  miles  of  fixed  railroad 
and  furnish  employment  to  over  three  thousand  men. 

Another  industry  to  which  Mr.  Farrel  has  directed  his  attention,  and  which  has 
prospered  under  his  direction,  has  been  the  manufacture  of  copper.  He  became  identi- 
fied with  The  Parrot  Silver  &  Copper  Co.,  of  -Butte  City,  Mont.,  and  the  first  mine  was 
worked  in  1877.  This  company  has  grown  under  the  competent  management  of  Mr. 
Farrel  and  his  associates,  and  to-day  its  product  is  one  of  the  standard  brands  of  copper 
of  the  world.  Without  further  specific  mention,  it  may  be  said  that  in  every  direction 
one  can  point  to  industries,  successful  to  a  marked  degree,  and  all  the  product  of  brains 
and  intelligence  backed  by  Mr.  Parrel's  capital  and  business  wisdom.  Mines,  smelters, 
metal  refineries,  forges,  foundries,  machine  shops,  brass  and  copper  rolling  mills,  rail- 
roads, banks,  hotels  and  sugar  plantations  are  among  the  industries  which  claim  the 
care  and  attention  of  this  remarkable  man.  In  politics,  Mr.  Farrel  has  always  been  an 
earnest  and  consistent  Republican.  Although  often  urged  to  allow  his  nomination  for 
honorable  positions,  he  has  felt  that  he  could  not  justly  set  aside  or  neglect  the  great 
business  affairs  entrusted  to  his  keeping.  His  advice  and -assistance,  however,  have 
always  been  sought  and  given  to  promote  the  interests  of  Republicanism. 

WILLIAH  DOUGLAS  FARWELL,  merchant,  born  at  Big  Flats,  Chemung  county, 
N.  Y. ,  May  31,  1827,  died  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  30,  1885.  His  father,  Benjamin 
Farwell,  was  a  man  of  marked  integrity  and  strength  of  character  and  a  warm  hearted, 
generous  Christian.  The  young  man  gained  his  first  experience  as  a  merchant  in  Steu- 
ben  county.  In  1863,  he  removed  to  Chicago,  and  in  1865  entered  the  wholesale  dry 
goods  house  of  John  V.  Farwell  &  Co.,  as  a  partner.  The  same  year,  he  removed  to 
New  York  to  represent  the  business  here  as  resident  partner.  As  a  business  man,  he 
commanded  general  respect.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  Merchants' 
clubs,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  The  New  England  Society  and  other  social  organiza- 
tions. While  keen  and  enterprising  as  a  merchant,  money  making  did  not  enlist  his 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FA.  233 

entire  attention.  He  was  a  Christian  gentleman  and  an  active  member  of  the  Madison 
Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  to  whose  prosperity  he  contributed  largely,  and 
of  which  he  was  a  trustee,  serving  upon  the  Executive  Committee  for  the  erection  of 
the  present  church  edifice.  For  the  support  of  missions,  he  spent  a  large  amount  of 
time  and  means,  and  served  for  many  years  as  trustee  of  the  Drew  Theological  Semi- 
nary. In  1866,  he  was  married  to  Hannah  D.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Allen  P.  Rip- 
ley,  of  Buffalo.  His  one  child  was  a  daughter,  Cornelia  Hannah. 

SIGOURNEY  WEBSTER  FAY,  dry  goods  merchant,  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass., 
was  born  Feti.  6,  1836.  His  father  was  Nahum  Fay,  also  a  merchant.  The  family  are 
of  English  ancestry  and  descend  from  John  Fay,  who  settled  in  this  country  in 
1640.  Josiah  Fay,  great  grandfather  of  Sigourney,  born  in  Westboro,  Mass.,  in  1732, 
and  Elisha  Forbes,  of  the  same  town,  great  grandfather  in  the  maternal  line,  both 
served  in  the  American  Revolution,  first  at  Bunker  Hill  and  then  in  the  ist  Conti- 
nental Infantry.  After  graduation  from  the  old  English  High  School  in  Boston,  Mr. 
Fay  gained  his  first  training  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Lawrence.  Stone  &  Co.,  in  Bos- 
ton, and  the  Middlesex  Woolen  Mills  of  Lowell.  In  1860,  he  was  invited  to  New  York 
and  in  the  commission  dry  goods  firm  of  Stone,  Bliss,  Fay  &  Allen  began  a  career  which 
has  been  attended  with  uniform  success  to  the  present  time.  Until  1869,  this  house 
carried  on,  it  is  believed,  the  largest  local  commission  trade  in  woolen  goods  in  this 
city.  They  were  the  selling  agents  of  about  fifteen  New  England  factories.  In  1869, 
the  firm  reorganized  as  Perry,  Wendell,  Fay  &  Co.,  and  in  1878,  as  Wendell,  Fay  &  Co. 
Mr.  Fay  is  in  charge  of  the  New  York  branch  of  the  business.  He  is  a  sound  and 
excellent  merchant,  energetic,  capable  and  of  high  character.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  director  of  The  Hanover  National  Bank  and  The  Exchange 
Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  City,  Players',  Metropolitan, 
and  Merchants'  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society.  By  virtue  of  direct  descent,  he  is 
a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  In  1860,  Mr.  Fay  married  Delia 
A.,  daughter  of  Emery  B.  Fay,  of  Boston. 

THOflAS  FAYE,  wall  paper  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Galway,  Ireland,  1810,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Feb.  24,  1892.  His  father  was  French,  his  mother  Irish.  After  his 
mother's  death,  he  came  to  this  country  at  the  age  of  eight,  with  his  father,  who,  buying 
a  farm  near  Rochester  and  losing  his  money  in  land  speculation,  died  suddenly  in 
1820  and  left  the  boy  to  fight  his  own  way  unaided.  Lacking  a  good  education  in  the 
day  schools,  he  so  well  compensated  himself  for  this  by  attending  night  schools  and 
debating  societies,  and  by  extensive  reading  and  alert  observation,  that  he  became  a 
notably  well  informed  man.  While  young,  he  entered  the  employment  of  Francis 
Pares,  a  wall  paper  maker  on  Pearl  street,  and  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  1830,  in 
Pares  &  Faye,  but  subsequently  withdrew  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Lewis  Bel- 
rose,  under  the  name  of  Belrose  &  Faye  of  this  city  and  Philadelphia.  The}-  had  a 
factory  on  West  29th  street  and  a  salesroom  on  Broadway.  Just  before  the  war,  Mr. 
Faye  retired  from  business  with  an  ample  fortune  and  the  distinction  of  having  been 
ths  first  to  manufacture  wall  paper  by  machinery,  having  won  for  this  achievement  the 
first  gold  medal  of  the  American  Institute.  He  owned  buildings  on  Broadway,  near 
Franklin  street  and  Grace  Church,  and  about  twenty  acres  on  Washington  Heights, 
now  covered  with  private  residences.  Public  office  was  frequently  tendered  him  but 
always  declined.  During  the  Civil  War  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union.  Mr. 


234  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Faye  was  married  in  1839  to  Marion,  oldest  daughter  of  the  late  Judge  Edward  Cope- 
land.  They  had  four  daughters  and  four  sons,  namely:  Mary,  Marion  C.,  Ada  M.,  Ella 
L.,  Edward  C.,  Thomas  F.,  Harold,  James  J.,  and  E.  Frederick  Faye. 

DANIEL  BURTON  FAYERWEATHER,  tanner  and  leather  merchant,  born 
March  12,  1822,  died  Nov.  15,  1890,  at  his  home  in  New  York  city.  He  was  the  son 
of  Lucius  Fayerweather,  a  farmer  and  a  descendant  in  the  fourth  generation  from  John 
Fayerweather  and  Abigail  Curtis  of  North  Stratford,  now  Trumbull,  Conn.  John 
Fayerweather,  a  soldier  in  the  Colonial  army,  lost  his  life  in  1775  in  the  campaign  for 
the  capture  of  Fort  Ticonderoga.  He  was  a  farmer.  Samuel,  son  of  'John,  served 
through  the  whole  of  the  American  Revolution.  Daniel's  early  education  was  gained 
in  the  schools  of  his  native  town  and  the  academy  in  Newtown,  Conn.  Having  learned 
the  shoemaker's  trade,  as  apprentice  for  Capt.  Luzon  W.  Clark,  of  Trumbull,  he  joined 
his  principal  as  a  partner  and  conducted  a  profitable  business  for  a  long  period,  their 
market  being  chiefly  in  the  South.  While  making  purchases  of  leather  in  New  York, 
Mr.  Fayerweather  made  the  acquaintance  of  Hoyt  Bro's,  on  Spruce  street,  and  from 
their  mutual  appreciation  there  resulted  an  arrangement  whereby  Mr.  Fayerweather 
entered  the  firm  on  the  basis  of  a  percentage  of  profits.  In  this  way  he  became  con- 
nected with  the  leather  business,  a  trade  which  placed  a  limit,  neither  on  Mr.  Fayer- 
weather's  business  abilities  nor  his  broad  and  generous  views  of  life.  The  Civil  War 
gave  a  great  stimulus  to  the  leather  trade.  About  1862,  Mr.  Fayerweather  was 
admitted  to  full  partnership.  About  1866,  the  associates  divided,  William,  Oliver  and 
Mark  Hoyt  continuing  as  Hoyt  Bro's.,  in  the  hemlock  leather  business,  while  Joseph 
B.  Hoyt,  the  oldest  brother,  and  Mr.  Fayerweather  united  as  J.  B.  Hoyt  &  Co.,  retain- 
ing the  old  stand  on  Spruce  street,  and  the  trade  in  oak  leather  and  belting.  Jan.  i, 
1884,  J.  B.  Hoyt  &  Co.  dissolved  and  the  firm  of  Fayerweather  &  Ladew  was  formed 
by  Mr.  Fayerweather  and  Harvey  S.  Ladew.  The  new  partners  were  exceedingly  con- 
genial to  each  other  and  co-operated  harmoniously  to  extend  their  trade.  They  owned 
a  number  of  tanneries  in  the  oak  bark  districts  of  Maryland,  West  Virginia,  Tennessee, 
Georgia  and  Alabama.  Their  trade  was  enormous.  Mr.  Fayerweather  was  a  shrewd 
investor,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  held  large  amounts  of  the  securities  of  about 
twenty  railroads,  which  he  had  purchased  to  advantage.  Like  the  rest  of  his  family, 
he  was  stalwart  in  character  and  physique  and  of  great  purity  of  life.  He  was  married 
to  Lucy,  daughter  of  William  Beard  Joyce,  of  Trumbull,  Conn.  During  his  energetic 
career  and  in  honest  industry,  Mr.  Fayerweather  gained  a  fortune  of  several  millions. 
By  his  will  he  gave  specifically  $3,725,000  to  about  thirty-frwe  colleges  and  $560,000  to 
eleven  hospitals.  The  residue,  after  the  payment  of  those  and  other  specific  legacies, 
was  bequeathed  to  trustees  absolutely,  to  be  disposed  of  to  colleges  and  public  institu- 
tions. Mrs.  Fayerweather  died  in  Rutland,  Vt,  July  16,  1892. 

CHARLES  NYE  FEARING,  merchant,  born  in  Wareham,  Mass.,  March  10,  1812, 
died  at  his  home  in  Lafayette  Place,  New  York,  Jan.  6,  1886.  His  father,  William 
Fearing,  a  prosperous  shipping  merchant,  came  from  English  ancestry  and  traced  his 
line  to  John  Fearing,  founder  of  the  family  in  this  country,  who  came  from  Cambridge 
or  Hingham,  England,  to  Hingham,  Mass.,  in  1635.  With  an  excellent  education,  ob- 
tained at  Brown  University,  Charles  began  life  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  partnership 
with  Edwin  Hoyt,  as  Fearing  &  Hoyt.  In  1840,  he  embarked  in  the  commission  dry 
goods  business  in  this  city,  on  Exchange  Place,  in  the  firm  of  Fearing  &  Hall,  and  rose 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — FE.  235 

to  prominence  in  this  occupation.  His  house  ranked  among  the  leaders  of  the  trade  for 
more  than  twenty  years.  He  retired  in  1861,  his  life  thereafter  being  a  quiet  one.  He 
was  president  of  The  Auburn  Woolen  Co,  for  many  years.  In  1839,  he  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  Benjamin  L.  Swan.  Their  children  were  three  sons.  Charles  F..  a  stock 
broker,  William  H,,  an  importer  of  wines,  and  Edward  S.  Fearing,  who  died  in  1881. 

riARTIN  S.  FECHHEIMER,  merchant,  was  born  of  Jewish  parents,  June  24, 
1835,  in  Mitwitz,  Bavaria.  His  parents  were  poor  and  could  not  give  him  a  better 
education  than  that  afforded  by  the  village  school.  The  boy  left  home  in  1847,  removed 
to  Cincinnati,  and  entered  the  employment  of  his  uncles.  He  began  at  the  bottom  of 
the  ladder,  doing  the  hardest  and  roughest  work,  for  which  he  received  his  board  and 
lodging.  Having  acquired  some  experience,  at  the  age  of  nineteen  he  started  in  busi- 
ness for  himself  at  Toledo,  O.,  and  subsequently  moved  to  Madison,  Wis.  In  1858,  he 
went  to  California.  As  a  clerk  in  Sacramento,  he  saved  his  earnings,  and  joined  Henry 
Kronethal,  in  1860,  in  a  clothing  business.  In  1862,  Henry  Goodkind  became  associ- 
ated with  them  in  Fechheimer,  Goodkind  &  Co.  From  1862  to  1884,  the  business  was 
carried  on  in  San  Francisco,  and  they  ranked  eventually  as  one  of  the  leading  clothing 
houses  of  the  coast.  In  1884,  Charles  Fishel  and  Charles  E.  Adler,  having  become 
members,  the  firm  established  a  store  in  the  city  of  New  York,  which  soon  acquired 
such  proportions  that  the  firm  discontinued  the  California  branch.  Oct.  31,  1891,  Henry 
Goodkind  retired,  and  the  business  has  been  continued  since  under  the  name  of  Fech- 
heimer, Fishel  &  Co.  They  are  now  one  of  the  leading  houses  in  the  wholesale  clothing- 
business.  For  many  years  past,  Mr.  Fechheimer  has  adopted  a  modified  form  of 
profit  sharing,  as  a  result  of  which  and  of  his  fairness  to  employes,  he  has  never  had 
a  strike  since  coming  to  this  city.  He  is  a  director  of  The  Hanover  National  Bank 
and  a  member  of  the  Harmonic  social  club.  He  assisted  in  organizing  the  first  Society 
for  Ethical  Culture  in  this  city,  under  Prof.  Felix  Adler,  and  for  many  years  was 
president  and  trustee  of  the  society.  In  1865,  he  married  Miss  Francis  Meyer.  Of  his 
seven  children  five  are  living. 

WILLIAM  FELLOWES,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  Pitt,  N.  C.,  born  April  17, 
1802,  died  May  12,  1875,  at  his  home  in  Richmond  county,  N.  Y.  The  son  of  Jonathan 
and  Elizabeth  Fellowes,  members  of  old  families,  he  began  life  with  inherited  spirit 
and  after  an  education  in  Henderson,  Ky.,  made  his  reputation  as  a  merchant  in  the 
dry  goods  firm  of  William  &  Cornelius  Fellowes  in  Louisville,  Ky.  His  trade  was 
largely  with  the  river  States  and  a  branch  store  was  established  in  New  Orleans  under 
the  style  of  Fellowes,  Jenkins  &  Co.  About  1846,  Mr.  Fellowes  removed  to  Newy  York 
city  and  managed  another  branch  house,  in  co-operation  with  the  other  firms.  He 
soon  became  known  as  a  very  capable,  upright  and  progressive  man.  He  owned  a 
plantation  in  St.  Mary's  parish,  La.,  a  farm  in  Texas,  and  interests  in  The  Manhattan 
Silver  and  The  American  Mining  Go's,  and  other  properties.  Having  made  a  large  in- 
vestment in  The  Panama  Railroad,  he  accepted  office  as  a  director  of  that  company. 
By  his  marriage  with  Caroline  Davis  in  Boston,  he  had  nine  children  :  Mrs.  Eliza  B. 
Ward  well;  Caroline,  wife  of  David  P.  Morgan;  William,  Clara,  Harriet  D.,  Cornelius, 
Nancy  W.,  Alice  and  Birney  Fellowes.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  club. 

BENJAfllN  HAZARD  FIELD,  merchant,  born  May  2,  1814,  in  Yorktown,  West- 
chester  county,  N.  Y.,  died  in  this  city,  March  17,  1893.  He  was  a  descendant  of  an 
old  and  gentle  English  family,  one  of  whom,  Robert  Field,  came  to  America  with  his 


236  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

neighbor  and  relative  by  marriage,  Sir  Richard  Saltonstall,  in  the  company  organized 
in  1630,  and  settled  in  Watertown,  Mass.  Later,  he  moved  to  Newport,  R.  I.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  son  of  Hazard  Field.  He  graduated  from  the  North 
Salem  academy  and  entered  the  office  of  Hickson  W.  Field,  a  merchant  in  the  China 
trade  and  wholesale  dealer  in  drugs  in  this  city.  In  March,  1832,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  firm,  and,  in  1838,  when  the  senior  partner  retired,  assumed  the  management. 
June  9,  1838,  he  married  Catherine  W.  Van  Cortlandt  de  Peyster,  daughter  of  Frederic 
de  Peyster  and  noted  for  her  beauty,  prominence  in  society  and  activity  in  charitable 
work  They  had  two  children,  Cortlandt  de  Peyster  Field  and  Florence  Van  Cortlandt, 
wife  of  W.  W.  Bishop.  Mrs,  Field  died  in  July,  1886.  In  1861,  Mr.  Field  was  joined 
in  business  by  his  son.  Four  years  later,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Cortlandt  de 
P.  Field  &  Co.,  the  elder  Field  remaining  a  silent  partner.  He  owned  a  large  amount 
of  excellent  real  estate  in  New  York  city,  and  was  a  director  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual 
Life  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Greenwood  Cemetery  Co.,  and  vice  president  of  The  Bank 
for  Savings.  Early  identified  with  the  St.  Nicholas  Society,  of  which  he  became  vice 
president  and  president,  in  1884  he  was  elected  a  life  member  of  the  Society.  To  his 
efforts  was  largely  due  the  erection  of  The  Farragut  monument  in  Madison  Square 
and  the  monument  to  the  poet  Halleck  in  Central  Park.  He  was  exceedingly  active  in 
philanthropic  work  and  an  officer  of  numerous  charities,  being  also  a  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  the  Century  and  St.  Nicholas  clubs,  and  a  life  long  member 
of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church. 

CYRUS  WEST  FIELD,  famous  for  his  share  in  laying  the  first  Atlantic  cable, 
born  in  Stockbridge,  Mass.,  Nov.  30,  1819,  died  in  Dobbs  Ferry,  N.  Y.,  July  12,  1892. 
He  was  one  of  eight  distinguished  sons  of  Dr.  David  Dudley  Field,  a  Congregational 
minister  of  Stockbridge,  and  was  descended  from  Zachariah  Field,  who  settled  in 
America  about  1630.  His  education  was  obtained  from  his  father  and  in  the  schools 
of  Stockbridge.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  he  entered  the  employment  of  A.  T.  Stewart  in 
New  York,  and  in  October,  1840,  became  a  partner  of  L.  Root  &  Co.  in  the  paper 
trade.  This  firm  failed  in  1841,  and,  until  1843,  Mr.  Field  found  himself  occupied  with 
a  settlement  of  their  affairs.  In  1843,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Cyrus  W.  Field  &  Co., 
built  up  a  prosperous  business,  and  paid  off,  in  1853,  all  the  debts  he  had  compromised 
in  1843.  Becoming,  in  1854,  intensely  interested  in  the  possibility  of  connecting  the 
old  and  new  worlds  by  telegraph,  and  having  partly  retired  from  business,  he  devoted 
himself  with  enthusiasm  to  the  subject  of  an  ocean  cable.  In  1858,  a  cable  was  laid 
which  worked  imperfectly.  Entire  success  was  not  attained  until  1866.  No  one  who 
studies  biography  for  the  elements  of  character  which  command  success,  can  fail  to  be 
struck  with  the  two  fundamental  factors,  illustrated  in  this  achievement,  which  won 
for  Mr.  Field  world  wide  distinction,  namely,  first  the  conception  of  a  useful  and 
practical  idea,  and  secondly  the  inflexible  determination  and  undaunted  pluck  which 
he  brought  to  bear  in  carrying  out  his  plans  in  spite  of  discouragements  and  obstacles. 
For  the  laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable,  Congress  gave  Mr.  Field  a  gold  medal  and  the 
thanks  of  the  nation,  and  the  Paris  Exposition  of  1867  awarded  him  a  grand  medal. 
In  1866,  he  again  wrote  to  various  creditors  who  had  released  him  in  1860  and  paid  his 
indebtedness  in  full,  with  interest,  to  the  amount  of  $170,897.  He  helped  develop 
the  elevated  railway  system  of  New  York  and  was  identified  with  other  great  enterprises. 
For  several  years,  the  name  of  Cyrus  W.  Field  was  well  known  in  Wall  street.  Daring 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FI.  237 

in  speculation,  upright  and  competent,  he  amassed  a  fortune  of  several  millions,  which, 
however,  first  reduced  somewhat  by  speculation,  at  the  last  shrank  to  nothing,  owing 
to  the  necessity  of  repairing  losses  for  which  he  was  not  responsible.  Successful  in 
business,  he  was  never  more  successful  than  in  the  triumph  over  self  and  the  love  of 
wealth,  when  he  devoted  the  accumulations  of  a  life  time  toward  preserving  the  honor 
of  his  family.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  owned  only  five  shares  in  The  Anglo- 
American  Cable  and  one  hundred  acres  of  land  at  Irvington  on  the  Hudson,  upon 
which  there  was  a  mortgage.  Mr.  Field  was  married  Dec.  2,  1840,  to  Mar}-  Bryan 
Stone  of  Guilford,  Conn.  Mrs.  Field  died  Nov.  23,  1891.  The  children  born  to 
them  were  Mary  Grace,  Alice  Durand,  Isabella,  Fanny  Griswold,  Arthur  Stone,  now 
deceased,  Edward  Moore  and  Cyrus  William,  who  died  June,  9,  1894.  The  first  named, 
wife  of  Dr.  D.  A.  Lindley,  died  Jan.  n,  1892. 

HICKSON  W.  FIELD,  one  of  the  race  of  old  New  York  merchants,  who  died  in 
Rome,  Italy,  Feb.  12,  1873,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five,  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fortune 
in  the  commission  and  drug  business  on  Burling  Slip.  He  inherited  a  moderate  estate, 
but  the  most  of  his  means  probably  came,  however,  from  investments  in  real  estate  in 
the  city,  at  a  time  when  purchases  could  be  made  at  a  moderate  valuation.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  town  greatly  enhanced  the  value  of  his  properties.  About  1845,  he  built, 
in  company  with  a  partner,  the  New  York  Hotel  on  Broadway,  which,  for  nearly  fifty 
years,  ranked  among  the  most  prosperous  hostelries  in  the  city,  becoming  a  head- 
quarters for  Southern  merchants  especially.  The  uptown  movement,  it  may  be  noted  in 
passing,  finally  left  this  old  hotel  lagging  in  the  rear.  It  ceased  to  pay,  and,  in  1894,  it 
was  levelled  to  the  ground  to  give  place  for  a  modern  office  building.  His  son  was 
Hickson  W.  Field,  jr.,  and  his  daughter  Mrs.  Eleanor  K.  Jay. 

BENEDICKT  FISCHER,  tea  merchant,  born  March  21,  1841,  in  Ober  Schopfheim, 
Baden,  Germany,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  United  States  since  the  age  of  fourteen. 
Receiving  only  a  limited  education  in  the  village  school  of  his  native  place,  he  was 
thrown  upon  his  own  resources  for  his  success  in  life.  Beginning  as  a  wheelwright's 
apprentice,  he  served  his  time,  and  afterward  relinquished  a  salary  of  $45  a  week  to 
become  a  chemist's  assistant  at  $3  a  week  with  a  view  to  a  future  career.  He  then 
entered  a  varnish  factory,  aided  in  the  manufacture,  and  became  a  salesman  of  varnish. 
Later,  he  found  as  salesman  for  a  wholesale  grocery  house  the  vocation  he  has  since 
pursued.  In  1861,  he  engaged  in  the  tea  and  grocery  trade  for  himself,  making  visits 
to  buyers  during  the  day,  and  at  night  preparing  the  goods  for  delivery.  Through  his 
own  efforts,  his  present  extensive  trade  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  modest  beginning.  With 
several  changes  of  partners,  and  with  occasional  mishaps,  such  as  the  burning  of  his 
store  twice,  he  has  gone  bravely  on  in  spite  of  discouragements,  and  has  won  large 
means  by  sheer  perseverance  and  persistent  enterprise.  Mr.  Fischer  has  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  his  trade,  bears  a  good  reputation,  and  has  set  an  example  which  should 
prove  an  encouragement  to  many  young  merchants.  Mr.  Fischer  was  the  first  to  intro- 
duce American  tiles  in  the  market,  and  is  president  of  The  American  Encaustic  Tile 
Co.,  the  largest  of  its  class  in  the  United  States.  Of  The  Mauser  Manufacturing  Co., 
silversmiths,  he  is  vice  president.  The  Riverside  Bank  was  organized  by  him  and 
others.  Mr.  Fischer  was  married  Sept.  21,  1864,  to  Kathrina  Ebling.  Of  his  nine 
children,  five  are  living,  William  H.,  Florence  and  Irma  Fischer,  Mrs.  Antonia 
Diefenthaler  and  Mrs.  Leonora  Koehler. 


238  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

CHARLES  S.  FISCHER,  manufacturer,  was  born  Jan.  30,  1820,  in  Naples,  Italy. 
His  grandfather  and  father  were  both  military  officers  in  the  Austrian  army,  placed  in 
Naples  at  the  time  of  the  Austrian  protectorate,  and  the  latter  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  well  known  house  of  J.  &  C.  Fischer,  makers  of  the  Fischer  piano.  Charles 
obtained  an  education  at  Naples.  The  family  destined  him  for  the  priesthood,  but  he 
preferred  a  business  career  and  learned  a  trade  in  Naples,  under  his  grandfather,  who 
was  interested  in  various  manufactures,  among  them  the  making  of  pianos.  Coming 
to  America  in  1839,  he  started  in  business  with  his  brother  and  William  Nunns  in  1840, 
as  Nunns  &  Fischer.  The  senior  partner  had  previously  been  connected  with  Robert 
&  William  Nunns  and  Nunns  &  Clark,  piano  makers.  About  twenty-five  years  ago 
Mr.  Fischer  was  admitted  to  partnerthip  in  J.  &  C.  Fischer,  and  since  1889  has  been  sole 
owner.  He  is  the  oldest  piano  manufacturer  in  New  York  city.  In  the  past  quarter 
of  a  century,  the  firm  have  built  up  a  business  which  ranks  among  the  foremost  of  its 
kind  in  the  country  and  has  brought  prosperity  to  the  very  capable  partners.  There 
is  a  branch  house  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  The  office  of  the  concern  is  on  Fifth  avenue  in 
this  city.  Mr.  Fischer  was  married  in  New  York  to  Helena  W.  Beilby.  Of  their  ten 
children,  six  are  living,  namely,  Charles  S.  Fischer,  jr.,  M.  D.,  Henry  B. ,  Bernardo  F., 
Adolpho  H.,  Frederic  G.,  and  T.  Tasso  Fischer.  Mr.  Fischer  is  an  accomplished  man 
and  a  fluent  speaker  of  four  languages,  Italian,  French,  German  and  American. 

HAMILTON  FISH,  diplomat,  born  in  New  York  city  in  1808,  died  here  Sept. 
7,  1893.  His  father  was  Lieut.  Col.  Nicholas  Fish,  an  officer  in  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, the  friend  of  Washington,  afterward  Adjutant  General  of  New  York,  and  presi- 
dent of  The  Butchers  &  Drovers'  Bank  of  this  city.  His  mother  was  Elizabeth  Stuy- 
vesant.  The  family  is  believed  to  be  a  branch  of  the  old  Saxon  family  of  Fysche,  which, 
in  the  tables  of  German  nobility,  dates  from  a  remote  era.  The  founder  in  America 
was  Jonathan  Fish,  who  came  to  Massachusetts  from  England  about  1635.  Hamilton 
Fish  graduated  from  Columbia  College  and  was  admitted  to  the  New  York  bar  in  1830. 
While  he  practiced  law  to  some  extent,  he  entered  early  upon  a  public  career.  Absolved 
from  labor  by  a  large  inheritance  in  real  estate  from  his  father  and  his  uncle,  Peter  G. 
Stuyvesant,  he  was  able  to  devote  his  life  to  public  affairs  and  to  fill  important  positions 
with  fidelity  and  credit.  A  Whig  in  politics,  he  became  a  Republican  after  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Republican  party.  He  was  elected  a  member  of  Congress  in  1844,  Lieuten- 
ant Governor  in  1847,  Governor  in  1848-50,  and  in  1851-57  United  States  Senator. 
From  1869  to  1877,  he  was  Secretary  of  State  under  President  Grant  and  one  of  the 
commissioners  who  signed  the  Washington  Treaty  of  1871,  which  disposed  of  the  ques- 
tion of  Alabama  claims.  Mr.  Fish  was  for  many  years  president  of  The  Society  of  the 
Cincinnati,  succeeding  his  father,  and  of  numerous  social,  philanthropic  and  intellec- 
tual organizations.  His  wife  was  Julia  Kean. — His  oldest  son,  NICHOLAS  FISH, 
banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  19,  1846,  graduated  from  Columbia  College  in 
1867,  and  from  Harvard  Law  School  in  1869,  and  entered  upon  the  laborious  profession 
of  the  law  in  this  city.  He  has  figured  to  some  extent  in  public  affairs,  being  first 
appointed  as  Second  Secretary  of  Legation  in  Germany,  1871,  and  First  Secretary  thereof 
in  1874.  He  was  Chargd  d'Affaires  to  the  Swiss  Confederation,  1877-81,  and  United 
States  Minister  to  Belgium,  1882-86.  In  1887,  Mr.  Fish  engaged  in  banking  in 
Harriman  &  Co.,  as  a  partner,  and  has  since  been  identified  with  financial  affairs  down 
town  in  that  firm.  Mr.  Fish  inherited  means  and  a  distinguished  name,  to  which  he 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FI.  239 

has  done  honor  by  a  spotless  business  record  and  high  personal  character.  Well  bred, 
well  informed,  courteous,  sound  in  judgment  and  thoroughly  a  man  of  affairs,  he 
occupies  a  very  high  position.  His  clubs  are  the  Metropolitan,  Century,  University, 
Tuxedo,  St.  Anthony,  Lawyers',  Players',  Down  Town,  University  Athletic,  and  Coney 
Island  Jockey.  He  is  also  a  member  of  The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  The  St. 
Nicholas  Society,  and  The  New  York  Historical  Society.  He  was  married  in  Newport, 
R.  I.,  to  Clemence  S.  Bryce,  and  their  two  children  are  Elizabeth  S.  Clare  Fish  and 
Hamilton  Fish  jr. — STUYVESANT  FISH,  railroad  president,  son  of  Hamilton  Fish, 
a  native  of  New  York  city,  was  born  June  24,  1851.  After  a  course  at  Columbia 
College,  from  which  he  graduated  in  1871,  he  entered  the  Service  of  The  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  in  1871,  as  a  clerk  in  its  New  York  office,  and  with  the  exception  of 
four  years  has  been  continuously  identified  with  that  company's  interests.  In  1872, 
John  Newell,  then  president  of  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  made  Mr.  Fish  his 
secretary.  Later  in  that  year,  Mr.  Fish  left  to  become  a  clerk  in  the  employ  of  Morton, 
Bliss  &  Co. ,  of  this  city,  and  of  their  London  correspondents,  Morton,  Rose  &  Co. 
Stalwart  and  clear  headed,  sound  in  judgment  and  physically  capable  of  an  enormous 
amount  of  work,  Mr.  Fish  made  his  mark  without  delay.  In  January,  1875,  he  became 
managing  clerk  for  Morton,  Bliss  &  Co.,  and  held  their  power  of  attorney.  This  posi- 
tion he  retained  for  over  two  years.  From  Dec.  14,  1876,  to  March,  1879,  Mr.  Fish 
was  a  member  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange.  He  was,  in  February,  1877,  elected 
a  director  of  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  treasurer  of  the  Purchasing  Com- 
mittee of  The  New  Orleans,  Jackson  &  Great  Northern  Railroad,  and  has  since  given 
his  attention  entirely  to  railroad  enterprises.  Nov.  8,  1877,  he  was  elected  secretary  of 
The  Chicago,  St.  Louis  &  New  Orleans  Railroad,  and  March,  1882,  vice  president.  In 
1883,  he  was  made  second  vice  president  of  The  Illinois  Central,  and  rose  rapidly, 
becoming  president  in  1887,  which  position  he  retains  to  this  time.  He  is  also  president 
of  The  Yazoo  &  Mississippi  Valley  Railroad  and  other  corporations  affiliated  with  The 
Illinois  Central.  Mr.  Fish  is  a  director  of  The  National  Park  Bank  and  trustee  of 
The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co.  He 
holds  membership  in  several  social  clubs,  among  them  the  Metropolitan,  Union,  St. 
Anthony,  Down  Town  and  Players'.  Married  in  1876  to  Marian  G.  Anthon,  a  daughter 
of  the  late  William  Henry  Anthon,  he  has  three  children,  named  respectively  Marian, 
Stuyvesant,  jr.,  and  Sidney  Webster  Fish. 

ROBERT  COCKBURN  FISHER,  marble  manufacturer,  born  on  the  Bowery,  near 
Houston  street,  May  20,  1837,  died  in  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  26,  1893.  His 
father,  John  Thomas  Fisher,  came  to  this  country  from  Dublin  in  1829,  and  his  mother, 
Eliza  Bird,  was  a  native  of  Orange  county,  N.  Y.  Robert  received  his  education  in 
the  Hamilton  Collegiate  Institute  at  White  Plains,  N.  Y.,  and  being  a  practical,  ener- 
getic young  man,  joined  his  father  in  the  marble  business  in  1854,  in  a  yard  at  the 
corner  of  Houston  street  and  the  Bower}'.  In  1859,  he  succeeded  his  father  as  senior 
partner  in  Fisher  &  Bird,  and  continued  at  the  head  of  the  firm  until  his  death,  at 
which  time  they  were  known  as  Robert  C.  Fisher  &  Co.  His  marble  and  granite  works 
on  East  Houston  street  were  carried  on  with  great  success.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Reform  and  Church  clubs  and  the  American  Geographical  Society,  and  director  of  The 
Oriental  Bank,  but  lived  in  New  Rochelle,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  president  of  the  Board 
of  Education  for  twelve  years.  Owing  to  the  gentle  and  kindly  spirit  of  Mr.  Fisher,  his 


240  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

possessions  excited  no  envy,  except  from  those  who  envied  his  ability  to  do  good  to 
others.  His  presence  was  a  constant  benediction  among  his  neighbors  in  every  station, 
and  death  came  while  he  was  engaged  in  the  practical  philanthrophy,  which  had  charac- 
terized his  whole  life.  He  devoted  all  his  leisure  time  to  religious  objects,  and  was 
vestryman,  warden  and  voluntary  organist  of  Trinity  Church,  New  Rochelle,  for  thirty 
years.  Mr.  Fisher  was  married  May  5,  1859,  to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Samuel  Perry 
Ayres  and  Henrietta  Williamson,  his  wife.  Of  their  eight  children,  four  survive,  John 
T.,  Robert  C.,  Thomas  R.  and  Edward  H.  Fisher. 

BENJAHIN  FITCH,  dry  goods  merchant,  born  June  13,  1805,  in  New  Canaan, 
Fairfield  county,  Conn.,  died  in  this  city,  Nov.  7,  1883  He  was  the  son  of  Stephen 
Fitch,  a  merchant,  and  Charlotte,  his  wife.  The  family  came  from  English  ancestry. 
Benjamin  left  school  to  become  a  clerk  in  New  York  cit  ,  and  began  business  for  him- 
self at  an  early  age  in  Rochester,  N.  Y.  A  few  years  later,  he  removed  to  Buffalo, 
joined  a  dry  goods  house  as  partner,  and  became  resident  buyer  in  New  York  city. 
Inspired  by  ambition,  he  opened  a  dry  goods  store  on  Beaver  street,  under  the  name 
of  Fitch  &  Robinson.  His  business  record  was  so  scrupulously  honorable,  that,  in  1855, 
when  he  retired,  a  number  of  merchants  of  New  York  city  presented  him  with  a  service 
of  silver  plate.  Mr.  Fitch  enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  giving  and  during  the  course  of 
his  career  disbursed  about  half  his  large  estate  for  public  and  charitable  purposes.  When 
the  Civil  War  broke  out,  being  too  old  to  go  to  the  front,  he  took  an  active  part  in 
enlisting  recruits  and  made  provision  for  the  families  of  those  who  might  not  survive. 
For  this  purpose  he  built  an  institution  at  Darien,  Conn.,  known  as  Fitch's  Home  for 
the  Soldiers'  Orphans.  It  is  yet  occupied  by  disabled  soldiers  and  is  in  charge  of  the 
State  of  Connecticut.  In  1880,  he  became  interested  in  The  Charity  Organization 
Society  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  to  which  he  donated  $400,000  to  build  and  maintain  what  is 
now  known  as  The  Fitch  Institute.  Somewhat  eccentric,  Mr.  Fitch  was  self  reliant 
and  energetic,  and  won  respect  by  his  sterling  honesty  and  many  deeds  of  charity.  He 
was  never  married. 

HENRY  M.  FLAQLER,  oil  producer  and  refiner,  was  born  in  Canandaigua,  N.  Y., 
about  1830,  the  son  of  a  country  clergyman.  When  fotirteen  years  old,  he  went  by 
canal  boat  to  Buffalo  and  thence  by  lake  to  Sandusky,  O.,  arriving  there  almost  penni- 
less. Ohio  promised  him  no  advantages  at  that  time,  and  he  returned  to  his  native 
State  and  went  to  work  as  clerk  in  a  store  in  Orleans  county  at  a  salary  of  five  dollars 
a  week.  He  was  soon  promoted,  saved  money  by  self  denial,  and  while  yet  a  young 
man,  removed  to  Saginaw,  Mich.,  and  conducted  some  salt  works  there  with  excellent 
success.  Later,  he  became  a  resident  of  Cleveland  and  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  petro- 
leum business  there.  When  he  was  finally  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  oil  refining 
firm  of  Rockefeller,  Andrews  &  Flagler  of  that  city,  his  future  was  assured.  The  men 
of  this  firm  were  among  the  first  to  discover  that,  by  a  union  of  the  interests  of  different 
producers,  an  immense  amount  of  expense  might  be  saved  to  them  all  and  that  divi- 
dends might  be  gained  simply  from  the  savings,  while  at  the  same  time  light  for  the 
poor  man  might  be  made  cheaper  than  he  had  ever  known.  Out  of  these  considera- 
tions, The  Standard  Oil  Co.  came  into  existence,  succeeding  the  firm  to  which  Mr. 
Flagler  belonged.  He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  its  management  since  its 
organization.  Mr.  Flagler  is  now  connected  with  numerous  large  enterprises  and  is  a 
director  in  The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railway,  The  Minnesota  Iron  Co  ,  The 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FL.  241 

Duluth  &  Iron  Range  Railroad,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  International 
Bank  Note  Co. ,  The  Jacksonville,  Tampa  &  Key  West  Railway,  and  other  companies. 
In  1885,  a  visit  to  Florida  revealed  to  him  the  possibilities  of  the  State  of  the  Ever- 
glades, and  at  St.  Augustine  he  built  at  a  cost  of  $3,000,000  those  dreams  of  architecture 
the  Ponce  de  Leon  and  Alcazar  hotels.  He  has  also  built  about  600  miles  of  railroad 
in  the  State  and  otherwise  added  enormously  to  the  taxable  property  of  Florida.  Mr. 
Flagler  has  joined  several  of  the  best  social  organizations  of  New  York  city,  including 
the  Union  Leagne,  Metropolitan,  City,  Larchmont  Yacht,  New  York  Yacht,  American 
Yacht  and  The  New  England  Society. 

MAXIMILIAN  FLEISCH/IANN,  manufacturer,  born  in  1846,  in  Jagerndorf,  Aus- 
tria, died  on  the  steamship  Columbia,  while  on  his  way  to  this  city  from  Europe, 
Sept.  i,  1890.  He  was  a  son  of  A.  N.  Fleischmann,  by  occupation  a  distiller,  and 
received  his  early  schooling  in  Budapest,  Hungary.  Coming  to  New  York  city  in  1866, 
he  introduced  a  new  process  in  the  manufacture  of  whiskey,  known  in  Europe  as  the 
Fleischmann  patent.  Then,  in  1868,  with  his  brother  Charles  and  the  late  James  W. 
Gaff,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  compressed  yeast  in  Cincinnati.  While  not  at 
all  the  inventor  of  the  use  of  leaven,  he  did  exercise  ingenuity  in  preparing  yeast  in  a 
compact,  convenient  and  available  form,  which  immediately  addressed  itself  to  the  favor 
of  the  housewives  of  the  country  at  large.  The  business  grew  to  large  proportions. 
Mr.  Gaff  died  in  1882,  whereupon  his  widow  became  a  silent  partner  in  the  firm  until 
1883.  The  firm  then  dissolved,  and  Charles  and  Maximilian  Fleischmann  succeeded. 
One  of  the  factories  remained  in  Cincinnati,  but  Maximilian  became  a  resident  of  New 
York  city,  and  took  a  deep  interest  in  social  and  business  affairs.  He  was  a  trustee  for 
Grammar  Schools  No.  27  and  82,  and  a  member  of  the  Produce  Exchange,  Merchants' 
Exchange  at  Buffalo,  and  the  Liederkranz  and  Republican  Down  Town  clubs.  He  was 
survived  by  his  wife  and  five  children. 

EWALD  FLEITMANN,  importer,  born  in  Schwerte,  Westphalia,  Dec.  5,  1846,  was 
educated  in  a  college  near  Cologne,  and  in  a  Prussian  cadet  school,  finishing  at  a 
mercantile  academy  in  Antwerp.  In  1864,  the  young  man  arrived  in  New  York  city 
from  the  fatherland,  and  established  an  importation  of  European  silks  and  dry  goods, 
under  the  name  of  Fleitmann  &  Co.  Their  trade  is  now  enormous,  amounting  nearly 
to  $10,000,000  a  year  Mr.  Fleitmann  is  a  splendid  merchant  and  has  identified  him- 
self closely  with  the  interests  of  the  city  in  which  he  dwells.  He  contributes  to  the 
support  of  various  institutions  and  is  a  member  of  the  Colonial,  Merchants',  and  Mer- 
chants' Central  clubs  and  the  Deutsche  Yerein,  and  a  director  of  The  Germania  Life 
Insurance  Co. ,  The  German  Savings  Bank  and  The  Citizens'  National  Bank.  By  his 
marriage  with  Miss  Katherine  Johanna  Caesar  of  New  Brighton,  N.  Y.,  in  1874,  he  has 
two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

BENJAMIN  FLINT,  ship  owner  and  merchant,  a  native  of  Damariscotta,  Me., 
born  Dec.  13,  1813,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ,  June  28,  1891.  He  was  a  son  of  Robert 
Chapman  and  Lucinda  Flint,  the  latter  being  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas  Flint,  a  surgeon 
in  the  American  Revolution,  who,  while  serving  on  one  occasion  upon  a  privateer,  was 
captured  by  the  British  and  taken  to  England.  Benjamin  Flint  Chapman,  by  which 
name  he  was  first  known,  was  adopted  by  his  uncle,  Benjamin  Flint,  a  captain  in  the  War 
of  1812,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two,  by  act  of  the  Maine  Legislature,  changed  his 
name  to  Benjamin  Flint,  in  honor  of  his  uncle.  Trained  to  the  art  of  a  shipwright  in 


242  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Thomaston,  Me.,  he  possessed  a  mind  which  speedily  lifted  him  out  of  the  ranks  of 
those  who  must  spend  their  lives  in  manual  labor.  By  investment  of  his  earnings,  he 
was  finally  drawn  into  shipping.  In  1840,  with  his  brother,  Isaac  F.  Chapman,  he 
formed  the  firm  of  Chapman  &  Flint,  to  conduct  a  general  store  in  Damariscotta.  In 
1841,  they  built  the  bark  Alabama,  of  280  tons,  and  soon  thereafter  rose  to  prominence 
as  ship  owners  and  general  carriers  in  the  ocean  trade.  For  many  years,  the  firm  built 
a  vessel  nearly  every  year,  first  in  Thomaston,  Me.,  but  after  1868  in  Bath,  Me., 
increasing  the  size  of  their  vessels  year  by  year  until  they  reached  about  2,600  tons.  In 
i8?3,  a  younger  brother,  James  F.  Chapman,  who  had  previously  commanded  several 
of  their  vessels,  removed  to  San  Francisco  to  manage  the  business  of  the  firm  there,  and 
became  part  owner  in  many  ships.  Mr.  Flint  and  Isaac  F.  Chapman  removed  to 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  1858,  in  order  the  better  to  manage  their  large  fleet.  The  firm  of 
Chapman  &  Flint  dissolved  in  1880,  and  in  1886  Mr.  Flint  founded  the  firm  of  Flint  & 
Co.,  with  his  sons  Charles  R.  and  Wallace  B.  Flint,  as  partners,  with  offices  at  86  Water 
street.  Their  commission  trade  was  mainly  with  South  America,  Mexico  and  the  West 
Indies.  While  in  Thomaston,  Mr.  Flint  and  Mr.  Chapman  bought  adjoining  lots  and 
laid  the  foundation  for  houses  exactly  alike.  In  Brooklyn,  they  lived  first  in  adjoining 
houses  on  Fort  Green  Place,  and  later  bought  brown  stone  houses  precisely  alike  in  Oxford 
street.  During  the  Civil  War,  while  Confederate  cruisers  were  preying  on  American 
ships  at  sea,  the  firm  suspended  shipbuilding  for  a  while  and  constructed  a  row  of 
houses  on  one  side  of  Montague  Terrace  in  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Flint  lived  in  the  house  at 
one  end  of  the  row,  Mr.  Chapman,  on  the  corner,  at  the  other  end.  This  property 
afterward  increased  greatly  in  value.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  in  thirty-five  years,  Mr. 
Flint  never  lost  a  ship,  nor  did  one  of  his  fleet  meet  with  a  serious  accident.  Mr.  Flint 
was  twice  married,  first  to  Sarah  Toby,  next  to  Frances  E.  Scribner.  The  latter  sur- 
vived him,  with  his  two  sons,  Charles  R.  and  Wallace  B.  Flint.  Mr.  Flint  was  a  sound, 
clear  headed,  and  very  capable  man,  of  strong  common  sense,  unbending  integrity  and 
kindly  nature.  He  was  universally  esteemed  in  the  business  world. 

CHARLES  RANLETT  FLINT,  merchant  and  financier,  is  one  of  the  men  of  public 
spirit,  high  character  and  exceptional  ability,  for  whom  this  metropolis  is  indebted  to 
the  State  of  Maine.  He  was  born  Jan.  24,  1850,  in  Thomaston,  Me.,  and  descends  from 
Thomas  Flint,  an  immigrant  from  Wales  in  1642,  who  settled  in  the  village  of  Salem, 
now  South  Danvers,  Mass.  Benjamin  Flint,  the  father  of  Charles,  was  a  shipowner, 
who  lived  and  built  his  vessels  in  Thomaston  during  the  -early  part  of  his  career,  and  in 
1858  moved  to  New  York.  Charles  was  educated  first  at  the  public  schools  of  Thomaston 
and  Brooklyn,  and  at  the  private  school  of  Warren  Johnson  in  Topsham,  Maine,  and 
graduated  in  1868  from  the  Polytechnic  of  Brooklyn.  An  eager  and  popular  student, 
he  was  made  president  of  his  class  and  of  the  Polytechnic  alumni. 

He  began  his  business  career  in  New  York  city  as  a  dock  clerk,  and  later  spent  two 
years  as  a  clerk  in  a  shipping  and  commission  house,  engaged  in  business  with  the  West 
Coast  of  South  America.  In  1871,  he  entered  into  the  copartnership  of  Gilchrist,  Flint 
&  Co.,  ship  chandlers,  and  in  February,  1872,  he  united  with  William  R.  Grace  inform- 
ing the  firm  of  W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.  In  1874,  he  visited  the  different  countries  of  South 
America,  and,  in  1876,  he  organized  the  firm  of  Grace  Bro's  &  Co.,  in  the  City  of 
Callao,  Peru.  Mr.  Flint  remained  on  the  West  Coast  nearly  a  year.  Upon  his  return, 
he  was  appointed  Consul  of  Chili  at  New  York;  and  during  the  absence  of  the  Charg6 


1 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FL.  243 

d' Affaires,  was  entrusted  with  the  archives  and  correspondence  of  the  Chilian  Legation 
in  the  United  States. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Flint  organized  The  Export  Lumber  Co.,  Limited,  now  one  of  the 
most  successful  lumber  concerns  in  the  United  States,  with  yards  in  Michigan,  Ottawa, 
Montreal,  Portland,  Boston  and  New  York,  and  handling  over  200,000,000  feet  of 
lumber  per  year. 

In  1 880,  he  was  elected  president  of  The  United  States  Electric  Lighting  Co. 

In  1884,  Mr.  Flint  visited  Brazil  and  established  a  large  rubber  exporting  business 
on  the  river  Amazon.  Two  years  later,  in  1 886,  he  consolidated  the  leading  dealers  in 
crude  rubber  in  this  country,  and  formed  The  New  York  Commercial  Co.,  which  has  a 
capital  of  $2,500,000,  and  is  now  the  largest  dealer  in  crude  rubber  in  the  world. 

About  this  time,  he  was  appointed  Consul  for  Nicaragua,  and  represented  that 
country  in  negotiations  which  resulted  in  concessions  being  granted  to  Americans  to 
build  the  canal.  He  has  also  been,  in  recent  years,  the  Consul  General  of  Costa  Rica 
in  this  country. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Flint  married  Miss  E.  Kate  Simmons,  daughter  of  Joseph  F.  Sim- 
mons of  Troy,  N.  Y.  Mrs.  Flint  is  noted  for  her  musical  ability.  She  has  devoted  the 
receipts  from  her  musical  compositions  to  charity,  and  from  the  sale  of  the  ' '  Racquet 
Galop  "  endowed  a  permanent  bed  in  St.  Luke's  Hospital. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Flint  retired  from  W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.,  and  became  a  partner  in  the 
now  well  known  house  of  Flint  &  Co.,  then  composed  of  his  father,  Benjamin,  his 
brother,  Wallace  B. ,  and  himself.  This  firm  succeeded  to  the  shipping  business  estab- 
lished by  Benjamin  Flint  in  1840,  and  the  lumber,  rubber  and  general  commission  busi- 
ness, created  by  Charles  R.  Flint.  For  many  years,  the  firm  have  been  large  importers 
of  South  American  products  and  among  the  largest  exporters  of  American  products  to 
even-  part  of  Latin  America. 

The  financial  ability  of  Mr.  Flint  has  been  exhibited  during  the  last  few  years  by 
the  consummation  of  several  schemes  of  great  importance.  In  1 89  v,  he  united  the 
manufacturers  of  rubber  boots  and  shoes  in  this  country  into  one  large  concern,  under 
the  title  of  The  United  States  Rubber  Co.,  having  a  capital  of  $40,000,000.  Of  this 
corporation  he  became  the  treasurer. 

In  1892,  he  brought  about  a  union  of  five  companies  manufacturing  rubber  belt- 
ing, packing  and. hose,  under  the  title  of  The  Mechanical  Rubber  Co.,  with  a  capital  of 
$15,000,000,  of  which  concern  he  is  a  director. 

During  the  winter  of  1889-90,  Mr.  Flint  was  appointed  a  member  of  the  Interna- 
tional Conference  of  American  Republics,  which  was  held  in  the  City  of  Washington. 
His  intimate  knowledge  of  the  resources  and  trade  of  the  South  American  continent  en- 
abled him  to  render  important  services  as  a  delegate  of  the  United  States  to  that  Con- 
ference. In  a  letter,  the  original  of  which  is  in  the  archives  of  the  Republic  of  Brazil, 
bearing  on  the  recognition  of  the  new  republic  by  the  United  States,  Secretary  Blaine 
wrote  to  Mr.  Flint:  "It  is  important  that  you  return  to  Washington.as  soon  as  possible. 
Your  services  in  the  Conference  are  so  valuable  that  we  need  you  every  hour,  though  I 
am  asking  much  of  you  to  be  here  so  constantly,  for  your  large  business  demands  a 
great  deal  of  your  attention.  But  just  now  it  must  be  patriotism  first  and  business 
afterward."  It  was  he  who,  as  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Banking,  proposed  the 
idea  of  an  International  American  Bank,  with  its  headquarters  in  the  United  States  and 


244  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

branches  in  all  the  other  republics.  His  recommendations  were  ratified  by  the  Confer- 
ence, heartily  endorsed  by  Secretary  Elaine  and  President  Harrison,  and  by  the  latter 
pressed  upon  the  attention  of  Congress.  As  a  member  of  the  Committee  on  Customs 
Regulations,  he  proposed  the  organization  of  a  Bureau  of  American  Republics  to  carry 
out  the  vote  of  the  Conference  in  favor  of  a  uniform  system  of  statistics  and  the  exten- 
sion of  trade  between  the  Republics.  This  proposition  was  favorably  received,  and  has 
since  been  carried  out  by  the  governments  represented  in  the  Conference. 

After  the  adjournment  of  the  Conference,  at  the  request  of  Secretary  Elaine,  Mr. 
Flint  served  as  the  confidential  agent  of  the  United  States  in  negotiating  the  reciprocity 
treaty  with  Brazil,  the  first  one  which  was  effected  under  the  Aldrich  amendment  to  the 
McKinley  bill.  This  work  was  successfully  accomplished.  It  provided  for  the  conces- 
sion of  tariff  duties  on  American  products  in  Brazil,  lower  than  those  imposed  by  that 
republic  upon  kindred  products  from  all  other  countries.  This  treaty  was  the  key  to 
the  reciprocity  situation.  It  became  at  once  the  basis  of  other  treaties  with  American 
Republics.  It  proved  of  especial  value  in  the  negotiations  with  Spain.  Our  Spanish 
neighbor  was  reluctant  at  first  to  open  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  to  American  products,  but 
was,  by  force  of  the  free  admission  of  sugar  from  Brazil  to  this  country,  finally  compelled 
to  agree  to  a  treaty  by  which  American  manufactures,  flour  and  provisions  were  admitted 
to  those  islands  at  greatly  reduced  and  special  rates  of  duty,  in  consideration  of  our 
admitting  their  sugar  free. 

At  the  time  of  the  trouble  between  Chili  and  the  United  States,  the  large  influence 
of  Mr.  Flint  led  Secretary  Elaine  to  invite  him  to  take  part  in  the  efforts  for  a  friendly 
and  peaceful  adjustment  of  the  question  at  issue.  In  response  to  a  telegram  from  Mr. 
Blaine,  Mr.  Flint  visited  the  city  of  Washington.  There  he  learned  that  the  Chilian 
complication  was  drifting  into  a  position  where  the  relations  of  friendship  and  good  will 
between  two  American  republics,  which  had  been  so  cordially  expressed  at  the  Inter- 
national Conference,  were  in  danger  of  being  interrupted.  Mr.  Blaine  said  that  while 
the  United  States  would  be  able  to  force  Chili  into  submission,  yet  he  felt  that  it  would 
be  a  more  gracious  action  if  the  differences  between  the  two  countries  could  be  arranged 
upon  the  more  advanced  plane  of  arbitration.  The  whole  matter  was  then  in  such  a 
delicate  position,  that  it  was  not  convenient  for  the  Secretary  of  State  to  speak  officially. 
Mr.  Flint  promptly  called  on  the  Brazilian  Minister,  Dr.  Mendonca,  who  said  that,  if 
desired  by  the  United  States,  he  would  telegraph  to  his  government,  suggesting  that 
Brazil  offer  her  services  as  a  mediator.  Mr.  Flint  suggested  that  Dr.  Mendonca  might 
render  even  a  more  friendly  service,  by  making  the  suggestion  to  his  government  on 
his  own  responsibility.  The  result  was  that  Dr.  Mendonca  cabled  at  once,  and  advised 
that  Brazil  offer  her  services  to  Chili  and  the  United  States,  in  a  settlement  by  arbitra- 
tion under  American  international  law.  Brazil  graciously  complied  with  this  sugges- 
tion and  tendered  her  good  offices. 

During  the  Da  G~ama  rebellion  in  Brazil,  Mr.  Flint  became  the  agent  of  President 
Peixoto  in  the  purchase  of  vessels  and  munitions  of  war.  The  energy  with  which  he 
discharged  his  duties  in  this  crisis  was  remarkable.  He  purchased  the  Ericsson 
Destroyer  and  the  swift  yachts  Feiseen  and  Javelin,  and  caused  the  latter  two  to  be 
converted  promptly  into  torpedo  boats.  El  Cid,  a  steam  merchant  steamer  of  4,600 
tons  displacement,  came  into  port  Oct.  26,  1893,  was  discharged,  placed  in  dry  dock, 
and  fitted  out  with  a  pneumatic  dynamite  gun,  22  rapid  fire  guns,  and  four  torpedo 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FL.  245 

launching  tubes,  and  the  ship  changed  so  as  to  receive  them.  On  Nov.  i8th,  christened 
anew  as  the  Nictheroy,  she  dropped  down  the  bay  in  commission.  The  Britannia,  an 
iron  steamer  of  2,600  tons  displacement,  Norwegian  built,  came  into  port  Nov.  6th, 
went  into  dry  dock,  and  was  fitted  with  16  rapid  firing  guns,  4  launching  tubes,  and 
the  Sims-Edison  dirigible  torpedo,  and,  renamed  America,  was  ready  for  her  voyage 
Nov.  24th.  This  fleet,  capable  of  discharging  4, 500  pounds  of  dynamite  simultaneously, 
was  of  the  greatest  value  to  Brazil  in  suppressing  her  rebellion. 

Mr.  Flint  has  proved  a  useful  associate  in  the  management  of  financial  institutions 
in  this  metropolis,  and  he  is  a  director  of  The  National  Bank  of  the  Republic,  The 
State  Trust  Co.,  The  Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.,  and  the  Produce  Exchange  Bank.  He 
is  also  a  director  in  The  Hastings  Pavement  Co.,  The  Fernbrook  Carpet  Co.,  of  Yonkers, 
and  various  railroad  companies.  He  is  one  of  the  Council  of  the  University  of  the  City 
of  Xew  York. 

An  active,  stirring,  hard  working  business  man,  Mr.  Flint  maintains  his  vigor  for 
the  work  which  is  pressing  upon  him  by  entering  with  zest  into  out-door  recreations. 
He  spends  one  day  in  every  week  in  open-air  recreation,  either  with  the  gun  or  rod. 
He  has  hunted  in  South  America,  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Canada,  and  has  shot 
moose,  elk,  caribou,  bear  and  nearly  all  other  big  game  found  on  the  two  continents. 
He  is  found  of  yachting,  and  was  the  owner  of  the  Gracie,  which  has  probably  taken 
more  prizes  than  any  other  yacht  in  the  United  States.  He  was  one  of  the  patriotic 
syndicate  which  built  and  raced  the  Vigilant,  which  successfully  defended  the  America's 
cup  against  the  Valkyrie.  He  is  a  member  of  several  clubs,  including  the  Union, 
Century,  Riding,  Metropolitan,  New  York  Yacht,  and  the  South  Side  Sportsmen's 
Club.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  New  England  Society. 

WALLACE  BENJAHIN  FLINT,  shipping  merchant,  son  of  the  late  Benjamin 
Flint,  was  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  10,  1863.  He  attended  the  Brooklyn  Poly- 
technic and  Collegiate  Institute,  and  began  his  career  as  office  boy  for  his  father,  and 
being  advanced  through  different  stages,  gained  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  commer- 
cial operations  and  the  management  of  ships.  In  1888,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership 
by  his  father  in  the  firm  of  Flint  &  Co.,  commission  merchants,  of  which  he  is  yet  a 
member,  the  senior  partner  being  his  brother,  Charles  R.  Flint.  He  is  associated  in 
most  of  the  enterprises  of  the  house,  and  is  secretary  of  The  Export  Lumber  Co.,  and 
treasurer  of  The  New  York  Commercial  Co.  He  has  been  the  Consul  of  Uruguay  in 
Xew  York,  and  for  two  years  director  of  the  Maritime  Exchange.  Mr.  Flint  was 
married  in  1892. 

ROSWELL  PETTIBONE  FLOWER,  banker  and  public  man,  was  born  in  Theresa, 
N.  Y.,  Aug.  7,  1835.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Greene  county,  N.  Y.,  and  his  grand- 
father a  resident  of  New  Hartford,  Conn.  The  family  is  of  English  origin.  Roswell's 
early  education  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Theresa.  First  a  school  teacher, 
he  then  served  in  the  modest  capacity  of  a  clerk  in  the  Post  Office  in  Watertown,  N.  Y., 
his  career  thus  practically  beginning  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  in  which  after- 
ward he  occupied  a  more  noteworthy  position.  Having  saved  a  little  money,  he  con- 
ducted a  jewelry  store  in  Watertown  for  a  number  of  years.  Upon  the  death  of  Henry 
Keep,  Mr.  Flower  became  trustee  of  that  estate,  valued  at  several  millions,  and  was 
thus  enabled  to  exercise  the  talents,  which  needed  only  an  opportunity  for  develop- 
ment. In  1869,  he  moved  to  New  York  and  established  the  banking  and  brokerage 


246  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

firm  of  Roswell  P.  Flower  &  Co.  The  firm  have  been  active  in  reorganization  schemes 
and  other  operations  of  Wall  street  and  have  attained  marked  success.  They  deal 
mainly  with  important  clients.  Mr.  Flower's  interest  in  the  policies  of  the  Democratic 
party  led  to  his  election  to  the  XLVIIth,  List  and  Llld  Congresses.  He  finally  retired 
from  active  management  of  the  firm,  although  retaining  a  special  interest  in  Flower 
&  Co.  In  1891,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  New  York  by  48,000  plurality.  He  has 
been  a  director  of  The  Duluth  &  Iron  Range  Railroad,  The  Chicago,  Rock  Island  & 
Pacific  Railroad,  The  Minnesota  Iron  Co.,  The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co.,  The 
H.  H.  Babcock  Co.,  The  Municipal  Gas  Co.  of  Albany,  and  other  corporations,  and  is 
a  member  of  the  Manhattan,  Democratic,  Press  and  United  Service  clubs,  and  of  The 
New  England  Society.  He  was  married  in  December,  1859,  to  Sarah  M.  Woodruff  of 
Watertown,  N.  Y.  Their  daughter  is  Emma,  wife  of  John  B.  Taylor  of  Watertown. 

WILLIAM  HAYES  FOGG,  merchant,  born  Dec.  27,  1817,  on  a  farm  in  Berwick, 
Me.,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  24,  1884.  His  parents  were  Joseph  and  Phoebe 
Hayes  Fogg,  and  his  grandfather  a  dignitary  in  the  church.  He  spent  his  early  life 
upon  the  farm,  then  walked  twenty  miles  to  enter  a  village  store  as  a  clerk  and  finally, 
with  two  other  young  men,  started  a  dry  goods  store  in  Boston,  which  proved  highly 
unsuccessful.  Many  years  later,  although  not  legally  bound  to  do  so,  he  paid  in  full 
the  debts  of  the  firm.  In  1847,  with  his  brother  James,  he  founded  the  firm  of  Fogg 
Bro's,  and  engaged  in  a  dry  goods  commission  business,  having  connections  in  China. 
The  exportation  of  the  product  of  New  England  looms  led  naturally  to  the  importation 
of  Asiatic  tea  and  silks.  In  1852,  the  business  was  transferred  to  New  York  city,  and 
the  Boston  branch  closed.  James  Fogg  died  in  1855,  whereupon  the  style  of  William 
H.  Fogg  &  Co.  was  adopted.  In  1880,  the  firm  reorganized  as  The  China  &  Japan 
Trading  Co.,  with  Mr.  Fogg  as  president,  John  F.  Twombly  as  vice  president,  and 
George  H.  Burritt  secretary.  Mr.  Fogg  was  a  remarkably  sound,  capable  and  honest 
merchant,  and  his  trade  brought  him  a  large  fortune.  He  maintained  branches  in 
Yokohama,  Osaca,  Nagasaki,  Shanghai,  and  other  cities  of  Japan  and  China  and  in 
London.  He  was  the  first  to  subscribe  to  the  merchants'  fund  to  promote  suppression 
of  the  rebellion,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Union  League  club.  He  held  director- 
ships or  trusteeships  in  The  National  Park  Bank,  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co., 
The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  The  Gutta  Percha  & 
Rubber  Manufacturing  Co. ,  The  New  York  Hospital,  The  Sheltering  Arms  and  The 
Women's  Homoeopathic  College.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Perkins  of  Charlestown, 
Mass.,  whom  he  married  in  1849.  Mrs.  Fogg  survived  him"  but  no  children.  Mrs. 
Fogg  was  a  woman  of  great  beauty  of  character  and  made  a  noble  use  of  her  fortune. 
Freely  giving  to  charity  at  all  times,  she  made  about  forty  relatives  and  friends  happy 
by  legacies  in  her  will,  at  her  death  Jan.  3,  1891,  and  gave  $535,000  to  public  institu- 
tions, mainly  in  memory  of  her  husband,  including  $50,000  to  Berwick  Academy  for  a 
library;  $40,000  to  Union  Theological  Seminary;  $40,000  to  Yale  College;  $55,000  to 
The  Children's  Aid  Society;  $20,000  each  to  The  American  Unitarian  Association,  The 
University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  The  New  York  Hospital;  $30,000  to  The 
National  Academy  of  Design,  and  $220,000  to  Harvard  University. 

GEORGE  FOLSOM,  lawyer,  was  born  at  Kennebunk,  Me.,  in  1804,  and  died  in 
Rome,  Italy,  in  1869.  He  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Folsom,  a  merchant,  and  came  from 
English  ancestry.  Educated  in  the  schools  of  Portland,  Me.,  to  which  place  the  family 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FO.  247 

had  moved,  he  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1822  and  then  became  principal  of 
the  High  School  in  Biddeford,  Me.  Studying  law  while  teaching,  he  practiced  for  a 
while  in  Worcester,  Mass.,  and  moved  to  New  York  city  about  1840.  In  1841,  he 
married  Margaret,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Winthrop,  and  had  three  children,  Margaret 
Winthrop,  Helen  Stuyvesant,  and  George  Winthrop  Folsom.  Mr.  Folsom  was  a  very 
able  man.  His  practice  was  large  and  lucrative,  and  his  strength  of  character,  purity 
and  soundness  of  judgment,  made  him  a  desirable  companion.  A  member  of  the  State 
Senate  in  1846,  and  Minister  to  the  Netherlands  under  President  Taylor,  he  was  also  a 
writer,  and  published  a  history  of  Saco,  Me. ,  and  delivered  numerous  addresses  before 
historical  societies  in  New  York,  Massachusetts,  Maine  and  Vermont.  He  owned  a 
country  home  at  Brattleboro,  Vt.,  his  town  house  being  on  Stuyvesant  Square.  An 
extensive  traveller  both  in  Europe  and  the  East,  and  a  reader  of  the  best  books,  he 
was  a  brilliant  talker,  and  by  his  geniality  and  hospitality  gained  a  large  number  of 
friends  both  in  his  own  country  and  Europe.  He  was  president  of  The  New  York 
Ethnological  Society,  the  Athenaeum  club,  and  The  Citizens'  Savings  Bank. 

JOHN  ROSS  FORD,  merchant,  born  June  21,  1817,  in  New  Jersey,  is  a  son  of  the 
late  Josiah  Ford,  a  Judge  of  Middlesex  county  courts.  His  lineage  runs  back  to  a 
pioneer,  who  came  from  England  about  1600.  Mr.  Ford  attended  the  school  of  Mr. 
Spaulding  in  New  Brunswick,  where  William  H.  Vanderbilt,  Henry  Richmond, 
Charles  D.  Deshler  and  other  distinguished  men  also  gained  a  portion  of  their  educa- 
tion. Early  in  life,  he  entered  the  dry  goods  store  of  C.  Smith  &  Co. ,  on  Maiden  Lane 
in  this  city,  and,  before  attaining  his  majority,  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business  for 
himself  in  New  Brunswick.  In  1844,  he  embarked  in  the  manufacture  of  rubber  goods  in 
the  firm  of  Ford  &  Co.,  which  he  incorporated,  April  i,  1853,  as  The  Ford  Rubber  Co. 
Mr.  Ford  was  the  first  to  aid  Mr.  Goodyear  in  introducing  the  manufacture  of  rubber 
goods  and  in  establishing  the  Goodyear  patent.  Previous  to  1840,  India  rubber  had 
little  commercial  value,  but  following  Charles  Goodyear's  wonderful  discovery  of  a  pro- 
cess to  harden  rubber,  there  developed  a  business  of  immense  value  in  this  country  and 
Europe.  Goodyear's  patent  was  obtained  about  1842.  Soon  after  its  value  became 
known,  other  persons  claimed  to  have  accomplished  what  he  did.  Goodyear  was  unable 
to  defend  his  rights;  and  four  out  of  six  companies,  which  had  been  organized  to 
manufacture  rubber,  united  to  carry  the  case  to  the  highest  courts.  These  were  L. 
Candee&  Co.,  The  Ford  Rubber  Co.,  now  known  as  The  Meyer  Rubber  Co.,  The 
Newark  India  Rubber  Co.,  and  The  Hayward  Rubber  Co.  The  contest  in  court 
lasted  for  years,  those  fighting  it  doing  so  with  money  made  in  violating  the  patent. 
Great  lawyers  took  part  on  both  sides  of  the  case,  Rufus  Choate  and  Francis  B. 
Cutting  for  the  defendant,  Daniel  Webster  and  James  T.  Brady  for  the  patentees. 
This  was  Webster's  last  case  in  court,  and  his  great  argument  secured  a  decision  for 
Mr.  Goodyear.  Of  all  the  persons  involved,  Mr.  Ford  is  believed  to  be  the  only  sur- 
vivor. He  yet  retains  his  investment  in  the  rubber  industry.  Mr.  Ford  is  a  director 
of  The  Home  Insurance  Co.,  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light  Co.,  The  Manhattan 
Trust  Co.,  and  The  Meyer  Rubber  Co.,  and  has  resigned  from  a  number  of  other  cor- 
porations. One  of  the  soundest  merchants  of  the  city,  his  character  above  reproach. 
He  shares  the  public  spirit  of  his  colleagues  of  the  Union  League  club,  of  which  he  is 
one  of  the  original  members,  and  has  in  many  ways  shown  himself  a  sterling  and  useful 
citizen,  especially  by  large  contributions  to  charities.  Mr.  Ford  was  married  Aug.  14, 


248  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

1844,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  James  Bishop  of  New  Brunswick,  and  their  surviving 
children  are  James  B.  Ford,  treasurer  of  The  Meyer  Rubber  Co.;  J.  Howard  Ford, 
president  of  The  Meyer  Rubber  Co. ;  and  Harriet,  wife  of  Dr.  Everett  Herrick  of  New 
York.  Mr.  Ford's  second  wife  is  Mrs.  Elizabeth  M.  Horner  of  this  city,  to  whom  he 
was  married  in  1875. 

QEORQE  JAMES  FORREST,  railroad  president,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born 
on  Pearl  street,  Nov.  27,  1810,  died  on  West  22d  street,  May  18,  1889.  Robert  Forrest, 
his  father,  a  ship  master,  came  from  the  Eastern  Shore  of  Maryland  in  1810,  and  com- 
manded the  privateer  Three  Brothers,  of  which  he  was  the  owner  of  a  third,  in  the  War 
of  1812,  suffering"  capture  and  a  long  imprisonment,  thereafter  returning  to  New  York 
city.  George  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  New  York,  and  began  life  in  1829  in 
Alabama,  near  Montgomery,  as  a  merchant.  In  1837,  he  removed  to  New  Orleans  and 
became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  W.  P.  Converse  &  Co.  While  in  Alabama  the  Legis- 
lature appointed  him,  in  1834,  a  director  of  The  State  Bank  of  Alabama.  After  1848, 
he  became  a  merchant  in  New  York  city,  dealing  in  cotton.  As  he  gained  wealth,  he 
acquired  an  interest  in  corporations,  partly  in  association  with  Commodore  Garrison, 
whose  power  of  attorney  he  held  after  the  death  of  W.  R.  Garrison,  the  Commodore's 
son.  Mr.  Forrest  was  president  of  The  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  vice  president 
of  The  New  York  &  Northern  Railroad,  director  in  several  other  traffic  enterprises,  and 
president  of  The  New  York  Loan  &  Improvement  Co.  He  served  as  Commisoner  of 
Emigration  and  was  president  of  the  Board,  a  number  of  years.  Punctual,  energetic, 
upright  and  a  familiar  figure  in  Wall  street,  his  death  removed  a  highly  respected  man. 
The  Union,  Century  and  St.  Nicholas  clubs  claimed  him  as  a  member.  In  1835,  Mr. 
Forrest  was  married  to  Sarah  A.,  daughter  of  Charles  Hooks,  a  planter  and  State  Sen- 
ator in  Alabama,  and  left  three  children,  Molton  H.  Forrest,  of  Philadelphia;  Charles 
R.  Forrest,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  Mrs.  George  Z.  Gray,  wife  of  Dean  Gray,  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 

CHARLES  BARNARD  FOSDICK,  merchant,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  31, 
1824.  His  father,  Capt.  William  Fosdick,  was  of  Huguenot  extraction.  Charles -pre- 
pared for  Wesleyan  University  but  was  obliged  to  earn  his  own  support  early  in  life. 
He  made  a  start  in  a  shipping  and  commission  house  in  New  York  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
and  at  fifteen  was  made  bookkeeper.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  was  called  to  take 
charge  of  the  business  of  his  dying  brother-in-law,  assumed  control,  and  has  continued 
it  since.  In  1853,  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  W.  R.  Fosdick  &  Co.,  leather 
merchants  and  tanners  on  Spruce  street,  and  in  1864  succeeded  to  the  head  of  the  con- 
cern. Mr.  Fosdick  has  operated  tanneries  in  Fulton  and  Hamilton  counties,  N.  Y. ,  and 
sold  the  leather  at  his  store  in  this  city,  which  is  one  of  the  landmarks  on  Spruce 
street.  In  1871,  the  firm  of  Charles  B.  Fosdick  &  Son,  was  organized  by  him,  and 
after  a  very  successful  career  has  now  retired  and  is  liquidating  its  affairs.  During 
three  years,  he  was  president  of  The  Hide  &  Leather  National  Bank,  and  is  now  vice 
president  of  The  Second  National  Bank  and  director  and  treasurer  of  The  Fifth  Avenue 
Safe  Deposit  Co.  and  The  Hamilton  Bank,  treasurer  of  The  Training  School  for  Nurses, 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Union  League  club,  member  of  the  City 
club,  trustee  of  The  Homoeopathic  Hospital,  and  vestryman  of  The  Church  of  the  Incar- 
nation. Although  never  in  public  office,  he  served  his  fellow  citizens  eight  successive 
years  after  1884  as  foreman  of  the  grand  jury.  He  had  the  honor  to  serve  on  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. FR.  249 

famous  grand  jury  which,  in  1885,  indicted  the  "boodle"  aldermen,  and  on  the  later 
grand  jury  which,  in  1889,  acted  upon  the  case  of  Sheriff  Flack.  Mr.  Fosdick  married, 
June  5,  1884,  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  David  T.  Baldwin.  This  union  brought  them. one 
child,  Charles  Baldwin  Fosdick,  who  died  April  25,  1894. 

FRANCIS  PARKMAN  FREEMAN,  banker  and  broker,  born  Jan.  27,  1827,  in 
Boston,  Mass.,  is  descended  from  Edmund  Freeman,  a  resident  of  Sandwich,  Mass., 
who  came  from  England  in  1635  and  was  vice  Governor  of  Plymouth  Colony,  1640-47. 
Francis  was  educated  in  New  York  city.  After  nine  years'  experience  as  clerk  in  a 
French  importing  house  in  Maiden  Lane,  he  started  a  successful  trade  of  his  own  in  the 
same  line.  In  1873,  at  the  request  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  Mr.  Freeman  opened  a 
brokerage  office  in  Exchange  Place,  and  was  the  principal  broker  of  the  Commodore 
during  the  remainder  of  the  latter's  life,  and  represented  William  H.  Yanderbilt  in  the 
same  capacity  during  the  nine  years  in  which  he  survived  his  father.  Mr.  Freeman 
yet  enjoys  the  confidence  and  business  of  some  of  the  present  generation  of  Vander- 
bilts.  He  is  a  director  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  and  one  of  the  organizers 
of  The  Lincoln  National  Bank  and  Lincoln  Safe  Deposit  Co.  Mr.  Freeman,  after  a 
residence  in  New  York  city  from  1829  to  1890,  built  a  home  in  Lakewood,  and  now 
dwells  there  during  eight  months  of  the  year,  spending  the  four  summer  months  in 
Newport.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Down  Town  club  of  New  York  city  and  of  The 
New  England  Society,  and  is  connected  with  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  and 
The  American  Museum  of  National  History.  May  2,  1860,  he  was  married  on  Staten 
Island  to  Louisa  Morgan  Dustan,  daughter  of  Captain  Isaac  and  Phebe  Ann  Dustan 
and  a  great  niece  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt.  Their  only  living  child  is  Frank  Morgan 
Freeman,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Adrian  H.  Muller,  jr.,  and  is  his  father's  sole 
partner  and  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  President  Cleveland  is  a  descendant  of 
the  fifth  child  of  Edmund  Freeman,  founder  of  the  Freeman  family. 

LEONARD  FRIEDMAN,  leaf  tobacco  merchant,  a  native  of  Burgkundtstadt, 
Bavaria,  born  Oct.  26,  1845,  is  a  son  of  a  highly  respected  cloth  manufacturer,  whose 
ancestors  had  lived  for  several  centuries  in  Burgkundtstadt.  Leonard  came  to 
America  while  a  youth,  and  finished  his  education  in  Cincinnati,  O.  His  first  business 
experience  was  in  the  trade  in  leaf  tobacco  in  the  West.  Coming  then  to  New  York, 
he  took  the  place  of  clerk  for  Robert  S.  Walter,  who  gave  the  latter  a  partnership  in 
1872.  This  was  the  foundation  of  the  present  firm  of  Leonard  Friedman  &  Co.,  formed 
in  1876,  of  which  Mr.  Friedman  has  always  been  senior  partner.  He  has  been  exceed- 
ingly prosperous  and  makes  a  specialty  of  Sumatra  tobacco,  which  he  imports  in  large 
quantities.  He  is  a  director  of  The  Columbia  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Harmonic 
and  Progress  clubs  and  numerous  Hebrew  charitable  societies.  Mr.  Friedman  was 
married  Dec.  26,  1876,  to  a  cousin,  the  daughter  of  Martin  Friedman,  and  has  no 
children.  He  has  travelled  extensively  and  is  a  well  informed  man. 

DUDLEY  B.  FULLER,  manufacturer,  born  in  Rutland,  Vt.,  Dec.  22,  1800,  died 
in  New  York  city,  May  18,  1868.  He  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Samuel  Fuller,  a 
Pilgrim  in  the  Mayflower.  About  1825  he  came  to  New  York  city  and  entered  the 
firm  of  Varnum,  Fuller  &  Co.,  dry  goods  merchants,  at  165  Pearl  street.  In  1831,  he 
married  Mary,  daughter  of  Luman  Reed,  an  eminent  merchant  and  art  patron.  In 
1846,  he  engaged  in  iron  manufacturing,  and  in  1852  became  the  principal  owner  of 
The  Boonton,  N.  J.,  Iron  Works,  which  his  firm  of  Dudley  B.  Fuller  &  Co.,  and 


250  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Fuller,  Lord  &  Co.,  operated  successfully  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  Mr.  Fuller  was 
one  of  the  founders  and  original  members  of  the  Century  club,  having  been  a  member 
of  the  Sketch  club,  from  which,  in  1846,  arose  the  Century.  He  was  also  a  member  of 
the  Union  club  and  a  director  of  various  institutions.  Elected  in  1863  a  trustee  of  The 
New  York  Life  Insurance  Co.,  he  served  until  his  death.  His  uprightness  of  character, 
genial  disposition  and  cordial  manners  won  for  him  the  love  and  respect  of  all.  His 
wife  and  several  children  survived  him. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  FULLER,  broker,  born  in  this  city,  May  20,  1830,  died 
here  Dec.  21,  1892.  His  father,  Ebenezer  Fuller,  was  a  merchant.  Mr.  Fuller,  when 
sixteen  years  of  age,  entered  the  sugar  firm  of  Moller  &  Co.,  in  Front  street,  as  a 
clerk,  and  soon  became  a  partner,  remaining  with  the  firm  until  1868  when  he  became 
a  member  of  C.  L.  Cammann  &  Co.,  stock  brokers.  He  remained  a  broker  until  1886, 
when  he  retired.  He  then  opened  an  office  on  Wall  street,  and  later  on  Broad  street, 
After  1886,  he  did  little  active  business.  Sept.  2,  1857,  Mr.  Fuller  married  Elizabeth, 
a  daughter  of  Peter  Pinckney,  formerly  president  of  The  Bowery  Insurance  Co. ,  and 
leaves  a  daughter,  Ella  F.,  who  is  the  wife  of  William  D.  Guthrie,  and  a  son,  William 
W.  Fuller.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Racquet,  Down  Town,  New  York, 
Country,  and  New  York  Athletic  clubs,  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

CHRISTIAN  FREDERICK  PUNCH,  merchant,  born  in  Copenhagen,  Denmark,  in 
1820,  died  at  the  German  club  in  this  city,  Dec.  8,  1879.  His  father  was  at  one  time 
Consul  for  Denmark  in  Algiers.  Christian  was  well  educated,  and  began  life  as 
clerk  in  a  Danish  shipping  house  in  Algiers.  He  was  capable,  rose  to  higher  positions, 
and  in  1847,  came  to  New  York  city,  where  he  established  the  commission  shipping 
house  of  Punch,  Meinecke  &  Wendt,  which  reorganized  in  1869  as  Punch,  Edye  &  Co., 
and  became  prominent  as  ship  brokers  and  commission  merchants.  Mr.  Punch  never 
lost  his  affection  for  his  native  land  and  spent  much  time  in  Copenhagen.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Produce  Exchange  and  one  of  the  most 
prominent  managers  of  the  Maritime  Association,  and  belonged  to  several  Scandinavian 
institutions.  There  were  usually  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  ships  in  New  York 
harbor,  Scandinavian,  German  and  Italian,  consigned  to  Punch,  Edye  &  Co.  His  only 
son  was  John  Christian  Punch  of  this  city. 

WILLIAM  P.  FURNISS,  merchant,  born  over  a  century  ago,  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
died  at  his  home  on  West  looth  street  in  this  city,  Oct.  29,  1871.  He  came  from  an  old  New 
England  family,  and  inherited  the  enterprise  and  excellent  qualities  of  his  race.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  he  began  business  for  himself  on  the  Island  of  St.  Thomas  as  a  shipping 
and  commission  merchant,  acting  as  naval  agent  for  the  United  States  Government  for 
many  years.  His  enterprise  was  successful,  and  he  rose  to  high  social  and  financial 
position,  entertaining  at  his  own  house  the  most  eminent  visitors  of  all  nations.  His 
correspondence  extended  to  all  parts  of  the  globe.  He  finally  came  to  New  York  and 
invested  his  means  in  real  estate  with  so  much  judgment  that  the  increase  of  population 
added  large  value  to  his  properties.  Among  his  possessions  was  the  Globe  Hotel. 
Even  before  the  war,  he  ranked  among  the  leading  property  owners  of  the  city.  A 
Free  Mason  of  high  degree,  and  very  benevolent,  his  charities  were  as  generous  as  they 
were  private.  He  married  a  lady  from  Pennsylvania,  and  was  the  father  of  Leon,  Hart- 
man  K. ,  now  deceased,  William,  Sophia  R.  C. ,  Clementina  and  Margaret  E.  Furniss. 


G. 

ERNEST  QABLER,  manufacturer,  born  in  Glogau,  Germany,  Jan.  i,  1824,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Feb.  27,  1883.  While  not  so  famous  as  several  other  of  the  piano 
manufacturers  of  New  York,  he  was  a  very  successful  man,  and  by  quiet  and  persever- 
ing industry  gained  an  excellent  fortune.  He  came  to  America  in  1852,  and  two  years 
later  began  the  making  of  pianofortes.  The  factory  is  now  on  East  22d  street,  and  a 
large  establishment.  When  his  brother  Emil  became  a  partner,  he  adopted  the  firm 
name  of  Ernest  Gabler  &  Bro.,  which  is  yet  retained.  His  wife,  one  son,  and  several 
daughters  inherit  his  property. 

THOMAS  W.  GALE,  merchant,  a  native  of  Goshen,  N.  Y.,  died  in  New  York 
city,  May  14,  1880,  at  the  age  of  ninety.  Coming  to  New  York  while  a  young  man,  he 
became  a  partner  in  one  of  the  pioneer  wholesale  grocery  houses  of  this  city,  long 
known  as  Wisner,  Gale  &  Co.  They  lost  their  store  in  the  great  fire  of  1835.  ^r- 
Gale  was  a  bachelor,  and  so  were  his  partners,  Gabriel  Wisner,  and  Mr.  Gale's  twin 
brother,  Benjamin.  Mr.  Wisner  died  about  1847,  and  Mr.  Gale  then  retired  with  a 
fortune,  which  he  increased  afterward  by  investments,  largely  in  securities  of  various 
railroads.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  War  of  1812,  and  for  fifteen  years  was  a  director 
of  The  Erie  Railroad,  and  for  along  time  a  director  of  The  Phoenix  National  Bank  and 
The  Howard  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  had  large  interests  in  railroad  securities. 

ALBERT  ROLAZ  GALLATIN,  banker,  son  of  Albert  Gallatin,  United  States 
Senator  and  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  under  President  Jefferson,  born  in  1800,  died 
in  this  city,  Feb.  25,  1890.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  James  Nicholson,  first 
Commodore  of  the  United  States  Navy.  Educated  at  Princeton  College,  the  young 
man  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  Uniontown,  Pa  ,  near  New  Geneva,  a  town  founded 
by  his  father.  The  law  did  not  greatly  attract  him,  however,  and  he  abandoned  prac- 
tice, removing  to  New  York,  where  he  entered  Wall  street  as  one  of  the  first  members 
of  the  Board  of  Brokers.  At  one  time,  he  transacted  business  with  John  Jacob  Astor. 
He  had  an  extended  acquaintance  among  public  men,  and  accompanied  his  father  to 
France  in  1815,  and  to  England  in  1826,  when  the  latter  was  American  Minister  to  those 
countries,  and  became  the  personal  friend  of  the  Duke  of  Wellington  and  many  of  the 
leaders  of  the  French  Revolution.  Mr.  Gallatin  inherited  means,  was  the  proprietor  of 
much  real  estate  in  the  city,  and  during  his  life  honored  the  city  of  his  home  by  his 
sterling  character,  public  spirit,  and  excellent  example.  The  names  of  his  three  sons 
are,  Albert  H.,  Frederick,  and  James  Gallatin,  the  latter  now  deceased. 

JAMES  GALLATIN,  banker,  son  of  Albert  Gallatin,  once  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  died  in  Paris,  Mass.,  May  28,  1876,  at  the  age  of  eighty.  During  his  earlier 
life  he  dealt  in  stocks  in  Wall  street,  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Albert  R.  Gallatin, 
but  in  1838  succeeded  his  father  as  president  of  The  Gallatin  Bank,  and  then  gave  up 
even-thing  which  would  interfere  with  the  management  of  this  family  institution.  He 
held  the  position  for  thirty  years,  acquitting  himself  with  credit,  and  retired  in  1868, 
thereafter  spending  his  time  in  Europe.  Although  prominent  he  never  held  public 
office.  His  wife,  Josephine,  and  several  grand  children  survived  him. 


252  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ROBERT  MACY  QALLAWAY,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  New  York  city, 
Aug.  4,  1837,  is  of  Scottish  descent,  the  Gallaways  having  come  to  America  in  1800. 
His  father,  Daniel  Ayres  Gallaway,  was  engaged  in  the  iron  business,  and  educated 
his  son  at  Yale  College,  whence  he  graduated  in  the  class  of  1858.  The  young  man 
then  found  occupation  as  clerk  in  his  father's  store  and  has  since  been  actively  engaged 
both  in  mercantile  pursuits  and  as  an  officer  of  corporations.  He  was  elected  president 
of  The  Merchants'  National  Bank  in  January,  1892,  and  has  since  conducted  the  affairs 
of  this  institution  with  prudence  and  success.  By  reason  of  his  active  part  in  the 
development  of  the  elevated  railroad  system  of  the  city,  he  served  as  vice  president 
under  William  R.  Garrison  and  Jay  Gould  for  eleven  years.  He  is  now  a  director  of 
The  Manhattan  Railway,  The  United  States  Rubber  Co. ,  The  Bank  of  New  Amsterdam, 
and  The  Bowery  Savings  Bank.  Mr.  Gallaway  was  married  in  1868,  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
A.,  daughter  of  Dr.  Merrill  W.  Williams,  and  their  children  are,  Merrill  W.,  John  M., 
and  Mary.  He  has  long  been  prominent  and  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Metropolitan,  and  Riding  clubs,  the  New  England  Society  and  St.  Andrew's  Society. 

THOflAS  GARNER,  manufacturer,  who  died  in  this  city,  Oct.  16,  1867,  in  his 
seventieth  year,  was  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  successful  business  men  of  New 
York  during  the  first  part  of  the  present  century.  At  an  early  age,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  James,  he  began  the  sale  of  dry  goods  in  this  city,  but  from  insuffici- 
ent capital  failed  in  1832,  afterward  paying  his  obligations  in  full  and  re-establishing 
himself  within  a  few  years.  His  conduct  in  this  matter  was  an  indication  of  his  char- 
acter, Mr.  Garner  being  everywhere  esteemed  for  his  business  probity  and  his  upright 
life.  He  attained  distinction  through  his  energetic  and  successful  efforts  to  establish 
the  cotton  manufacturing  industry  in  this  country.  Little  by  little,  he  extended  his 
enterprise  in  this  direction  until  his  factories  had  grown  to  enormous  proportions. 
He  owned  large  mills  in  Cohoes,  Rochester,  Little  Falls,  Pleasant  Valley  and  New- 
burgh,  N.  Y.,  and  Reading.  Pa.,  as  well  as  print  works  at  Wappinger's  Falls  and 
Haverstraw,  N.  Y.  The  product  of  these  mills  was  marketed  by  the  commission  house 
of  Garner  &  Co.,  in  New  York  city.  Mr.  Garner  gained  a  fortune  of  several  millions, 
which  descended  to  his  wife,  Harriet,  and  their  children,  Thomas  and  William  T. 
Garner,  and  Mrs.  Josephine  A.  Graham,  Mrs.  Frances  A.  Lawrence  and  Mrs.  Anna 
James.  He  gave  $100,000  in  his  will  to  public  institutions.  Thomas  died  shortly  after 
his  father.  The  great  business  of  Garner  &  Co.  is  yet  conducted  by  trustees  of  the 
estate,  who  are  at  present  John  J.  Lawrance  and  Adrian  Iselin. — His  son,  WILLIAfl  T. 
GARNER,  born  in  1840,  lost  his  life  July  20,  1876,  in  consequence  of  the  capsizing  of 
his  yacht,  the  schooner  Mohawk,  during  a  squall  in  New  York  harbor.  He  was  care- 
fully educated  and  then  associated  himself  with  the  affairs  of  Garner  &  Co.  At  his 
father's  death,  he  became  executor  of  the  estate  and  senior  partner  in  Garner  &  Co. , 
and  managed  the  widespread  and  varied  interests  of  the  firm  with  such  prudence, 
energy  and  sagacity,  that  he  gained  a  fortune  twice  as  large  as  his  father's.  Mr. 
Garner  made  an  heroic  effort  to  rescue  his  wife,  Mary  Marcellite,  from  the  cabin  of  the 
Mohawk,  when  the  yacht  capsized,  and  both  perished  together.  Their  daughters  were, 
Florence,  now  Lady  Gordon-Cumming,  Adele,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four,  and  another. 

CORNELIUS  KINGSLAND  GARRISON,  railroad  president,  born  near  West  Point, 
N.  Y.,  March  i,  1809,  died  in  this  city,  May  i,  1885.  He  sprang  from  families  who 
were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan.  Compelled  to  seek 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GA.  253 

employment  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  the  family  having  lost  their  modest  fortune,  for 
three  years  the  lad  found  occupation  in  the  boats  navigating  the  Hudson  river.  Every 
winter,  when  the  river  was  closed  by  ice,  he  attended  school.  At  the  age  of  sixteen, 
he  came  to  New  York  for  three  years  of  study  of  architecture,  and  during  the  next  five 
years  lived  in  Canada  engaged  in  planning  buildings  and  construction  of  lake  steam- 
boats. He  rose  to  be  superintendent  of  The  Upper  Canada  Co.,  in  those  days  an  im- 
portant corporation.  Then  he  found  occupation  at  St.  Louis  and  in  the  vicinity  of  New 
Orleans.  When  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  Mr.  Garrison  established  a  bank  in 
Panama,  which  was  successful.  In  1852,  he  came  to  New  York  city  to  open  a  branch 
bank  here,  but  accepted  an  offer  of  the  San  Francisco  agency  of  The  Nicaragua  Steam- 
ship Co. ,  at  a  salary  of  $60,  ooo  a  year.  Removing  to  San  Francisco,  he  established  the 
bank  of  Garrison  &  Fritz,  represented  several  large  insurance  companies,  managed  the 
steamship  line,  and  became  first  Mayor  of  that  city,  and  served  practically  without  com- 
pensation, giving  his  salary  to  the  local  orphan  asylums.  After  1859,  he  made  his  home 
in  Xew  York  city.  Here  he  became  extensively  interested  in  steamship  lines  to  South 
America  and  the  Isthmus,  acquiring  therefrom  the  soubriquet  of  Commodore,  and  also 
in  railroads  on  the  Coast.  During  the  War,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union  with 
enthusiasm.  Butler's  Ship  Island  expedition  was  initiated  by  him.  The  old  steamship 
line  to  Brazil,  founded  by  him,  was  an  illustration  of  his  courage  and  enterprise.  At 
one  time,  these  ships  were  the  only  steamers  afloat,  carrying  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
in  the  foreign  trade  of  the  United  States.  A  few  years  before  his  death,  he  disposed  of 
his  maritime  interests.  He  aided  in  building  the  railroad  to  the  Pacific,  and  became 
controlling  owner  of  The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  when  the  line  was  sold  under  fore- 
closure in  1876.  He  finally  sold  his  interest  to  Jay  Gould.  He  was  also  largely  inter- 
ested in  the  elevated  roads  of  this  city.  The  surviving  children  of  Mr.  Garrison  and 
Letitia  W. ,  his  wife,  were  William  R.  Garrison,  now  deceased,  and  Catharine  M  ,  wife 
of  Barrett  Van  Auken.  A  public  spirited  man,  remarkable  for  his  powerful  physique, 
rugged  energy,  and  unbending  integrity,  he  was  one  of  those  who  contributed  greatly 
to  advancing  the  interests  of  the  metropolis. 

EPHRAIM  CHURCH  GATES,  lumberman,  born  in  Hubbardston,  Mas*.,  March  28, 
1817,  comes  from  old  New  England  stock.  His  ancestors  were  English,  and  his  grand- 
father, Asa  Church,  served  in  the  commissary  department  in  the  American  Revolution. 
His  father,  Salmon  Gates,  moved  with  his  family,  in  1823,  from  Hubbardston,  Mass, 
to  Calais,  Me.,  which  place  he  had  visited  as  early  as  1807,  and  thereafter  was  one  of 
the  active  business  men  of  Milltown,  which  was  in  his  time  the  principal  part  of  Calais. 
Ephraim  attended  the  grammar  schools  of  the  town  and  for  two  terms  the  Washington 
Academy  in  Machias.  He  then  found  employment  with  his  father,  who  was  developing 
the  lumber  industry  of  the  St.  Croix  river,  then  a  new  interest,  and  in  1840,  having 
saved  a  little  capital,  began  manufacturing  lumber  for  himself,  this  industry  being  the 
source  of  the  prosperity  of  this  frontier  city.  For  thirty-five  years,  1847-82,  he  was 
the  leading  spirit  of  the  lumber  firm  of  Gates  &  Wentworth,  in  partnership  with  his 
brother  in  law,  the  Hon.  Giles  M.  Wentworth.  He  became,  by  purchase,  a  large  owner 
of  timber  lands  in  the  counties  of  Washington  and  Penobscot,  Me.,  and  York,  N.  B. 
In  1849,  Mr.  Gates  manufactured  and  sold  to  a  lumber  yard  in  Mott  Haven,  New  York 
city,  the  first  cargo  of  spruce  lumber  ever  landed  on  the  east  side  of  the  Harlem  river. 
For  sixteen  years,  he  continued  to  sell  lumber  to  this  )'ard,  which  is  on  i38th  street, 


254  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and  in  1865  bought  the  yard,  which  he  placed  under  charge  of  his  son,  Church 
Ephraim  Gates,  then  fresh  from  the  Union  army.  This  proved  a  fortunate  venture. 
After  the  death  of  his  son,  Mr.  Gates  carried  on  the  yard  alone,  being  aided  in  the 
management  by  John  F.  Steeves,  imder  the  old  name  of  Church  E.  Gates  &  Co.,  until 
1889,  when  he  admitted  Henry  H.  Barnard  and  Bradley  L.  Eaton,  his  sons  in  law,  and 
John  F.  Steeves,  as  partners.  The  same  year  he  sold  his  interests  in  Maine  to  H.  F. 
Eaton  &  Sons  and  removed  to  Harlem,  where  he  now  dwells.  He  owns  a  large 
interest  in  The  Old  Dominion  Lumber  Co. ,  whose  shipping  point  is  Norfolk,  Va.  By 
his  marriage,  Dec.  i,  1839,  to  Vashti  Randall  Pickens,  daughter  of  Leonard  Pickens, 
he  became  the  father  of  four  children,  Church  Ephraim  Gates,  now  deceased;  Lucy, 
wife  of  Henry  H.  Barnard;  Vashti,  wife  of  Bradley  L.  Eaton;  and  one  son  who  died 
in  infancy.  Mr.  Gates  is  a  member  of  the  Harlem  club  and  the  Calais  club  of  Calais 
and  a  man  of  conspicuous  excellence  of  character. 

JAMES  WATSON  GERARD,  lawyer,  born  in  this  city  in  1794,  died  in  New  York, 
Feb.  7,  1874.  He  was  a  descendant  of  French  Huguenots,  who  fled  to  Scotland  after 
the  revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes.  Before  the  American  Revolution,  his  father, 
William,  came  to  New  York  city  and  lived  to  become  a  reputable  merchant,  but  left 
his  family  with  moderate  means.  James  graduated  with  honor  from  Columbia  College 
in  1811,  studied  law  in  the  office  of  George  Griffin,  and  entered  upon  practice  while 
quite  young.  His  abilities  soon  gave  him  a  leading  position  in  the  profession.  He 
enjoyed  a  long  and  successful  practice,  during  which  he  strove  with  all  his  power  to 
elevate  the  standard  of  the  profession.  When  he  retired  in  1868,  his  brethren  of  the 
law  gave  him  a  banquet  at  Delmonico's,  which  was  attended  by  many  prominent  mem- 
bers of  the  bench  and  bar.  His  marriage  with  Eliza,  daughter  of  Governor  Increase 
Sumner  of  Massachusetts,  brought  him  three  children,  James  W. ,  Elizabeth  Sumner 
Wiggin,  and  Julietta  Ann.  Mrs.  Gerard  died  in  1866.  The  House  of  Refuge  was 
built  mainly  through  Mr.  Gerard's  influence  and  the  efficiency  of  the  police  force  was 
greatly  improved.  The  adoption  of  uniforms  for  the  police  grew  out  of  his  advocacy 
of  the  measure.  For  many  years,  he  identified  himself  with  the  public  school  interests 
of  his  city,  and  rendered  efficient  service  as  inspector  of  schools.  A  nomination  for 
Congress  and  another  for  Judge  of  the  Superior  Court  were  declined  by  him. 

ELBRIDQE  THOMAS  GERRY,  lawyer,  a  native  of  this  city,  was  born  Dec.  25, 
1837.  His  family  was  planted  in  this  country  in  1730,  by  Thomas  Gerry  of  Newton, 
England,  merchant,  who  settled  in  Marblehead,  Mass.,  and  .whose  son,  Elbridge  Gerry, 
a  man  of  marked  abilities,  served  his  country  as  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  a 
Signer  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  and  Vice  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  a  grandson  of  Elbridge  and  son  of  Thomas  R.  Gerry,  a 
naval  officer.  His  mother,  Hannah,  was  a  sister  of  Peter  and  Robert  Goelet.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch  lost  his  father  by  death,  when  the  lad  was  seven  years  of  age. 
He  gained  a  good  education,  graduating  from  Columbia  College  in  1857,  and  delivering 
the  German  salutatory  oration.  He  then  studied  law  with  William  Curtis  Noyes,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1866,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Noyes,  and  later  with 
William  F.  Allen,  Justice  of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  and  Benjamin  Vaughn  Abbott,  the 
law  book  author.  For  many  years  he  was  actively  occupied  with  the  laborious  duties 
of  an  extensive  practice,  being  retained  in  many  famous  cases.  In  1867,  he  served  the 
State  as  a  member  of  the  Convention  to  revise  the  State  Constitution.  Dec.  3,  1867, 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GI.  255 

he  was  married  to  Louisa  M.,  daughter  of  Robert  J.  Livingston  and  great  grand- 
daughter of  Morgan  Lewis,  once  Chief  Justice  and  Governor  of  New  York.  A  large 
income  from  his  law  practice  and  a  fortune  inherited  from  the  Goelets  have  left  Mr. 
Gerry  free  to  promote  important  philanthropic  enterprises,  and  he  has  been  prominent 
in  this  work  for  over  thirty  years.  He  has  secured,  in  behalf  of  The  Society  for  the 
Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  the  principal  part  of  the  legislation  of  the  State  on 
this  subject.  In  1874,  he  was  conspicuous  in  founding  The  Society  for  the  Prevention 
of  Cruelty  to  Children,  and  since  1879,  has  been  its  president.  The  present  system  of 
execution  by  electricity  is  due  to  a  report,  made  by  a  commission  appointed  in  1886,  of 
which  he  was  a  member.  Mr.  Gerry  has  long  been  actively  identified  with  yachting  in 
its  higher  forms,  and  was  Commodore  of  the  famous  New  York  Yacht  club,  1885-93, 
during  several  historic  international  yacht  races.  He  is  a  prominent  figure  in  the 
social  life  of  the  city,  and  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Knickerbocker,  Manhattan, 
Bar,  Riding,  Players',  Merchants',  Country,  Atlantic  Yacht,  New  York  Yacht,  and 
Larchmont  Yacht  clubs.  He  also  belongs  to  the  New  England  Society  and  is  a  patron 
of  the  annual  Patriarchs'  ball. 

JOHN  GIBB,  merchant,  a  native  of  Scotland,  was  born  March  14,  1829.  He  was 
educated  at  the  local  parish  school  and  in  Montrose  academy,  and  then,  at  the  age  of 
fourteen,  set  his  face  bravely  toward  the  task  of  fitting  himself  for  a  business  career. 

He  was  so  anxious  to  learn  that,  as  an  apprentice,  he  entered  a  small  dry  goods 
store  in  Montrose,  where,  in  return  for  the  privilege  of  acquiring  what  knowledge  he 
could  about  textures,  colors  and  the  business  generally,  he  performed  all  the  drudgery 
for  four  years,  without  pay.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  having  finished  the  first  labori- 
ous stage  of  his  business  education,  Mr.  Gibb  travelled  to  London,  arriving  there  an 
utter  stranger  and  feeling  somewhat  lost  in  the  whirl  and  excitement  of  the  great 
metropolis.  After  a  few  days'  search,  however,  he  found  employment  in  a  large  retail 
dry  goods  establishment.  Here,  he  toiled  at  the  duties  assigned  to  him  from  early 
morning  until  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  at  night.  Eighteen  months  of  this  sufficed 
for  the  young  man,  although  it  aided  to  develop  the  energy  with  which  nature  had 
abundantly  endowed  him ;  and  he  then  greatly  improved  his  position  by  securing  a 
clerkship  in  the  largest  wholesale  lace  house  in  London.  The  duties  here  were  more 
congenial,  and  previous  training  made  him  a  valued  accession  to  the  house.  The  firm 
advanced  him  rapidly. 

In  June,  1850,  under  engagement  with  J.  R.  Jaffray  &  Co.  of  London,  Mr.  Gibb 
came  to  America  and  took  charge  of  one  of  the  departments  in  their  New  York  house. 
In  this  establishment,  he  repeated  his  success  in  London.  No  day  was  too  long,  no 
work  too  hard  for  him,  and  promotion  followed  rapidly,  although  this  was  not  sufficient 
to  retain  Mr.  Gibb  in  a  subordinate  position.  He  was  determined  to  become  a  mer- 
chant on  his  own  account;  and  having,  by  diligent  industry  and  strict  economy,  made 
and  saved  enough  money  for  the  purpose,  he  went  into  partnership  with  Philo  L. 
Mills,  a  fellow  clerk,  under  the  firm  name  of  Mills  &  Gibb,  in  1865.  The  two  men 
signed  their  articles  of  co-partnership  on  the  day  of  the  surrender  of  General  Lee  and 
began  business  in  a  store  at  No.  44  White  street. 

The  new  firm  made  a  specialty  of  laces  and  goods  of  like  character,  which  they 
imported  from  Europe,  and  threw  so  much  energy  and  good  judgment  into  their 
operations,  that  they  met  with  success  from  the  start.  The  business  grew  to  large 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GI. 


257 


proportions  in  the  space  of  a  few  years  and  has  since  extended  to  every  part  of  the 
United  States.  In  1880,  the  handsome  seven  story  building  on  the  northeast  corner 
of  Broadway  and  Grand  street,  erected  for  Mills  &  Gibb,  was  occupied  by  them.  In 
the  division  of  the  labor  of  the  house,  Mr.  Mills  lives  in  Europe,  while  Mr.  Gibb  has 
had  the  sole  management  of  the  trade  in  the  United  States. 

Upon  his  arrival  in  America  in  1850,  Mr.  Gibb  established  his  home  in  Brooklyn, 
and  has  been  a  resident  of  that  city  ever  since.  He  was  married  in  1852.  Eleven 
children  have  been  born  to  him,  of  whom  all  except  one  are  living,  all  of  his  sons  being 
in  business  with  him.  He  has  always  closely  identified  himself  closely  with  the  affairs 
of  Brooklyn.  In  this  respect,  his  practice  differs  from  that  of  many  merchants,  who 
regard  Brooklyn  merely  as  a  residence  section  of  the  metropolis  and  fail  to  interest 
themselves  in  the  great  financial  and  industrial  interests  of  the  city.  Mr.  Gibb  is  a 
director  of  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.,  trustee  of  The  Adelphi  Academy  and  The  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association,  and  a  member  of  the  Hamilton,  Brooklyn,  Crescent, 
and  Riding  &  Driving  clubs.  His  public  spirit  has  greatly  endeared  him  to  his  fellow 
citizens.  In  1887,  Mr.  Gibb  added  to  his  mercantile  interests  by  acquiring  a  controlling 
ownership  in  the  retail  dry  goods  firm  of  Frederick  Loeser  &  Co.,  in  Brooklyn,  and  this 
extensive  establishment  has  since  been  managed  with  great  success  by  Mr.  Gibb  and  his 
son  Howard.  The  store  is  now  one  of  the  largest  dry  goods  bazaars  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Gibb  is  fond  of  home  life  and  domestic  in  his  tastes  and  habits.  The  family 
occupy  a  spacious  home  on  Gates  avenue  in  Brooklyn,  and  during  the  summer  time 
dwell  in  a  beautifully  located  country  seat  at  Islip,  Great  South  Bay,  on  the  ocean  front 
of  Long  Island.  While  Mr.  Gibb  works  hard  during  the  hours  of  business,  he  also 
rests  with  equal  vigor  during  the  hours  of  relaxation,  and  spends  two  days  in  every 
week  during  the  summer  time  fishing  and  sailing  in  his  yacht,  the  Bonnie  Doon.  His 
success  is  due  to  early  training,  the  power  of  performing  a  vast  amount  of  work,  intel- 
ligent and  upright  methods,  and  sound  judgment. 

GEORGE  YATES  GILBERT,  lawyer  and  lumberman,  born  in  Gilbertsville,  Otsego 
county,  X.  Y.,  March  26,  1815,  died  at  the  Victoria  Hotel  in  New  York  city,  April  29, 
1888.  He  was  a  descendant  of  John  Gilbert  and  his  wife,  Marv  Hill  (the  latter  a  relative 
of  the  celebrated  Rowland  Hill,  the  divine,)  of  Middleton,  near  Yarmouth,  Warwickshire, 
England.  To  John  Gilbert  were  born  four  children,  of  whom  the  oldest  was  Abijah, 
born  in  December,  1747,  who  was  destined,  forty  years  later,  in  1787,  to  find  a  home  for 
his  race  in  the  new  world  and  to  be  the  first  settler  and  founder  of  the  village  of  Gilberts- 
ville, X.  Y.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  was  the  male  head  of  his  family,  and  at  twenty- 
nine,  married  Mary  Yates  and  lived  at  Xuneaton  in  Warwickshire,  where  he  owned 
lands  and  did  much  to  aid  the  poor.  On  arriving  in  America,  he  visited  relatives  of  his 
wife  in  Xew  Jersey,  where  he  met  and  became  the  staunch  friend  of  General  Morris, 
who  assigned  to  him  a  grant  of  1,000  acres  of  land  in  Otsego  county,  for  which  Mr. 
Gilbert  paid  him  ,£571  sterling,  before  ever  having  seen  the  land.  He  very  shortly 
doubled  his  holdings  by  the  purchase  of  contiguous  properties.  Decided  in  char- 
acter but  of  courteous  manners,  he  was  known  as  Esquire  Gilbert,  and  recorded  in  all 
the  deeds  as  "gentleman."  He  died  in  1811,  leaving  a  large  family.  The  oldest  son, 
Joseph  T.  Gilbert,  known  as  Deacon  Gilbert,  was  a  man  of  iron  will,  prominent  in  his 
county.  George  Yates  Gilbert,  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  his  fifth  son,  was  educated 
at  Hamilton  and  Yale  colleges,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1837  in  the  same  class  with 


258  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

William  M.  Evarts  and  Chief  Justice  Waite.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of 
the  Yale  chapter  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Phi  fraternity.  Afterward,  he  went  to  New  York, 
where  he  practiced  law  with  John  D.  Sherwood.  In  1853,  he  became  vice  president  of 
The  Eau  Claire  Lumber  Co.,  in  Eau  Claire,  Wis. ,  a  position  which  he  held  for  ten 
years.  It  was  a  highly  successful  undertaking.  On  retiring  from  its  active  manage- 
ment in  1869,  Mr.  Gilbert  returned  to  Gilbertsville,  where  he  erected  the  residence 
called  "The  Hall,"  now  owned  and  occupied  by  his  only  daughter,  Marion.  The  latter 
has  been  twice  married,  first  to  James  Armstrong  Murray  of  England,  and  after  his 
demise  to  Thomas  Swinyard,  formerly  managing  director  of  The  Great  Western  Rail- 
way of  Canada,  and  The  Detroit  &  Milwaukee  Railway,  and  now  president  of  The 
Dominion  Telegraph  Co.  Though  Mr.  Gilbert  took  a  deep  interest  in  politics,  he 
declined  all  overtures  made  to  him  to  accept  office.  He  was  a  staunch  Republican,  and 
his  career  was  especially  marked  by  uprightness  of  character  and  a  strong  sense  of 
justice  and  generosity.  He  married  Mary,  daughter  of  Jabez  Fitch,  of  Marshall,  Mich., 
and  left  one  son,  Fitch  Gilbert,  a  resident  of  Eau  Claire,  and  one  daughter,  the  elder 
of  the  two,  who  succeeded  to  the  estate  in  Gilbertsville. 

PETER  QILSEY,  an  old  time  merchant,  born  in  Hobro,  Province  of  Jutland, 
Denmark,  in  1811,  died  in  New  York,  Aug.  8,  1873.  He  received  a  moderate 
education,  and  landed  in  New  York  city  in  1827,  a  friendless  lad,  but  full  of 
health  and  inspired  with  an  earnest  and  manly  ambition  to  win  success.  Having 
secured  employment  in  a  piano  factory,  and  saving  each  week  some  part  of  his  wages, 
he  saved  enough  at  length  to  go  into  business  for  himself.  His  first  venture  was  the 
purchase  of  a  retail  tobacconist's  stock,  with  which  he  opened  a  small  store  on  the 
Bowery.  In  this  occupation  he  prospered,  and  later  he  moved  to  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  Cortlandt  street.  Prospering  yet  more  in  the  new  locality,  Mr.  Gilsey  soon 
gained  the  means  to  make  investments  in  real  estate,  which  brought  him  the  bulk  of 
his  fortune.  The  property  advanced  rapidly  in  value,  making  him  a  rich  man,  and 
included  the  St.  George  Hotel,  the  Gilsey  House,  Coleman  House,  the  Fifth  Avenue 
Theatre,  and  an  office  building  at  the  Corner  of  Broadway  and  Cortlandt  street.-  Mr. 
Gilsey  was  elected  an  Alderman  of  the  city  in  1873.  The  children  of  Mr.  Gilsey  and 
his  wife,  Mary  C.,  were  Andrew;  Charles,  now  deceased;  Peter;  Henry;  John,  now 
deceased;  Mary,  wife  of  P.  Gardner,  and  Mrs.  Pauline  Starr.  Mrs.  Gilsey  survived 
her  husband  until  Sept.  13,  1891. 

HENRY  QINNEL,  jeweler,  a  native  of  Locle,  Switzerland,  was  born  Jan.  9,  1821. 
He  was  educated  in  the  local  schools,  and  then  learned  thcTtrade  of  watchmaking,  his 
town  being  one  of  the  seats  of  that  industry.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  he  came  to 
America,  seeking  the  enlarged  opportunities  of  the  new  world.  In  the  employment  of 
Frederick  Grossclaude,  he  spent  several  years  at  the  bench,  working  overtime  in  order 
the  more  rapidly  to  increase  his  savings.  In  1847,  he  bought  the  shop  of  his  employer, 
and  became  a  manufacturer  and  merchant  of  watches  and  jewelry,  and  by  energy  and 
good  abilities  has  expanded  his  trade,  until  he  has  one  of  the  leading  watch  and  jewelry 
stores  on  Maiden  Lane,  under  the  style  of  Henry  Ginnel  &  Co.  He  was  married 
Oct.  1 8,  1845,  to  Miss  Clara  Langrave.  The  family  make  their  home  in  Brooklyn. 
Mr.  Ginnel's  career  reminds  one  of  the  important  truth  that,  in  free  America,  at  any 
rate,  it  makes  little  difference  how  modestly  a  man  starts  in  life,  provided  only  that  his 
occupation  be  an  honest  one. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  259 

PETER  QOELET,  realty  owner,  born  June  22,  1800,  died  in  this  city,  Nov.  21, 
1879.  He  came  from  a  Huguenot  family,  which  at  the  time  of  the  fierce  and  bloody 
persecution  of  the  Protestants  by  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  fled  from  Rochelle, 
France,  to  Amsterdam  in  Holland,  in  1621,  remaining  there  until  1676  Francis 
Goelet,  youngest  son  of  the  family,  having  lost  his  wife,  came  to  New  Amsterdam  in 
1676.  with  his  only  child  Jacobus,  a  boy  of  about  ten.  Greatly  pleased  with  the  place, 
he  left  his  boy  in  care  of  Mr.  Phillips,  merchant,  and  sailed  for  Holland  to  bring  hither 
his  effects,  but  was  never  heard  from  thereafter,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  lost  at 
sea  Jacobus  remained  in  New  York,  married  Jannetje,  daughter  of  Mr.  Coessar,  a 
member  of  a  Protestant  refugee  family  from  Rochelle,  arid  died  in  1731,  the  father  of 
six  children.  Jan  Geolet,  third  son  of  Jacobus,  was  married  in  1718  to  Jannetje, 
daughter  of  Jan  Cannon,  a  merchant  of  New  York,  who  also  traced  his  family  line  to  a 
Protestant  refugee  from  Rochelle.  Dying  in  July,  1753,  he  left  several  children. 

Peter  Goelet,  fourth  son  of  Jan,  born  in  January,  1727,  was  the  founder  of  the 
family  fortunes.  He  carried  on  a  trade  in  hardware,  cutlery,  locks,  music,  brushes, 
etc.,  for  many  years,  with  Peter  T.  Curtenius,  under  the  name  of  Goelet  &  Curtenius, 
in  a  store  on  Pearl  street,  Hanover  Square,  at  the  sign  of  the  ' '  golden  key. "  The 
firm  dissolved  in  1763,  the  junior  partner  engaging  in  business  with  a  sign  of  a  "  golden 
anvil,"  while  Mr.  Goelet  went  on  alone  in  the  hardware  trade.  He  was  greatly  pros- 
pered, gained  what  was  then  considered  a  fortune,  and  invested  it  almost  wholly  in  local 
real  estate.  He  was  married  in  April,  1755,  to  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Robert  Ratse, 
and  at  his  death  lived  at  No.  53  Broadway. 

Peter  P.  Goelet,  son  of  the  latter,  was  born  in  August,  1764,  and  died  in  October, 
1828.  He  inherited  a  large  part  of  his  father's  property,  and  by  the  advice  of  his  law- 
yer, Peter  De  Witt,  invested  nearly  all  of  his  accumulations  in  further  purchases  of 
real  estate.  He  owned  some  securities  of  corporations,  however,  and  was  a  member  of 
The  Western  Inland  Dock  Navigation  Co.  In  May,  1799,  he  married  Almy,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Buchanan,  his  brother  Robert  Ratse  having  married  Margaret  Buchanan, 
her  sister.  Upon  his  death,  he  was  survived  by  four  children,  Peter,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch;  Jean  B.  Goelet;  Hannah  G. ,  wife  of  Thomas  R.  Gerry,  Commodore, 
U.  S.  N.;  and  Robert  Goelet. 

Peter  Goelet  continued  the  policy  of  investing  in  land  and  buildings,  mainly  in  those 
parts  of  the  growing  city,  where  in  a  few  years  there  was  certain  to  be  a  dense  aggre- 
gation of  buildings  of  the  highest  class.  The  land  on  which  the  Grand  Central  Depot 
now  stands,  was  once  his. 

Mr.  Goelet  was  a  lover  of  fine  horses,  of  which  he  usually  kept  as  many  as  six, 
although  when  going  about  his  daily  business  he  almost  invariably  walked  or  used  the 
stages.  He  was  charitable  without  ostentation,  and  during  the  war  took  a  special  in- 
terest in  one  of  the  New  York  regiments,  expending  money  freely  to  relieve  the  suffer- 
ings of  members  who  returned  sick  or  disabled,  and  of  the  families  of  the  killed. 

His  recreation  consisted  largely  in  working  at  a  forge  in  the  basement  of  his  house 
on  Broadway  and  igth  street,  where  he  manufactured,  after  the  fashion  of  one  of  the 
Kings  of  France,  various  sorts  of  machinery,  but  particularly  locks  of  curious  and  intri- 
cate patterns.  He  owned  many  bright  plumaged  fowls  and  birds  from  all  parts  of  the 
world.  During  the  summer  time,  some  of  these  were  to  be  seen  stalking  about  the 
_grounds  surrounding  the  Goelet  mansion. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  261 

Mr.  Goelet  left  his  real  estate  equally  to  his  brother  Robert  and  his  sisters  Jean  B. 
Goelet  and  Hannah  G.  Gerry. 

ROBERT  GOELET,  realty  owner,  a  son  of  Peter  P.  Goelet,  was  born  in  October, 
1809,  and  died  at  his  home,  No  857  Broadway,  Sept.  22,  1879.  He  was  occupied  dur- 
ing life  with  the  management  of  properties  inherited  from  his  father.  He  resembled 
his  eccentric  brother  Peter  in  many  respects  and  was  warmly  attached  to  him,  the  two 
men  making  visits  to  West  Point  together  every  year,  and  being  constantly  in  each 
other's  society.  In  October,  1839,  he  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Jonathan  Ogden, 
and  left  two  children,  Robert  and  Ogden  Goelet.  The  Goelet  possessions  are  now  cen- 
tered mainly  in  the  ownership  of  these  two  men.  Robert'  Goelet,  born  Sept.  29,  1841, 
was  married  in  1879  to  Harriette  Louise,  daughter  of  George  Henry  Warren,  of  New 
York,  and  has  two  children,  Robert  Walton  and  Beatrice  Goelet.  His  brother  Ogden 
was  born  June  n,  1846,  and  married  Mary  R.,  daughter  of  Richard  T.  Wilson,  the 
banker.  Their  children  are  Robert  and  Mary  Goelet. 

JOHN  GOOD,  inventor  and  manufacturer  of  cordage,  is  one  of  those  men  of  native 
genius,  who  have  placed  their  names  on  the  roll  of  fame  by  working  as  complete  a  revo- 
lution in  the  processes  of  an  important  industry,  as  took  place  in  the  homes  of  America 
when  the  slow  and  tiresome  method  of  hand  sewing  gave  way  to  the  sewing  machine, 
or  as  took  place  in  the  field  of  transportation  when  the  lumbering  old  mail  coach  of  the 
early  days  was  superseded  by  the  railway  car.  He  has  lightened  the  labors  of  the  work- 
ing classes  and  reduced  the  cost  of  an  article  of  extended  consumption ;  and  the  large 
fortune  which  has  come  to  him  in  consequence  of  his  inventions  has  been  worthily  and 
honestly  won. 

He  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1844.  At  the  age  of  seven,  the  lad  came  to  the  United 
States  with  his  father's  family  to  seek  the  larger  liberty  and  the  better  opportunities  of 
the  new  world.  The  family  being  poor,  John  was  compelled  to  earn  his  living  as  soon 
as  he  was  old  enough  to  toil.  He  was  blessed  with  a  stout  and  healthy  frame  and  a 
happy  disposition,  and,  finding  employment  in  a  little  old-fashioned  rope  walk  in  Brook- 
lyn, he  served  an  apprenticeship  there,  whistling  as  he  went  to  his  daily  work.  He 
became  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  then  simple  processes  of  rope  making,  which  were 
slowly  and  laboriously  performed  by  hand.  In  this  factor}',  many  young  women  were 
employed,  whose  labor  required  them  to  lift  and  carry  loads  beyond  their  natural 
strength.  The  good  hearted  boy  came  to  sympathize  with  the  hard  lot  of  these  fellow 
workers,  and  at  an  early  age,  he  began  to  study  what  he  could  do  to  lighten  their  labors. 
Rope  making  had  been  practiced  in  this  country  at  least  200  years.  Every  ship 
building  city  in  New  England  and  along  the  Atlantic  sea  coast  of  any  pretensions  had 
its  "rope  walk,"  a  long,  low  building,  several  hundred  feet  in  length,  in  which  the 
hempen  fibres  were  straightened,  combed,  drawn  into  strands,  and  the  strands  twisted 
into  rope  by  operatives  who  performed  the  whole  labor  with  their  hands.  All  of  the 
processes  were  laborious  and  tedious.  No  material  improvement  whatever  had  been 
introduced  in  the  industry  for  a  period  of  two  centuries.  Considering  the  enormous 
amount  and  high  cost  of  cordage  used  in  the  rigging  of  ships  during  the  palmy  days  of 
the  American  marine,  it  is  extraordinary  that  in  America,  the  very  home  of  mechanical 
genius,  it  should  never  have  occurred  to  any  inventive  American  to  patent  improved 
processes  for  quickening,  reducing  the  cost,  and  lightening  the  labor  of  rope  making. 
This  work  was  reserved  for  the  young  man  from  Ireland. 


262  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

After  he  had  graduated  from  his  apprenticeship,  he  left  the  rope  walk  and  became 
a  machinist.  During  the  late  Civil  War,  having  become  an  expert  worker  in  this  trade, 
the  idea  occurred  to  him  to  study  the  possibility  of  inventing  machines  to  perform  the 
work  of  the  various  branches  of  rope  making.  He  experimented  for  several  years, 
and  finally  in  October,  1869,  took  out  his  first  patent.  The  pioneer  machine  was  a 
"  breaker,"  for  bunching  and  combing  out  the  tangled  fibres  of  hemp  and  forming  them 
into  a  long  loose  roll  called  a  "  sliver. "  The  fibres  used  in  this  industry  come  from 
tropical  plants  and  are  from  three  to  twelve  feet  in  length.  In  the  old  fashioned 
process,  the  "sliver"  was  cut  into  lengths,  and  thus  the  fibre  entire  was  never  used  in 
a  rope  until  John  Good  brought  out  a  machine  for  the  purpose.  The  first  invention 
was  followed  by  a  number  of  others,  until  Mr.  Good  had  patented  a  complete  outfit  for 
every  branch  of  the  manufacture  of  ropes  and  twine.  His  patents  cover  a  first  breaker, 
a  second  breaker,  a  first  and  second  spreader,  a  first  and  second  drawing  frame,  a 
spinning  jenny,  a  laying  frame,  and  a  coiling  machine.  The  "sliver"  which  first 
comes  from  the  breaker  is  rough  in  texture,  with  the  loose  ends  of  many  tangled  fibres 
projecting  from  its  surface.  The  spreaders  and  drawing  frames  draw  out  the  original 
roll  into  longer  and  smoother  slivers,  which  are  free  from  the  rough  ends.  The  suc- 
ceeding machines  twist  the  slivers  into  yarns,  and  the  yarns  into  ropes,  and  coil  the 
finished  product  into  packages  for  shipment.  The  system  is  complete  in  all  its  parts 
and  has  completely  changed  the  manufacture  of  cordage.  The  process  has  many  dis- 
tinctive features.  It  has  reduced  the  amount  of  ground  space  required,  and  the  long 
tunnel-like  rope  walk  of  the  olden  times  has  now  given  place  to  a  compact  modern 
factory  of  several  stories.  The  factory  can  be  so  arranged  that  the  entire  process  can 
be  performed  in  one  room.  The  yarn  and  the  strand  are  twisted  in  one  operation, 
obviating  one  great  difficulty  of  the  old  process,  in  which  the  yarn  lost  a  large  part  of 
its  twist  before  being  formed  into  strands.  The  new  process  utilizes  the  full  length  of 
the  fibres,  and  produces  a  rope  fifty  per  cent,  stronger  than  the  old  process.  It  has 
also  lightened  the  manual  labor  of  the  operatives  immensely. 

Until  1885,  Mr.  Good  devoted  his  energies  entirely  to  the  perfection  and  manu- 
facture of  his  beautiful  machines.  Orders  poured  upon  him  from  all  parts  of  the 
United  States,  because  every  maker  of  cordage  was  compelled  to  take  advantage  of  the 
improved  facilities  for  manufacture  and  supply  their  factories  with  his  machines.  So 
largely  have  his  patents  been  adopted,  that  it  is  believed  that  no  more  than  about  ten 
tons  of  cordage  are  annually  made  in  the  United  States,  which  do  not  at  some  stage  of 
the  manufacture  pass  through  one  or  more  of  his  machines.  Orders  have  also  been 
received  from  abroad.  In  the  United  States,  he  has  sold  his  machines  outright,  abroad 
upon  a  royalty.  His  factory  in  Brooklyn  has  been  developed  to  large  proportions, 
and  gives  employment  to  hundreds  of  skilled  machinists.  In  1885,  he  gave  a  public 
exhibition  in  Brooklyn  of  his  complete  process,  and  the  occasion  was  deemed  so 
important  that  it  was  attended  by  the  principal  rope  makers  both  of  the  United  States 
and  Great  Britain. 

Mr.  Good  then  resolved  to  engage  in  rope  making  himself,  and  in  1886  he  built  a 
large  factory  on  Vernon  avenue  in  Ravenswood,  a  suburb  of  Brooklyn.  The  plant 
included  a  large  frame  warehouse  and  wharves  on  the  river  front.  Manufacture  was 
begun  in  1887,  with  a  large  force  of  operatives  and  a  capacity  equal  to  one-third  of  the 
total  cordage  production  of  the  country. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  263 

When,  in  1887,  the  Cordage  Trust  was  organized  under  the  name  of  the  National 
Cordage  Association,  Mr.  Good  at  first  entered  that  combination.  The  Trust  manu- 
facturers dreaded  his  competition  so  greatly  that  they  were  willing  to  pay  him  $200,000 
a  year  to  close  both  of  his  factories,  and  they  offered  him  $7,000,000  for  his  entire  plant 
and  good  will.  They  were  unable  to  obtain  the  amount  of  the  purchase  money,  how- 
ever, and  finally  the  whole  arrangement  proved  unsatisfactory  to  Mr.  Good.  He  had 
been  asked  to  build  a  binding  twine  plant  for  the  penitentiary  in  Minnesota,  and  the 
Trust  had  refused  to  allow  him  to  do  so.  In  1892,  he  withdrew  from  the  combination, 
and  resumed  operations  entirely  independent  of  the  Trust.  He  now  manufactures,  on 
an  extended  scale,  and  besides  the  establishment  at  Ravenswood,  operates  a  large 
cordage  factory  at  Millwall,  near  London,  and  another  at  Great  Grimsby.  He  has  in 
contemplation  the  building  of  works  in  France,  Germany  and  Italy. 

Mr.  Good  is  the  inventor  of  the  machinery  now  in  general  use  for  the  making  of 
binding  twine,  and  the  reduction  in  price  of  that  commodity  in  recent  years  is  largely 
the  result  of  his  improved  processes. 

On  account  of  his  large  charities,  and  his  services  to  humanity  in  lightening  the 
burdens  of  the  working  classes,  Mr.  Good  was  honored  by  the  Pope  of  Rome,  in  1887, 
with  the  title  of  a  "  Count  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire."  At  the  time  of  his  jubilee, 
the  Pope  resolved  to  honor  a  number  of  prominent  men  of  that  church  in  the  various 
countries  of  the  world,  who  had  contributed  to  human  advancement.  Mr.  Good  was 
the  only  American  selected  for  the  distinction  of  being  made  a  Count.  The  honor 
came  unsought,  and  was  a  great  surprise.  The  formal  announcement  was  publicly 
presented  to  Mr.  Good  in  Brooklyn,  April  19,  1888,  in  the  presence  of  an  immense 
assemblage. 

Count  Good  is  a  man  of  large  and  fine  physique,  erect  carriage,  and  courteous 
address.  He  has  the  firmness  and  conciseness  of  speech  of  a  capable  business  man. 
He  is  unassuming  in  dress.  His  hair  and  moustache  are  nearly  white  and  frame  a 
face  rosy  with  the  glow  of  perfect  health. 

BRENT  GOOD,  manufacturer,  born  in  Rochester,  N.Y.,  in  1837,  was  taken  with  the 
family  to  Canada  when  two  years  old,  and  grew  up  on  the  stoniest  farm  in  Canada  at 
the  Bay  of  Quinte.  Leaving  country  school  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  world  of  affairs, 
he  served  an  apprenticeship  in  the  drug  trade,  in  Belleville,  Ont.,  where  he  gained  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  profession.  In  1856,  he  came  to  New  York  city,  with 
exactly  $8. 40  as  his  entire  capital,  and  here  found  employment  with  Demas  Barnes 
&  Co. ,  who  ranked  among  the  largest  merchants  of  proprietary  medicines  in  the  world. 
He  rose  rapidly,  became  a  successful  salesman,  was  made  a  partner  in  1863,  and 
retired  in  1869  when  the  business  was  sold  to  John  F.  Henry  &  Co.  As  Good,  Root 
&  Co.,  he  then  imported  wines  until  1878.  In  1879,  Mr.  Good  became  interested  in 
the  manufacture  of  the  Little  Liver  Pills  of  Dr.  Carter  of  Erie,  Pa.  The  author  of  the 
formula,  upon  which  this  medicine  is  made,  had  fallen  into  debt  and  was  transacting 
a  small  business  only,  not  over  $10,000  a  year.  Mr.  Good  saw  the  merit  of  these  pills, 
bought  the  right  to  manufacture  them,  organized  The  Carter  Medicine  Co. ,  and  threw 
his  entire  energy  into  making  and  selling  his  remedy.  His  success  has  been  phenomenal 
and  is  due  to  the  spirit  and  ingenuity  with  which  Mr.  Good  has  advertised  the  medi- 
cine and  pushed  its  sale.  He  has  covered  the  barns,  fences  and  rocks  of  the  whole 
country  with  his  advertisements,  and  has  not  only  created  a  large  domestic  sale,  but 


264  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

pushed  his  trade  virtually  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  by  unceasing  enterprise. 
He  is  president  of  The  Carter  Medicine  Co.  A  few  years  ago,  Mr.  Good  invaded 
England  and  made  contracts  with  owners  of  unimproved  property  in  the  suburbs  of 
London  for  the  exclusive  privilege  of  erecting  sign  boards.  The  staid  inhabitants 
were  startled  one  week  by  an  eruption  of  signs  of  Carter's  Little  Liver  Pills.  Lord 
Rosebery  aided  Mr.  Good  to  introduce  his  remedy  to  the  English  public  by  bringing 
a  bill  into  Parliament  to  restrain  Mr  Good  from  "disfiguring  the  suburban  scenery." 
The  incident  filled  the  newspapers  with  comments,  gave  a  great  impetus  to  sales,  and 
enabled  the  pushing  American  to  recover  through  the  natural  channels  of  trade,  a  part 
ol  the  $500,000  he  had  spent  in  England  in  advertising.  Mr.  Good  has  shared  in 
numerous  business  enterprises  in  town,  among  them  The  Writing  Telegraph  Co.,  of 
which  he  was  president  long  enough  to  sell  his  interest  to  excellent  advantage.  In  the 
building  occupied  by  The  North  River  Bank,  which  failed  in  1890,  he  established  The 
Franklin  National  Bank,  a  sound  institution,  of  which  he  is  a  director.  He  owns  and 
manages  The  Lyceum  Theatre,  is  president  of  The  Sunbury  Wall  Decoration  Co.,  is  a 
Mason  and  Knight  Templar,  a  yachtsman,  and  a  member  of  the  New  York  Athletic 
Lotus,  Manhattan,  New  York  Yacht,  Hardware  and  Wa-Wa-Yonda  clubs,  and  the  St. 
James  club  of  Montreal.  His  wife  is  a  daughter  of  Henry  I.  Hoyt  of  Norwalk,  Conn., 
and  his  children  are  Henry  Hoyt  and  Kate  Hamilton  Good. 

GEORGE  PHINEAS  GORDON,  manufacturer,  born  in  Salem,  N.  H.,  April  21, 
1810,  died  in  Norfolk,  Va.,  Jan.  27,  1878.  His  father,  Phineas  Gordon,  was  a  mer- 
chant in  Boston,  the  family  being  descended  from  Alexander  Gordon,  (brother  of  Lord 
George  Gordon),  who  emigrated  from  Scotland  in  1697  and  settled  in  New  Hampshire. 
Educated  in  Boston,  George  learned  the  printing  trade,  and  in  1850  started  a  printing 
office  of  his  own  in  Nassau  street  in  this  city.  His  fame  arose  from  his  invention  of 
the  Gordon  job  press,  a  machine  for  the  printing  of  circulars,  letter  heads,  and  other 
small  work.  The  Gordon  Press  Works,  having  a  factory  at  Rahway,  N.  J.,  of  which 
he  was  proprietor,  produced  an  immense  number  of  these  machines,  which  found  their 
way  into  nearly  every  job  office  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Gordon  was  a  man  of  great 
ability,  and  while  numberless  changes  in  the  Gordon  model  have  been  made  by  rival 
manufacturers,  who  have  striven  to  compete  with  the  Gordon  press,  it  is  nevertheless 
true  that  the  latter  remains  practically  the  model  and  standard  for  the  ideal  small 
printing  press  of  the  present  day.  In  1846,  Mr.  Gordon  married  Sarah  E.  Cornish, 
who  died,  and  in  1857,  he  married  Eleonora  May.  He  had  one  son,  George  Byron 
Gordon,  and  one  daughter,  Mary  Agnes  Gordon,  both  children  of  the  first  wife. 

GUSTAV  HENRY  GOSSLER,  merchant,  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  March 
18,  1842,  is  a  son  of  Ernst  Gossler,  by  occupation  a  lawyer  and  president  of  the  law 
court.  Gustav  was  educated  in  his  native  city,  and,  after  pursuing  his  mercantile 
studies  in  Germany,  England,  France,  Spain  and  Portugal,  he  moved  to  this  country  in 
1863,  and  began  life  as  a  merchant.  In  1868,  he  became  connected  as  a  partner  with 
the  firm  of  L.  E.  Amsinck  &  Co.,  commission  merchants  and  bankers,  who  were  suc- 
ceeded by  G.  Amsinck  &  Co  ,  in  1874.  This  house  is  now  widely  known  and  highly 
esteemed,  and  has  extensive  connections  in  South  America  and  Europe.  Mr.  Gossler 
is  a  good  merchant  and  a  successful  man,  and  has  been  Vice  Consul  in  New  York  for  the 
republic  of  Brazil  since  1874.  In  1869,  he  was  married  to  Mathilda,  daughter  of  Theo- 
dore Durrien,  and  their  children  are  named  J.  E.  Mathilde,  Anna  S.,  and  Olga  Louise. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  265 

Mr.  Gossler's  social  interests  in  the  city  are  many.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union, 
Vaudeville  and  Down  Town  clubs,  and  has  the  public  spirit  to  help  maintain  the  great 
public  museums  of  the  city  and  other  institutions. 

JAY  GOULD,  financier,  gained  during  his  remarkable  life  a  fortune,  unique  in  that 
it  was  one  of  the  largest  ever  acquired  by  a  single  individual  in  the  United  States  by  his 
own  exertions.  It  owed  no  part  of  its  origin  to  inheritance.  Engaged  in  many  specu- 
lative operations,  Mr.  Gould  was  probably  not  a  gainer,  to  any  great  extent,  by  these 
labors.  The  bulk  of  his  wealth  came  mainly  from  the  leaps  in  value  of  many  of  the 
securities,  which  he  owned  in  later  life,  consequent  upon  the  higher  appreciation  placed 
upon  them,  after  they  had  come  under  his  management.  >  The  story  of  his  life,  deeply 
interesting,  affords  encouragement  to  every  man,  who  possesses  patience,  persever- 
ance, coolness  and  acumen,  his  power  of  persuasion,  analysis  and  foresight,  and  his 
undoubted  executive  capacity  and  talent  for  combinations. 

Mr.  Gould  was  slender  in  build,  and  not  above  medium  height,  but  his  face  was  a 
striking  one.  Eyes,  hair,  full  moustache  and  beard  were  dark  and  handsome,  and  his 
expression,  while  kindly  and  pleasing,  was  firm,  intellectual  and  penetrating.  His 
purity  in  private  life,  his  generosity,  and  his  fidelity  to  friends,  were  proverbial.  He 
won  the  enthusiastic  devotion  of  many  prominent  men  of  sound  judgment  and  great 
probity,  and  his  death  removed  from  Wall  street  a  figure  which  had  impressed  itself 
ineffaceably  upon  the  financial  history  of  the  United  States. 

It  was  his  lot  to  have  less  said  in  his  praise  than  any  other  successful  financier  of 
this  generation.  Many  of  the  charges  were  absolutely  unjust.  His  silence,  a  remarka- 
ble trait,  sometimes  sprang  from  pride,  which  prevented  him  from  combating  a  mis- 
representation when  he  was  the  only  sufferer,  while  at  other  times  it  grew  out  of  a 
shrewd  knowledge  that  success  would  be  furthered  by  concealing  his  plans.  Mr. 
Gould's  answers  to  many  accusations,  given  years  after  their  utterance,  were  drawn  out 
only  upon  the  witness  stand,  coming  then  too  late  to  change  an  opinion  widely  enter- 
tained. He  sometimes  suffered  on  account  of  the  transgressions  of  others,  but  always 
possessed  the  belief  that,  in  time,  justice  would  be  done  to  him  by  a  fair  minded  public. 
This  confidence  has  been  justified  since  his  death,  by  a  generous  judgment  of  his 
achievements  and  cordial  tributes  to  his  memory. 

Mr.  Gould  was  a  descendant  of  two  notable  families  of  New  England.  Major 
Nathan  Gold,  the  pioneer,  was  a  man  of  great  force  of  character,  who  came  from 
St.  Edmondsbury,  England,  to  Fairfield,  Conn  ,  about  1646.  His  son,  Nathan  Gauld,  jr., 
rose  from  town  clerk  of  Fairfield  to  become  Deputy  Governor  in  1 706  and  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  in  1724.  Several  of  the  family  were  soldiers  in  the 
American  Revolution.  The  wife  of  Col.  Abraham  Gold,  Jay  Gould's  great  grand- 
father, was  Elizabeth  Burr,  whose  ancestor  was  John  Burr,  an  emigrant  to  America  in 
1630  with  Governor  Winthrop,  and  one  of  the  eight  founders  of  Springfield,  Mass. 
The  Burrs  included  many  soldiers,  judges,  and  public  officials  of  good  repute.  Col. 
Abraham  Gold,  the  first  of  his  line  to  spell  his  name  Gould,  was  killed  at  the  head  of 
his  regiment,  the  5th  Connecticut,  at  Ridgefield,  Conn.,  while  repelling  the  British  raid 
on  Danbury;  and  his  sword,  stainedwith  British  blood,  is  to  this  day  in  the  possession  of 
Abraham  Gould  Jennings,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  one  of  his  descendants.  Capt.  Abra- 
ham Gould,  his  son.  "a  grim,  earnest,  honest  man,"  settled  in  1780  in  Roxbury,  N.  Y. 
John  Burr  Gould,  his  son,  the  first  male  white  child  born  in  Roxbury,  was  a  man  of 


266  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

sturdy  character,  and  showed  his  fibre  in  1844  by  resistance  to  the  fanatics  of  the  anti- 
rent  agitation.  While  defending  his  home  against  the  anti-renters,  he  found  an  enthu- 
siastic supporter  in  his  boy,  Jay.  A  well  read  man,  noted  for  public  spirit,  he  helped 
to  found  schools  and  advance  the  interest  of  the  community.  He  married  Mary  More, 
the  grand-daughter  of  John  More,  a  sturdy  Scot,  who  had  come  from  Ayrshire,  in 
1772.  From  his  excellent  mother,  Jay  Gould  inherited  that  religious  instinct,  which 
kept  alive,  in  his  later  years  of  battle  with  the  world,  the  gentleness  of  manner  and  the 
generosity  of  dealing  which  repeatedly  characterized  him  when  he  bargained  with  other 
men  over  millions  of  dollars  worth  of  property. 

Jay  Gould,  known  in  childhood  as  Jason  Gould,  was  born  at  the  homestead  in  Rox- 
bury,  May  27,  1836.  He  was  educated  at 'the  district  school  and  Beechwood  and  Hobart 
seminaries,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  learned  Latin  and  Greek  in  a  school  in  Albany. 
Application,  acute  perception  and  a  retentive  memory  characterized  him  as  a  student. 
He  was  genial  and  fond  of  fun  and  open  air  sports  but  not  of  rude  games. 

Not  fitted  for  farm  work,  Mr.  Gould  longed  for  a  business  career.  To  gratify  this 
aspiration,  his  father  exchanged  the  farm  for  a  hardware  store  in  Roxbury,  and  here 
the  young  man  received  his  first  business  training.  He  began  as  a  clerk,  was  a  partner 
at  fifteen,  and  became  chief  manager  of  the  business.  During  this  time,  he  learned  sur- 
veying. Studying  his  books  from  3  to  6  A.  M  ,  and  practicing  with  the  instruments  of 
Squire  Burhans,  a  prominent  resident,  the  young  man  became  a  competent  surveyor. 

His  first  professional  work,  begun  in  April,  1852,  was  the  survey  and  mapping  of 
Ulster  county,  N.  Y.  He  was  employed  at  this  task  upon  a  salary  first  of  $20,  then  of 
$30,  a  month.  At  the  outset,  he  was  an  assistant  in  the  venture.  His  partner  failed 
before  the  survey  was  completed,  and  two  other  young  surveyors  being  admitted  to 
partnership,  Mr.  Gould  sold  his  interest  to  them  for  $500. 

For  several  years,  Mr.  Gould  hoped  to  realize  enough  from  his  ventures  to  carry 
him  through  Yale  College.  This  dream  was  never  realized. 

The  young  civil  engineer  then  surveyed  and  mapped,  1853-56,  the  counties  of 
Albany,  Delaware  and  Sullivan,  and  the  town  of  Cohoes.  He  also  had  charge  of  the 
mapping  of  counties  in  Ohio  and  Michigan,  and  the  survey  of  a  railroad  from  Newburg 
to  Syracuse  and  of  The  Albany  and  Niskayuna  plank  road.  Some  of  the  contracts  were 
transferred  to  a  surveyor  in  Philadelphia  before  completion  and  netted  Mr.  Gould  a 
profit  of  more  than  $5,000.  The  building  of  the  Niskayuna  plank  road  by  him  in  three 
days  and  a  half  was  a  remarkable  achievement.  This  road  yet  exists  and  has  always 
been  of  great  service  to  the  town,  even  to  those  who  originally  opposed  it.  The  enter- 
prise revealed  his  characteristic  traits.  He  had  prepared  to  make  the  survey  with  the 
common  level.  "Imagine  my  surprise,"  he  wrote  to  a  friend,  "when  one  of  the  direc- 
tors came  bringing  up  a  monstrous  theodolite  with  its  complication  of  screws  and  what 
not,  the  identical  one  that  served  an  apprenticeship  on  the  Hudson  River  Railroad,  and, 
for  its  valuable  services  there,  was  afterward  promoted  to  generalship  on  the  Northern 
Railroad.  I  could  not  for  a  good  while  even  unloosen  the  needle,  much  less  adjust  the 
instrument.  I  was  completely  knocked  in  the  head."  But  he  kept  his  own  counsel. 
Fortunately,  the  snow  turned  to  rain,  when  the  men  were  ready  to  begin,  and  during 
two  stormy  days  Mr.  Gould  mastered  the  instrument.  Confronted  with  other  unexpected 
problems,  he  met  them  all  victoriously  by  study  in  the  State  library  and  otherwise, 
without  betraying  how  they  had  disconcerted  him. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  267 

While  engaged  in  field  work  in  Delaware  county,  Mr.  Gould  gathered  the  material 
for  his  famous  history  of  the  county.  He  wrote  the  work  with  great  care,  toiling  over 
its  pages  when  he  should  have  been  asleep,  resting  four  or  five  hours  a  day  only.  When 
completed,  it  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  be  printed.  In  April,  1856,  the  young  author 
learned  that  his  manuscript  had  been  burned.  The  tenacity  of  purpose  which  he  revealed 
so  remarkably  in  later  life,  served  him  then  in  good  stead.  He  rewrote  the  book.  A 
few  proof  sheets  had  been  saved,  and  parts  of  the  history  had  been  printed  in  The 
Bloomfield  Mirror.  The  greater  part  he  rewrote  from  memory.  He  devoted  himself 
to  this  task  by  night  and  day,  and  saw  the  book  of  400  pages  triumphantly  issued  in  Sep- 
tember, 1856.  This  history,  written  ingenuously,  was.  a  remarkable  production'for  a 
young  man  of  twenty.  The  story  that  he  afterward  sought  to  buy  the  copies,  which 
had  been  sold,  and  withdraw  them,  because  the  printer  had  spelled  his  name  "Gold," 
is  untrue.  Copies  of  the  book,  now  in  existence,  show  the  name  spelled  "Gould." 

Mr.  Gould  now  plunged  into  a  larger  enterprise.  In  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  he 
founded  the  town  of  Gouldsboro'  and  established  a  tannery  in  partnership  with  Zadoc 
Pratt.  Fifteen  miles  from  any  settlement,  he  felled  the  first  tree  with  his  own  hands, 
sawed  it  into  boards  with  a  portable  saw  mill,  built  a  blacksmith  shop  before  sunset, 
and  slept  in  the  improvised  cabin  the  first  night.  Of  the  tannery,  Mr.  Gould  proved  an 
enterprising  and  successful  manager.  He  constructed  a  plank  road,  organized  a  stage 
route  and  two  churches,  built  a  school  house,  created  a  bank  of  which  he  was  a  director, 
and  became  postmaster  of  the  place.  The  settlers  became  his  ardent  friends. 

Mr.  Gould  soon  bought  Mr.  Pratt's  interest  and  formed  the  partnership  of  Jay 
Gould  &  Co.,  with  Charles  M.  Leupp  and  D.  Williamson  Lee,  of  New  York.  The  tan- 
nery transacted  a  large  business  and  stimulated  other  local  industries.  Oct.  5,  1859, 
Mr.  Leupp  committed  suicide  in  New  York,  having  for  years  been  gradual!}'  losing  his 
mind.  His  brother  in  law,  Mr.  Lee,  thereupon,  as  representative  of  a  two-thirds  inter- 
est, conceived  the  plan  of  forcing  Mr.  Gould  out  of  the  concern.  He  evaded  a  settle- 
ment, asked  Mr.  Gould  to  meet  him  in  New  York,  Feb.  29,  1860,  and,  without  waiting 
for  him,  hastened  to  Gouldsboro'.  Taking  possession  of  the  tannery,  he  threw  out  the 
superintendent  with  bodily  violence,  barricaded  the  works,  and  garrisoned  them  with 
about  thirty-five  armed  men.  When  Mr.  Gould  learned  the  situation,  he  sought  advice, 
ascertained  his  rights,  and  repaired  to  the  tannery.  Entirely  without  his  solicitation, 
about  250  residents  gathered  to  support  him.  Being  refused  admission  to  the  tannery, 
he  led,  unarmed,  a  squad  of  twenty-five  men  to  the  front  door,  while  a  second  squad 
attacked  the  rear.  He  was  twice  repulsed,  but  the  works  were  stormed  on  the  third 
attempt,  the  garrison  fleeing  in  all  directions.  The  only  persons  wounded  were  several 
of  the  garrison,  who  were  shot  by  their  own  mates.  Mr.  Lee  then  began  legal  pro- 
ceedings, but  was  completely  defeated,  and  sought  refuge,  as  many  another  assailant 
did  in  later  years,  in  abusing  Mr.  Gould.  Mr.  Gould  finally  sold  his  interest  in  the  tan- 
nery and  the  mammoth  buildings  then  fell  into  decay  and  ruin. 

Just  before  the  Civil  War,  the  attention  of  Mr.  Gould  was  drawn  to  railroads.  He 
had  thought  much  on  the  subject  from  boyhood.  In  1860,  the  young  financier  met 
Daniel  S.  Miller,  a  great  grocer  of  New  York  city,  who  feared  failure  through  being 
a  trustee  of  the  second  mortgage  bonds  of  The  Rutland  &  Washington  Railway  Co., 
believing  that  the  first  mortgage  bonds  had  been  cancelled.  Mr.  Gould  offered  to 
assist  him,  and  succeeded  in  buying  up  the  bonds  for  10  cents  on  the  dollar,  they  being 


268  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

considered  worthless.  He  afterward  became  president,  treasurer  and  superintendent 
of  this  road  and  obtained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  railroading.  The  young  surveyor 
carefully  inspected  every  mile  of  track  in  person,  examined  all  the  bridges,  grades  and 
crossings,  and  estimated  the  resources  of  the  country  tributary  to  this  road.  He  then 
began  judicious  repairs,  developed  the  local  traffic,  and,  by  consolidation  with  other 
roads  retrieved  the  fortunes  of  the  companies.  The  rise  in  value  of  the  shares  of  these 
roads,  by  his  own  operations,  opened  Mr.  Gould's  eyes  to  the  possibilities  of  railroad 
management.  This  also  gave  him  capital  of  his  own  for  greater  operations. 

He  then  entered  the  stock  brokerage  firm  of  Smith,  Gould  &  Martin  in  New  York 
city.  *  One  step  leads  to  a  longer  one  in  the  progress  of  a  successful  man.  The  sur- 
veyor had  become  a  railroad  manager;  the  manager  was  now  a  dealer  in  railroad 
shares.  Mr.  Gould's  Wall  street  career  made  him  profoundly  versed  in  the  value  of 
railroad  properties;  and  led  to  his  buying  shares  in  bankrupt  roads  and  engaging,  like 
others  of  the  strongest  capitalists  of  that  day,  in  bold  operations  at  the  Stock  Exchange. 

In  speculation,  Mr.  Gould's  genius  for  combination,  his  brilliant  strategy,  and 
untiring  tenacity  of  purpose,  blazed  forth  with  great  power.  He  was  often  a  heavy 
loser,  yet,  in  several  ventures  he  met  with  notable  success.  At  times,  he  was  the 
largest, borrower  in  the  United  States,  perhaps  in  the  world.  In  obtaining  the  loans  he 
required,  he  was  aided  by  a  trait,  early  displayed  and  characteristic  of  his  whole  life. 
He  never  broke  his  promise,  but  always  kept  his  word. 

It  is  not  practicable  here  to  describe  in  detail  all  of  the  operations  in  which  Mr. 
Gould  was  engaged.  Only  a  few  of  the  more  striking  need  be  referred  to. 

While  gold  was  at  a  premium,  Mr.  Gould  bought  and  sold  this  metal  for" a  profit, 
in  common  with  other  operators,  sometimes,  though  not  always,  with  success.  In 
August,  1869,  a  daring  speculation  was  set  on  foot  by  a  syndicate,  controlled  by  Mr. 
Gould,  in  which  James  Fisk,  jr.,  was  a  partner,  which  sought  to  "corner"  the  gold 
market.  All  the  gold  which  could  be  had  was  bought,  the  price  rising  slowly  from 
about  138  in  August,  to  140,  then  to  150,  and  finally,  Sept.  24,  1869,  to  162  The 
government  having  resolved  to  sell  gold,  Mr.  Gould  also  began  to  sell,  although  giving 
orders  not  to  sell  to  Mr.  Fisk's  brokers.  The  price  fell  to  134,  and  brought  on  the 
catastrophe  of  "Black  Friday,"  Sept.  24,  1869.  Mr.  Gould  lost  $4,000,000,  and  was 
for  some  time  charged  with  precipitating  the  panic.  Men  of  position  like  Alonzo  B. 
Cornell  and  others,  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  story,  acquit  Mr.  Gould  of  respon- 
sibility for  "Black  Friday."  They  place  it  upon  Mr.  Fisk.  Mr.  Fisk  repudiated  his 
contracts.  Mr.  Gould  did  not. 

Mr.  Gould  became  interested  in  The  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  when  it  was  a 
bankrupt  property.  He  bought  about  500  shares,  because  he  believed  in  the  merits 
of  the  road.  His  confidence  in  the  future  of  Erie  led  to  his  election  as  a  director 
and  afterward  as  president.  During  his  management,  he  was  forced  into  a  struggle 
with  Commodore  Vanderbilt  and  Daniel  Drew  for  the  control  of  the  road,  but  was 
able,  by  various  adroit  moves,  all  of  them  legal,  but  for  some  of  which  he  was 
criticised  by  opponents,  to  retain  the  management  for  years.  He  built  up  the  Erie  Rail- 
road by  exactly  the  same  legitimate  methods  as  those  employed  in  Vermont,  and  made 
the  Erie  a  great  commercial  highway  and  a  paying  investment.  Circumstances  asso- 
ciated James  Fisk,  jr.,  with  Mr.  Gould  in  this  enterprise.  He  had  been  buying  shares 
and  was  elected  a  director  at  the  same  time  as  Mr.  Gould.  Mr.  Fisk  was  reckless  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  269 

unscrupulous  in  methods,  fond  of  extravagant  display,  and  defiant  of  public  opinion. 
He  undoubtedly  did  more  to  influence  the  young  men  of  his  day  to  evil  courses,  than 
any  other  human  being  in  the  field  of  American  finance.  Mr.  Gould  strove  to  restrain 
Mr.  Fisk.  Nevertheless,  they  were  associated  in  the  public  mind  and  Mr.  Gould 
incurred  blame  for  acts  for  which  Mr.  Fisk  alone  was  responsible. 

In  November,  1872,  proceedings  were  brought  against  Mr.  Gould  for  the  recovery 
of  Erie  property,  which,  it  was  declared,  he  had  improperly  retained.  The  manage- 
ment having  been  changed  by  the  vote  of  the  foreign  stockholders,  as  soon  as  his 
successor  was  elected,  Mr.  Gould  turned  over  to  him  these  securities,  none  of  which 
had  any  market  value  and  all  of  which  had  been  held  by  his  predecessor  as  president. 
Documents  were  given  him,  exonerating  him  from  all  the  charges  previously  made. 

At  various  times,  a  number  of  combinations  were  made  against  Mr.  Gould  in  Wall 
street.  To  "  corner  "  him  was  a  favorite  attempt,  but  always  exciting  and  dangerous. 
He  was  usually  a  match  for  antagonists.  Nevertheless,  in  the  panic  of  1873,  he  is  said 
to  have  lost  a  larger  sum  than  any  other  capitalist  of  that  time. 

In  The  Cleveland  &  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  Mr.  Gould  showed  constructive  abilities 
of  high  order.  Having  bought  about  25,000  shares  of  its  stock  at  about  $65  and  $70 
a  share  to  oblige  a  friend,  he  reorganized  the  road,  developed  its  traffic  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  while  he  was  its  manager  it  never  passed  a  dividend,  brought  the  stock  up  to 
$120  a  share,  and  leased  the  road  successfully  to  The  Pennsylvania  Railroad.  He  was 
a  large  gainer  by  this  proceeding. 

As  a  railroad  manager,  Mr.  Gould  was  identified  most  prominently  with  The 
Union  Pacific,  The  Texas  &  Pacific,  The  Wabash,  and  The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroads-. 
He  took  charge  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  when  it  was  a  discredited  enterprise. 
Beginning  in  1873,  he  bought  a  large  amount  of  its  stock  when  the  price  ranged  be- 
tween $15  and  $30  a  share.  In  February,  1879,  he  was  the  owner  of  190,000  shares. 
On  the  1 7th  of  that  month,  he  sold  100,000  shares  for  §7,000,000,  his  profit  being  about 
$4,000,000.  He  built  up  the  road  by  attention  to  its  requirements,  securing  proper 
connections  to  the  eastward,  and  by  consolidation,  until  it  paid  large  dividends. 

The  same  constructive  ability  was  shown  in  his  management  of  the  other  great 
lines  named  above.  Intelligent,  far  seeing,  and  straight  forward,  he  created  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  railroad  systems  of  the  world.  The  controlling  interest  in  The  Texas 
&  Pacific,  he  bought  from  Thomas  A.  Scott,  for  $2,400,000.  The  Missouri  Pacific, 
which  he  bought  from  Commodore  Garrison,  is  a  living  testimony  to  his  skill  of  com- 
bination. The  main  line  of  287  miles  from  St.  Louis  to  Kansas  City  has  been  made  the 
principal  factor  in  a  system  of  about  10,000  miles  of  road,  extending  in  one  direction  to 
Omaha,  El  Paso,  Laredo  and  Galveston,  and  to  Chicago,  Toledo  and  Detroit  in  the  other. 

Mr.  Gould  was,  at  times,  the  president  of  his  various  roads,  but  the  care  was  too 
great  for  one  man,  and  while  retaining  control  and  direction,  he  finally  placed  able 
managers  in  charge  of  many  of  them,  in  order  to  relieve  himself  from  the  details  of 
management.  An  excellent  judge  of  character,  he  seldom  made  an  unfortunate  selec- 
tion. In  the  general  direction  of  these  great  systems,  he  repeatedly  showed  his  good 
faith,  when  once  pledged  to  a  definite  policy  or  when  his  word  had  once  been  given. 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  watching  business  closely,  especially  in  a  crisis,  not  only  for 
his  own  sake  but  for  that  of  stockholders,  in  order  to  prevent  a  failure. 

An  interesting  incident  was  a  step,  by  which  he  averted  a  panic  in   1882.     The 


270  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

rumor  had  gone  forth  that  he  was  financially  embarrassed.  To  avert  a  crisis,  he  invited 
several  of  the  strongest  financiers  of  that  day  into  his  office,  including  Cyrus  W.  Field 
and  Russell  Sage,  and  laid  before  them  the  contents  of  his  safe,  displaying  to  their  as- 
tonished gaze  $53,000,000  in  the  best  securities.  This  put  an  end  to  the  crisis. 

Mr.  Gould  having  finally  attained  an  impregnable  financial  position,  withdrew 
gradually  from  Wall  street  to  devote  his  attention  to  a  few  great  properties. 

In  the  development  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  he  showed  both  organ- 
izing power  and  tenacity  of  purpose.  In  1875,  he  came  into  control  of  The  Atlantic  & 
Pacific  Telegraph  Co.,  whose  lines  were  in  bad  condition,  the  expenses  outrunning  the 
revenue.  Thomas  T.  Eckert  was  invited  to  the  presidency  and  the  two  men  entered 
upon  a  carefully  aggressive  policy.  After  a  laborious  and  anxious  commercial  fight, 
Mr.  Gould,  with  great  financial  skill,  consolidated  his  concern  with  The  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Co. ,  making  it  a  special  condition  that  Gen.  Eckert  should  become  general 
manager  of  the  united  companies.  His  disappointment  was  great  when  the  fulfilment 
of  the  promise  was  evaded.  In  a  letter  recently  written,  Gen.  Eckert  narrates  what 
followed :  "It  was  necessary  for  me  to  decide  upon  other  plans  for  myself.  I  accord- 
ingly, after  mature  deliberation,  determined  to  construct  a  telegraph  line  between  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  and  Washington,  D.  C. ,  via  New  York,  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  and  to 
make  it  the  nucleus  of  a  yet  larger  system  of  wires  designed  exclusively  for  leasing  to 
firms  and  individuals  for  commercial  uses.  When  I  had  worked  out  this  scheme  in  my 
mind,  I  laid  it  before  Mr.  Gould.  He  listened  to  me  patiently,  and  then,  in  half  quizzi- 
cal way,  asked  if  I  did  not  wish  to  have  a  partner.  I  was  so  absorbed  in  my  ideas 
that  I  did  not  notice  the  smile  with  which  he  put  the  question;  and  I  blandly  answered 
him  "No."  He  quietly  disregarded  me  and  began  to  write  a  check  for  one  million 
dollars,  which  he  said  he  thought  I  might  find  very  useful  to  my  credit.  Out  of  this 
circumstance  grew  the  incorporation  of  The  American  Union  Telegraph  Co.  and  I 
became  its  president."  With  The  American  Union,  Mr.  Gould  menaced  the  older 
company,  displaced  its  lines  from  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  The  Union  Pacific,  and  other 
railroads,  and  reduced  the  value  of  Western  Union  stock  from  $116  to  $88  a  share. 
This  vigorous  campaign  brought  about  the  consolidation  of  The  American  Union  with 
The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  in  1881,  and  its  preponderance  in  the  ownership  of 
the  largest  telegraphic  system  which  has  ever  come  into  existence.  Mr.  Gould  became 
a  director.  His  holdings  of  Western  Union  stock  were  then  $30,000,000.  He  reduced 
them  afterwards  to  about  $20,000,000.  In  1883,  he  had  absorbed  The  Mutual  Union 
Telegraph  Co.,  and  four  years  later  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio.  This  made  him  con- 
troller of  the  telegraphic  system  of  the  United  States,  and  he  was  the  entire  master  of 
of  the  field  until  John  W.  Mackay  and  James  Gordon  Bennett  appeared  with  their  rival 
line.  Mr.  Gould  aimed  to  make  his  company  the  only  one  in  America.  In  this  he  did 
not  succeed  entirely,  but  he  created  a  great  system,  with  ocean  cables  to  Europe,  the 
West  Indies  and  South  America. 

A  majority  interest  in  the  elevated  railroad  system  of  New  York  city  was  a  posses- 
sion forced  upon  Mr.  Gould  for  the  rescue  of  his  friend,  Cyrus  W.  Field,  from  embar- 
rassment. Mr.  Gould  had  purchased  largely  of  the  stock  of  these  roads.  Mr.  Field, 
also  a  large  stockholder,  entered,  in  1886,  upon  a  speculation  to  advance  the  price  of 
Manhattan  shares  to  $200  or  $300,  that  being  the  value  of  the  shares  of  the  surface 
street  car  lines.  Through  his  operations,  Manhattan  rose  to  $175  a  share.  He  bought 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GO.  .      271 

largely  as  the  price  advanced,  securing  the  money  for  new  purchases  by  pledging  his 
holdings  as  collateral.  Mr.  Gould  warned  Mr.  Field  more  than  once  against  the  risk 
of  overloading,  but  the  latter  continued  to  buy.  At  length,  Mr.  Field  found  himself 
carrying  88,000  shares  of  Manhattan  stock,  worth  at  par  $8,800,000,  which  had  risen  in 
nominal  value  to  $15,000,000.  The  price  then  suddenly  fell.  If  Mr.  Field  had  been 
compelled  to  sell,  a  panic  would  have  ensued  with  a  complete  extinction  of  Mr.  Field's 
fortune.  In  this  emergency,  he  appealed  to  Mr.  Gould  for  aid,  through  John  T.  Terry, 
a  mutual  friend.  Mr.  Gould  first  loaned  to  Mr.  Field  $1,000,000,  in  bonds,  without 
security.  He  then  bought  from  him  78,000  shares,  at  $120  a  share,  paying  $9,360,000 
therefor,  and  later,  loaned  him  $300,000  in  cash.  Mr.  Gould  did  this  at  inconvenience 
to  himself,  while  suffering  severely  from  neuralgia,  and  saw  his  purchase  drop  $3,75°,- 
ooo  in  value  in  a  few  days.  Yet  this  act  of  unbounded  generosity  was  performed  to 
oblige  a  friend.  The  stock  fell  at  one  time  to  $77. 

Mr.  Gould's  wife  was  Helen  Day,  the  daughter  of  Daniel  S.  Miller.  She  was  the 
descendant  of  an  English  family,  which  had  settled  on  Long  Island,  at  Easthampton, 
in  colonial  days.  A  company  of  nearly  fifty  people  were  present  at  Mr.  Gould's  mar- 
riage, and  four  hundred  or  more  attended  the  reception  which  followed.  This  was  a 
happy  union.  Mr.  Gould's  home  life  was  a  beautiful  one.  His  tastes  were  refined. 
He  loved  books,  flowers  and  pictures,  and  was  surrounded  with  them.  His  castle-like 
country  home  of  Lyndhurst,  at  Irvington,  built  of  stone,  is  now  owned  by  Miss  Helen 
M.  Gould,  but  will  revert  to  the  estate  when  the  younger  member  of  the  family,  Frank 
Jay,  attains  his  majority.  It  is  delightfully  situated,  commanding  an  impressive  view 
of  the  Hudson  river.  The  grounds  are  beautifully  laid  out,  and  a  large  conservatory 
supplies  the  family  with  flowers  and  the  choicest  grapes  all  the  year.  At  this  place 
Mr.  Gould  and  his  family  spent  many  happy  days.  His  marriage  brought  him  six 
children,  George  Jay,  Edwin,  Helen  Miller  and  Howard  Gould;  Anna,  wife  of  Count 
Paul  Marie  Ernest  Boniface  de  Castellane  of  France;  and  Frank  Jay  Gould,  all  of  whom 
are  living.  His  family  were  always  tenderly  devoted  to  him. 

It  was  not  generally  known  that  Mr.  Gould  was  a  man  of  great  liberality  toward 
philanthropic  objects,  but  such  was  the  fact.  His  gifts  were  mainly  made  on  condition 
that  no  publicity  shouid  be  given  to  him  as  a  consequence.  His  charities  were  silent, 
and  the  thousandth  part  of  his  beneficence  has  never  become  publicly  known.  For 
many  years,  Mr.  Gould  entertained  the  purpose  of  founding  a  great  educational  insti- 
tution for  young  men  of  moderate  means.  Illness  and  business  cares  prevented  him 
from  elaborating  the  plan,  and  his  death,  Dec.  2,  1892,  finally  frustrated  the  purpose. 
He  left  equally  to  his  six  children  his  great  property,  estimated  at  about  $100,000,000, 
which  was  invested  mainly  in  The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad,  The  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Co.,  The  Manhattan  Railway,  The  Wabash,  and  The  Texas  &  Pacific 
Companies. 

JOHN  PHYLE  GOULD,  merchant,  born  Dec.  12,  1817,  in  Philadelphia,  died  in 
New  York  city,  July  5,  1892.  He  was  the  descendant  of  early  English  settlers  of 
Pennsylvania.  Early  in  life  he  went  to  Portsmouth,  O.,  and  spent  a  number  of  years 
in  a  large  iron  and  roiling-mill  business  with  his  relative,  T.  G.  Gaylord.  Later,  he 
engaged  in  the  iron  trade  in  Cincinnati,  and  about  1873  transferred  his  interests  to 
Xe\v  York  city.  He  was  considered  an  authority  on  financial  matters,  and  drew  up  a 
number  of  legislative  enactments  in  the  interest  of  bankrupts  and  others,  and  had 


272  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

confidential  relations  with  Hoyt,  Sprague  &  Co.  May  29,  1845,  he  married  Caroline, 
daughter  of  the  late  Moses  Brooks,  of  Cincinnati.  The  children  born  to  them  were 
Ella  Brooks,  who  married  Volckert  P.  Douw,  member  of  an  old  family  of  Albany, 
N.  Y. ,  both  now  deceased;  Caroline  E.,  who  married  J.  W.  Fiske,  of  New  York;  and 
Moses  Brooks  Gould,  now  deceased. 

WILLIAM  RUSSELL  GRACE,  merchant,  a  man  of  great  force  of  character  and 
intellect,  has,  by  energy  and  perseverance,  become  one  of  the  most  prominent  mer- 
chants and  financiers  of  this  country,  besides  having  attained  a  national  reputation  as  a 
leader  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  city  and  State  of  New  York. 

The  Graces  were  a  Norman  Irish  family,  and  from  the  time  of  the  invasion  of 
their  ancestor,  Richard  le  Gros,  they  possessed  extensive  land-holdings  in  Queens 
county.  When  the  English  finally  gained  a  mastery  over  Ireland,  the  Graces, 
being  Catholics  and  very  probably  fighters,  had  their  lands  confiscated  for  disloyalty 
and  were  banished  beyond  the  Shannon.  The  great  grand-father  of  William  R.  Grace 
returned  to  Queens  county  and  fought  the  claim  to  the  family  lands.  He  was 
offered  a  liberal  compromise,  but  he  said  he  would  have  the  whole  or  none.  All 
the  Irish  courts  gave  him  the  whole,  but  the  English  Appellate  Court  gave  him  none 
of  the  lands.  From  this  time  on,  the  Graces  remained  in  Queens  county,  and  so  much 
did  they  prosper,  that  James  Grace,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  left  quite 
a  fortune.  This  money  the  father  lost  in  South  America,  whereas  the  son  was  destined 
to  make  many  times  more  money  in  the  same  country.  James  Grace,  when  a  young 
man,  spent  his  money  and  came  near  losing  his  life  in  an  expedition  organized  to  free 
Venezuela  from  the  Spanish  rule.  He  married  Ellen  Mary  Russell,  of  a  well-known 
Protestant  Irish  family.  They  had  four  sons,  all  of  whom  have  been  successful  in 
life.  William  Russell  is  the  oldest  son.  John  W. ,  the  second  son,  is  the  founder  of  the 
San  Francisco  Grace  house,  and  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Grace  corporation.  M. 
P.  Grace  is  the  founder  of  the  London  house  and  the  man  who  negotiated  the  Peruvian 
loan  in  London  amounting  to  $40,000,000.  Sir  Morgan  Grace  went  to  New  Zealand  as 
a  young  army  surgeon. 

William  R.  Grace  was  born  in  Queenstown,  County  Cork,  Ireland,  May  10,  1832. 
In  early  life,  he  displayed  that  keen  foresight  and  indomitable  will  which  have  since 
made  him  famous.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  realizing  that  the  county  district  of  Ireland 
offered  no  future  for  him.  he  ran  away  from  school  and,  working  his  passage  on  a 
sailing  vessel  came  to  New  York  city.  After  remaining  in  New  York  two  years, 
during  which  time  he  was  employed  in  various  capacities,  he  returned  to  Ireland 
upon  a  visit  to  his  home.  In  1850,  he  went  to  Callao,  Peru,  and  entered  the 
shipping  house  of  Bryce  &  Co.,  of  which  he  became  a  partner  in  1852,  the  firm 
later  taking  the  name  of  Bryce,  Grace  &  Co.,  and  afterward  Grace  Bro's  &  Co. 
Being  the  only  American  house  of  consequence  at  Callao,  and  having  agencies  in  all 
the  principal  ports  in  Peru  and  Chile,  besides  excellent  connections  in  the  United  States 
and  England,  the  firm  soon  rose  to  distinction.  They  acted  as  agents  for  Baring  Bro's 
&  Co.  for  many  years. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Grace  came  to  New  York,  intending  to  retire  from  active  business  on 
account  of  ill  health.  Upon  the  return  of  his  strength,  however,  he  founded  the  house 
of  W.  R.  Grace  &  Co.,  shipping  and  commission  merchants,  which  has  since  become 
famous  the  world  over,  having  branches  in  London  and  San  Francisco  and  in  Peru  arid 


274  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Chile,  besides  agencies  in  all  the  principal  cities  on  the  west  coast  of  South  America. 
The  firm  have  important  contracts  with  Peru  for  the  importation  of  guano,  and  are  the 
largest  importers  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  the  United  States,  besides  dealing  exclusively  in 
the  other  products  of  Central  and  South  America.  They  export  large  quantities  of  the 
manufactures  of  the  United  States,  and  have  been  instrumental  in  securing  closer 
relations  with  the  Central  and  South  American  republics. 

The  relations  of  Mr.  Grace  with  Peru  have  been  so  intimate  and  his  standing  as  a 
merchant  and  financier  so  high,  that  his  firm  were  at  one  time  called  upon  to  aid  Peru 
in  the  conversion  of  its  debt.  A  contract  was  entered  into  with  the  English  bondhold- 
ers, which  was  negotiated  in  London  by  Michael  P.  Grace  and  proved  beneficial  to  all. 

In  1 88 1,  Mr.  Grace  established  the  New  York  &  Pacific  Steamship  Co.,  Ltd., 
which  is  the  only  company  conducting  a  regular  steam  service  between  this  country  and 
the  West  Coast  of  South  America. 

In  April,  1877,  Mr.  Grace  was  appointed  receiver  of  The  Continental  Life  Insurance 
Co.,  a  position  of  great  responsibility,  which  he  filled  with  general  satisfacton. 

In  September,  1859,  he  was  married  to  Lillius  Gilchrist,  daughter  of  George  W. 
Gilchrist,,  of  St.  George,  Maine.  Their  five  children  living  are:  Mrs.  W.  E.  Holloway, 
widow  of  the  late  W.  E.  Holloway,  of  San  Francisco;  Joseph  P.  Grace,  Miss  Lillius  J. 
Grace,  Miss  Louise  N.  Grace,  and  William  R.  Grace,  jr. 

Mr.  Grace  has  three  brothers,  J.  W.  Grace,  M.  P.  Grace  and  Dr.  M.  S.  Grace,  the 
first  two  being  associated  with  him  in  business,  while  the  latter  is  a  surgeon  in  New 
Zealand  and  a  Member  of  Parliament  and  has  been  knighted  by  the  Queen. 

Mr.  Grace  is  largely  interested  in  a  number  of  corporations.  He  is  president  of 
The  Ingersoll-Sergeant  Drill  Co. ,  and  The  Hamilton  Bank  Note  Co. ;  vice  president  of 
The  Fernbrook  Carpet  Co.;  and  director  in  The  Lincoln  National  Bank,  The  Lincoln 
Safe  Deposit  Co  ,  The  Terminal  Warehouse  Co.,  The  Brooklyn  Warehouse  &  Stor- 
age Co.,  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  New  York  &  Pacific  Steamship  Co., 
The  Occident  Dock  Co.,  and  a  number  of  others. 

In  1880,  he  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Mayor  of  New  York  city  and  was 
bitterly  opposed  on  account  of  his  religion.  Once  elected,  he  gave  the  city  a  business- 
like administration.  It  is  a  notable  fact  that  at  that  early  date  he  exposed  the  ways  of 
the  Police  Department.  He  took  the  street  cleaning  away  from  them  and  placed  it  in 
efficient  hands.  He  asked  the  Governor  to  co-operate  with  him  in  removing  some  of 
the  men,  who  presided  over  the  department  in  its  worst  da^s.  From  the  first,  Mayor 
Grace  took  his  stand  against  the  corrupt  elements  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  no  mat- 
ter which  way  the  scale  turned,  he  was  always  to  be  found  in  the  same  place. 

In  1884,  by  running  for  Mayor,  he  was  instrumental  in  swinging  a  large  independ- 
ent vote  to  Grover  Cleveland.  In  that  election,  the  people  showed  what  they  thought 
of'a  business  administration.  When  he  was  unknown,  he  was  elected  by  a  majority  of 
3)3°°.  and  now  in  a  three-cornered  fight  he  was  given  a  majority  of  over  10,000. 

In  1892,  he  was  one  of  the  men  who  went  to  Chicago  to  protest  against  the  action 
of  the  State  Democratic  machine,  and,  by  his  efforts  in  organizing  the  protesting  con- 
vention, showed  plainly  to  the  rest  of  the  country  that  New  York  was  for  Cleveland. 
Again  in  1894,  he  was  found  in  his  place,  lending  a  powerful  hand  to  throw  Tammany 
out  of  its  entrenchment  of  city  offices. 

Though  a  citizen  of  the   United  States,  Mr.  Grace  yet  retains  an   interest  in  his 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GR.  275 

mother  country,  and  in  1879,  when  the  famine  was  raging  in  Ireland,  he  contributed 
liberally  for  the  relief  of  the  poor  people,  having  shipped  half  the  cargo  of  the  U.  S. 
war  ship  Constellation,  besides  furnishing  the  stevedores  and  clerk  hire  necessary 
for  loading  the  cargo.  Mr.  Grace  is  a  devout  Catholic  and  contributes  liberally  each 
year  for  the  support  of  many  charitable  institutions.  He  is  also  a  trustee  of  St. 
Patrick's  Cathedral.  Among  the  many  clubs  to  which  he  belongs  are  the  Metro- 
politan, Manhattan,  Down  Town,  Lawyers',  Reform,  Catholic,  Press  and  Country 
club  of  Westchester. 

COL.  JOHN  LORIMER  GRAHAM,  lawyer,  born  in  London,  England,  March  20, 
1797,  died  in  Flushing,  L.  I.,  July  22,*  1876.  He  was  a'  son  of  Dr.  John  Andrew  Gra- 
ham, a  native  of  this  country  and  descended  from  ancient  Scottish  lawyers,  who  prac- 
ticed criminal  law  in  this  city  during  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  The  son 
was  brought  to  this  city  at  the  age  of  four,  and  received  as  good  an  education  as  could 
be  obtained  at  that  time.  Educated  to  the  law,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1821,  and 
began  practice  in  partnership  with  his  cousin,  James  L.  Graham.  His  military  title 
was  bestowed  by  Gov.  DeWitt  Clinton,  upon  whose  staff  he  served.  He  had  previously 
been  an  officer  in  a  local  military  regiment  here.  He  gained  prominence  in  the  prac- 
tice of  mercantile  law,  being  successively  at  the  head  of  the  noted  firms  of  Graham, 
Xoyes  &  Martin,  and  Graham,  Wood  &  Powers.  By  adding  to  a  fortune  inherited  from 
his  father,  he  became  one  of  the  strongest  men  in  the  city.  He  was  married  in  1818,  to 
Miss  Emily  Clason,  a  favorite  in  social  circles.  A  Democrat  in  politics,  the  Legislature 
made  him  in  1834  a  Regent  of  the  University,  a  position  which  he  held  until  his  death. 
He  also  became  a  member  of  the  Historical,  The  New  England,  The  St.  George's  and 
Bible  Societies,  and  a  member  of  the  Council  of  The  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  in  which  he  founded  a  free  scholarship.  In  1840,  President  Van  Buren  appointed 
him  Postmaster  of  New  York  city.  Colonel  Graham  served  for  nearly  four  years,  with 
ability  and  fidelity.  Through  the  instrumentality  of  General  Dix,  he  was  called  to 
Washington,  to  hold  a  confidential  position  in  the  Treasury  Department.  He  read 
much,  keeping  himself  well  informed  on  the  questions  of  the  day.  His  wife  died 
several  years  before  him,  but  his  four  sons,  James,  Clinton,  Augustus,  and  Malcolm, 
all  well  known  in  business  circles,  and  a  daughter,  Emily,  survived  him. 

ROBERT  GRAVES,  one  of  the  largest  wall  paper  manufacturers  in  America,  born 
in  Dublin,  Ireland,  about  1820,  died  at  his  home  on  Lafayette  avenue,  Brooklyn,  Jan.  2, 
1886.  He  came  to  this  city  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  found  employment,  and 
later  began  the  manufacture  of  wall  paper  in  Brooklyn,  upon  a  small  scale,  becoming 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  this  industry.  He  gradually  enlarged  his  factory  until  he 
occupied  a  block  on  Fulton  street  at  Carleton  avenue.  There  he  employed  220  '• 
persons,  and  conducted  a  profitable  industry.  Shortly  before  his  death,  The  National 
Wall  Paper  Co.,  in  whose  organization  he  took  an  active  part,  acquired  his  factory  and 
trade,  Mr.  Graves  becoming  a  large  stockholder  in  the  new  company.  To  gratify  a 
love  for  country  life,  Mr.  Graves  occupied  a  beautiful  summer  home  with  extensive 
grounds  atlrvington,  his  graperies  there  being  the  finest  on  the  Hudson.  In  1885,  he 
began  building  a  spacious  mansion  on  Clinton  avenue,  designed  to  be  the  finest  residence 
in  Brooklyn.  The  noted  dwellings  of  New  York  city  having  been  studied,  plans  were 
then  made  for  a  dwelling,  which  should  be  chaste,  clasically  simple  and  rich,  and  among 
other  things  contain  a  large  art  gallery.  Mr.  Graves  did  not  live  to  enjoy  his  new  home, 


276  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  the  property  was  purchased  by  Alfred  J.  Pouch.  A  handsome  man,  over  six  feet 
tall,  with  blue  eyes  and  flowing  hair  and  beard,  he  was  attracted  by  home  life  more 
than  by  public  affairs.  His  second  wife,  Cesarine,  and  eleven  children  survived  him. 

RUFUS  ROWE  GRAVES,  cotton  merchant,  born  in  Sunderland,  Mass.,  Nov.  6, 
1807,  died  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  Aug.  17,  1876.  He  was  a  son  of  Erastus  A.  Graves, 
and  came  of  old  New  England  and  English  stock.  After  obtaining  a  common  school 
education,  he  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  for  his  father,  then  a  resident  of 
Macon,  Ga.,  in  a  general  store,  and  soon  attained  the  dignity  of  partnership.  E.  A.  & 
R,  R.  Graves  became  large  buyers  of  cotton,  which  they  shipped  to  the  Northern 
States.  In  1840,  the  firm  removed  to  New  York  city.  During  the  Civil  War,  the 
senior  partner  retired,  and  his  son  E.  A.  Graves,  and  a  son  of  the  junior  partner,  were 
then  admitted,  the  name  being  changed  to  Rufus  R.  Graves  &  Co.  They  supplied 
many  New  England  mills  with  raw  cotton,  and  shipped  large  quantities  of  the  staple 
abroad.  Mr.  Graves  accumulated  a  large  fortune,  and  retired  in  1874,  thereafter  mak- 
ing two  trips  to  Europe  for  recreation.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  and  up- 
rightness, utterly  devoid  of  display  or  ostentation,  and  his  life  was  a  long  record  of 
charity  and  kindness.  His  gifts  were  known  to  no  one  except  himself,  but  they  far 
exceeded  what  those  who  best  knew  him  supposed.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Bank  of 
the  Republic,  The  Phenix  Insurance  Co.  of  Brooklyn,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad,  and  The  New  Jersey  Zinc  Co.  For  thirty  years,  he  lived  in  Brooklyn 
and  was  long  treasurer  of  Plymouth  church.  Later,  he  removed  to  Morristown,  N.  J. 
He  was  married  in  September,  1839,  to  Mary  J.,  daughter  of  John  Arms,  in  Conway, 
Mass.,  and  their  children  were,  Arthur  B.  Graves;  Louisa  M.,  wife  of  F.  W.  Owen; 
Carrie  A.,  wife  of  F.  J.  Mather;  Fannie  R.,  wife  of  L.  C.  Lathrop,  and  Mary  Ella 
Graves.  By  his  will,  Mr.  Graves  left  $100,000  for  the  education  of  the  colored  race  in 
the  South,  and  $115,000  to  other  charitable  objects.  The  bulk  of  the  estate  was  given 
to  his  wife  and  children,  but  their  best  legacy  was  his  beautiful  and  successful  life. 

JOHN  ALEXANDER  CLINTON  GRAY,  merchant,  was  born  in  Gen.  James  Clin- 
ton's house  in  Little  Britain,  Orange  county,  N.  Y. ,  Nov.  2,  1815.  His  grandfather, 
Alexander  Gray,  having  been  implicated  in  the  unsuccessful  struggle  for  Irish  inde- 
pendence, left  Ireland  in  1790  for  this  country,  dying  soon  after  his  arrival  in  Philadel- 
phia. Maria  Gray,  widow  of  Alexander,  married  in  1797,  her  cousin,  Gen.  James 
Clinton,  of  the  army  of  the  American  Revolution.  John  Gray,  son  of  Alexander,  died 
in  1816,  as  the  result  of  an  accident,  leaving  a  widow  ^and  one  son,  the  latter,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  The  lad  attended  the  academy  in  Montgomery,  Orange  county, 
and,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  made  his  entrance  into  practical  affairs  as  clerk  for  his  uncle, 
Alexander  McLeod  Scott,  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  New  York  city.  He  was  a  young 
man  of  merit  and  Mr.  Scott  made  him  a  partner  in  1835.  In  1837,  he  married  Susan 
M.,  daughter  of  George  Zabriskie  of  this  city,  lawyer,  Alderman  for  several  years,  and 
Member  of  Assembly.  Mr.  Zabriskie  died  in  1849.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Scott,  the 
firm  of  John  A.  C.  Gray  &  Co. ,  succeeded  to  the  wholesale  dry  goods  trade  of  the  former 
firm  and  prospered  therein  for  many  years.  In  1855,  Mr.  Gray  retired,  the  business 
passing  into  the  management  of  Buckley,  Sheldon  &  Co.  Mr.  Gray  was  a  special 
partner  in  Bailey,  Southard  &  Co.,  a  dry  goods  commission  house,  during  1856-60,  and 
then  retired  wholly  from  active  business.  He  has  since  spent  his  time  largely  in  travel 
and  the  recreations  of  a  gentleman  of  refinement  and  intelligence,  but  has  been  largely 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GR.  377 

interested  in  railroad  enterprises,  among  them  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  and 
The  Xew  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western,  aiding  in  the  reorganization  of  the  latter  in  1878. 
In  1870,  he  served  as  receiver  of  The  Memphis,  El  Paso  &  Pacific  Railroad.  He  has 
invariably  refused  to  allow  his  name  to  be  used  as  a  candidate  for  public  office  but  per- 
formed a  public  service,  as  vice  president  of  the  Central  Park  Commission,  when  formed, 
devoting  much  time  to  the  creation  of  Central  Park,  seeking  no  other  reward  than  the 
satisfaction  of  creating  a  noble  park  for  the  benefit  of  his  fellow  citizens.  It  is  owing 
to  the  disinterested  and  earnest  efforts  of  Mr.  Gray  and  his  associates,  aided  by  Andrew 
H.  Green,  Controller  of  the  Commission,  Mr.  Vaux  andvMr.  Olmsted,  that  the  park  has 
become  what  it  is  to-day.  He  was  a  strong  Whig  prior  to  1856,  and  thereafter  a  Repub- 
lican. While  shunning  public  life,  he  has  delighted  in  the  company  of  his  friends,  whom 
he  has  chosen  from  among  men  of  letters  rather  than  from  the  leading  spirits  of  the  gay 
world.  Men  like  Horace  Greeley,  William  C.  Bryant,  and  others  of  that  time  in 
America,  and  Richard  M.  Milne,  Lord  Humphrey  and  Charles  Kingsley  of  England, 
have  enjoyed  his  intimate  acquaintance.  His  children  have  been  George  Zabriskie 
Gray,  late  Dean  of  the  Episcopal  Seminary  in  Cambridge,  Mass. ;  Albert  Zabriskie 
Gray,  late  Warden  of  Racine  College;  John  Clinton  Gray,  Associate  Judge  of  the  Court 
of  Appeals  in  this  State;  Catharine,  wife  of  H.  R.  Bacon,  a  resident  of  the  Isle  of 
Wight ;  and  Miss  Frances  Gray. 

flRS.  HETTY  HOWLAND  ROBINSON  GREEN,  capitalist,  better  known  as  Mrs. 
Hetty  Green,  was  born  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.,  Nov.  21,  1835.  She  is  a  granddaughter 
of  the  late  Isaac  Rowland,  and  daughter  of  Edward  Mott  Robinson,  a  prominent 
shipping  merchant  of  New  Bedford,  who,  by  a  life  of  marked  enterprise  and  strong 
natural  powers,  gained  a  fortune  of  several  millions.  Upon  his  death,  June  14,  1865,  a 
large  part  of  this  fortune  descended  to  his  daughter  Hetty.  The  latter  was  married  in 
1867  to  Edward  H.  Green,  a  merchant  of  New  York  city.  Mrs.  Green  aided  her  father 
in  the  management  of  his  large  estate,  and  thus,  early  in  life,  gained  an  acquaintance 
with  business  methods,  which  subsequently  proved  of  value.  She  has  retained  control 
of  his  fortune,  and  devoted  herself  with  ability  to  its  management  and  increase. 

By  careful  investment,  she  has  become  a  large  holder  of  stock  in  sound  railroad 
companies  in  the  West  and  South,  in  The  Chemical  National  Bank,  and  in  business 
blocks  and  other  real  estate  in  Chicago  and  other  parts  of  the  country.  A  woman  of 
remarkable  force  of  character,  Mrs.  Green  displays  little  taste  for  the  recreations  of 
fashionable  life  but  derives  great  pleasure  from  business  pursuits.  She  is  shrewd  and 
exceedingly  competent,  while  at  the  same  time  animated  with  a  kindly  heart  and  a 
spirit  of  unfailing  good  nature.  Her  purchases  of  new  properties  are  made  with  sound 
judgment  and  generally  with  excellent  success.  For  a  number  of  years,  she  operated 
to  some  extent  in  Wall  street.  Probably  no  other  woman  in  America  travels  so  much 
as  she,  but  her  trips  to  various  parts  of  the  country  have  business  purposes  in  view. 
They  are  not  made  solely  for  recreation.  She  is  rather  above  the  middle  height,  large 
in  frame,  with  gray  eyes,  a  strong  nose,  and  regular  features.  Her  children  are  Edward 
H.  R.  Green  and  Sylvia  Green. 

EDWARD  HOWLAND  ROBINSON  GREEN,  son  of  Mrs.  Hetty  Green,  the  capital- 
ist, was  born  in  the  Langham  Hotel,  London,  England,  Aug.  22,  1868.  The  family  came 
to  Ne\v  York  in  1872.  Edward  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  New  York  city, 
the  High  School  in  Bellow  Falls,  Vt.,  and  Fordham  College,  graduating  from  the  latter 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GR.  279 

in  1888.  He  then  studied  law,  paying  especial  attention  to  the  statutes  pertaining  to 
real  estate  and  railroads.  Having  been  admitted  to  the  bar  and  thus  equipped  for  the 
battle  of  life,  he  identified  himself  with  his  mother's  properties  and  soon  revealed 
excellent  business  talent.  A  beginning  was  made  as  clerk  in  the  office  of  The  Connecti- 
cut River  Railroad,  where  he  gained  an  insight  into  the  management  of  this  class  of 
corporations. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  The  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  elected  him  a  director, 
giving  him  a  larger  opportunity  for  the  study  of  traffic  problems.  In  1893,  he  visited 
Texas,  and  purchased,  on  excellent  terms,  a  branch  of  The  Houston  &  Texas  Central 
Railroad,  one  of  the  most  important  transportation,  systems  in  that  State,  formerly 
controlled  by  his  mother.  The  same  year,  he  took  The  Texas  Midland  Railroad,  in 
which  he  owns  a  controlling  interest,  out  of  the  hands  of  the  receiver,  and  by  election 
as  the  head  of  the  corporation  without  his  knowledge  and  during  his  absence,  became 
the  youngest  railroad  president  of  the  United  States,  natural  ability  also  making  him 
one  of  the  most  competent.  With  the  ardor  of  youth  and  the  determination  of  a  man 
who  is  resolved  to  know  all  about  the  business  in  which  he  is  engaged,  Mr.  Green 
pervades  with  his  activity  the  whole  region  traversed  by  his  railroad.  Frequent  visits 
are  paid  to  the  towns  along  the  line,  and  the  merchants  are  visited  for  consultation  with 
reference  to  everything  which  will  increase  the  traffic  and  build  up  both  the  country 
and  the  railroad.  It  is  not  unusual  for  him  to  don  a  suit  of  overalls,  mingle  with  the 
employes  in  the  shops,  and  hold  the  throttle  of  an  engine  in  a  trip  down  the  line  He 
is  not  in  the  least  afraid  of  work.  Genial,  enthusiastic,  considerate  and  a  gentleman, 
he  makes  friends  everywhere,  and  is  warmly  respected  by  the  officers  and  employes  of 
the  road.  A  large  fortune  will  eventually  come  under  his  control,  and  he  is  rapidly 
qualifying  himself  in  the  most  practical  manner  for  its  prudent  management. 

Mr.  Green  is  already  a  stockholder  in  numerous  railroad  companies  and  owns 
several  blocks  of  houses  in  Chicago.  He  has  won  popularity  socially  by  attractive 
manners,  and  the  commendation  of  the  judicious  for  his  energy,  caution  and  ability. 
His  clubs  are  the  Union  of  New  York,  the  Union  League  and  Chicago  Athletic  of 
Chicago,  and  the  Dallas  of  Dallas,  Texas  Like  his  father,  he  is  fond  of  athletic  exer- 
cises, and  has  gained  therein  the  iron  muscles  of  a  well  developed  specimen  of  hardy 
manhood. 

It  makes  some  difference,  as  these  pages  clearly  show,  how  a  man  starts  in  life, 
but  in  free  America,  early  poverty  is  no  bar  whatever  to  success.  The  essential  thing 
is  how  a  man  makes  his  way,  after  he  has  made  a  start,  and  this  applies  to  both  rich 
and  poor.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  Mr.  Green  possesses  the  constructive 
and  progressive  temperament,  which  promises  for  him  a  brilliant  future. 

JOHN  CLEVE  GREEN,  merchant,  born  in  Lawrenceville,  m N.  J.,  April  14,  1800, 
died  April  29,  1875,  at  his  residence  on  Washington  Square  in  this  city.  His  father, 
Caleb  Smith  Green,  was  a  farmer  in  Lawrence  township  in  the  present  county  of 
Mercer,  N.  J.  While  young,  John  entered  the  house  of  N.  L.  &  G.  Griswold,  mer- 
chants in  the  China  trade  on  South  street  in  this  city,  and  as  a  clerk  displayed  so  much 
sagacity  that  he  was  appointed  supercargo  of  the  ship  Panama,  a  famous  tea  clipper  of 
that  day,  and  of  other  vessels,  and  made  many  voyages  to  China  and  South  America. 
In  1833,  he  was  admitted  to  the  house  of  Russell  &  Co.,  in  Canton,  China,  and  there 
laid  the  foundation  of  his  large  fortune.  In  1839,  on  his  return  to  New  York,  he  mar- 


280  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ried  Sarah  Helen,  daughter  of  George  Griswold,  and  carried  on  the  China  trade  for 
many  years  thereafter,  acquiring  a  fortune  of  about  $7,000,000.  Mr.  Green  was  prom- 
nent  in  the  social,  business  and  public  enterprises  of  the  city.  He  had  been  for  many 
years  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  Commerce,  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  a  manager  of  several  of  the  leading  charitable  and  public  institutions,  being  always 
known  as  a  man  of  clear  views,  strong  convictions  and  great  force  of  character.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  in  Princeton  The- 
ological Seminary  and  Princeton  College.  His  town  house  was  in  Washington  Square 
in  this  city  and  his  large  country  house  with  much  land  at  Castleton  on  Staten  Island. 
Mr.  Green  was  the  father  of  three  children  all  of  whom  died  in  childhood.  His  brother, 
Henry  W.  Green,  was  at  one  time  Chancellor  of  New  Jersey,  and  his  brother  in  law, 
Frederick  Frelinghuysen,  Senator  from  the  same  State.  By  his  will,  he  left  $50,000  to 
the  Theological  Seminary  at  Princeton  and  a  large  estate  to  be  disposed  of  by  his  resi- 
duary legatees  to  religious,  charitable  and  educational  institutions.  Mrs.  Green  died  in 
May,  1893. 

NORVIN  GREEN,  M.D.,  president  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  born 
where  New  Albany,  Ind.,  now  stands,  April  17,  1818,  died  in  this  city,  Feb.  13,  1893. 
His  father,  Joseph  Green,  born  near  Louisville  in  1796,  was  a  soldier  in  1812,  and 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  New  Orleans,  afterward  becoming  a  farmer  in  Kentucky, 
tavern  keeper,  manufacturer  and  merchant,  trading  in  a  coiintry  store  and  in  flat  boats 
on  the  Mississippi.  Norvin  grew  up  in  the  employments  carried  on  by  his  father,  kept 
the  books,  and  helped  manage  a  fleet  of  trading  flat  boats.  In  1833,  a  storm  wrecked  a 
number  of  their  boats  on  the  lower  Mississippi,  and  the  rest  were  seized  to  satisfy  a 
debt  for  which  the  senior  Green  had  become  surety.  Norvin  then  bought  a  flat  boat 
in  Cincinnati  and  a  stock  of  goods,  traded  down  the  Ohio,  and  located  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Kentucky  river,  leased  a  farm,  built  a  store,  and  in  three  years  had  made  enough 
money  to  pay  the  family's  debts  and  buy  a  farm.  He  then  filled  a  contract  to  deliver 
1,200  cords  of  wood  at  Madison,  Ind.  The  family  now  being  prosperous,  he  studied 
medicine  at  the  University  of  Louisville,  graduating  in  1840,  and  practiced  his  profes- 
sion for  thirteen  years  in  Kentucky.  Dr.  Green  sat  for  two  terms  in  the  Kentucky 
Legislature.  In  1853,  Secretary  Guthrie  appointed  him  commissioner  and  disbursing 
agent  for  the  building  of  the  new  custom  house  and  postoffice  in  Louisville.  The  fol- 
lowing year,  Dr.  Green  became  interested  in  telegraph  lines,  and  in  July  joined  the 
company  which  leased  The  New  Orleans  &  Ohio  Telegraph  Co.  When  this  company 
was  incorporated  in  1854  as  The  Southwestern  Telegraph  COr,  Dr.  Green  was  chosen 
president.  Under  his  management,  the  company  built  new  lines  on  the  railroads  from 
Louisville  to  New  Orleans,  and  the  system  was  extended  throughout  Arkansas  and 
Texas.  In  1857,  Dr.  Green  visited  New  York  city,  met  the  presidents  of  the  six  lead- 
ing telegraph  companies,  and  with  them  entered  into  the  Six-Party  Contract,  the  first 
telegraph  deal  in  America,  which  lasted  thirty  years  and  was  never  broken.  Territory 
was  partitioned  and  an  interchange  of  business  provided  for.  All  later  consolidations 
of  telegraph  companies  have  followed  the  principles  of  the  Six-Party  Contract.  The 
North  American  Telegraph  Association  was  formed  in  1857,  with  Peter  Cooper  as 
president,  and  every  telegraph  company  in  the  country  finally  became  a  member  of  it. 
The  Southwestern  Telegraph  Co. ,  was  united  with  The  American  Telegraph  Co.,  in 
January,  1866,  and  in  July  following,  the  latter  was  consolidated  with  The  Western 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GR.  281 

Union  Telegraph  Co.  Dr.  Green  refused  the  presidency,  but  accepted  the  vice  presi- 
dency of  the  new  company.  Upon  the  death  of  William  Orton  in  1878,  he  succeeded 
to  the  presidency.  In  this  position,  he  became  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  com- 
petent telegraph  men  in  the  country.  His  capacity  for  labor  was  immense.  He  pos- 
sessed great  administrative  ability,  a  thorough  knowledge  of  telegraph  law,  and 
remarkable  sagacity.  The  stockholders  resisted  every  effort  he  made  to  retire  from  the 
head  of  the  company.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  culture  and  both  in  business  and  private 
life  his  manners  were  genial  and  winning.  At  one  time,  his  friends  in  Kentucky  made 
him  a  candidate  for  United  States  Senator,  and  would  have  elected  him,  had  not  a 
single  vote  intended  for  him  and  cast  by  a  friend  been  mistakenly  given  to  another. 
He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  Louisville,  Cincinnati  &  Lexington  Railroad  and 
later  a  director  of  The  Gold  &  Stock  Telegraph  Co.,  The  International  Ocean 
Telegraph  Co.,  The  Southern  Bell  Telephone  &  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Dives  Pelican 
Mining  Co.,  The  American  Speaking  Telephone  Co.,  and  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co. 
He  married  early  in  life  Martha;  daughter  of  James  W.  English,  a  well  to  do  farmer 
near  Carrollton,  Ky.  His  four  sons  are  Dr.  James  O.  Green,  who  married  a  daughter 
of  ex-Mayor  Hewitt;  John  W.  Green,  at  one  time  president  of  the  Louisville  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce;  Pinckney,  and  Warren  Green.  He  also  had  several  daughters. 
JOHN  QREENOUQH,  banker,  a  native  of  Boston,  Mass.,  was  born  March  25,  1846. 
He  is  a  son  of  David  Stoddard  Greenough,  and  Anna  Parkman,  his  wife.  The  family 
are  of  Puritan  ancestry,  Capt.  William  Greenough,  who  settled  in  Boston  in  1642,  being 
the  founder  of  the  family  in  this  country.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  at 
Harvard  College,  and  entered  business  life  as  clerk  in  the  famous  shipping  house  of 
Grinnell  Minturn  &  Co.,  and  utilized  his  training  there,  later,  in  establishing  himself 
as  a  merchant  in  the  River  Platte  trade.  His  firm  of  Wilder  &  Greenough  gained  a 
distinct  and  worthy  success.  In  1884,  he  was  admitted  to  the  firm  of  Poor,  White  & 
Greenough,  stock  brokers  and  bankers  in  this  city,  the  firm  subsequently  becoming 
Poor  &  Greenough.  This  house  is  one  of  the  most  conservative  and  trustworthy  in 
Wall  street  It  has  devoted  its  energies  mainly  to  the  negotiation  of  loans  and  invest- 
ment securities.  When  English  capital  began  to  seek  investment  in  America  to  such  a 
large  extent,  ten  years  ago,  Poor  &  Greenough  became  one  channel  through  which  large 
sums  of  money  found  their  way  into  the  stocks  of  American  corporations,  the  firm 
representing  several  investment  companies  in  London.  They  have  dealt  largely  also 
in  industrial  and  railroad  stocks,  and  are  financial  agents  for  The  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas,  The  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie,  and  The  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Rail- 
roads, and  other  corporations,  for  which  they  have  negotiated  more  than  §50,000,000  of 
securities  within  the  last  few  years.  Both  partners  are  directors  of  several  railroad 
companies  and  financial  organizations,  including  those  above  named,  and  The  Knox- 
ville  &  Ohio,  The  Sherman,  Shreveport  &  Southern,  and  The  Kansas  City  &  Pacific 
Railroads,  The  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York,  The  Lawyer's  Surety  Co  ,  The  Lon- 
don &  New  York  Investment  Co.,  and  others.  A  man  of  powerful  mould  and  fine 
manners,  Mr.  Greenough  has  a  large  number  of  friends,  and  is  a  popular  as  well  as 
successful  man.  He  was  married  June  4,  1879,  to  Caroline,  daughter  of  John  M. 
Storey,  of  New  York.  The  following  clubs  claim  him  as  a  member:  University, 
Harvard,  Tuxedo,  Down  Town  and  Lawyers',  as  well  as  The  New  England  Society  and 
The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 


2g2  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

MOSES  HICKS  QRINNELL,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  New  Bedford,  Mass., 
March  23,  1803,  died  Nov.  24,  1877,  in  this  city.  His  father,  Cornelius  Grinnell,  a 
Huguenot  by  descent,  was  a  successful  shipping  merchant  of  New  Bedford.  The 
family  was  planted  in  America  in  1632  by  three  brothers,  who  settled  in  Rhode  Island. 
On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Grinnell  traced  his  ancestry  to  John  Howland,  one  of  the 
company  of  the  Mayflower.  Moses  was  one  of  six  brothers,  who,  educated  in  the  New 
Bedford  academy  and  their  father's  counting-room,  nearly  all  became  widely  known  in 
commercial  circles.  Henry  Grinnell,  an  older  brother,  sent  the  Advance  and  Rescue 
in  search  of  Sir  John  Franklin  in  1850,  Grinnell  Land  being  discovered  by  this  expedi- 
tion. Moses  began  life  as  a  clerk  for  Wm.  R.  Rotch  &  Co.,  importers  of  Russian  goods 
at  New  Bedford,  at  a  salary  of  $100  a  year.  He  finally  engaged  in  business  on  his  own 
account,  and  before  twenty  years  of  age  sailed  as  supercargo  of  a  vessel  bound  for 
Brazil  and  thence  for  Trieste  with  a  cargo  of  coffee.  After  a  few  )  ears  with  Fish  & 
Grinnell,  a  partnership  was,  in  1828,  formed  by  Mr.  Grinnell  with  Robert  B.  Minturn, 
known  as  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  the  senior  partner  being  then  only  twenty-two  years 
old.  They  grew  to  be  owners,  wholly  or  in  part,  of  about  fifty  ships,  engaged  in  the 
trade  with  South  America  and  foreign  countries  and  the  packet  service  to  England. 
This  firm  -never  failed  and  never  endured  a  stain  upon  their  name.  For  nearly  forty 
years,  their  sign  was  a  landmark  on  South  street.  The  firm  established  the  Blue  and 
White  Swallow-Tail  Line  of  packet  ships  to  Liverpool  and  the  Red  and  White  Swallow- 
Tail  Line  to  London.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Grinnell  built  more  ships  in  his  day  than  any 
other  New  York  merchant.  In  1838,  Mr.  Grinnell  was  elected  president  of  The 
Phoenix  Bank,  and  in  1843  succeeded  Robert  Lenox  as  president  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  retaining  the  position  five  years.  During  1860-65,  ne  was  a  Commissioner 
of  Charities  and  Correction.  He  was  also  president  of  The  Sun  Mutual  Insurance  Co. 
Originally  a  Democrat  and  a  member  of  Tammany  Hall,  he  left  that  organization  and 
in  1838  was  elected  to  Congress  as  a  Whig.  In  1856,  he  served  as  Presidential  elector 
at  large  on  the  Fremont  ticket,  and  in  1869  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New 
York  by  President  Grant.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  joined  the  Union  Defence  Com- 
mittee and  gave  largely  in  support  of  the  Union.  His  first  wife  was  Susan,  daughter 
of  Gilbert  Russell.  After  her  death,  he  married,  in  1836,  Miss  Julia  Irving,  a  niece  of 
Washington  Irving.  They  had  three  children,  all  of  whom  survived  him,  namely, 
Irving  Grinnell;  Julia,  wife  of  George  S.  Bowdoin;  and  Fannie,  wife  of  Thomas  F. 
Gushing;  and  their  country  residence  adjoined  Washington  Irving's  "Sunnyside. " 

RANDOLPH  QUQQENHEIMER,  lawyer,  was  born  July  20,  1848,  in  Lynchburg, 
Va.  As  his  name  implies  he  is  of  German  descent.  A  student  in  the  University 
of  Virginia  until  he  came  to  New  York  city,  he  finished  his  preliminary  education 
in  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  The  modest  means  of  the  family 
brought  upon  the  youth,  at  an  early  age,  the  duty  of  entering  upon  active  life.  His 
first  employment  was  as  clerk  for  a  merchant  of  woolen  goods.  Later,  he  became 
a  clerk  in  the  law  office  of  Martin  I.  Townsend,  upon  the  modest  salary  of  $r  a 
week.  He  was  the  all  round  useful  young  man  of  the  office  for  several  years,  and 
meanwhile  applied  himself  with  diligence  to  investigation  of  the  knotty  problems  of 
the  law.  When  admitted  to  the  bar,  he  opened  a  law  office  under  the  name  of  Guggen- 
heimer  &  Untermyer.  By  making  himself  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  law  of  cor- 
porations, he  attracted  important  clients,  built  up  a  large  and  profitable  practice,  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GU.  283 

has  been  more  than  ordinarily  successful  in  negotiating  large  transactions  with  English 
syndicates,  which  desired  to  invest  their  surplus  means  in  America.  He  has  brought 
$60,000,000  of  English  capital  into  this  country  for  investment.  In  1887,  Mayor  Grace 
appointed  him  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  he  was  twice  re-appointed. 
Mr.  Guggenheimer  has  met  with  a  suitable  reward  for  his  legal  enterprise,  and  is  the 
owner  of  the  site  of  the  old  New  York  Hotel  on  Broadway,  on  which  he  is  now  con- 
structing one  of  the  most  impressive  buildings  in  New  York  city.  He  is  also  a  director 
in  The  Yorkville  Bank.  Mr.  Guggenheimer  has  been  favored  by  nature  with  rugged 
health,  a  strong  constitution  and  brains  His  succesr  is  due  to  incessant  labor,  tenacity 
of  purpose  and  the  confidence  inspired  by  an  honest  character  and  clear  head.  Various 
excellent  clubs  have  elected  him  to  membership,  including  the  Manhattan,  Lotus,  Arion, 
Suburban,  Press  and  Driving  clubs,  and  the  Friendly  Sons  of  St.  Patrick. 

CHARLES  GODFREY  GUNTHER,  fur  merchant,  oldest  son  of  Christian  G.  Gun- 
ther,  born  on  Liberty  street  in  this  city,  April  7,  1822,  died  at  his  home  on  East  i4th 
street,  Jan.  22,  1885.  He  attended  the  Moravian  Institute  at  Nazareth,  Pa.,  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  at  Columbia  College  Grammar  School.  On  attaining  manhood,  he  was 
taken  into  the  firm  of  C.  G.  Gunther  &  Co. ,  fur  dealers,  and  for  many  years  was  occu- 
pied in  the  old  store  on  Maiden  Lane.  Later,  the  business  was  removed  to  Broadway, 
near  Prince  street,  and  afterward  to  Fifth  avenue,  near  2jd  street.  Mr.  Gunther  allied 
himself  with  the  Democratic  party  in  early  life,  was  a  member  of  the  Young  Men's 
Democratic  General  Committee,  its  chairman  for  several  terms,  and  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Democratic  Union  club.  In  1855,  he  received  an  election  as  one  of  the  governors 
of  the  Alms  House,  running  5,000  votes  ahead  of  his  colleagues  on  the  ticket,  the  Board 
of  Governors  choosing  him  president.  In  1856,  he  was  elected  a  sachem  of  the  Tam- 
many Society,  and  in  1861  he  was  nominated  for  Mayor,  but  was  defeated  by  George 
Opdyke,  the  last  Republican  Mayor  the  metropolis  was  destined  to  see  for  thirty-three 
years.  In  1863,  however,  Mr.  Gunther  became  Mayor  by  a  majority  of  more  than 
7,000.  After  the  expiration  of  his  term,  he  withdrew  from  politics,  having  no  sympathy 
with  those  who  constituted  the  Tweed  Ring  and  conscious  that  no  one  could  succeed 
in  politics,  who  did  not  obey  their  behests.  In  1878,  he  consented  to  become  a  candi- 
date for  Senator  from  the  Vllth  District,  but  was  defeated.  For  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  old  Volunteer  Fire  Department,  he  was  elected  later  president  of  the  Veteran 
Fireman's  Association.  Mr.  Gunther  saw  at  an  early  day  that  Coney  Island  possessed 
natural  advantages  as  a  pleasure  resort  and  built  The  Brooklyn,  Bath  &  Coney  Island 
Railroad,  and  two  hotels,  one  at  Locust  Grove  on  Gravesend  Bay,  which  was  afterward 
destroyed  by  fire.  The  Liederkranz  and  other  societies  claimed  him  as  a  member.  His 
wife  was  Amelia  B  ,  daughter  of  George  Arcularius,  and  his  children  were  Christian 
G.  and  George  A.  Gunther;  Lena,  wife  of  James  Miller;  and  Amelia  B.  Gunther. 

ERNEST  RUDOLPH  GUNTHER,  retired,  son  of  the  late  William  Henry  Gunther 
and  grandson  of  the  late  Christian  G.  Gunther,  was  born  in  1862  in  what  was  known  as 
"Gunther  Row,"  which  consisted  of  six  large  houses  and  one  enormous  house  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Second  avenue  and  i4th  street.  This  row  was  built  about  fifty 
years  ago  in  what  was  then  the  fashionable  part  of  New  York  by  Mr.  Gunther's  grand- 
father, who  came  to  America  in  the  year  1812  for  political  reasons  and  to  avoid  serving 
in  the  German  army. 

The  name  of  the  pioneer  was  originally  von  Gunther  and  he  was  the  son  of  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. GU.  285 

celebrated  von  Giinther,  who  was  Surgeon  to  the  King  of  Saxony  and  of  noble  birth 
and  a  cousin  of  Prince  Giinther,  one  of  the  richest  German  princes.  Christian  von 
Giinther  brought  with  him  to  America  two  coats  of  arms  and  four  miniatures,  which 
have  been  handed  down  in  the  family. 

Ernest  Rudolph  Gunther  is  a  member  of  many  of  the  most  select  clubs  in  New 
York  and  lives  at  No.  9  West  5  7th  street. 

He  is  a  clever  conversationalist  and  extremely  popular  among  club  men  and  the 
people  who  comprise  what  is  known  as  the  best  society  in  New  York.  An  invitation 
to  one  of  the  frequent  musicales,  given  at  his  residence,  is  prized  very  highly  by 
members  of  the  New  York  smart  set. 


H. 

WILLIAM  ALEXANDER  MADDEN,  born  in  Flushing,  Long  Island,  about  1811, 
died  in  New  York  city,  April  2,  1880.  He  was  a  son  of  David  Hadden,  a  native  of 
Aberdeen,  Scotland,  1773,  and  of  Ann  Aspinwall,  his  wife.  Having  gained  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  linen  trade  in  the  store  founded  by  his  father,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  devoted  his  whole  life  to  the  importation  of  Irish  linens,  and  the  tranquil, 
capable  and  prosperous  prosecution  of  their  sale  in  this  country.  He  was  married  in 
1849  to  Frances  Sanderson,  daughter  of  James  Elnathan  Smith.  Of  their  three  children, 
two  are  living,  James  E.  Smith  Hadden  and  Harold  Farquhar  Hadden. 

GEORGE  HAGEMEYER,  merchant  and  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Castle  in 
Germany,  born  in  1837,  died  in  Cornwall  on  the  Hudson,  June  14,  1892.  His  parents 
were  farmers  and  proprietors  of  a  large  grist  mill. 

When  fifteen  years  of  age  and  after  the  death  of  his  parents,  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  removed  to  Rotterdam,  and  thence  crossed  the  ocean  to  the  United  States  in 
1852,  by  a  sailing  vessel,  the  voyage  lasting  forty  six  days.  He  reached  New  York  city  in 
December.  The  possessor  of  only  a  small  amount  of  money,  he  was  compelled  to  be 
saving  from  the  start.  A  short  time  after  his  arrival  in  the  metropolis  of  the  new 
world,  his  older  brother  John  gave  him  employment  in  a  saw  mill  in  Downing  street, 
at  that  time  considered  the  best  mill  in  this  city.  Older  brothers  are  sometimes  incon- 
siderate, and  John  restricted  the  freedom  of  his  younger  brother  so  much,  that  the  latter 
found  he  could  do  better  elsewhere.  Going  to  Yonkers,  where  he  had  been  offered  a 
position  in  G.  Copcut  &  Co.  's  saw  mill,  he  devoted  himself  diligently  to  his  work,  and 
in  less  than  a  year  had  mastered  the  proper  management  of  a  saw.  But,  possibly  a 
trifle  homesick,  he  longed  to  be  back  to  New  York,  and  finally  returned  to  his  friends 
and  his  brother's  mill  in  Downing  street.  Six  months  later,  however,  he  again  disagreed 
with  his  employer,  and  leaving  his  position,  this  time  he  had  the  enterprise  to  remove 
to  Boston.  After  a  short  stay  in  Boston,  and  while  employed  in  a  saw  mill  there,  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  meet  with  a  serious  accident,  one  of  his  legs  being  completely 
cut  off  by  a  circular  saw.  He  was  then  seventeen  years  old.  To  many  natures  thi= 
disaster  would  have  proved  such  a  discouragement  as  to  have  taken  away  ambition, 
blighted  all  prospect  of  advancement  in  life,  and  resulted  in  a  subsequent  career  of 
commonplace  and  routine  effort.  But  Mr.  Hagemeyer  was  ^lot  daunted.  The  calamity 
served  rather  to  call  forth  all  the  resources  of  which  he  was  possessed. 

After  remaining  several  months  in  a  hospital,  he  returned  to  New  York  city.  As 
he  was  then  unfitted  for  laborious  work  in  the  mill  or  for  his  trade  as  a  sawyer,  he 
undertook  the  cigar  manufacturing  business  to  support  himself.  After  making  cigars 
by  hand  for  two  years,  he  was  offered  a  position  as  buyer  of  timber  by  Cbpcut  & 
Co. ,  who  admired  his  energy  and  saw  in  him  the  making  of  an  enterprising  and  sue. 
cessful  merchant.  Accepting  the  offer,  he  sailed  from  New  York  for  the  Honduras 
coast  and  for  two  years  purchased  the  mahogany  timber  required  by  Copcut  &  Co. 
While  this  experience  proved  of  great  value  to  him,  financially  and  otherwise,  it  was 
suddenly  ended  by  an  attack  of  fever,  and  Mr.  Hagemeyer  returned  to  New  York. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  had  saved  considerable  money  and  was  then  taken 


y 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  287 

into  partnership  by  his  brother,  Melchior,  who  conducted  a  saw  mill  in  Cannon  street. 
He  kept  the  books  of  the  concern  after  business  hours.  Having  long  felt  the  need  of  a 
better  education,  the  young  man  gave  an  excellent  illustration  of  his  practical  common 
sense  and  energy  by  attending  the  night  schools  of  the  city,  during  his  partnership. 

In  1862,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  saw  mill 
industry  and,  upon  his  own  responsibility,  engaged  in  the  business  of  dealing  in  timber, 
beginning  with  a  little  yard  about  75  feet  by  100  feet  in  dimensions  on  Attorney  street 
in  New  York  city. 

In  1864,  he  was  married  to  Mary  Muhlfeld  and  resided  in  Broome  street  for  two 
years.  In  1870,  he  moved  his  family  to  Williamsburg,  across  the  East  river  and  a 
year  later  to  Green  Point,  both  localities  having  since  been  incorporated  within  the  city 
of  Brooklyn. 

As  a  merchant  of  mahogany,  hardwood  lumber  and  veneers,  Mr.  Hagemeyer  made 
rapid  progress.  He  had  served  in  every  branch  of  the  lumber  trade  and  possessed  the 
thorough  practical  knowledge  of  every  detail,  which  is  necessary  to  success.  His  busi- 
ness grew  steadily  until  the  original  yard  had  become  altogether  too  small  to  hold  the 
huge  lumber  piles  which  his  trade  demanded.  In  1869,  therefore,  he  bought  four 
city  lots  on  the  East  river  in  this  city  at  the  foot  of  East  nth  street;  and  when  this 
enlarged  area  finally  proved  insufficient,  he  extended  the  property  to  cover  nine  lots  on 
East  i  ith  street  and  nine  more  on  East  loth  street. 

In  1871,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hardwood  lumber  in  Peru,  Ind.,  and 
opened  an  extensive  yard  there  in  which  all  the  lumber  purchased  in  Indiana  was  col- 
lected and  stacked  for  distribution  to  different  points,  East,  West  and  South.  After 
that,  he  extended  his  operations  to  a  number  of  other  States,  which  possessed  supplies 
of  desirable  hard  wood  timber,  including  Virginia,  Tennessee,  Pennsylvania  and  New 
York,  as  well  as  Canada.  It  was  his  practice  to  go  directly  to  the  woods  for  his  stock, 
buying  from  the  stump  and  setting  up  saw  mills  of  his  own,  wherever  necessary,  to 
operate  exclusively  in  his  own  interest.  He  maintained  a  large  distributing  yard  in 
Crawfordsville,  Ind.,  and  saw  mills  in  Camden,  Frankfort,  Darlington  and  Bedford, 
Ind. ;  Laurel  Gap,  Tenn. ;  and  Croghan,  N.  Y.  These  plants  are  in  operation  to  this 
day.  The  output  of  the  mills  and  yards  found  a  market  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  Canada,  and  even  in  Europe  Mr.  Hagemeyer's  activity  gave  employment  to 
large  numbers  of  skilled  workmen  and  supplied  railroad  lines  and  deep  sea  shipping 
with  vast  quantities  of  freight. 

Mr.  Hagemeyer  was  the  pioneer  hardwood  lumber  merchant  of  New  York  city 
and  never  lost  the  position  of  leading  dealer  in  mahogany,  hard  wood  and  veneers, 
after  he  had  once  gained  it.  In  consequence  of  his  intelligence  and  constant  enterprise, 
many  of  the  new  departures  in  the  trade  originated  with  him.  He  was  the  first  to  saw 
quartered  oak,  sycamore,  cherry  and  birch  for  the  trade  and  it  was  he  who  introduced 
the  use  of  these  different  woods,  now  so  extensively  employed  in  buildings  and  furni- 
ture. In  every  branch  of  his  business,  he  was  always  the  pioneer,  attempting  many 
things,  succeeding  in  all,  and  following  up  with  energy  every  profitable  development  of 
his  industry.  Owing  to  his  prominence  in  the  trade,  The  New  York  Lumbermen's 
Association  elected  him  as  its  president;  and  his  record  as  a  member  of  that  body  is 
remarkable  in  one  respect,  if  no  other,  in  consequence  of  the  fact  that  he  never  made  a 
motion  which  was  not  carried  unanimously. 


288  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

In  his  married  life,  he  was  very  happy.  Two  sons  and  five  daughters  were  born 
to  him :  George  and  Casper,  who  now  carry  on  the  lumber  industry  which  he  estab- 
lished, having  been  admitted  to  partnership  in  1887  and  1891  respectively;  and  Eliza- 
beth, Martha,  Mamie,  Emma  and  Eva.  Every  one  with  whom  Mr.  Hagemeyer  came 
in  contact  liked  and  respected  him.  His  liberality  toward  individuals  who  were 
unfortunate  and  toward  the  public  charities  was  marked,  and  his  sound  judgment, 
clear  mind  and  store  of  varied  knowledge  rendered  his  opinions  always  of  value.  Suc- 
cess came  to  him  through  a  progressive  spirit,  untiring  perseverance  and  concentration 
of  his  powers  upon  his  chosen  occupation. 

JAMES  BEN  ALI  HAQQIN,  lawyer,  a  native  of  Mercer  county,  Ky.,  began  life 
in  the  practice  of  law  in  Natchez,  Miss. ,  and  followed  his  profession  in  New  Orleans, 
and  after  1850,  in  San  Francisco  and  Sacramento.  Having  become  largely  interested 
in  lands  and  mines,  Mr.  Haggin  finally  abandoned  his  profession.  Among  the  properties 
which  he  controls  are  mines  in  Utah,  the  Anaconda  copper  mines  at  Butte  City,  Mont. , 
and  others  in  the  United  States  and  Mexico.  His  Rancho  del  Pascoin  California  is  one 
of  the  largest  and  most  successful  breeding  establishments  in  the  world.  He  is  largely 
interested  with  Lloyd  Tevis  in  what  is  known  as  The  Kern  County  Land  Co.,  owning 
about  400,000  acres  in  California,  which  property  is  now  being  divided  into  farms  and 
sold  to  settlers  at  from  $50  to  $100  per  acre.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  in  The  Belling- 
ham  Bay  Improvement  Co.  At  one  time,  Mr.  Haggin  maintained  a  large  racing  stable, 
but  owing  to  the  death  of  his  son  and  daughter,  his  interest  in  the  turf  abated  and  he 
abandoned  racing  entirely.  He  is  now  a  resident  of  New  York  city  and  a  member  of 
the  Union  and  Manhattan  clubs. 

DAVID  HENRY  HAIQHT,  merchant,  who  died  in  this  city,  April  29,  1876,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-one,  came  from  a  local  family  of  merchants.  His  father,  David  L. 
Haight,  was  first  a  merchant  of  saddlery,  then  of  dry  goods,  and  finally,  in  D.  L.  &  J. 
E.  Haight,  of  hat  and  shoe  trimmings.  The  junior  David  began  as  a  clerk  for  his  father, 
on  Maiden  Lane,  and  became  a  partner  in  D.  L.  &  J.  E.  Haight  in  1827.  In  1835,  the 
house  moved  to  No.  170  Water  street,  re-organized  as  R.  &  H.  Haight,  and  carried  on 
an  enormous  business.  He  retired  in  1848,  the  house  then  taking  the  name  of  Haight, 
Halsey  &  Co.  Thereafter  he  devoted  himself  to  real  estate.  The  St.  Nicholas  Hotel 
on  Broadway  and  several  other  buildings  were  erected  by  him.  Henry  Jansen  and 
Edward  Clarence  Haight,  his  sons,  survived  him. 

EDWARD  HAIQHT,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  Yo*k  city,  born  on  Park  Place 
about  1817,  died  in  Westchester,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  15,  1885.  He  sprang  from  a  race  of  New 
York  merchants,  founded  by  old  Nicholas  Haight,  the  farmer,  who  exemplified  by 
their  genuine  interest  in  everything  which  went  on  in  town  in  their  day  and  generation, 
their  activity,  good  character  and  success,  the  old  time  merchants  of  the  city.  After  a 
sufficient  education,  Mr.  Haight  entered  the  firm  of  Cromwell,  Haight  &  Co.,  importers 
of  cloth  and  tailor's  trimmings  on  Maiden  Lane,  in  1838.  He  retired  in  1854  to  a  farm 
in  Westchester,  but  was  afterward  a  partner  in  Richards,  Haight  &  Co.,  cloth 
importers.  An  organizer  and  president  of  The  Bank  of  the  Commonwealth  1856-70,  a 
War  Democrat  and  a  member  of  Congress,  1861-63,  he  suggested  the  use  of  fractional 
currency,  and  was  also  a  director  of  The  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Co.,  and  The 
National  Bank  of  New  York.  Mr.  Haight  married  a  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Burgoyne, 
formerly  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  and  had  six  children. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — HA.  289 

JOHN  HUDSON  HALL,  a  native  of-  New  York  city,  born  Oct.  15,  1828,  died  in 
Thomasville,  Ga.,  March  3,  1891.  He  was  a  son  of  John  V.  Hall,  whose  ancestor 
came  to  this  country  from  England  in  1700.  First,  clerk  in  a  bank  and  then  in  the 
store  of  Elliott,  Burnap  &  Babcock,  manufacturers  of  paper,  he  became  a  partner  in 
1850  in  Babcock,  Dubisson  &  Hall,  and  in  1854,  in  Campbell,  Hall  &  Co.,  who  on  Nas- 
sau street,  rose  to  great  prominence.  Mr.  Hall  became  senior  partner  in  1860.  Having 
acquired  considerable  wealth,  he  retired  in  1881.  Mr.  Hall  was  one  of  those  who,  July 
25,  1866,  organized  The  West  Side  &  Yonkers  Patent  Railway,  which  built  half  a  mile 
of  elevated  railroad  on  Greenwich  street,  operated  with  stationary  power  and  an  endless 
cable.  From  that  time  forward,  he  gave  great  attention  to  elevated  railroads,  was  a 
director  of  The  New  York  Elevated  Railroad  Co.,  which  built  the  first  successful  line, 
and  shared  in  the  management  of  The  Manhattan  Railroad  until  his  death.  At  one 
time  largely  interested  in  The  Oregon  &  Transcontinental  and  The  Union  Pacific, 
Mr.  Hall  also  made  investments  in  some  of  the  largest  railroad  systems  in  the  South. 
He  was  vice-president  of  The  Georgia  Central  Railroad  &  Banking  Co.,  and  The  Rich- 
mond Terminal  corporation,  and  director  of  The  East  Tennessee  Virginia  &  Georgia 
and  The  Richmond  &  Danville  Railroads.  In  politics  a  Republican,  he  never  took  an 
active  part  in  public  affairs,  but  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club.  He  was 
more  of  the  typical  American  merchant  and  gentleman  than  politician.  Thoughtful, 
shrewd,  and  unassuming,  his  influence  was  powerful  in  corporations.  By  his  marriage 
in  1872,  to  Cornelia,  daughter  of  Augustus  H.  Ward,  he  was  the  father  of  four  chil- 
dren, John  Hudson,  Charles  Ward,  Cornelia  Catherine  and  Martha  Jane  Hall. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  HALL,  merchant,  born  in  Hackensack,  X.  J.,  July  21,  1826, 
died  in  Budapest,  Hungary,  June  30,  1894.  He  was  a  son  of  Henry  J.  S.  Hall,  of 
Coventry,  England,  a  watchmaker,  who  came  to  America  in  his  youth.  William  served 
an  apprenticeship  as  clerk  for  Bush  &  Hillyer,  and  then  found  employment  with  Olcott, 
McKesson  &  Co. ,  a  leading  drug  firm.  In  a  short  time,  he  felt  competent  to  manage 
a  store,  and,  aided  by  a  loan  from  his  father,  bought  the  retail  drug  store  of  Dr.  Gunn 
on  Bleecker  street,  in  the  then  fashionable  quarter  of  the  city.  In  1851,  with  John 
Ruckel,  he  engaged  in  a  wholesale  and  importing  trade  in  drugs,  in  the  firm  of  Hall 
&  Ruckel,  down  town,  and  reaped  great  profit  from  the  ownership  of  certain  popular 
proprietary  articles  and  valuable  trade  marks.  For  about  thirty  years  previous  to  his 
death,  though  the  old  style  was  retained,  Mr.  Hall  had  been  sole  proprietor.  He  was 
president  of  The  L.  W.  Warner  Co.,  director  of  The  Fellows  Medical  Manufacturing 
Co.,  of  New  York  and  London,  The  Washington  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Terminal  Ware- 
house Co. ;  and  the  owner  of  choice  real  estate.  Modest  and  retiring,  calm,  sound  and 
sympathetic,  he  was  a  sterling  man  and  held  in  affectionate  esteem.  Mr.  Hall  was 
married  in  1850,  to  Martha  M.,  daughter  of  Curtis  Hitchcock,  and  had  several  children. 

ADOLPH  HALLQARTEN,  merchant,  born  in  Mayence,  Germany,  Nov.  6,  1835, 
died  in  Wiesbaden,  Feb.  13,  1885.  Lazarus  Hallgarten,  his  father,  founded  the  house 
of  Hallgarten  &  Herzbel,  now  Hallgarten  &  Co.  Educated  at  the  higher  public 
schools,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  came  to  New  York  in  1850  and  began  life  in  the 
Eagle  drug  store  on  Broad  way,  near  Grand  street.  Next  year,  he  entered  a  wholesale  drug 
house,  and  several  years  afterward  the  employment  of  D.  T.  Lanman  &  Co. ,  wholesale 
druggists.  For  D.  T.  Lanman  &  Co.,  he  undertook  many  long  trips  to  the  West  Indies, 
Mexico  and  South  America,  which  yielded  such  good  returns  that  he  was  taken  into 


290 


AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


partnership  in  Lanman  &  Kemp,  and  his  persevering  endeavors  finally  brought  him  a 
fortune.  In  later  life  he  devoted  himself  to  charitable  institutions,  especially  to  the 
Hebrew  Institute  for  deaf  mutes  and  the  Mount  Sinai  Hospital,  serving  the  latter  for 
many  years  as  president.  A  wife,  son  and  two  daughters  survived  him. 

JULIUS  HALLQARTEN,  stock  broker,  born  in  Europe  about  1842,  died  in  Dabos, 
Switzerland,  Jan.  7,  1884.  In  1851,  became  to  New  York  city  with  his  family  and 
learned  brokerage  and  banking  in  the  house  of  Hallgarten  &  Co.  He  joined  the  old 
Open  Board  of  Brokers  and  in  1869,  the  Stock  Exchange.  The  high  character,  ample 
capital  and  able  business  methods  of  the  firm  commanded  success  and,  when  Mr.  Hall- 
garten died,  he  left  a  fortune  of  several  millions  to  Matilda,  his  wife,  and  his  son  Albert. 
Mr.  Hallgarten  served  for  several  years  as  president  of  The  Philharmonic  Society  and 
displayed  especial  interest  in  musical  and  art  matters.  His  gifts  to  the  Academy  of 
Design  and  for  the  encouragement  of  artists  were  large,  and  at  his  death,  he  willed 
$192,000  to  philanthropic  objects. 

JOHN  HALSEY,  hatter,  born  July  19,  1801,  died  Sept.  22,  1877,  in  Brooklyn. 
His  mother  was  a  member  of  the  Crafts  family  of  Boston,  and  his  father  traced  his 
genealogy  back  in  England  to  the  Norman  conquest.  The  ancient  residence  of  the 
family  was  at  Gladdesford  Park,  Hertfordshire.  Mr.  Halsey's  childhood  was  spent  in 
Boston.  The  family  came  to  New  York  about  1811,  and  young  Halsey  a  few  years 
later  entered  the  store  of  D.  L.  &  J.  E.  Haight,  merchants  of  hats  and  hat  furnishing 
goods.  He  was  rapidly  advanced  and  finally  became  a  partner,  the  firm  then  adopting 
the  style  of  Haight,  Halsey  &  Co.  About  1835,  Mr.  Halsey  and  his  two  brothers 
bought  estates  in  Brooklyn  on  Clinton  avenue  near  Myrtle.  This  was  then  almost  a 
country  region  and  Mr.  Halsey's  house  stood  far  back  from  the  street.  The  three 
brothers  married  three  sisters,  the  Misses  Curtis.  None  of  them  had  any  children,  and 
they  adopted  three  boys  and  a  girl,  all  of  one  family.  Mrs.  John  Halsey  died  in  1875. 
Mr.  Halsey  was  noted  for  his  liberal  spirit  and  aided  many  young  merchants  to  gain 
their  start.  He  was  a  Christian  gentleman  and  unswervingly  devoted  to  principle.  He 
never  held  political  office  but  was  honored  with  high  positions  in  benevolent  institutions 
and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  was  vice  president  of  The  Dime  Savings  Bank  of  Brook- 
lyn. He  had  been  a  director  in  The  Mechanics'  and  other  banks. 

JAMES  HOOKER  HAMERSLEY,  lawyer,  is  the  present  head  of  one  of  the  notable 
families  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  whose  history  is  worth  recounting.  His  ancestor 
William  Hamersley,  merchant,  born  in  England  in  1687,  died  in  New  York  city, 
August  3,  1752.  He  derived  his  descent  from  Hugo  le  Ktnge,  who  came  to  England 
from  Provence,  France,  about  1366,  and  acquired  a  large  estate  in  England,  known 
as  Hamersley,  whence  the  family  took  their  name.  Sir  Hugh  Hamersley,  of  this 
line,  a  notable  merchant  of  London  in  the  trade  with  East  Indies,  America  and  Europe, 
rose  to  be  Mayor  of  London  in  1627.  William  Hamersley,  his  great  grandson,  served 
as  an  officer  in  the  British  navy,  his  letter  of  appointment,  dated  March  10,  1700,  signed 
by  G.  Rooke,  D.  Mitchell,  and  George  Churchill,  all  noted  men,  being  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  James  Hooker  Hamerslsy,  together  with  the  original  letters  of  commenda- 
tion, signed  by  the  commanders  of  the  vessels  in  which  he  sailed,  advising  his  prefer- 
ment. About  1716,  he  came  to  New  York  city,  married  Miss  Van  Brugh,  of  an  old 
Dutch  family,  and  planted  here  the  family  of  his  name.  He  was  prominent  as  a.  mer- 
chant and  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  church.  His  tombstone  is  in  Trinity  church  yard. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  29! 

His  son,  Andrew  Hamersley,  for  whom  Hamersley  street,  now  West  Hous- 
ton, was  named,  born  in  this  city  in  1725,  died  May  24,  1819.  As  an  importer  of  foreign 
goods,  he  gained  considerable  wealth,  which,  however,  the  American  Revolution  greatly 
impaired,  owing  in  part  to  his  having  accepted  a  British  commission.  His  fortune  was 
restored  by  a  large  inheritance  from  Louis  Carre,  a  merchant  in  the  West  Indies.  He 
married  Margaret  Stelle,  a  granddaughter  of  Thomas  Gordon,  one  of  the  twenty-seven 
original  proprietors  of  New  Jersey  and  Chief  Justice  of  that  State.  In  their  home  on 
Hanover  Square,  near  Wall  street  the  family  became  noted  for  refinement  and  hospi- 
tality. Mr.  Hamersley  invested  his  means  mainly  in  Xew  York  city  real  estate.  He 
had  three  sons,  William,  Thomas,  and  Lewis  C.,  and  two  daughters,  Elizabeth  and 
Lucretia.  Lewis  Carre  Hamersley,  third  son  of  Andrew,  survived  all  his  brothers  and 
sisters,  and  died  Nov.  4,  1853,  eighty -six  years  of  age.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Finney, 
of  Virginia,  a  woman  of  noble  character  and  presence.  They  lived  in  Pearl  street 
many  years,  and  later  in  Murray  street,  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Hamersley;  but,  when 
stores  had  finally  grown  up  all  around,  the  widow  moved  on  to  Bond  street,  then  a 
fashionable  street,  and  later  to  No.  257  Fifth  Avenue,  where  she  died  March  30,  1870, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-eight.  They  had  one  daughter  who  never  married,  and  two  sons, 
Andrew  Gordon  and  John  William  Hamersley. 

Andrew  Gordon  Hamersley,  born  in  this  city  about  the  year  1806,  died  here  Jan. 
24,  1883.  A  lawyer  by  education,  he  never  practiced,  owing  to  inheritance  of  a  large 
share  of  his  father's  estate.  He  was  a  cultivated  man,  of  extended  knowledge  and 
delightful  manners,  and  might  have  followed  a  public  career,  had  he  chosen.  While 
Mr.  Rives  was  American  Minister  to  Paris,  he  served  as  attache  of  the  legation  with 
credit.  Being  much  in  Paris,  he  saw  many  stormy  scenes  in  the  politics  of  France, 
including  the  Revolution.  His  marriage  with  Sarah,  daughter  of  John  Mason, 
brought  him  one  son,  Louis  C.  Hamersley.  Mr.  Hamersley  was  a  large  stock- 
holder and  director  of  The  Chemical  Manufacturing  Co.,  which  gave  rise  to  The 
Chemical  Bank,  and  received  from  his  wife  a  considerable  addition  to  an  already  large 
fortune. 

Louis  Carre  Hamersley,  lawyer,  only  son  of  the  last  named,  died  in  the  city  of 
Xew  York,  May  3,  1883.  He  was  educated  at  Christ  Church  College,  Oxford,  Eng- 
land, and  afterward  at  the  Law  School  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York. 
His  legal  training  formed  merely  a  part  of  his  equipment  for  the  management  of  a 
property  of  about  five  millions,  mainly  in  real  estate,  left  to  him  by  his  father  and 
mother.  He  never  practiced.  His  wife,  Lilly  W  ,  daughter  of  Commodore  Price  of 
the  United  States  Navy  and  one  of  the  belles  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  her  native  city,  speedily 
became  a  social  leader  in  the  metropolis.  Mr.  Hamersley  joined  the  famous  7th  Regi- 
ment as  a  private,  atterward  becoming  captain  in  the  gth  N.  G. ,  S.  N.  Y.  Having  no 
children,  brothers  or  sisters,  he  provided  that  his  wife  should  enjoy  the  entire  income 
of  his  estate  until  her  death,  when  the  entire  property,  real  and  personal,  should 
descend  to  the  male  heirs  of  James  Hooker  Hamersley,  his  cousin,  and  in  case  of  lack 
of  such  heirs  to  charitable  institutions.  In  1888,  Mrs.  Hamersley  became  the  Duch- 
ess of  Marlborough  by  marriage  in  this  city,  and  established  her  residence  in  England, 
where  she  spent  large  sums  of  money  in  restoring  the  ancient  magnificence  of  Blenheim 
castle.  The  Duke  of  Marlborough  died  Nov.  9,  1892,  and  the  Duchess  has  since 
married  Lord  Beresford. 


292  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Col.  John  William  Hamersley,  lawyer,  born  on  Hanover  Square  in  this  city, 
May  24,  1808,  died  June  7,  1889,  at  his  home  on  Fifth  Avenue.  He  graduated 
from  Columbia  College  in  1826,  practiced  law  successfully  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
then  retired  to  devote  himself  to  travel  and  literary  pursuits.  In  the  early  part  of  his 
life,  he  was  presented  at  the  Court  of  Saint  James  and  travelled  extensively  through 
Europe  and  Asia  at  a  time  when  few  Americans  had  crossed  the  Atlantic.  He  was  a 
man  of  noble  presence  and  fine  character,  rugged  in  physique,  capable  of  great  labor, 
and  noted  for  his  religious  conviction.  Throughout  life  a  devoted  Christian,  he  gave 
amply  from  his  means  to  aid  the  causes  he  held  at  heart.  He  always  declined  to  hold 
public  office,  preferring  calm  retirement  and  study,  "otium  cum  dignitate,"  rather  than 
the  stormy  arena  of  politics.  He  collected  a  fine  library,  especially  rich  in  rare  books, 
wrote  several  works,  and  translated  "A  Chemical  Change  in  the  Eucharist,"  written  by 
Jacques  Abbadie,  the  Frenchman.  Mr.  Hamersley  was  a  founder  of  the  Union  club 
and  a  member  of  the  Century  and  St.  Nicholas  clubs.  He  joined  his  father  in  the 
management  of  the  family  real  estate,  and  by  his  excellent  judgment,  common  sense, 
energy,  ability  and  foresight,  greatly  increased  the  property.  His  Friday  night  recep- 
tions were  famous  for  the  number  of  eminent  writers  and  artists  who  attended  them, 
and  his  charities  liberal  and  unostentatious.  While  a  young  man,  he  accepted  an 
election  as  Colonel  of  a  militia  regiment  in  this  city.  He  came  prominently  before  the 
public  at  one  time,  in  consequence  of  a  strong  effort,  which  he  made  in  favor  of  the 
Mexican  Republic  against  France.  In  company  with  James  William  Beekman,  he  gave 
a  famous  banquet  in  New  York  to  a  large  number  of  distinguished  men,  at  which  earn- 
est speeches  were  made  in  favor  of  Mexico.  The  strong  expression  of  sympathy  by 
many  of  the  best  minds  of  the  country  influenced  Congress  to  recognize  the  Mexican 
Republic.  European  nations  followed,  and  this  resulted  in  the  defeat  of  Napoleon  and 
Maximilian  and  the  establishment  of  the  Mexican  Republic.  In  return  for  this  invalu- 
able assistance  to  Mexico,  in  her  darkest  hour,  Mr.  Hamersley  obtained  a  promise  from 
Mr.  Romero,  the  Mexican  Minister  at  Washington,  that  Maximilian's  life  should  be 
spared,  but  popular  clamor  among  the  Mexicans  was  so  strong  that  this  was  impossible. 
Captain  Mayne  Reid,  the  distinguished  British  author,  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Mr. 
Hamersley  and  made  him  the  hero  of  his  novel  "The  Lone  Ranche."  Mr.  Ham- 
ersley was  for  many  years  a  member  of  Grace  Church,  and  after  his  death  his. 
children  presented  to  that  church  a  massive  brass  lectern  in  his  memory.  One  of 
his  chief  favorites  among  the  charitable  institutions  was  The  Children's  Aid  Society. 
James  Hooker  Hamersley  has  built  for  this  charity,  in  memory  of  his  father,  a  library 
and  reading  room  at  the  summer  home,  Bath  Beach,  L.  I.  Mr.  Hamersley  married 
Catherine  Livingston  Hooker,  daughter  of  Judge  James  Hooker  of  Poughkeepsie  and 
a  lady  of  rare  abilities  and  sterling  worth.  Their  four  children  are  one  son,  James 
Hooker  Hamersley,  and  three  daughters,  Virginia  Hamersley,  wife  of  Cortlandt  de 
Peyster  Field;  Catherine  Livingston  Hamersley,  who  married  John  Henry  Livingston, 
a  great  grandson  of  Chancellor  Livingston;  and  Helen  Reade  Hamersley,  who  married 
Charles  D.  Stickney,  jr. 

James  Hooker  Hamersley,  son  of  Col.  John  W.  Hamersley,  born  in  New  York 
city.  Jan.  26,  1844,  is  the  descendant  of  several  conspicuous  families.  He  is  in  the 
fifth  generation  from  Judge  Thomas  Gordon,  one  of  the  Council  for  the  province  of  East 
Jersey;  Deputy  Secretary,  1692;  Judge  of  Probate,  1698;  Attorney  General  of  East 


294 


AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


Jersey,  1692;  representative  of  Amboy  in  the  Provincial  Assembly,  1702-9;  and  Re- 
ceiver General  and  Treasurer  of  the  province,  1710-19. 

He  is  also  in  the  fourth  generation  from  Joseph  Reade,  one  of  the  Provincial  Coun- 
cil of  New  York,  1764,  from  whom  Reade  street  in  this  city  derives  its  name. 

There  runs  in  his  veins  the  blood  of  the  Livingstons,  also,  Mr.  Hamersley  being  in 
the  sixth  generation  from  Robert  Livingston,  member  and  Speaker  of  the  Provincial 
Assembly,  1718-25,  and  founder  of  Livingston  Manor  on  the  Hudson  River. 

From  Filyp  Pieterse  Van  Schuyler,  captain  of  the  New  York  provincial  forces  in 
1667,  he  is  in  the  seventh  generation  of  descent. 

He  is  eighth  in  descent  from  Brant  Arentse  Van  Schlichtenhorst,  Governor  of  the 
colony  of  Rensselaerwick,  1648,  and  commandant  of  the  fort  and  garrison  of  Rensse- 
laerstein,  whose  most  conspicuous  military  operations  were  in  leading  his  forces  against 
Gov.  Stuyvesant,  of  New  Amsterdam,  in  which  he  was  in  the  main  successful. 

He  is  also  sixth  in  descent  from  Henry  Beekman,  who  obtained  from  Queen  Anne, 
by  letters  patent,  June  25,  1703,  a  large  tract  of  land  in  Dutchess  county,  a  portion  of 
which  Mr.  Hamersley  now  owns,  this  property  having  never  been  out  of  the  possession 
of  the  family  since  the  days  of  Queen  Anne. 

Mr  Hamersley  began  his  studies  as  a  boy  in  Paris,  fitted  himself  for  a  higher 
range  of  education  at  Poughkeepsie  College  Institute,  and  graduated  from  Columbia 
College  in  1865  with  high  honors.  He  obtained  an  oration  at  the  commencement  exer- 
cises in  the  Academy  of  Music.  Graduating  from  Columbia  Law  School  in  1867,  he 
learned  the  practice  of  law  in  the  office  of  James  W.  Gerard,  then  leader  of  the  New 
York  bar.  His  alma  mater  bestowed  upon  him  the  degree  of  A.B.  and  A.M. 

During  the  next  ten  years,  Mr.  Hamersley  was  successfully  occupied  with  the  law  and 
had  charge  of  a  series  of  precedent  cases,  connected  with  the  opening  of  Church  street 
and  involving  a  principle  of  great  importance  to  lawyers  and  property  owners.  These 
cases  were  carried  from  court  to  court,  and,  although  the  lower  tribunal  utterly 
opposed  Mr.  Hamersley's  views,  the  young  lawyer  persisted  until  he  had  obtained 
from  the  Court  of  Appeals  an  unanimous  decision  in  his  favor.  Many  kindred  cases 
followed  at  once  in  the  wake  of  that  decision.  The  incident  illustrates  the  tenacity, 
energy  and  intelligence  which  Mr.  Hamersley  has  always  brought  into  play  for  the 
attainment  of  his  purposes.  He  finally  withdrew  from  the  law  to  manage  his  own  and 
the  family  property.  A  conservative  man,  of  excellent  judgment  and  character,  and 
heartily  interested  in  affairs,  he  at  one  time  contemplated  a  public  career,  and  was  sent 
to  the  State  convention  by  the  Independent  Republicans  in  1877  as  a  delegate.  Later, 
he  was  nominated  for  the  State  Assembly  from  the  Xlth  District,  but  withdrew  in  favor 
of  his  friend,  William  Waldorf  Astor,  whom  he  labored  successfully  to  elect.  For 
many  years,  he  served  as  a  director  of  The  Knickerbocker  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  one  of 
the  oldest  in  America. 

April  30,  1888,  he  married  Margaret  Willing  Chisolm  of  New  York,  daughter 
of  William  Eddings  Chisolm  and  descendant  of  a  distinguished  family  of  South 
Carolina.  Her  mother  was  a  daughter  of  John  Rogers,  a  large  owner  of  real  estate  and  an 
honored  citizen  of  New  York  city.  The  Church  of  the  Holy  Communion  at  the  corner 
of  Fourth  avenue  and  2oth  street  is  a  memorial  to  the  memory  of  Mr.  Rogers,  built  by 
his  widow,  who  gave  both  the  land  and  Ihe  Church.  Mrs.  Hamersley  is  also  a  great- 
niece  of  the  Rev.  William  Augustus  Muhlenberg,  the  founder  of  Saint  Luke's  Hospital. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  295 

Mrs.  Hamersley  has  charming  manners,  sweet  disposition  and  great  executive  ability. 
Her  kind  heart  and  gracious  ways  make  friends  for  her  wherever  she  goes.  She  is 
much  interested  in  charitable  institutions.  They  have  had  three  children,  Margaret 
Rogers,  who  died  in  infancy;  Catharine  Livingston,  born  May  8,1891;  and  Louis  Gordon 
Hamersley,  born  July  20,  1892. 

James  Hooker  Hamersley  has  made  about  a  dozen  voyages  to  Europe,  and  has 
travelled  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Arctic  ocean.  At  the  age  of  twelve,  he  had  seen 
several  crowned  heads  and  nearly  a  score  ofvEuropean  capitals,  climbed  Mount  Vesuvius 
on  foot  and  been  presented  to  Pope  Pius  IX.  He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Nicholas 
Society,  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  the  University,  Metropolitan,  City  and  Badminton 
clubs,  The  New  York  Historical  Socity,  The  New  York  Law  Institute  and  The  American 
Geographical  Society,  and  president  of  the  Knickerbocker  Bowling  club.  He  is  a  lover 
of  history  and  the  classics,  and  spends  his  leisure  hours  in  reading  favorite  authors  in 
the  original.  Time  is  found  for  writing  upon  the  live  topics  of  the  day,  religion, 
politics,  etc.,  and  he  thus  influences  the  age  in  which  he  lives.  Many  poems  from  his 
pen  have  appeared  in  books,  periodicals  and  newspapers,  but  have  never  yet  been 
collected  in  one  volume.  Among  the  best  known  are  "The  Countersign,"  "Yellow 
Roses,"  "Fog  Curtain,"  "The  Midnight  Sun,"  "Ronkonkoma,"  "Masconomo"  and 
"Voice  of  the  Breakers."  A  staunch  Republican,  he  believes  that  every  American 
should  labor  for  the  welfare  of  his  country,  and  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  philan- 
thropic work,  being  a  trustee  of  The  Society  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor, 
member  of  the  executive  committee  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  (23d 
street  branch),  manager  of  the  Babies'  Hospital,  an  honorary  manager  of  The  Protestant 
Episcopal  Society  for  Seamen  and  interested  in  many  other  kindred  charities. 

COL.  ALEXANDER  HAfllLTON,  lawyer,  son  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  the  states- 
man, born  in  New  York  city,  May  16,  1786,  died  at  No.  83,  Clinton  Place,  Aug.  2,  1875. 
He  was  educated  as  a  lawyer,  followed  his  profession,  and  after  a  year  in  Spain  in  1812, 
served  in  the  War  of  1812  as  captain  of  the  4ist  Infantry.  He  then  resumed  the 
practice  of  law.  In  1817,  he  married  Eliza  P.,  daughter  of  William  Knox,  a  leading 
merchant  in  this  citjr.  In  1823,  President  Monroe  appointed  him  Land  Commissioner 
for  Eastern  Florida.  Both  before  and  after  this,  he  served  as  United  States  District 
Attorney  in  Florida,  and  while  there  received  the  rank  of  Colonel.  He  subsequently 
made  his  residence  in  New  York,  where  he  entered  into  real  estate  transactions,  in  which 
he  was  successful,  and  also  became  one  of  the  leading  men  in  Wall  street.  In  1835,  in 
company  with  his  wife,  he  drove  in  a  coach  and  four  over  4,000  miles  through  the 
West.  Colonel  Hamilton  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Henry  Clay,  and  had  many  other 
political  acquaintances,  but  never  held  elective  office,  excepting  that  of  Member  of 
Assembly  for  one  term.  A  political  contest,  however,  always  awakened  his  enthusiasm. 
He  left  no  children. 

COL.  JOHN  CHURCH  HAHILTON,  lawyer,  born  in  Philadelphia,  Aug.  22,  1792, 
while  his  father  was  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  died  in  Long  Branch,  N.  J.,  July  25, 
1882.  He  was  one  of  the  six  sons  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  soldier  and  statesman. 
His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler.  While  the  death  of  Alexander 
Hamilton,  in  consequence  of  the  historic  duel  with  Aaron  Burr,  left  the  family  in 
straitened  circumstances,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was,  nevertheless,  able  to 
graduate  in  1809  from  Columbia  College.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  engaged 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  During  the  War  of  1812,  he  served  as  an  aid  on  the 
staff  of  General  Harrison,  with  the  title  of  Colonel.  Originally  a  Whig,  he  joined  the 
Republican  party  before  the  Civil  War,  and  admired  and  supported  General  Grant,  and 
at  one  time  he  ran  for  Congress.  Marriage  placed  ample  means  at  his  command,  and 
Colonel  Hamilton  then  gave  himself  up  to  study  and  literary  pursuits.  In  1834-40,  he 
published  the  "  Memoirs  of  Alexander  Hamilton,"  in  which  he  brought  the  life  of  his 
father  down  to  the  tragedy  which  ended  it,  but,  with  a  delicacy  of  sentiment  charac- 
teristic of  him,  made  no  mention  of  that  event.  His  "  Works  of  Alexander  Hamilton," 
in  two  volumes,  appeared  in  1851.  In  1850-58,  he  published  a  "History  of  the  Republic, 
as  traced  in  the  Writings  of  Alexander  Hamilton,"  in  seven  volumes.  He  was  married 
Dec.  20,  1814,  to  Miss  Maria  Eliza  Van  den  Heuvel,  daughter  of  Baron  John  Cornelius 
Van  den  Heuvel,  once  Governor  of  Dulde,  Guiana,  and  a  leading  merchant  of  his  day, 
who  lived  at  the  corner  of  Barclay  street  and  Broadway  and  owned  a  handsome 
estate  at  Bloomingdale.  Mrs.  Hamilton  died  in  1872  Nine  children  survived  their 
father:  Alexander  Hamilton,  of  Tarrytown;  Gen.  Schuyler  Hamilton,  of  Jamaica, 
N.  Y. ;  Judge  Charles  A.  Hamilton,  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Wisconsin;  William 
Gaston  Hamilton,  civil  engineer  and  vice  president  of  The  Mexican  Telegraph  Co. ; 
Elizabeth,  who  first  married  Major  General  Henry  W.  Halleck,  and  after  his  death 
Major  General  George  W.  Cullum;  Mary  E.  wife  of  Judge  Charles  A.  Peabody;  and 
Charlotte  A.,  Adelaide  and  Alice  W.  Hamilton. 

ANSON  WALES  HARD,  sr.,  coffee  importer,  born  in  Arlington,  Vt.,  Oct.  16, 
1841,  is  a  son  of  the  Rev  Anson  B  Hard,  a  Protestant  fipiscopal  clergyman.  Educated 
in  the  academy  of  his  church  in  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Hard  began  life,  when  sixteen  years 
old.  as  a  clerk  in  his  uncle's  office  in  Baltimore.  In  1862,  he  came  to  New  York  as  the 
confidential  and  head  clerk  of  Wright,  Maxwell  &  Co.,  coffee  merchants,  and,  in  1870, 
became  a  partner  in  Wright  &  Co. ,  coffee  merchants.  Their  trade  was  largely  with 
Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  Mr.  Hard  spent  several  years  in  Brazil,  actively  promoting  their 
interests.  He  returned  to  the  North  in  1874,  and  in  1875,  formed  the  present  house 
of  Hard  &  Rand,  coffee  importers,  now  recognized  a  leading  concern  in  the  business, 
having  branch  houses  in  Santos,  Rio  de  Janeiro,  London  and  Batavia.  In  1870,  Mr. 
Hard  married  Miss  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  James  M.  Brown,  the  banker.  Nine  children 
have  resulted  from  this  union,  seven  of  whom  are  now  living,  James  M.  B.,  Sarah  A., 
Julia  P.,  Laura  W.,  Nellie  W.,  Anson  W.,  and  De  Courcey  L.  Hard.  Mr.  Hard 
is  widely  known  as  an  honest,  able  and  prudent  man.  -Jle  is  a  member  of  the 
Century.  Metropolitan  Riding,  Rockaway  Hunting,  Down  Town  and  Church  clubs, 
and  a  director  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  Bank  of  New  York, 
The  Seamen  s  Bank  for  Savings,  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  The  Home  for  Incurables,  The 
Society  of  St.  Johnland,  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  trustee  of 
The  ^Norwich  Fire  Insurance  Society  of  England. 

LOUIS  STANISLAS  HARGOUS*  banker,  born  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  Jan.  17,  1809, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  24,  1886.  His  father,  Jean  I.  Hargous,  a  captain  in  the 
Royal  Navy  of  France  and  a  staunch  Royalist,  came  to  this  country  on  the  Jason  under 
the  orders  of  Count  de  Grasse>  resigned,  and  married  Mile.  Marie  de  Brisson.  Louis 
graduated  from  Princeton  College,  of  which  his  cousin  was  a  member  of  the  faculty. 
At  an  early  age,  he  was  sent  to  Mexico,  where  he  entered  the  banking  house  of  La 
Serna  in  Vera  Cruz  and  the  City  of  Mexico,  afterward  known  as  Hargous  &  La  Serna. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  297 

For  seventeen  years,  he  represented  the  United  States  as  Consul  at  these  cities,  and 
during  the  Mexican  War  served  as  Colonel  on  the  staff  of  General  Worth.  After  the 
war,  he  resumed  banking  in  Mexico,  and  continued  until  1868,  when  he  retired  with  a 
fortune.  Until  1875,  he  lived  in  Richmond,  Va.,  and  then  settled  in  New  York  city. 
Mr.  Hargous  was  a  man  of  great  financial  ability  and  prominently  identified  with  many 
of  the  most  important  financial  transactions  in  Mexico.  He  spoke  six  languages 
fluently.  By  his  marriage  to  Suzanne  Jeannette,  daughter  of  William  Gallagher,  in 
1850,  he  had  eight  children,  Robert  L.  Hargous;  Nina,  wife  of  William  Appleton  of 
Boston ;  Anita,  wife  of  George  B.  Deforest  of  New  York ;  Sallie  J . ,  wife  of  Duncan  Elliot 
of  New  York,  and  Louis  J.  Hargous,  who  died  June  i,  1883.  Three  died  in  infancy. 

CHARLES  WILLIAH  HARKNESS,  lawyer,  son  of  the  late  Stephen  V.  Harkness 
of  Cleveland,  was  born  Dec.  17,  1860,  in  Monroeville,  O.,  and  received  his  education  in 
Yale  University,  class  of  1883,  and  Columbia  Law  School,  class  of  1888.  At  the  age  of 
twenty-four,  he  entered  business  life  as  a  clerk  and  was  occupied  with  the  real  estate 
interests  of  his  father.  At  the  death  of  his  father,  he  was  made  administrator  of  the 
estate,  and  has  been  engaged  since  then  in  its  management.  He  succeeded  his  father  as 
director  in  many  business  corporations,  including  The  Euclid  Avenue  National  Bank, 
The  Cleveland  Arcade  Co..  The  United  Salt  Co.s  The  Ohio  River  Railroad,  and  The 
Monongahela  River  Railroad;  also  in  The  Iron  Belt  Mining  Co.,  and  The  Ashland 
Mining  Co.  of  the  Gogebic  range  in  the  Lake  Superior  region  and  The  Spanish  Ameri- 
can Mining  Co.  of  Cuba.  In  1890,  he  moved  to  New  York  city  and  is  a  member  of  the 
University  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs 

JOSEPH  HENRY  HARPER,  publisher,  grandson  of  Fletcher  Harper,  one  of  the 
founders  of  Harper  &  Bro's,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  June  23,  1850.  He  was 
educated  in  a  school  in  Germany  and  Fay's  School  in  Newport,  R.  I.  Entering  the 
publishing  house  of  Harper  &  Bro's,  he  began  at  the  case  and  learned  the  trade  of  a 
compositor  and  then  successively  the  practical  work  of  each  department  in  the  busi- 
ness. He  became  a  partner  in  Harper  &  Bro's  in  1877,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of 
the  literary  and  periodical  department.  Liberal  in  taste,  socially  accomplished,  he  is 
prominent  in  the  literary  and  art  life  of  the  city,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Grolier,  Players,  Century,  Racquet,  Riding  and  Rockaway  Hunting  clubs.  By  his 
marriage  with  Mary,  daughter  of  Col.  Richard  M.  Hoe,  in  1873,  he  has  six  children, 
Fletcher,  Mary  Hoe,  Richard  M.  H  ,  Urling,  Joseph  Henry,  and  John  Harper. 

EDWARD  HARRIMAN,  stock  broker,  who  died  in  this  city  March  24,  1887, 
belonged  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  New  York  families,  and  was  the  inheritor  of 
considerable  wealth,  which  he  largely  increased  by  his  own  exertions.  He  made  his 
fortune  in  early  life,  in  partnership  with  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  under  the  name  of  Har- 
riman  &  Jerome,  in  brokerage  and  stock  operations.  About  1867,  the  parnership  was 
dissolved  and  Mr.  Harriman  retired  from  active  business.  He  enjoyed  thereafter  a 
tranquil  and  retired  life,  dividing  his  time  between  a  country  home  in  Hempstead  and 
this  city.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  club. 

COL.  WILLIAM  HAMILTON  HARRIS,  born  in  Albany,  N  Y.,  June  6,  1838,  is  a 
son  of  the  Hon.  Ira  Harris,  formerly  United  States  Senator  from  New  York.  Educated 
in  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point  and  the  University  of  Rochester,  he  retired  from 
the  United  States  army  after  thirteen  years  service,  1857-70,  during  which,  while  captain 
of  ordnance,  he  was  brevetted  Lieutenant  Colonel  tor  '  'gallant  and  meritorious  service"  in 


298  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

the  Wilderness  campaign.  Engaging  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  in  1870,  in  Decatur, 
111.,  and  Rosedale,  Kan.,  he  filled  with  credit,  later,  the  positions  of  treasurer  of  The  St. 
Louis,  Keokuk  &  Northwestern  Rail  way  and  president  of  The  Bucyrus  Steam  Shovel  & 
Dredge  Co.,  of  South  Milwaukee,  Wis.  In  1864,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emma  Hazen, 
daughter  of  the  late  Stillman  Witt,  of  Cleveland,  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  that 
city.  They  have  had  two  children,  Edith,  wife  of  Albert  Symington,  and  Emma  Witt 
Harris,  both  now  living  in  New  York  city.  In  1890,  Col.  Harris  changed  his  residence 
to  New  York,  and  is  engaged  in  various  manufacturing1  and  commercial  pursuits. 

FREDERICK  CHRISTIAN  HAVEflEYER,  sugar  refiner,  born  in  New  York  city, 
Feb.  5;  1807,  died  at  Throgg's  Neck,  N.  Y. ,  July  28,  1891.  He  was  a  son  of  Frederick 
C.  Havemeyer,  junior  partner  in  the  old  firm  of  W.  &  F.  C.  Havemeyer,  sugar  refiners. 
Frederick  left  Columbia  College  in  1823,  at  the  end  of  his  sophomore  year,  and  entered 
the  Havemeyer  sugar  refinery  in  Vandam  street,  as  an  apprentice.  The  factory  was 
then  producing  1,000,000  pounds  of  sugar  a  year,  employing  less  than  a  dozen  men. 
The  young  man  speedily  became  a  favorite  with  his  uncle  William,  and  under  him 
acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  industry.  He  worked  in  every  department  of 
the  factory,, from  that  of  supplying  the  furnace  with  fuel  to  the  final  stages  of  refining 
and  packing,  and  later  became  profoundly  versed  in  the  science  of  this  industry.  The 
little  old  sugar  house,  only  25  by  40  feet  in  ground  plan,  was  also  a  store  for  the  sale  of 
sugar.  Ladies  in  their  carriages  often  came  there  to  purchase  their  family  supply  of 
from  one  to  twenty  loaves  of  sugar  or  one  to  twenty  gallons  of  molasses.  In  1828, 
Mr.  Havemeyer  formed  a  partnership  with  his  cousin,  William  F.  Havemeyer,  in  after 
years  twice  Mayor  of  New  York,  under  the  name  of  W.  F.  &  F.  C.  Havemeyer,  jr. 
They  continued  refining  until  1842,  when  both  partners  retired  in  favor  of  their  broth- 
ers, Albert  and  Diedrick.  The  death  of  his  father  entailed  upon  Mr.  Havemeyer  the 
management  of  a  large  property,  and  he  was  busily  occupied  therewith  for  twelve 
years,  his  only  relaxation  being  one  tour  of  Europe  and  the  Southern  States.  In  1855, 
he  returned  to  sugar  refining,  organized  the  firm  of  Havemeyer,  Townsend  &  Co.,  and 
built  in  Williamsburg  the  first  of  the  collection  of  immense  buildings,  afterward  known 
all  over  the  world  as  the  refineries  of  Havemeyer  &  Elder.  In  1861,  the  partnership 
comprised  Frederick  C.  Havemeyer,  his  son  George,  and  Dwight  Townsend.  George 
Havemeyer  died  before  the  end  of  the  year,  and  Mr.  Townsend  soon  retired.  There- 
upon, Mr.  Havemeyer  admitted  as  partners  his  son  Theodore  A.  Havemeyer,  and  his 
son-in-law,  J.  Lawrence  Elder,  the  firm  name  being  then  changed  to  Havemeyers  & 
Elder.  Two  other  sons,  Thomas  J.  and  Henry  O.  Havemeyer,  and  Charles  H.  Senff, 
a  nephew,  were  also  admitted  in  time.  The  manufacturing  plant  of  the  firm  now 
covers  five  city  blocks,  and  has  a  great  water  frontage  upon  the  East  River.  It  is  the 
largest  sugar  refinery  in  the  world.  Mr.  Havemeyer  was  married  March  31,  1831,  to 
Sarah  Osborne,  daughter  of  Christopher  and  May  Townsend.  Ten  children  were  born 
to  them,  including  Charles,  Theodore  A.,  George  W.,  Henry  O.,  Thomas  J.  and  Fred- 
erick C.  Havemeyer;  Mary  O.,  wife  of  J.  Lawrence  Elder;  Kate  B.,  wife  of  Louis  J. 
Belloni;  Sarah  Louise,  wife  of  Frederick  W.  Jackson,  and  Warren  H.  Havemeyer. 
-His  son,  THEODORE  AUGUSTUS  HAVEflEYER,  refiner,  was  born  in  New 
York  city,  May  17,  1839.  He  entered  the  sugar  refining  business  of  his  father  in  1857, 
and  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  1861.  After  a  successful  career  as  an  independent 
refiner,  he  joined  The  American  Sugar  Refining  Co.,  and  is  now  an  active  director. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  299 

In  1889,  he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  E.  C.  Potter  &  Co.,  bankers.  Mr. 
Havemeyer  has  taken  an  active  part  in  real  estate  operations  and  owns  many  impor- 
tant properties.  The  great  Havemeyer  building  on  Cortlandt  street  was  constructed  by 
him.  In  1863,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Emilie  de  Loosey,  daughter  of  Sir  Charles  F. 
de  Loosey,  and  that  union  has  brought  him  the  following  children :  Charles  F. ,  Natha- 
lie, Emilie,  Blanche,  Marie,  Theodore,  Henry,  Dora,  and  Frederick  Havemeyer.  Mr. 
Havemeyer  is  a  man  of  prominence  in  social  life,  owning  a  residence  on  Madison 
avenue  and  a  palatial  "cottage"  in  Newport,  and  holding  membership  in  the  Union 
League,  Tuxedo,  Coaching,  Metropolitan,  Meadow  Brook  Hunting  and  New  York 
Yacht  clubs.  He  is  Consul  General  of  Austria-Hungary,  in  this  city. 

HENRY  OSBORNE  HAVEHEYER,  sugar  refiner,  a  son  of  Frederick  C.  Have- 
meyer, was  born  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  18,  1847.  He  received  an  excellent  education 
in  public  and  private  schools  and  in  1869  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  Havemeyers 
&  Elder.  In  a  few  years,  he  found  himself  practically  the  manager.  Enormous  as  was 
the  business  of  the  firm,  Mr.  Havemeyer  foresaw  possibilities  muqh  greater  in  a  union 
of  the  sugar  refining  firms  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  then  in  rivalry.  Mainly 
through  his  efforts,  the  great  American  Sugar  Refining  Co.  was  organized  Jan.  1 2,  1891. 
In  that  corporation  were  merged  The  Havemeyer  &  Elder  Sugar  Refining  Co.,  The  De 
Castro  &  Donner  Sugar  Refining  Co.,  The  Havemeyer  Sugar  Refining  Co.,  The  Brook- 
lyn Sugar  Refining  Co.,  The  Moller  &  Sierck  Co.,  The  Dick  &  Meyer  Co.,  The  F.  O. 
Matthiessen  &  Wiechers  Sugar  Ref  g  Co. ,  The  North  River  Sugar  Refining  Co. ,  and 
several  others  in  Boston,  New  Orleans,  St.  Louis,  and  San  Francisco.  Purchase  has 
since  been  made  by  this  new  company  of  the  refineries  of  Claus  Spreckels  and  Har- 
rison, Frazier  &  Co.,  in  Philadelphia.  The  capital  stock  is  now  $75,000,000,  making 
this  one  of  the  greatest  corporations  in  the  country.  Mr.  Havemeyer  has  revealed 
abilities  of  a  high  order  and  manages  the  affairs  of  his  concern  with  fidelity  and  success. 
Aug.  22,  1883,  he  was  married  to  Louisine  Waldron,  daughter  of  George  W.  Elder,  of 
The  Havemeyer  &  Elder  Sugar  Refining  Co.  They  have  had  three  children  Adaline, 
Horace  and  Electra.  Mr.  Havemeyer  owns  a  house  on  East  66th  street,  corner  of 
Fifth  avenue,  but  since  1883  has  been  legally  a  resident  of  Greenwich,  Conn.,  where  he 
has  erected  and  presented  to  the  town,  at  a  cost  of  $250,000,  a  magnificent  public  school 
house.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Grolier  and  Riding  clubs. 

WILLIAM  FREDERICK  HAVEMEYER,  sugar  refiner,  and  three  times  Mayor  of 
Xew  York,  was  born  in  this  city,  Feb.  12,  1804. 

The  name  of  Hoevemeyer,  in  which  form  it  appears  in  the  early  records  of  the  city 
of  Bueckeburg,  Germany,  is  traced  back  to  Hermann  Hoevemeyer,  in  the  year  1600. 
His  descendant  in  the  sixth  generation,  William  Havemeyer,  a  native  of  Bueckeburg, 
who  was  left  an  orphan  in  childhood,  went  to  London,  England,  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
where  he  learned  the  art  of  sugar  refining.  He  was  a  capable  young  man  and  became 
superintendent  of  a  sugar  refinery  upon  attaining  his  majority.  In  1799,  he  came  to 
New  York  city  to  take  charge  of  the  sugar  house  in  Pine  street,  belonging  to  Edmund 
Seaman  &  Co.  He  dwelt  next  to  the  sugar  house  for  several  years.  In  1807,  he  built 
a  sugar  house  of  his  own  in  Vandam  street,  and  was  successfully  engaged  in  sugar 
refining,  with  his  brother,  Frederick  C.  Havemeyer,  until  his  death. 

William  Frederick  Havemeyer,  eldest  son  of  William,  graduated  from  Columbia 
College  in  1823,  having  shown  himself  a  proficient  student,  especially  in  mathematics. 


300 


. 
AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 


His  preference  for  a  business  career  led  him  to  enter  his  father's  office  as  a  clerk,  and 
there  he  made  a  patient  study  both  of  the  art  of  sugar  refining  and  the  management 
of  the  mercantile  department.  In  March,  1828,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
cousin,  Frederick  Christian  Havemeyer,  as  W.  F.  &  F.  C.  Havemeyer,  and  engaged  iii 
this  business  on  his  own  account,  and  was  occupied  successfully  for  fourteen  years. 
In  his  financial  relations,  he  exhibited  sterling  honesty  and  a  high  sense  of  honor.  His 
methods  were  so  prudent,  that  in  the  widespread  failure  and  distrust  of  1837  no  doubt 
was  ever  entertained  of  the  strength  of  his  firm.  He  gained  the  entire  esteem  of  his 
fellow  merchants  by  uncompromising  integrity,  just  and  honorable  dealing,  and  the 
care  and  sagacity  displayed  in  every  detail  of  his  business. 

Judicious  investments,  his  high  character,  and  his  reputation  as  a  man  of  sound 
judgment,  resulted  in  his  election,  in  1851,  to  the  presidency  of  The  Bank  of  North 
America,  whose  affairs  he  directed  skillfully  through  the  crisis  of  1857.  In  1857,  he 
was  elected  president  of  The  New  York  Savings  Bank,  resigning,  after  an  able  admin- 
istration, from  both  banks  in  1861.  He  owned  a  large  interest  in  The  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Co.,  and  The  Long  Island  Railroad,  of  both  of  which  he  was  vice  president.  He 
was  also  trustee  or  director  in  various  fiscal  institutions,  in  which  his  opinions  were 
always  greatly  valued. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  sugar  business,  public  affairs  attracted  much  of  his 
attention.  He  was  a  pronounced  Democrat  and  always  held  it  to  be  a  reproach,  that 
influential  citizens  should  take  so  little  interest  in  their  own  government.  His  admira- 
tion and  support  of  General  Jackson  brought  him  into  friendly  relations  with  Martin 
Van  Buren,  with  whom  he  corresponded  concerning  his  political  course  as  President. 

In  1844,  he  was  elected  one  of  the  three  delegates  from  the  Eighth  Ward  to  the 
Democratic  General  Committee  of  the  city.  He  was  nominated  for  Presidential  elector 
at  the  Syracuse  convention  of  his  party,  Sept.  4,  1844,  and  cast  his  vote  in  the  Electoral 
College  for  James  K.  Polk  as  President  and  George  M.  Dallas  as  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States. 

April  8,  1845,  he  was  elected  by  the  Democratic  party,  Mayor  of  New  York,  and 
was  inaugurated,  May  13,  1845.  He  held  office  one  year,  and  then  declined  a  renomina- 
tion,  which  had  been  urged  upon  him  by  the  leaders  of  opinion  in  both  political  parties. 
In  May,  1847,  he  was  one  of  the  fourteen  delegates  from  New  York  city  to  the  Demo- 
cratic State  judicial  convention  at  Syracuse  and  was  unanimously  elected  its  president. 

In  1847,  Mr.  Havemeyer  made  a  vigorous  effort  to  remedy  the  abuses  which  were 
then  being  practiced  upon  immigrants;  and  as  a  result,  a  law  was  passed  May  5,  1847, 
creating  the  Board  of  Emigration  Commissioners,  of  which  he  became  the  first  presi- 
dent, June  15,  1847.  He  was  succeeded  by  Gulian  C.  Ver  Planck.  Many  of  the 
wrongs  to  which  immigrants  had  been  subjected  were  corrected  under  his  energetic 
management.  His  German  origin  and  his  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  wants  and 
manners  of  the  large  German  element  in  the  immigration  to  this  country,  added  to  his 
other  personal  qualifications,  made  his  selection  for  this  position  a  fortunate  one.  After 
holding  the  office  for  one  year  and  accomplishing  the  purpose  upon  which  he  was  bent, 
he  retired  from  the  Board. 

April  n,  1848,  Mr.  Havemeyer  was  again  elected  Mayor  of  New  York,  being 
inaugurated  May  gth.  His  administration  during  this  term  was  again  generally  satis- 
factory to  the  people  of  the  city  without  regard  to  party.  He  was  notable  for  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  301 

scrupulous  care  which  he  gave  to  all  details  of  administration,  his  rigid  scrutiny  of  ex- 
penditures, and  his  earnest  effort  to  secure  the  same  honest  and  economical  manage- 
ment of  corporation  affairs,  which  is  enforced  in  private  business.  At  the  expiration 
of  one  year,  he  retired  from  office,  although  again  urged  by  leading  men  and  journals 
to  accept  another  term  of  service. 

The  police  force  of  New  York  had  its  foundation  during  Mr.  Havemeyer's  service 
as  Mayor.  Night  watchmen  before  that  time  had  been  the  only  guardians  of  the 
peace.  Thinking  that  the  support  of  both  -parties  would  be  necessary  to  the  success  of 
the  system,  and  wishing  its  control  to  be  free  from  partisanship,  he  displayed  his 
public  spirit  by  appointing  as  Chief  of  Police,  a  Whig,  Mr.  Taylor.  Although  con- 
firmed by  the  Assistant  Alderman,  the  appointment  was  rejected  by  the  Aldermen. 

After  his  retirement  from  the  Mayoralty  in  1849,  Mr.  Havemeyer  continued  his 
active  participation  in  public  affairs,  and  in  1859,  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democrats 
for  Mayor,  but  was  defeated  by  Fernando  Wood,  the  candidate  of  Mozart  Hall. 

During  the  Civil  War,  he  was  an  earnest  and  influential  Union  man.  He  believed 
that  the  rebellion  could  not  be  maintained  and  expressed  his  opinions  on  that  point 
with  his  usual  independence.  He  always  favored  a  decisive  policy,  was  an  early  advo- 
cate of  the  abolition  of  slavery  as  a  war  measure,  and  aided  in  measures  for  carrying  on 
the  war.  He  presided  at  one  of  the  four  great  public  meetings  held  simultaneously  in 
Union  Square,  April  21,  1861,  to  give  expression  to  the  patriotism  of  New  York  city. 
On  one  occasion,  before  the  issue  of  the  Emancipation  Proclamation,  in  conversation 
with  Secretary  Seward,  he  urged  the  necessity  of  prompt  and  vigorous  measures  and 
said,  "  If  a  man  has  a  gangrene,  he  does  not  poultice  it,  or  trifle  with  it;  he  cuts  it  out. 
And  so  this  evil,  slavery,  ought  to  be  cut  out." 

July  10,  1866,  Mr.  Havemeyer  was  selected,  with  Thurlow  Weed,  to  arbitrate  a 
controversy  between  the  Board  of  Public  Charities  and  Correction  and  the  Commis- 
sioners of  Emigration,  relative  to  claims  which  had  been  pending  more  than  ten  years 
and  involved  more  than  $100,000.  After  a  patient  and  exhaustive  investigation,  the 
arbitrators  reached  a  decision,  which  was  received  as  so  satisfactory  a  settlement  that 
they  were  publicly  thanked  by  both  boards. 

Mr.  Havemeyer  strenuously  urged  at  all  times  upon  his  fellow-citizens  the  neces- 
sity of  active  work  to  secure  good  government.  He  grew  impatient  at  the  political 
apathy  of  many  of  the  respectable  and  wealthy  men  of  New  York. 

In  the  spring  of  1870,  he  united  with  other  leading  citizens  in  organizing  the  Coun- 
cil of  Reform,  having  for  its  object  the  exposure  of  the  Tweed  Ring.  He  presided  at 
the  meetings  of  April  6  and  Sept.  4,  1871,  at  Cooper  Institute,  and  was,  on  account  of 
his  public  spirit,  solicited  to  accept  the  nomination  for  Mayor,  but  was  inclined  to 
refuse,  owing  to  the  indifference  of  the  people  toward  public  affairs.  It  was  at  the 
great  meeting  of  Sept.  4,  that  a  number  of  taxpayers  known  as  the  Committee  of  Sev- 
enty were  selected.  His  speech  on  that  occasion  was  one  of  the  most  fearless  and  out- 
spoken of  any  in  the  denunciation  of  official  wrong-doing.  He  was  elected  vice 
president,  afterwards  president,  of  the  Committee,  and  was  one  of  the  most  active  and 
influential  members  of  that  body.  His  long  experience  in  politics  rendered  his  services 
especially  valuable.  An  address  to  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York  was  prepared 
and  issued  and  an  active  and  successful  campaign  initiated. 

During  the  campaign  of  1871,   Mr.  Havemeyer  was,  on  October  2ist,  nominated 


302 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


by  the  Republicans  for  Mayor;  and  this  action  was  ratified  by  the  Committee  of  Sev- 
enty, and  later  by  the  United  Reform  convention.  The  nomination  was  reluctantly 
accepted.  At  the  ensuing  election  he  was  handsomely  elected,  defeating  Abraham  R. 
Lawrence  and  James  O'Brien,  and  was  inaugurated  Jan.  i,  1872.  Under  the  new  charter 
of  1873,  Mayor  Havemeyer  and  the  Board  of  Aldermen  were  empowered  to  reorganize 
the  city  government.  The  Mayor's  independence  of  mind  led  him  to  select  for  appoint- 
ments men  of  high  character  and  position.  Some  of  his  nominations  were  confirmed 
by  the  Board  of  Aldermen,  but  others  were  opposed.  It  was  while  these  matters  were 
under  discussion  that,  Nov.  30,  1874,  while  seated  at  his  desk  in  his  office  in  the  City 
Hall,  examining  his  correspondence,  he  was  stricken  with  heart  disease.  He  passed 
away  in  a  few  moments. 

Mr.  Havemeyer  was  married  April  15,  1828,  in  Craigville,  N.  Y.,  to  Sarah  Agnes, 
a  daughter  of  Hector  Craig,  Member  of  Congress  and  afterward  Surveyor  of  the  Port 
of  New  York.  His  wife  survived  him,  with  six  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  sons 
were  John,  Henry,  Hector,  James,  Charles  and  William  F.  Havemeyer,  jr.  The 
daughters  were  Sarah  C.,  wife  of  Hector  Armstrong,  and  Laura  A.,  wife  of  Isaac  W. 
Maclay.  About  1848,  Mr.  Havemeyer  built  the  house  No  215,  now  known  as  335  West 
1 4th  street,  where  he  resided  up  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  brought  up  in  the 
Lutheran  faith,  but  in  early  manhood  attended  St.  Luke's  Protestant  Episcopal 
church.  After  the  building  of  the  Seventh  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  church  he  was 
a  regular  attendant  there,  although  not  a  member  of  any  religious  body. 

Mr.  Havemeyer  died  at  his  post  of  duty.  From  his  youth,  he  had  been  an  active, 
progressive,  even  combative  man,  finding  work  a  pleasure  and  rest  a  task.  Rugged 
and  positive  in  character,  his  forcible  manner  did  not  inspire  the  affection,  but  it  always 
won  the  respect  01  all.  He  possessed  a  gentle  and  charitable  heart,  and  was  exceed- 
ingly helpful  to  the  friendless.  Intimate  acquaintance  with  him  revealed  his  genuine 
kindness  ol  nature,  as  well  as  the  undeviating  rectitude  of  his  intentions  and  his  earn- 
est devotion  to  the  welfare  of  the  community.  Born  when  the  city  contained  a  popu- 
lation of  only  67,000  souls,  he  was  an  active  influence  in  its  affairs  during  the  period  of 
its  marvelous  growth ;  and,  when  its  population  had  increased  to  1,000,000,  he  was  for 
the  third  time  its  chief  magistrate.  His  life  record  is  that  of  the  wise  and  upright 
merchant,  the  patriotic  and  useful  citizen,  and  the  practical  philanthropist. 

HECTOR  CRAIG  HAVEMEYER,  sugar  refiner,  born  in  New  York  city,  July  23, 
1840,  died  in  Paris,  France,  Dec.  14,  1889.  He  was  a  son  of  the  late  William  F.  Have- 
meyer, Mayor  of  New  York,  and  while  he  gave  no  evidence  of  inheriting  his  father's 
taste  and  ability  for  public  life,  demonstrated  at  an  early  age  a  very  large  share  of  the 
family  aptitude  for  business.  He  received  an  excellent  education  but  left  Union  Col- 
lege without  graduation.  He  then  studied  the  methods  of  sugar  refining  abroad,  es- 
pecially in  Hamburg,  and  upon  his  return  in  1865,  entered  the  house  of  Harris  &  Day- 
ton, sugar  refiners,  on  Leonard  street.  Another  trip  to  Europe  followed,  during  which 
he  investigated  special  branches  of  the  business.  He  then  joined  his  uncle,  Albert 
Havemeyer,  in  starting  on  North  Second  street,  Williamsburg,  a  model  sugar  refinery, 
which  was  afterward  merged  into  the  Havemeyer  and  Elder  concerns.  In  1871,  he  pur- 
chased the  plant  of  The  Greenpoint  Sugar  Refining  Co. ,  reconstructed  it  entirely  and 
carried  on  the  business  successfully  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1873,  ne  started  another 
refinery  in  Jersey  City  under  the  name  of  Havemeyers,  Eastwick  &  Co.  These  two 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HA.  303 

houses  were  afterward  united  under  the  name  ot  The  Havemeyer  Sugar  Refining  Co.  of 
which  Mr.  Havemeyer  was  president,  and  his  brother,  William  F.  Havemeyer,  vice  presi- 
dent. These  two  houses  were  prominent  members  ot  the  Sugar  Refineries  combina- 
tion, which  can  trace  its  orij^in  from  this  source.  Mr.  Havemeyer  was  a  member  of 
the  Union  League  club.  He  never  married.  He  was  an  excellent  performer  on  the 
violin,  and  owned  one  of  the  finest  Stradavarius  violins  in  existence. 

CHARLES  GERARD  HAVENS,  lawyer,  born  in  Brookhaven,  N,  Ye,  Sept.  27, 
1808,  died  Jan,  7,  1888,  at  his  home  in  East  ipth  street  in  this  city.  He  was  a  son  ot 
Capt.  Merodach  Havens,  a  son  or  Capt.  Daniel  Havens,  who  was  a  well  known  Long 
Island  ship  master.  He  came  to  this  city  while  a  young  man,  read  law,  and  aftei  ad- 
mission to  the  bar,  began  practice  in  partnership  with  the  late  Charles  B.  Moore.  In 
or  about  1838,  he  became  junior  to  the  distinguished  counsellor,  George  Griffin,  In 
1844,  he  became  a  member  ot  the  law  firm  or  Cutting,  Moore  &  Havens,  of  which  the 
great  advocate,  Francis  B.  Cutting,  was  the  head.  But  six  or  seven  years  of  the  labor 
of  this  overtaxed  office  sufficed  to  undermine  his  health.  He  retired  from  active  prac- 
tice and  thereafter  devoted  himself  to  hi.  investments  in  real  estate,  of  which  he  was  an 
active  buyer  and  seller  on  a  large  scale.  He  was  a  member  oi  The  American  Geograph- 
ical Society  and  at  one  time  of  the  Union  League  club  and  also  a  fellow  member  of 
Charles  O'Conor,  Augustus  Schell,  Edgar  S.  Van  Winklej  William  M.  Prichard  and 
Senator  Evarts  in  the  "Column."  He  was  a  personal  friend  of  Edwin  Forrest  and  as 
surety,  on  his  appeal  bonds,  became  involved  in  the  divorce  suit  oi  Forrest  versus  For- 
rest. Mr.  Havens  was  a  man  of  action  rather  than  a  student,  quick  to  decide,  and 
energetic  in  carrying  out  his  resolutions,  his  integrity  being  ot  the  most  sterling  sort. 
He  was  a  staunch  friend  and  an  obstinate  adversary.  In  1871,  he  caused  to  be  organ- 
ized The  Havens  Relief  Fund  Society,  the  purpose  of  which  was  and  is  "  relief  of  pov- 
erty and  distress  and  especially  the  offering  of  temporary  reliei  to  unobtrusive  suffering 
endured  by  industrious  and  worthy  persons."  Never  having  married  and  considering 
himself  entirely  free  to  dispose  as  he  thought  fit  oi  the  fortune,  no  part  of  which  was 
inherited,  he  devoted  the  major  part  ot  it  to  the  charity  thus  founded  by  him. 

WILLIAM  SAMUEL  HAWK,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Windsor  Hotel,  born 
in  Canton,  O.,  Feb.  u,  1859,  springs  from  a  family  oi  hotel  men.  Both  of  his  grand- 
fathers conducted  taverns  in  Ohio  in  their  day,  becoming  favorably  known  among 
Eastern  merchants  and  travellers.  Samuel  Hawk,  uncle  ot  William  S.  Hawk>  a  com- 
petent and  enterprising  man,  grew  up  in  this  occupation,  and  finally  left  Ohio  to  take 
charge  of  a  hotel  in  Chicago,  where  he  gained  reputation  as  a  careful  and  excellent 
host.  The  family  thus  became  well  known  both  in  the  East  and  West,  and  when 
Samuel  Hawk  came  to  New  York  to  take  charge  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel  on  Broad- 
way, the  name  had  something  to  do  with  his  success  in  making  that  famous  and  now 
extinct  house,  not  only  a  headquarters  for  Western  merchants,  but,  for  a  long  period, 
the  most  fashionable  hotel  in  New  York  city. 

While  a  lad,  William  S.  lost  his  father>  William  Hawk,  by  death,  and  was  educated 
in  New  York  by  Samuel  Hawk,  who  adopted  him  as  a  son  and  trained  him  for  the 
responsibilities  of  an  active  life.  The  boy  went  to  school  first  in  the  family  of  an 
Episcopal  clergyman  in  Pelham,  N,  Y..  and  studied  later  in  Graylock  Institute  in  South 
Williamstown,  Mass.,  and  the  old  Anthon  Grammar  School  and  Charlier  Institute  in 
New  York.  In  1875,  he  made  a  six  months'  tour  of  Europe,  resumed  his  studies,  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.  —  HA. 


3°5 


then,  in  1877,  found  employment  with  the  dry  goods  firm  of  William  Knisley  &  Co.,  at 
No.  360  Broadway.  Beginning  as  a  stock  boy,  and  compelled  to  rely  upon  himself,  the 
young  man  worked  his  way  up,  until  Mr.  Knisley  expressed  a  desire  to  interest  him  in 
the  firm. 

In  the  meantime,  however,  in  1873,  Hawk  &  Wetherbee  had  opened  the  Windsor 
Hotel,  at  that  time  the  most  luxurious  and  aristocratic  hostelry  in  New  York.  In  1878, 
Samuel  Hawk,  whose  health  had  failed,  was  preparing  by  the  advice  of  a  physician  to 
go  abroad  and  greatly  wished  the  company  of  his  nephew.  William  left  the  store  and 
its  opportunities,  therefore,  in  1878,  and  passed  nine  months  in  a  beneficial  tour  of 
Europe  and  a  long  visit  to  the  Nile.  When  he  returned  to  America,  he  followed  the 
traditions  of  his  family  and  entered  the  Windsor  Hotel  on  Fifth  avenue,  conducted  by 
his  uncle,  and  gave  himself  up  to  a  thorough  training  in  all  departments  of  the  man- 
agement. He  began  in  the  store  room  in  the  back  part  of  the  hotel,  weighed  the  meats 
and  groceries,  studied  prices,  and  kept  the  books  of  the  steward's  department,  going 
with  his  uncle  on  purchasing  trips  to  the  markets,  and  in  general  permeating  this 
whole  branch  of  the  business  with  his  activity.  Important  as  the  steward  is  to  a  hotel, 
there  are  other  important  features  to  the  business.  It  is  sufficient  to  say,  however,  in 
brief,  that  under  the  elder  Hawk's  sound  and  thorough  training,  William  gained  such 
an  intimate  knowledge  of  every  essential  detail  of  the  business,  that,  when  finally 
admitted  to  the  firm  of  Hawk  &  Wetherbee,  he  proved  a  valuable  accession  to  the 
management.  In  1882,  upon  his  uncle's  death,  he  succeeded  him  in  the  business.  The 
training  he  had  received  then  proved  to  him  of  more  value  than  the  legacy  of  a  fortune. 
While  other  hotels,  larger  and  more  magnificent  to  the  eye,  have  since  been  established 
in  Xew  York,  the  Windsor  has,  under  the  management  of  the  present  firm,  retained 
the  good  will  of  the  travelling  public  and  remained  one  of  the  most  profitable  hotel 
properties  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Hawk  has.  like  other  successful  men,  gradually  come  to  display  his  public 
spirit  by  his  interest  in  various  independent  enterprises.  He  is  a  vestryman  in  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  Zion  and  St.  Timothy,  president  of  a  boys'  club  on  the 
West  Side,  and  a  member  of  The  Hotelmen's  Association,  before  which  he  delivered 
his  first  after  dinner  speech  at  the  annual  banquet  in  Delmonico's  in  1894.  He  has 
joined  the  Ohio  Society,  of  which  he  has  been  a  governor,  the  Symphony  and  Oratorio 
Societies,  and  the  Union  League  club,  in  which  he  has  been  elected  to  the  Executive 
Committee,  an  honor  rarely  conferred  on  so  young  a  man.  O;  The  Carnegie  Music 
Hall  Co.,  he  was  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee,  which  recently  erected  the 
large  addition  to  this  edifice  on  56th  street,  containing  a  large  number  of  studios  and 
music  rooms,  and  was  subsequently  elected  president  of  the  company.  He  is  also  a. 
director  of  the  new  Brooklyn  Warehouse  &  Storage  Co.  In  honor  of  his  uncle's  memory 
he  has  lately  fitted  up  a  complete  ward  in  The  Aultman  Memorial  Hospital  in  his  native 
town,  the  only  hospital  of  its  kind  on  the  railroad  between  Allegheny,  Pa.,  and  Fort 
Wayne,  Ind.  He  is  active  in  promoting  reform  work  among  young  men,  and  interested 
in  art  and  music. 

By  his  marriage  with  Edith  Alliene,  daughter  of  William  H.  Davis,  in  1882,  he  is 
the  father  of  two  children,  Annette  Catherine  and  Edith  Oliva  Hawk. 

Mr.  Hawk  believes  that  every  American  should  play  a  part  in  affairs,  and  do 
something  towards  making  the  world  better.  He  shows  by  his  example  exactly  what 


306  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

he  means,  and  he  has  been  especially  useful  in  aiding  young  men  to  secure  positions, 
and  to  plant  their  feet  upon  the  path,  by  which,  with  fidelity,  intelligence  and  industry, 
it  is  possible  for  them  to  attain  a  success  equal  to  his. 

HENRY  EUGENE  HAWLEY,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  is  a  son  of 
the  late  Irad  Hawley,  a  New  York  merchant  of  high  standing,  who  became  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Holmes,  Hawley  &  Co.,  in  1812  and  retired  in  1839,  thereafter  identifying 
himself  with  railroad  and  coal  interests.  He  was  for  many  years  a  director  in  various 
corporations,  among  them  The  Boston  &  Providence  Railroad,  The  Chicago  &  Rock 
Island  Railroad,  The  Tradesmen's  Bank,  and  several  insurance  companies,  was  for  a 
considerable  time  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  of  The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal 
Co.,  and  subsequently  formed  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.,  of  which  he  was  first  presi- 
dent. His  son,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  graduated  from  Yale  University  in  1860, 
became  a  partner  in  the  house  of  Carter,  Hawley  &  Co.  in  1864,  and  is  at  present 
the  head  of  that  firm,  which  does  an  extensive  commission  business  throughout  the 
United  States  and  also  in  China  and  Japan,  and,  through  their  "correspondents,  The 
Netherlands  Trading  Society  of  Holland,  with  Europe,  the  East  Indies  and  South 
America.  Mr.  Hawley  has  been  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  for  more 
than  twenty  years  and  a  director  in  several  prominent  companies.  He  has  also  been 
identified  with  many  of  the  New  York  charities,  being  a  trustee  of  The  Children's  Aid 
Society  and  The  Five  Points  House  of  Industry.  Among  the  social  organizations  to 
which  he  belongs  are  the  Union  League,  University  and  Riding  clubs,  the  Century  and 
Down  Town  Associations  and  the  Yale  Alumni.  He  was  married  in  1862  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  William  S.  Lockwood,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  and  has  three  children:  Sadie 
Hawley,  Henrietta  E.  Hawley,  and  Edith,  wife  of  Coleman  G.  Williams. 

AARON  HEALY,  tanner,  born  Sept.  18,  1814,  in  Hallowell,  Me.,  is  a  son  of  Aaron 
Healy,  a  manufacturer  of  hats,  and  was  educated  in  Waterville,  Me.  Beginning  life 
as  a  school  teacher,  he  finally  moved  to  New  York  city  to  accept  a  place  as  clerk  with 
a  firm  of  tanners  and  leather  merchants.  In  February,  1852,  having  saved  a  small  sum 
of  money,  he  helped  form  the  firm  of  Smull  &  Healy  and  engaged  in  tanning  and  the 
sale  of  leather.  Business  prospered,  and  four  years  later  he  formed,  with  his  brother 
William  H.  Healy,  a  new  firm  under  the  style  of  A.  Healy  &  Bro.  Time  brought  other 
changes  in  the  partnership,  and  in  1873,  the  firm  assumed  the  title  of  A.  Healy  &  Son, 
the  junior  partner  being  A.  Augustus  Healy.  Soon  afterward,  Frank  Healy,  another 
son,  became  a  partner.  The  business  record  of  the  house  has  been  one  of  uniform  and 
increasing  prosperity.  A.  Healy  &  Sons  until  recently  owned  extensive  tanneries  at 
Wellsville  and  Allegany,  N.  Y.,  but  have  now  sold  them  to  The  United  States 
Leather  Co.  They  continue  in  business  as  merchants  of  hides,  etc.  They  now  own 
the  Healy  Building  on  Gold  street  and  much  other  valuable  property  outside  the 
leather  business.  By  his  union  with  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Stephen  Weston,  of  Skow- 
hegan,  Me.,  in  1844,  Mr.  Healy  became  the  father  of  four  children,  Stephen  Weston, 
A.  Augustus,  Frank  and  Lizzie.  The  family  live  in  Brooklyn,  and  A.  Augustus  is 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  there.  Mr.  Healy  is  a  member  of  the  Hide  &  Leather 
club,  and  an  amateur  of  art,  and  collected  a  number  of  fine  paintings  from  1864  to 
1886,  which  in  1891  he  sold  at  auction  for  $130,000 

JOHN  VALENTINE  HECKER,  flour  miller,  born  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  25,  1848, 
is  a  son  of  John  Hecker,  a  famous  flour  miller,  whose  father,  John,  a  native  of  Wetzlar, 


THE    OTY    'OF    STEW     TORK..  -  HH.  -  :  " 

Pnusaa,  cause  to  America.  in  iSwa.  John  Hecker,  jr.,  born  in  New  York,  July  35,  1812, 
:.•._-..-.  _:•.  .,-..:-.•:.-:-  ~::.  ..-'.--'  -.  ;  •  -  ..  i  8j  started  a  bakery  at  X  :  Rut- 
geas  street.  To  n^i^^™  floor  of  feae  qualitr,  fee  traflt  a.  small  mill  cm  Cherrr  street  in 
I&J..3-  Meeting;  with  success,  he  took  hi»  :r  :.•.-,  the  late  George  Valentine  Hecker 
(Swm  im  New  York,  Jam.  8,  1818,  died  1889),  into  partnership  as  Hecker  &:  Bro.,  and  in 
the  mnauDnfedtJare  of  fa*™^  self-raising  flour  and  other  cereal  products  became  widely 


fcmown  botih  at  home  amd  abroad.  He  was  a  man  >of  active  mind,  a  member  of  the 
Board.  off  Bdimcati'om,  The  New  York  Historical  Society  and  several  other  bodies,  and  a 
for  Gramgress  5m  1*50  as  a  Free  Sealer  and  in  1  864  for  Mayor  •on  the  Citizen's 


IB  1*55,  toe  received  an  election  as  Alderman,  and  in  1  865  an  appointment  as 
Im«qp«-<rthngr  off  Sdhools,  retaining  the  latter  -office  until  his  'death.  Jan.  25,  1  838,  he  mar- 
lied  Caliberine  J*2*e^  damgjiiter  off  Sam  nel  Gorham,  of  Darien,  Conn,.,  and  was  the  father 
off  Swah.  Effibabedi,  CUbenme  Jaaae,  fohn  Valentine,  and  Louise  Gorham  Hecker.  At 
oote  time  be  edited  Tk  UmtL,  amd  at  another  The  Churchman^  and  •  :  .  "The  Scientific 
Baas  off  BdMcaMaBn.1"  and  ottiaer  iroats.  John  Valentine  Hecker,  his  son,  graduated  from 
aamMa  College  im  186%  enteted  the  office  of  Hecker  &  Bro.  in  1870,  and  in  1874  be- 
came senator  member  of  the  finim  T3»e  same  year,  he  became  the  associate  of  his  nncte 
in  rtfo*-  miaiiBllmiig'  toiasiaess,  and  in  iS&j,  president  of  The  'George  V.  Hecker  Co.  Snbse- 
qmemitly,  iae  effected  the  organization  of  The  Hecker-fones-lewell  Mining  COL,  a  d<sm- 
tjimattaam  of  tfflne  fflcnar  mils  <af  New  Y-ork  city,  into  which  are  merged  The  'G.  V.  Hecker 
.,  aad  Jones*  Cot,  of  Xew  York:  The  Jewell  Milling  Co..,  and  The  Kings  County 
Miffln^f  OIL,  off  BrooHym,  aiud  T3ae  Staten  Island  Milling  Co.  Mr.  Hecker  is  president 
off  53ae  cogpogattttomu  He  was  Inspector  of  Schools,  1874-75,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
C&amber  of  Coammaanoe  and  the  Union  League  club.  Jan.  16,  1872,  he  was  married  in 
Trinity  Chapel  to  Georgianna,  daughter  of  Andrew  J.  Bell,  oi  Stamford,  Coran.  Their 
are  Joto,  jd,  F^redetici  Charles,  George  Edward,  Louise  Bell  and  GeneYiere. 
WILLIAM  HEGEJTAN,  merchant,  a  son  of  Judge  Adrian  Hegeman,  born  in  New 
nary,  im  iSiifi,  died  at  No.  <$  West  gist  street,  OcL  3,  1875.  He  came  from  .good, 
,  and  at  the  'age  'of  15,  after  3ais  father's  death,  became  a  drng- 
amd  later  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  snccessful  -drug  merchants  of  the 
I  r.  HeeataMished  from  time  to  time  retail  drag  stores  in  seTeral  'different  parts  of 
p,  as  we31  as  branches  in  seTeral  cither  large  cities,  Ms  name  being  one  of  the 
eoitinicaoas  in  iffa**  trade  during  his  time.  He  helped  establish  the  College  of 
amd  was  elected  its  president  manT  times,  and  was  actiTe  in  the  Centnry 


aad  Uaion  Leagroe  dmtos  and  St.  Xiicholas  Society.     A  -man  of  genial  humor  .and  wide 
TrT'ifii  iHiafinBi^  an  espertin  chemistrr,  an  artist  for  his  own  amusement,  and  a  member  of 


ooiigvegatian  off  ifhe  Oanrdu  -erf  the  Incarnation  on  Madison  aTenne,  he  bore  a 
fc^a  icpatotion.  for  amtegrity  and  worth.  His  three  children  were  J,  Niren  Hegeman, 
has  BnasmeaB  paimniifT-,  Wiilliam  A,  <Qgden  Hegeman,  lawrer,  no"w  deceased;  and  Mrs, 
Ommmcey  M.  Depew,  also  now  deceased. 

ALFRED  SAMUEL  HEIDELBACM.  banker  amd  stock  biroker,  bcrai  in  New  York 
cady,  Nov..  117,  1*51,  was,  nmtil  idSfiy  Uew  York  member  of  Heidelbach,  Seasongood 

.nnati.  Prom  Columbia  grammar  school,  Alfred 

mrnt  4®  tfflae  UttiueuAyof  Zurich  in  Switzerland,  and  after  finishing  his  studies,  returned 
to  N«w  Yost.  In  1870,  he  entered  the  stock  brokerage  firm  of  Frank  &  Garss,  known 
after  i&yi  as  HeidcfflMGb,  Prank  Jfe  Cm.  !tn  1-875—7-4,  toe  spent  a  year  in  Berlin,  Ger- 


308  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

many,  and  after  having  looked  after  the  interests  of  the  firm  in  London  during  the 
panic  of  1873,  returned  to  New  York  late  in  1874.  His  father  died  in  1875,  and  in 
1876,  he  helped  found  the  firm  of  Heidelbach,  Ickelheimer  &  Co.,  bankers  and  brokers. 
This  firm  have  made  a  specialty  of  foreign  exchange  and  specie  and  have  been  able  to 
secure  valuable  connections  abroad.  Their  transactions  are  large  and  their  reputation 
and  standing  excellent.  Mr.  Heidelbach  is  now  senior  partner.  He  is  a  director  of  The 
United  States  Life  Insurance  Co.  In  1893,  the  firm  admitted  Henry  R.  Ickelheimer, 
who  represented  the  interest  of  his  father,  Isaac,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  concern. 
Mr.  Heidelbach  was  married,  October,  1879,  in  Paris,  France,  to  Miss  Julie  Picard. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Manhattan,  Reform  and  Lawyers'  clubs. 

flARCUS  GOTTLIEB  HEILNER,  coal  operator,  born  in  Berks  county,  Pa.,  July 
2,  1814,  died  in  New  York,  Nov.  6,  1892.  A  descendant  of  the  oldest  families  in  New 
England,  Mr.  Heilner  was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  anthracite  coal  industry  of  the 
Schuylkill  region.  When  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  became  the  partner  of  his 
father,  Samuel  Heilner,  a  dealer  in  bituminous  coal  and  just  beginning  to  take  an 
interest  in  anthracite  production.  Together,  they  entered  upon  what  were,  for  those 
days,  extensive  mining  operations  on  Wolf  Creek,  near  Minersville,  on  the  famed  "Black 
Heath  vein,"  and,  at  the  same  time,  worked  another  mine  near  Donaldson.  When  his 
father  retired  in  1849,  the  son  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  and,  under  the 
firm  name  of  M.  G.  &  P.  Heilner,  opened  up  the  Miller  tract  and  developed  the  famous 
"red  ash"  viens.  That  partnership  was  dissolved  in  1853.  Thereafter,  until  1867, 
when  he  discontinued  mining,  Mr.  Heilner  confined  his  operations  to  his  Ashland  and 
Silver  Creek  mines.  Then,  he  came  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  coal 
trade,  establishing  the  firm  of  Heilner  &  Son.  He  was  an  active  and  powerful  man,  quick- 
witted, prudent,  courageous  and  self-controlled  and  passed  unharmed  through  the 
perilous  "Molly  Maguire"  times  in  the  mining  districts.  Again  and  again,  he  escaped 
plots  aimed  at  his  life.  In  1839,  Mr.  Heilner  married  Sylvina,  daughter  of  Col. 
Zebulon  Butler  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  by  her  had  five  children,  George  C. 
and  Butler,  who  have  succeeded  to  the  coal  business;  Percy  Butler,  who  is  the  general 
sales  agent  of  The  Lehigh  &  Wilkes-Barre  Coal  Co. ;  Walter,  who  is  a  practicing  lawyer 
in  Philadelphia,  and  one  daughter.— His  son,  GEORGE  CARSON  HEILNER,  born 
Aug.  16,  1856,  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  received  his  education  in  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  and  began 
life  in  a  Wall  street  banking  house  in  this  city.  A  clear  head,  great  force  of  character 
and  sound  judgment  guaranteed  his  success  from  the  start.  In  1879,  he  entered  the 
office  of  Heilner  &  Son,  coal  merchants,  and  was  made  a  partner  in  1890.  He  is  closely 
devoted  to  business,  but  finds  recreation  in  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars  and  The  Sons 
of  the  Revolution,  of  which  he  is  a  member.  For  five  years,  he  served  in  the  8th  N. 
Y.,  S.  N.  G. ,  holding  a  commission  as  first  lieutenant,  but  resigned  in  February,  1892. 

PETER  HENDERSON,  florist  and  seedsman,  born  in  Pathhead,  near  Edinburgh, 
Scotland,  June  9,  1822,  died  in  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  Jan.  17,  1890.  His  father,  James 
Henderson,  was  a  land  steward,  and  Peter  passed  his  early  years  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ruins  of  Crichtoun  Castle,  which  he  often  visited  while  hunting  for  the  nests  of  jack- 
daws. At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  apprenticed  to  George  Sterling,  head  gardener  of 
Melville  Castle.  In  1843,  he  came  to  New  York,  and  after  a  year  in  a  nursery  in 
Astoria,  L.  I.,  and  a  short  service  in  Philadelphia  under  Robert  Buist,  a  leading  seeds- 
man and  florist,  he  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  became  private  gardener  for  Charles: 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. HE.  309 

F.  Spang.  There  he  remained  until  1847,  when,  having  saved  $500,  he  removed  to 
Jersey  City  and  engaged  in  market  gardening.  He  gradually  added  to  his  greenhouse 
department,  finally  relinquishing  the  raising  of  vegetables,  opened  an  office  in  New 
York  in  1853,  and  in  1864  moved  his  greenhouses  to  South  Bergen,  in  time  covering  fully 
five  acres  with  glass.  In  1865,  he  engaged  in  the  seed  business  as  Henderson  &  Fleming, 
and  in  1871  founded  the  now  famous  firm  of  Peter  Henderson  &  Co.,  seedsmen  and 
florists.  He  wrote  much  on  horticulture  for  the  newspaper  press  and  produced  several 
valuable  books  on  gardening  and  flowers.  In  1851,  he  married  Emily  Gibbons,  a  native 
of  Bath,  England.  The  children  born  to  them  have  been  Alfred;  Isobel,  wife  of  Robert 
M.  Floyd;  and  Charles  Henderson.  Mr.  Henderson  was  six  feet  in  height,  broad 
shouldered,  erect,  not  over  160  Ibs.  in  weight,  with  florid  complexion,  keen  grey  eyes, 
closely  trimmed  beard  and  moustache.  He  abstained  from  stimulants,  was  a  rapid 
walker,  and  won  his  way  by  the  vigor  of  his  nature,  constant  industry  and  uprightness. 
JOSHUA  HENDRICKS,  merchant,  who  died  at  his  home  in  New  York  city,  June 
3,  1893,  in  his  sixty -first  year,  rose  to  prominence  in  the  firm  of  Hendricks  Bro's, 
merchants  of  metal,  one  of  the  largest  houses  of  its  kind  in  the  country.  It  was  estab- 
lished shortly  before  the  American  Revolution  and  has  been  in  the  family  through 
four  generations.  Mr.  Hendricks  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  prominent  Hebrew 
families  in  New  York,  and  was  widely  known.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union,  New 
York,  Vaudeville,  Fulton,  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs,  and  various  other  social  bodies, 
as  well  as  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  At  one  time  he  served  as  president  of  The 
German  American  Bank.  His  wife  and  three  sons  survived  him. 

HENRY  HENTZ,  coffee  importer,  was  born  in  1834.  His  grandfathers  on  both 
sides  were  Germans,  who  settled  about  130  years  ago  near  Germantown,  the  first 
German  settlement  in  the  United  States.  The  family  removed  to  Philadelphia,  where 
the  lad  attended  school.  Inspired  with  a  love  of  the  sea,  by  reading  "Robinson 
Crusoe,"  Capt.  Marryat's  nautical  stories,  and  other  tales  of  adventure,  Mr.  Hentz  then 
made  two  voyages  before  the  mast,  encountering  the  usual  hardships,  but  gaining  in 
self  reliance  and  knowledge  of  the  world.  Shortly  after  leaving  the  sea,  he  entered 
mercantile  life,  and  in  1856  came  to  New  York  and  established  the  cotton  and  general 
commission  house  of  H.  Hentz  &  Co.  He  proved  an  excellent  merchant,  wide-awake, 
enterprising,  honest  and  able,  and  by  nearly  fort}*  years  of  untiring  endeavor  has  risen 
to  prominence.  He  has  been  twice  president  of  the  Cotton  Exchange  and  twice  of  the 
Coffee  Exchange,  and  is  now  chairman  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  He  has  been  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  New  York,  The  Commonwealth 
Insurance  Co.,  The  Merchants'  National  Bank,  and  The  Housatonic  Railroad,  and  has 
joined  the  Manhattan,  Reform,  and  Down  Town  clubs  of  this  city  and  the  Hamilton 
club  of  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Hentz  has  lived  in  Brooklyn  since  1856.  His  son,  Leonard  S. 
Hentz,  is  a  member  of  the  firm,  and  he  has  one  other  son  and  two  daughters. 

COL.  SILAS  CLARK  HERRING,  manufacturer,  born  in  Vermont,  Sept.  7,  1804, 
died  in  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  June  23,  1881.  He  was  a  self  made  man,  who  began  life  a 
poor  lad  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  as  a  grocery  clerk  and  for  a  time  conducted  a  grocery  of  his 
own  in  that  city.  In  1834,  Mr.  Herring  opened  a  wholesale  grocer)-  store  in  New  York 
with  a  partner.  They  prospered  for  a  time,  but  were  overwhelmed,  first,  by  the  great 
fire  of  1835  and  two  years  later  by  the  panic  of  1837.  In  1840,  Mr.  Herring  met  Enos 
Wilder,  who  had  invented  the  idea  of  using  plaster  of  pans  as  a  nonconducting  material 


310  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

for  lining  safes.  The  fire  of  1835  had  proved  the  necessity  of  safes  which  would 
not  burn.  Mr.  Herring  became  Mr.  Wilder's  agent  for  the  sale  of  Salamander  safes, 
and,  later,  purchased  the  right  to  manufacture,  made  many  improvements,  extended 
the  sales  largely,  and  built  extensive  works,  employing  at  the  time  of  his  death  6oc 
men.  He  had  paid  $154,000  in  royalties  on  the  Wilder  patent  up  to  1852,  when  the 
rights  expired.  Mr.  Herring  rose  to  the  foremost  rank  in  his  industry.  He  gained  his 
military  title  as  Colonel  of  the  5th  Art.,  N.  Y.  S.  M.  He  served  one  term  as  Assistant 
Alderman  in  this  city,  in  1847,  and  in  1849  was  Alderman.  He  was  an  incorporator  of 
The  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum,  and  director  of  The  Broadway  Bank,  The  Importers' 
&  Traders'  National  Bank,  The  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Co.  and  other  corporations. 
Mr.  Herring's  family  consisted  of  his  wife,  Caroline  S.,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Elijah 
T.  Tarbell,  and  three  children,  Frank  Otis  Herring,  Marie  A.,  wife  of  Thomas  McCaf- 
fery,  and  Caroline  S.,  wife  of  Eugene  de  Kay  Townsend. 

HENRY  HERRMANN,  manufacturer,  born  in  East  Prussia  in  1837,  began  life  as 
apprentice  to  a  cabinet  maker,  and  worked  as  a  journeyman  in  principal  German  cities, 
meanwhile  attending  free  technical  schools  and  serving  three  years  in  the  2oth  Fusil- 
iers of  Brandenburg.  He  came  to  this  country  in  1866,  followed  his  trade  in  various 
cities,  and  then,  in  1867,  rented  a  small  shop  on  Mott  street,  New  York,  and  started  on 
his  own  account  a  small  furniture  factory,  with  a  partner,  their  combined  capital  being 
$43,  representing  their  wages  the  preceding  week.  Their  first  wardrobes  sold  readily 
for  cash.  Six  weeks  later,  they  moved  to  No.  237  Delancey  street,  and  in  1868  to  No. 
235-7  Bowery.  Steam  power  was  then  introduced  and  thereafter  the  factory  made 
rapid  progress.  By  making  a  specialty  of  low  priced,  beautiful  furniture,  Mr.  Herr- 
mann developed  an  enormous  business,  with  a  large  number  of  branch  factories  and 
saw  mills.  In  1874,  he  engaged  in  the  hardwood  lumber  trade  on  a  large  scale,  buying 
from  time  to  time  tracts  of  walnut  and  other  timber  in  the  West,  and  building  saw 
mills  in  Indiana,  Michigan,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Indian  Territory 
and  elsewhere.  In  1872,  his  New  York  and  Indianapolis  factories  were  destroyed  by 
fire.  He  rebuilt  the  former  at  No.  193-5  Chrystie  street.  These  works  he  vacated  in 
1880  and  transferred  to  Delancey  street,  renting  the  block  from  Tompkins  to  Mangin 
streets.  In  1885.  the  Delancey  street  factory  was  burned.  Meanwhile,  his  lumber 
trade  had  grown  to  large  proportions,  so  that  after  the  fire  he  occupied  himself  mainly 
with  that  trade,  incorporating  his  furniture  industry  in  1887  in  Kentucky,  as  The  Herr- 
mann Dining  Room  Furniture  Co.,  The  Herrmann  Bureatn-Co.,  The  Hermann  Cham- 
ber Suit  Co.,  and  The  Herrmann  Desk  Co.,  in  each  of  which  he  is  president  and  princi- 
pal owner.  One  factory  in  Evansville,  Ind  ,  and  a  store  in  London,  Eng.,  he  removed 
from  the  consolidatior.  scheme  and  sold,  in  1891,  to  an  English  syndicate.  In  1889,  he 
organized  a  concern  now  known  as  The  Herrmann  Glass  Co.  Mr.  Herrmann  has  been 
married  twice,  and  has  two  sons  living.  One  of  them,  George,  is  his  partner. 

SELFIAR  HESS,  publisher,  a  native  of  Bernburg,  Germany,  was  born  Nov.  26, 
1847,  the  son  of  Maurice  Hess,  a  manufacturer  of  furniture.  The  family  had  lived  in 
the  town  for  generations  and  its  men  had  served  as  soldiers  with  honor  and  been  other- 
wise prominent  in  affairs.  Rosalie,  mother  of  Selmar  Hess,  was  the  daughter  of  David 
Fabian,  a  man  distinguished  for  learning  and  piety.  The  lad  received  a  high  school 
education,  became  at  the  age  of  fourteen  a  dry  goods  apprentice,  and  emigrated  to  New 
York,  six  years  later,  arriving  in  November,  1867.  He  visited  Cincinnati  and  then 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HE.  31 1 

went  to  Omaha  to  engage  in  the  dry  goods  business,  found  the  climate  injurious  to  his 
health,  removed  farther  West  and  dealt  in  camp  supplies  along  The  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road for  a  year,  and  then,  being  stricken  with  typhoid  fever  in  Omaha,  was  ill  for  many 
months  and  found  himself  penniless.  Next  he  joined  with  fifty  others  in  preempting 
land  in  northern  Nebraska,  taking  300  acres  for  his  share,  but  after  a  few  months  of 
hard  labor,  found  himself  without  the  means  to  stock  the  farm  and  abandoned  a  rural 
career.  Coming  East,  he  found  in  Buffalo  his  vocation  in  life  upon  obtaining  a  place 
in  the  branch  house  there  of  Virtue  &  Cov  publishers.  Having  thoroughly  learned 
this  trade,  he  became  a  partner  in  McMenamy,  Hess  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  in  1870, 
solely  upon  his  merits,  without  capital.  That  concern  continued  to  exist  until  Aug.  8, 
1873,  when  it  was  changed  to  Hess  &  McDavitt.  Meanwhile,  at  the  urging  of  Mr. 
Hess,  a  branch  store  had  been  opened  in  New  York  city,  under  his  charge,  and  in  1871, 
the  headquarters  were  removed  hither.  May  12,  1877,  Mr.  Hess  succeeded  that  firm 
and  has  continued  the  business  with  phenomenal  success.  He  has  made  a  specialty  of 
subscription  books  and  papers  and  intaglio  plate  printing,  and  operates  branches  in 
twenty  of  the  largest  cities  of  the  country  as  well  as  his  own  printing  house  on  Dey 
street  here.  In  1873,  he  married  Josephine,  daughter  of  Joseph  Solomon,  and  has  three 
children,  Gertrude  Rosalie,  Alfred  Fabian  and  Ruth  Josephine  Hess. 

ABRAH  STEVENS  HEWITT,  LL.D.,  manufacturer,  born  in  Haverstraw,  N,  Y., 
July  31,  1822,  is  of  Huguenot  descent  through  the  maternal  line.  His  mother's  family, 
named  Gurnee,  originally  Gamier,  settled  in  Rockland  county  and  in  a  log  house  on 
the  land  owned  by  them  Mr.  Hewitt  was  born.  His  father  came  to  America  in  1790, 
helped  construct  the  first  steam  engine  works  in  this  country,  and  afterward  carried  on 
business  in  New  York  city  as  a  cabinet  maker  and  lumber  dealer,  finally  losing  his 
means.  Abram,  brought  up  on  a  farm,  finally  gained  a  scholarship  in  Columbia  Col- 
lege, whence  he  graduated  in  1842  at  the  head  of  his  class  as  "double  first."  For  this 
tuition  he  afterward  paid.  After  graduating,  he  became  acting  professor  of  mathe- 
matics in  the  college.  In  1844,  having  saved  about  $1,000,  he  visited  Europe  with  his 
classmate  and  friend,  Edward  Cooper,  son  of  Peter  Cooper,  and  upon  the  return 
voyage,  his  ship,  the  Mobile  packet  Alabamian,  foundered  at  sea,  the  company  escap- 
ing in  boats.  In  1845,  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Impairment  of  vision  interfering 
with  his  practice,  he  abandoned  the  law,  and  Edward  Cooper  and  he  engaged  in  iron 
manufacturing,  Peter  Cooper  transferring  to  them  his  iron  works,  not  then  prosper- 
ous. The  new  firm  of  Cooper  &  Hewitt  were  the  first  to  make  iron  girders  and  sup- 
ports for  fireproof  buildings.  In  1862,  Mr.  Hewitt  went  to  England  to  study 
the  process  of  manufacturing  gun  barrel  iron.  The  result  was  that  his  firm  became 
able  to  supply  this  essential  material  to  our  government  during  the  Civil  War,  but  all 
profit  was  declined.  From  1873  to  1879,  they  lost  money  heavily  but  thereafter 
carried  on  a  profitable  business.  The  great  plants  of  The  Trenton  Iron  Co.  and  of  The 
New  Jersey  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  owned  by  the  firm,  built  in  1845,  now 
produce  an  immense  amount  of  structural  iron  and  wire  yearly,  and  they  have  blast 
furnaces  at  Pequest  in  Warren  county,  N.  J.,  and  Riegelsville,  Pa.  Mr.  Hewitt  has 
devoted  a  part  of  his  time  to  public  affairs.  In  1867,  he  served  as  Commissioner  to 
the  Paris  Exposition.  Originally  a  member  of  Tammany  Hall,  he  left  that  organiza- 
tion and  was  a  leader  of  the  County  Democracy  in  1879.  Elected  to  Congress  in  1874, 
his  service  was  continuous,  with  the  exception  of  one  term,  until  1886,  when  he  was 


3I2  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

elected  Mayor  of  New  York.  In  1876,  he  accepted  the  chairmanship  of  the  Demo- 
cratic National  Committee,  and  took  a  conspicuous  part  in  Congress  in  the  creation  of 
the  Electoral  Commission  and  settlement  of  the  Presidential  controversy.  From  the 
time  of  the  creation  of  the  Cooper  Union,  Mr.  Hewitt  has  been  secretary  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  and  has  practically  controlled  its  educational  and  financial  management. 
In  1883,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Alumni  Association  of  Columbia  College, 
which  institution,  in  1887,  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  LL.D.  He  has  been  a 
director  in  The  Chrysolite  Silver  Mining  Co. ,  The  Lehigh  Coal  &  Navigation  Co. ,  The 
Montana  Smelting  Co.,  The  New  York  &  Greenwood  Lake  Railway  Co.,  The  Ameri- 
can Electric  Elevator  Co. ,  The  United  Smelting  &  Refining  Co. ,  and  The  New  York, 
Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railway,  and  has  interests  in  many  industrial  companies.  Mr. 
Hewitt  was  married  in  1855  to  Sarah  Amelia,  only  daughter  of  Peter  Cooper.  His 
children  are  Mrs.  James  O.  Green,  Sarah  C.,  P.  Cooper,  Edward  R.,  Eleanor  G.,  and 
Erskine  Hewitt.  Mr.  Hewitt  has  won  success  by  mental  force,  sheer  resolution  and 
continued  effort.  His  principal  clubs  are  the  Metropolitan,  Century,  City,  Church, 
Union,  Engineers',  Tuxedo,  Players',  Riding  and  South  Side  Sportsmen's. 

ALVIN  HIQQINS,  manufacturer,  born  in  Gray,  Me.,  about  1813,  died  in  this  city, 
May  3 1 ,  1 890.  The  son  of  a  boat  builder  and  one  of  eleven  children,  he  spent  several  years 
in  Portland  in  the  employment  of  Brown  &  Smith,  merchants  in  the  West  India  trade. 
He  then  came  to  this  city,  and  with  his  brother,  Elias  S.  Higgins,  conducted  a  retai 
carpet  store  in  Pearl  street,  as  A.  &  E.  S.  Higgins.  Early  in  his  career,  he  conceived 
the  idea  of  manufacturing  carpets  in  this  country,  and,  by  carrying  the  plan  into  exe- 
cution, made  for  himself  a  permanent  and  honorable  place  in  the  history  of  American 
industry.  About  1840,  his  firm  started  a  factory  with  seven  ingrain  hand  looms  in 
Jersey  City.  Their  works  were  located  at  several  different  places  in  the  suburbs,  but 
finally  in  New  York  among  the  rocks  and  shanties  at  43d  street  and  Eleventh  avenue, 
on  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  great  buildings  of  the  present  firm  of  E.  S.  Higgins  & 
Co.  About  1855,  Nathaniel  D.  Higgins,  another  brother,  entered  the  partnership 
under  the  name  of  A.  &  E.  S.  Higgins  &  Co.  Alvin  retired  in  1855,  and  spent  about 
three  years  in  Europe  with  his  wife.  Upon  his  return,  he  engaged  in  real  estate  opera- 
tions, and  owned  Hunter's  Island  in  the  Sound,  where  he  lived  about  twenty  years.  He 
was  married,  but  his  two  children  passed  away  before  him. 

ANDREW  FOSTER  HIQQINS,  insurance  adjuster,  a  namesake  of  old  Andrew 
Foster  of  South  street,  was  born  in  Macon,  Ga. ,  Jan.  24,.  1831.  His  grandmother, 
Miss  Pamela  Andrus,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  was  a  noted  belle  of  the  American  Revolution 
and  daughter  of  General  Andrus  of  that  period.  The  father  of  Mr.  Higgins,  a  banker 
in  S.  &  M.  Allen,  lived  for  years  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  then  removed  to  Macon,  where 
he  dealt  in  bills  of  exchange  on  cotton  shipped  to  market  by  way  of  Darien  and 
Savannah.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  came  to  New  York  in  1844,  and  entered  college, 
but  did  not  finish  owing  to  family  reverses.  Going  into  Wall  street,  he  found  employ- 
ment with  Jones  &  Johnson,  average  adjusters,  and  then  became  adjuster  for  The 
Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.  Later,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry  W.  Johnson 
to  carry  on  the  adjusting  and  insurance  brokerage  business  and  attained  celebrity  in 
this  calling.  Out  of  at  least  10,000  adjustments,  he  never  had  twenty  appealed  from; 
in  such  as  went  into  court,  Mr.  Higgins  was  invariably  sustained.  Having  been  speci- 
ally engaged  to  disentangle  the  accounts  of  Spofford  &  Tileston,  he  performed  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HI.  313 

Avork  with  great  success.  He  was  also  retained  in  many  other  interesting  cases,  and 
as  receiver  liquidated  the  affairs  of  The  Columbian  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  United 
States  Lloyds,  and  started  a  new  concern,  under  the  name  of  the  latter,  of  which  he 
is  the  agent,  which  in  twenty  years  has  paid  dividends  amounting  to  2,000  per  cent.  The 
old  firm  of  Johnson  &  Higgins  are  yet  in  existence,  and  a  later  one,  Higgins  &  Cox, 
has  been  succeeded  by  the  present  firm  of  Higgins,  Cox  &  Barrett.  Mr.  Higgins  has 
been  for  many  years  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Harbor  and  Shipping  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and  active  in  the  proceedings  of  the  Chamber.  He  represented 
Greenwich,  Conn.,  in  the  Legislature,  1887-89.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Century,  Down 
Town,  Carroll's  Island,  Pesque  Island,  Flanders,  and  Adirondacks  League  clubs;  treas- 
urer of  The  Mexican  Northern  Railway,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Consolidated  Kansas 
City  Smelting  &  Refining  Co.,  The  Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Campania 
Metallurgica  Mexicana.  He  married  Sarah  H.,  daughter  of  John  H.  Cornell,  banker. 
One  child  lived  to  maturity,  Amelia  L.,  who  married  John  D.  Barrett,  dying  in  1887. 

ELIAS  S.  HIGGINS,  manufacturer,  who  died  Aug.  18,  1889,  at  Narragansett  Pier, 
R.  I.,  began  life  with  a  common  school  education  and  little  else.  His  brother  Alvin 
and  he  carried  on  a  retail  store  for  the  sale  of  foreign  carpets  on  Pearl  street.  About 
1 840,  they  began  the  manufacture  of  carpets,  and  after  the  practical  retirement  of  his 
brother  Alvin,  Mr.  Higgins  became  the  directing  head  of  the  business.  He  was  a  man 
of  rugged  energy  and  strong  character,  and  developed  the  business  until  he  made  his 
industry  the  leading  one  of  its  class  in  the  country.  The  firm  finally  incorporated  as 
The  E.  S.  Higgins  Carpet  Co.,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $2,000,000.  Mr.  Higgins  was  a 
large  buyer  of  real  estate,  not  so  much  for  speculative  purposes  as  for  investment,  and 
was  also  a  large  shareholder  in  various  traffic  corporations.  He  had  been  for  a  number  of 
years  a  director  of  Tbe  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad.  His  wife, 
Emma  L.,  with  their  two  children,  Eugene  and  Josephine,  the  latter  Mrs.  Brooks,  sur- 
vived him.  Mr.  Higgins  came  before  the  public  during  the  last  few  years  of  his  life  as 
an  opponent  of  the  tyranny  of  organized  labor. 

EDWARD  HILL,  merchant,  born  in  England  about  1825,  died  in  this  city,  Aug.  8, 
1886.  He  was  one  of  those  enterprising  men  of  foreign  birth,  who,  attracted  by  the 
splendid  markets  of  America,  came  to  New  York,  arriving  here  about  1856,  to  engage  in 
trade.  As  the  agent  of  a  firm  in  England,  he  began  the  sale  of  merchandise  in  this 
emporium  of  all  America.  In  time,  he  became  the  agent  of  several  other  large  English 
firms  and  carried  on  a  profitable  trade  during  the  rest  of  his  career.  He  was  twice 
president  of  the  St.  George  Society  and  made  himself  widely  known  in  social  and  finan- 
cial circles.  Five  children  survive  him. 

THOflAS  HITCHCOCK,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  i,  1831,  is  seventh  in 
descent  from  Matthias  Hitchcock,  who  came  to  Boston  from  London  in  the  bark  Susan 
and  Ellen,  in  1635,  and  settled  in  Connecticut.  He  is  a  son  of  William  R.  Hitchcock, 
a  merchant,  and  of  English  and  Scottish  ancestry.  After  studying  in  private  schools, 
he  graduated  from  the  University  of  The  City  of  New  York  and  the  Harvard  Law 
School,  and  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  this  city  in  1853.  Since  1864,  he 
has  been  largely  occupied  with  journalism,  being  at  present  one  of  the  editorial  staff  of 
The  New  York  Sun,  for  which  newspaper  he  writes  financial  articles  under  the  name  of 
"Matthew  Marshall."  Mr.  Hitchcock  has  made  excellent  investments  in  the  stocks  of 
gas,  street  railroad,  and  other  corporations,  but  devotes  most  of  his  time  to  The  Sun. 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

He  is  secretary  of  that  corporation.  In  1855  he  was  married  to  Marie  Louise,  daughter 
of  Asa  H.  Center.  Their  children  are  Center,  Francis  B.,  and  Thomas  Hitchcock,  jr. 
Mr.  Hitchcock  finds  his  recreation  mainly  in  literary  work,  music  and  social  life,  but 
also  spends  an  occasional  evening  at  the  Century  club,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

WELCOflE  GEER  HITCHCOCK,  merchant,  born  in  Montrose,  Pa.,  Oct  28,  1834, 
is  a  son  of  the  late  Benjamin  Hitchcock,  a  merchant.  Educated  in  the  public  schools, 
he  began  life  as  a  boy  in  this  city  in  the  furnishing  goods  store  of  Joseph  F.  Sanxey,  in 
William  street,  in  October,  1850.  From  that  day  to  the  present,  he  has  made  his  way 
steadily  and  has  never  received  a  dollar  from  his  parents  or  any  one  else,  except  that 
which  he  has  earned  himself .  In  1851,  he  accepted  a  clerkship  with  Carleton  &  Co., 
dry  goods  merchants,  at  No.  202  Broadway,  at  $100  a  year,  and  in  October,  1854,  a 
salary  of  $600,  less  than  the  porter  was  getting,  in  the  store  of  Noel  J.  Becar  &  Co., 
importers  of  handkerchiefs.  In  1868,  after  repeated  promotions,  he  succeeded  to  the 
business,  when  the  firm,  whose  style  had  undergone  several  changes,  became  W.  G. 
Hitchcock  &  Co.  The  firm  have  occupied  stores  at  187  Broadway,  342  Broadway,  and 
453-5  Broadway,  but  for  the  past  twenty-four  years  have  been  located  at  455-7  Broome 
street.  They  represent  several  strong  firms  of  dry  goods  manufacturers,  as  well  as 
domestic  ribbon  and  other  dry  goods  firms.  Mr.  Hitchcock  is  a  good  merchant,  honest, 
prudent  and  energetic,  and  has  attained  a  worthy  and  marked  success  by  early  habits 
of  economy  and  application,  sound  character  and  good  reputation.  He  is  a  director  of 
The  Second  National  Bank  and  trustee  of  The  Franklin  Savings  Bank.  In  January, 
1892,  he  married  the  widow  of  John  Ruszits,  the  furrier. 

RUSSELL  HOTCHKISS  HOADLEY,  exporter  and  banker,  a  native  of  New  York, 
born  Aug.  19,  1834,  died  at  his  home  on  West  49th  street,  June  9,  1891.  David  Hoad- 
ley, his  father,  an  old-time  merchant,  here  originated  and  was  for  many  years  president 
of  The  Panama  Railway.  Mr.  Hoadley  received  a  fair  education  at  Betts  Boarding 
School.  In  1853,  he  went  abroad  for  two  years'  travel,  joined  the  Seventh  Regiment 
on  his  return,  became  by  promotion  major  of  the  regiment,  and  served  on  Gen.  Spicer's- 
staff  during  the  riots  in  this  city.  Having  inherited  ability,  he  engaged  in  the  South 
American  trade  in  1859,  and  in  1860  formed  the  partnership  of  Handy  &  Hoadley. 
Mr.  Handy  retired  in  1865,  when  Hoadley,  Eno  &  Co.  succeeded.  In  1869  the  firm 
dissolved,  after  a  successful  career,  during  which  they  had  transacted  an  immense  busi- 
ness. Hoadley  &  Co.  then  succeeded,  and  carried  on  a  banking  and  general  commis- 
sion business,  with  branches  in  New  Orleans  and  Greytown,  Nicaragua.  He  was  a 
trustee  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  St.  Joseph  Lead  Co.,  and  The 
Hanover  Fire  Insurance  Co.  He  amassed  a  large  fortune,  and  withal  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  a  man  of  integrity  and  generosity,  as  well  as  of  great  business 
ability.  He  was  prominent  in  St.  Thomas's  Episcopal  Church,  and  a  member  of  the 
Union,  Union  League,  Riding,  and  many  country  clubs.  In  May,  1863,  he  married 
Alice,  daughter  of  David  Wesson  and  sister  of  one  of  Mr.  Hoadley's  partners.  Their  chil- 
dren are  Edith  Howland,  Rowland,  Russell  Hotchkiss,  and  Charles  Wesson  Hoadley. 

CORNELIUS  NEVIUS  HOAGLAND,  H.D.,  born  at  the  family  homestead  in 
Somerset  county,  N.  J.,  Nov.  23,  1828,  is  a  descendant  of  two  old  Dutch  families.  The 
emigrant  on  his  father's  side,  Christoffel  Hooglandt,  who  was  born  in  Holland  in  1634, 
came  to  New  Amsterdam  in  early  youth.  He  entered  mercantile  life,  married  Cath- 
erine Cregier,  daughter  of  Martin  Cregier,  one  of  the  first  Burgomasters  of  New  York 


316  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

city,  and  finally,  with  true  Dutch  instinct,  bought  a  farm  in  Somerset  county,  N.  J., 
which  became  the  family  homestead,  and  died  there  in  1684.  Christopher  Hoagland, 
great  grandfather  of  Dr.  Hoagland,  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  Somerset  county  in 
1776,  and  two  years  later  a  member  of  the  Legislature.  Isaac  Hoagland,  the  son  of 
Christopher,  was  a  surgeon  in  the  United  States  Army  in  1796,  and  died  in  the  service 
in  Florida.  His  son,  Andrew,  father  of  Dr.  Hoagland,  was  born  in  New  Jersey  in 
1795,  and  married  in  1828  Miss  Jane  Hoagland,  a  descendant,  six  generations  re- 
moved, of  Dirck  Jansen  Hoagland,  an  emigrant  from  Holland  in  1657.  This  marriage 
united  two  families  of  the  same  name,  not  related  to  each  other,  in  America. 

At  the  age  of  eight,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  went  with  his  father's  family  to 
Miami  county,  Ohio,  where  he  settled  on  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  near  Piqua.  Two  years 
later,  his  father  sold  this  property  a~nd  purchased  an  old  time  stage  house  or  hotel  in 
West  Charleston.  This  inn,  widely  known  for  twenty  years,  was  finally  burned  to  the 
ground  in  1875. 

Cornelius,  the  oldest  son,  attended  village  school  until  1845  and  took  private  les- 
sons in  Latin  in  preparation  for  college.  He  studied  medicine  with  Dr.  E.  L.  Crane, 
a  leading  physician  of  Miami  county,  and  subsequently  attended  lectures  at  The  Star- 
ling Medical  College  in  Columbus  and  The  Western  Reserve  University  in  Cleveland, 
graduating  from  the  latter  in  1852.  August  icth,  the  same  year,  he  married  Miss 
Eliza  E.,  daughter  of  Judge  David  H.  Morris.  He  then  engaged  in  the  practice  of 
medicine  in  Miami  county.  In  1854,  he  was  elected  Auditor  of  the  county,  and  re-elected 
in  1856. 

Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  Dr.  Hoagland  enlisted  at  Troy,  O.,  in  the 
"  Lafayette  Blues,"  which  became  Company  H  of  the  nth  Ohio  Infantry.  He  was 
made  first  lieutenant  and  detailed  as  A.  A.  C.  S.  at  Camp  Denison,  but  in  October, 
1861,  became  Surgeon  of  the  7ist  Ohio,  in  which  capacity  he  served  through  the  war. 
He  took  part  in  the  campaigns  in  Tennessee,  Georgia,  Alabama  and  Texas,  being 
engaged  in  the  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Atlanta,  Franklin  and  Nashville.  Dur- 
ing the  engagement  at  Nashville,  a  bullet  plowed  his  breast,  the  strong  lappels'  of  his 
heavy  overcoat  alone  saving  him  from  a  fatal  wound.  He  served  on  the  staff  of  brigade 
and  division  commanders  at  various  times,  and  had  charge  of  the  field  hospitals,  where 
he  did  efficient  work. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  Dr.  Hoagland  returned  to  Ohio  but  in  1868  removed  to 
the  city  of  Brooklyn  and  entered  into  a  partnership  for_the  manufacture  of  baking 
powders  and  kindred  preparations. 

In  1887,  he  bought  the  business  of  The  Cleveland  Baking  Powder  Co.,  a  concern 
which  had  been  doing  business  in  a  small  way  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  became  president  and 
general  manager  of  the  company,  and  has  managed  its  affairs  with  success,  down  to 
the  present  day.  The  factory  is  in  Brooklyn.  Dr.  Hoagland  is  a  director  of  The 
Peoples'  Trust  Co.,  The  Dime  Savings  Bank  and  The  Brooklyn  Heights  Railroad.  In 
1887,  he  founded  The  Hoagland  Laboratory  in  Brooklyn  for  original  research  in  the 
higher  branches  of  medical  science,  with  special  departments  in  physiology  and  bac- 
teriology, the  cost,  with  equipments,  exceeding  $100,000.  Dr.  Hoagland  has  donated 
another  $50,000  as  an  endowment  fund. 

He  is  a  fellow  of  The  Royal  Microscopical  Society  of  London,  a  life  fellow  of  The 
American  Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  a  life  member  of  The  New  York 


ROBERT  HOE. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HO.  317 

Genealogical  and  Biographical  Society  and  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  regent  of 
The  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  and  a  trustee  of  Syracuse  University,  Antioch, 
O.,  College  and  the  Adelphi  Academy.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Hamilton,  Union 
League,  Oxford,  Brooklyn  and  Germania  clubs  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  Down  Town  club, 
Ohio  Society,  and  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  New  York  city.  His  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom  are  married,  are  Cora,  wife  of  George  P.  Tangeman;  Elizabeth 
wife  of  Charles  O.  Gates,  and  Ella  Hoagland. 

Outside  of  his  business  successes,  scientific  attainments  and  gift  to  science,  Dr. 
Hoagland  is  a  gentleman  of  refinement,  education  and  pleasing  social  qualities. 

JOSEPH  CHRISTOFFEL  HOAGLAND,  president  of  The  Royal  Baking  Powder 
Co.,  is  of  Dutch  extraction  and  descends  from  early  settlers  in  New  Amsterdam.  He 
was  born  in  Miami  county,  O. ,  June  19,  1841,  and  gained  an  education  in  the  high 
schools  of  Troy.  Before  beginning  a  commercial  career,  he  entered  the  Union  army 
in  1 86 1  and  served  mainly  in  the  quartermaster  and  subsistence  departments,  having 
been  detailed  by  Governor  Tod  for  special  service  at  Camp  Chase  in  Columbus,  O.  In 
1866,  he  founded  The  Royal  Baking  Powder  Co.,  and  has  given  the  product  of  this 
concern  such  world  wide  popularity  through  stupendous  advertising,  that  its  trade  mark 
alone  is  now  valued  at  $10,000,000.  He  has  become,  by  purchase  of  the  interest  of  his 
original  partner,  William  Ziegler,  almost  sole  owner.  Mr.  Hoagland  is  president  of 
The  New  York  Tartar  Co. ,  the  product  of  which  is  largely  consumed  by  The  Royal 
Baking  Powder  Co.,  is  the  principal  owner  in  both  companies,  and  a  very  capable  and 
driving  man.  In  1880,  he  served  as  Presidential  elector  but  politics  have  never  been 
an  important  element  in  his  life.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
Holland  Society  and  Down  Town,  Lawyers',  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  of  New  York, 
and  the  Atlantic  Yacht  and  Hamilton  clubs  of  Brooklyn.  At  one  time,  he  was  commo- 
dore of  the  American  Yacht  club  and  owner  of  the  steam  yacht  Stranger.  Mr.  Hoag- 
land's  city  residence  is  in  Brooklyn,  and  his  country  seat  on  the  Shrewsbury  river, 
N.  J.  The  latter  is  a  beautiful  structure,  planned  in  the  style  of  an  old  English  manor 
house  and  surrounded  by  grounds  laid  out  by  Frederick  Law  Olmsted.  By  his  mar- 
riage, in  1865,  with  Caroline  C.,  daughter  of  John  Matlack,  of  Dayton,  O.,  he  has  three 
children,  Raymond,  John  Andrew  and  Fanny  L.  Hoagland.  He  is  a  discriminating 
collector  of  paintings,  his  gallery  being  one  of  the  most  notable  in  Brooklyn. 

ROBERT  HOE,  of  the  well-known  firm  of  printing  press  manufacturers  of  New 
York  and  London,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  in  1839.  His  father,  Robert 
Hoe,  to  whom  he  succeeded  in  business,  was  born  in  New  York  in  1815  and  died  at 
his  country  residence  at  Tarrytown  in  the  Slimmer  of  1884.  Associated  in  business 
with  the  latter,  was  Richard  M  Hoe,  they  having  succeeded  their  father,  Robert  Hoe, 
an  Englishman,  who  came  to  America  in  1802,  from  the  hamlet  of  Hoes,  near  Notting- 
ham, Leicestershire,  England.  The  name  of  Hoe  is  the  Saxon  for  "eminence"  or 
"hill,"  being  the  equivalent  of  the  French  "haut."  The  origin  of  the  family  is,  there- 
fore, Anglo-Saxon. 

Robert  Hoe,  the  elder,  established  himself  in  New  York  as  a  manufacturer  of  print- 
ing machinery  as  early  as  1820,  and  was  among  the  first,  if  not  the  very  first,  to  make  iron 
printing  presses  in  America.  Among  his  earliest  productions  was  a  patented  hand 
press.  He  also  made  the  first  successful  single  and  double  cylinder  presses,  printing 
from  type  on  flat  beds.  After  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1833,  his  business  was  con- 


318  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

tinned  by  his  sons,  Richard  and  Robert,  above  referred  to,  who,  in  1846-47,  brought 
out  the  then  world- renowned  printing  press  known  as  the  "  Lightning"  or  type  revolv- 
ing machine,  for  which  patents  were  taken  out  by  Richard  M.  Hoe.  These  presses 
were  used  not  only  in  America,  but  in  Great  Britain. 

In  1863,  Robert  Hoe,  the  present  head  of  the  firm,  entered  the  business  as  a 
partner.  From  that  time  to  the  present,  his  labors  in  connection  with  it  have  been 
unremitting.  During  the  past  ten  years,  at  the  head  of  a  large  establishment,  doubled 
in  size  and  importance  since  the  death  of  his  father  and  uncle,  and  including  in  its 
personnel  a  great  variety  of  talent,  he  has  produced  some  of  the  most  remarkable 
pieces  of  mechanism  of  the  century.  The  number  of  employes  in  ordinarily  busy 
times,  is  about  two  thousand  engineers  and  mechanics  and  the  New  York  and  London 
works  cover  an  aggregate  of  some  eight  or  more  acres  of  floor  space,  filled  with 
the  most  modern  tools  and  mechanical  devices  capable  of  producing  the  extremely 
accurate  work  required  in  printing  machinery.  Every  kind  of  press  is  made  in  this 
establishment,  from  the  well-known  Washington  hand  press,  cylinder  presses  of  all 
kinds  and  power  lithographic  presses,  to  the  large  sextuple,  quadruple  and  double 
supplement  machines,  now  used  in  all  the  principal  printing  and  newspaper  offices  in 
America,  Great  Britain  and  Australia.  Any  one  inspecting  the  vast  printing  room 
of  The  New  York  Herald  on  Broadway,  or  the  pressrooms  of  The  World,  THE  TRIBUNE 
and  other  great  dailies  of  this  and  other  large  cities,  will  see  in  the  presses  which  are 
nightly  at  work  there,  throwing  off  printed  sheets  by  the  million,  examples  of  the 
elaborate  and  superb  mechanism  which  owe  their  existence  to  the  intelligent  enter- 
prise and  industry  of  the  past  few  years. 

Mr.  Hoe  has  associated  with  him  as  partners,  Theodore  H.  Mead  and  Charles  W. 
Carpenter.  He  is  not  only  a  man  of  ability,  but  of  cultivation  and  intelligence,  possess- 
ing perhaps  the  finest  library  of  rare  and  valuable  books  in  this  country,  accumulated 
during  what  might  be  styled  an  industrious  leisure.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  for  which  he  has  labored  assiduously  for  a  number 
of  years;  one  of  the  founders  and  the  first  president  of  the  Grolier  club,  an  institution 
having  literary  and  artistic  aims;  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Century, 
Engineers',  Players'  and  other  exclusive  clubs. 

SAHUEL  VERPLANCK  HOFFMAN,  a  native  of  Red  Hook,  N.  Y.,  born  July  2, 
1802,  died  in  New  York,  Oct.  6,  1880.  He  was  descended  from  Martin  Hoffman,  who 
came  from  Holland  about  1660,  bought  land  here,  became  a_  large  taxpayer,  removed 
to  Albany,  and  later  settled  in  Ulster  county.  Nicolaes  Hoffman,  his  son,  lived  in 
Kingston.  Martinus,  son  of  the  latter,  settled  in  Red  Hook,  N.  Y. ,  and  became  Colonel 
of  a  local  regiment,  a  land  owner  and  a  man  of  wealth.  By  marriage  and  otherwise, 
several  of  this  family  acquired  possession  of  large  tracts  of  excellent  land  in  the  valley 
of  the  Hudson.  Harmanus,  son  of  Martinus,  the  father  of  Samuel  V.  Hoffman,  married 
Catherine,  daughter  of  Philip  Verplanck.  Samuel  studied  law,  and  practiced  his  pro- 
fession first  in  Red  Hook,  but  came  to  New  York  city  in  1826,  and  in  1828  established 
the  commission  dry  goods  firm  of  Hoffman  &  Waldo,  in  which  he  was  a  special  partner. 
He  retired  in  1842.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Republic  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  the 
The  Hoffman  Fire  Insurance  Co. ;  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  a  trustee  of 
The  General  Theological  Seminary,  vestryman  of  Trinity  church,  and  warden  of 
Christ  church  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  where  he  spent  his  summers.  His  marriage 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HO.  319 

with  Glorvina  Rossell,  daughter  of  Garrit  Storm,  the  wholesale  grocer  of  this  city, 
brought  him  two  sons,  the  Very  Rev.  Eugene  Augustus  Hoffman,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  D.C.  L., 
Dean  of  The  General  Theological  Seminary,  and  a  man  of  notable  philanthropy,  and 
the  Rev.  Charles  Frederick  Hoffman,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  both  of  this  city. 

TinOTHY  HOQAN,  stevedore,  a  native  of  Liverpool,  England,  was  born  Feb.  17, 
1835.  A  son  of  Michael  Hogan,  warehouseman,  he  spent  his  hours  of  play  during 
boyhood  among  the  ships  and  steamers  which  lay  in  the  docks  of  that  port,  learned  to 
love  the  sea,  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  shipped  as  ordinary  seaman  on  the  packet 
vessel  St.  George,  owned  by  David  Ogden  of  New  York  city.  Until  1854,  he  followed 
the  sea  and  then  gained  the  place  of  foreman  for  Gale  &  Brown,  stevedores  in  New 
Orleans.  Familiar  with  the  art  of  stowing  cargoes,  he  became  a  partner  in  Brown  & 
Hogan  in  1858.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  his  occupation  vanished.  He  then 
1  ook  a  contract  for  building  pits  to  defend  the  approaches  to  the  city  on  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain,  but  the  capture  of  New  Orleans  put  an  end  to  this  occupation  also  and  left 
him  a  creditor  of  the  Confederacy  in  a  large  sum.  In  1862,  he  came  to  New  York 
city,  joined  the  partnership  of  Finder  &  Hogan,  stevedores,  and  transacted  a  profitable 
business  until  1869,  having  the  favor  of  owners  of  vessels  trading  to  New  Orleans. 
The  firm  then  dissolved.  For  a  while,  Mr.  Hogan  engaged  in  the  building  of  English 
tramp  steamers  in  company  with  friends  in  the  British  Isles,  and  in  1880  aided  in 
organizing  the  Monarch  line  of  steamers  to  ply  between  this  port  and  London.  He  is  a 
large  shareholder  in  six  lines  of  ocean  steamers  and  president  of  The  North  American 
Transport  Co.  The  ruling  passion  has  in  recent  years  taken  possession  of  him,  and  he 
has  resumed  the  business  of  loading  vessels  at  this  port  in  the  firm  of  T.  Hogan  & 
Sons,  ranking  as  the  leading  stevedores  of  the  port.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Produce 
and  Maritime  Exchanges,  and  of  the  Marine  &  Field,  Atlantic  Yacht  and  New  Rochelle 
Yacht  clubs.  His  sons,  Charles  W.,  Jefferson  and  Arthur  F.  Hogan,  are  all  members 
of  the  firm. 

DANIEL  HENRY  HOLMES,  merchant,  was  born  in  Clermont  county,  O.,  near 
Point  Pleasant,  April  28,  1816.  His  grandfather,  who  emigrated  to  this  country  from 
Ballymena  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  about  1760,  married  in  America  and  had  a  numer- 
ous offspring,  his  sons  taking  part  in  the  War  of  1812.  Daniel's  father  died  April  12, 
1818,  and  his  mother  in  the  June  following.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  lived  with 
relatives  on  a  farm  until  the  age  of  thirteen,  and  received  two  winters  of  schooling, 
paying  for  it  at  the  rate  of  $1.50  per  quarter.  He  worked  at  plowing,  picking  apples, 
and  gathering  corn,  his  wages  being  always  12^  cents  per  day  and  board.  In  1832,  he 
applied  for  a  situation  as  errand  boy  in  the  general  store  of  Eugene  Levassor,  Cincin- 
nati, secured  it,  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  French  language,  and  was  rather  a  good 
boy.  A  desire  for  travel  came  upon  him  in  1836,  and  he  started  with  his  savings  of 
$300  for  the  East,  as  the  region  from  Washington  to  Boston  was  then  called.  In  the 
late  fall  of  1836,  he  was  engaged  by  Lord  &  Taylor,  dry  goods  merchants  of  New  York 
city,  who  were  then  in  business  at  No.  63  Catharine  street.  On  account  of  being  able 
to  speak  French,  he  was  sent  to  New  Orleans,  and  sailed  in  the  good  ship  Yazoo,  Jan. 
8,  1837.  The  cost  of  the  trip  was  $100.  The  Lord  &  Taylor  interest  was  then  repre- 
sented in  New  Orleans  by  Taylor  &  Medley.  This  firm,  having  in  1842  purchased  at 
45  cents  on  the  dollar  a  bankrupt  stock,  offered  it  to  Mr.  Holmes  at  55  cents  on  the 
dollar,  they  to  own  two  thirds  of  it,  he  one  third.  He  agreed  to  this  and  took  charge 


320  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

of  the  goods.  In  1845,  Mr.  Holmes  bought  the  two-thirds  interest  for  $48,000,  paying 
in  forty-eight  notes  of  $1,000  each,  one  note  maturing  each  month  for  forty-eight 
months,  the  interest  to  be  8  per  cent.  He  went  to  Europe  for  a  stock  of  goods  in  1846, 
and  opened  a  regular  office  in  New  York  in  1852,  and  has  since  conducted  a  large  and 
prosperous  dry  goods  business  here.  He  has  spent  much  time  in  France  with  his 
family,  and  was  in  Paris  during  the  siege  of  1870-71.  In  1872,  he  made  his  home  on 
the  border  of  Covington,  Ky.,  but  lost  his  wife  by  death  in  1884,  gave  the  homestead 
to  his  son  and,  had  he  registered,  would  have  been  a  voter  in  the  city  of  New  York 
since  1888.  He  has  never  belonged  to  any  political  organization,  military  company, 
society  of  any  name,  or  any  club.  He  is  a  Theist  in  religion  and  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics. Having  as  a  boy  labored  ten  hours  a  day  for  the  old  Spanish  Escalin  bit,  or  York 
shilling,  he  would  gladly  see  silver  in  more  general  circulation,  even  if  coined  at  a  ratio 
of  twenty-five  to  one. 

ROBERT  EfiriET  HOPKINS,  petroleum  producer,  is  a  native  of  the  town  of  Pom- 
pey,  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  born,  March  24,  1833.  His  parents  were 
Hezekiah  and  Susan  Hopkins,  farmers.  His  grandfather,  Hezekiah  Hopkins,  came 
from  Connecticut  in  1802  to  Pompey,  situated  then  in  what  was  little  more  than  a 
primeval  wilderness,  helped  bring  the  region  into  some  state  of  civilization,  became  a 
man  of  influence,  and  during  the  War  of  1812  served  his  country  as  Captain  of  Militia. 
The  father  and  mother  of  Robert  E.  Hopkins  died  before  the  lad  was  nine  years  old 
and  left  their  boy  to  make  his  way  in  life  mainly  by  his  own  efforts  The  manner  in 
which  he  has  worked  out  his  own  destiny  should  encourage  every  young  man  who  is 
compelled  to  face  the  stern  realities  of  life  at  an  early  age,  to  put  forth  his  utmost 
efforts  to  accomplish  a  like  result. 

After  an  education  in  the  local  academy,  Mr.  Hopkins  left  Pompey  at  the  age  of 
seventeen,  and  began  his  career,  as  do  so  many  other  men  afterward  prominent  in 
affairs,  in  school  teaching,  first  in  Ohio  and  then  in  Pompey.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  the 
young  man  settled  in  the  village  of  Brewerton  on  Oneida  Lake  in  Central  New  York, 
and  spent  several  years  there  in  the  lumber  business.  The  life  of  the  woods  and  the 
mill  brought  to  him  sturdy  health  and  the  spirit  of  active  enterprise.  In  1861,  he 
received  an  appointment  as  Under  Sheriff  of  Onondaga  county,  but  this  place  he 
resigned  in  1862  in  order  to  recruit  a  company  of  Union  volunteers  for  the  i4gth  N.  Y. 
Infantry.  Receiving  a  commission  as  Captain  in  that  regiment,  he  went  to  the  front 
with  his  command,  and  saw  much  arduous  service  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  during 
the  next  two  years.  May  3,  1863,  he  was  captured  by  the  Confederates  during  the 
bloody  battle  of  Chancellorsville  and  was  incarcerated  in  Libby  prison  in  Richmond. 
An  exchange  of  prisoners  having  been  effected,  he  returned  to  the  regiment  July  i4th, 
1863,  and  commanded  the  i4gth  during  the  winter  of  1863-64,  being  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Major,  Jan.  20,  1864.  Long  continued  ill  health,  however,  the  result  of  priva- 
tion in  the  field,  compelled  him  to  resign  his  commission  July  3,  1864,  and  he  returned 
to  the  North. 

His  place  at  home  had  been  filled,  and  after  a  short  delay  Major  Hopkins  went  to 
Titusville,  Pa.,  in  May,  1865,  to  engage  in  the  lumber  business  and  prospect  for  petro- 
leum. The  petroleum  industry  was  then  in  the  early  stages  of  its  development,  and 
he  made  little  progress  in  that  special  field  until  1869,  but  he  then  met  with  much  suc- 
cess. He  continued  actively  employed  in  petroleum  producing  for  a  number  of  years. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HO.  321 

One  of  the  great  problems  with  which  the  people  of  the  oil  regions  had  to  contend  at 
that  time,  was  the  transportation  of  their  oil  to  market.  Railroad  charges  were  exces- 
sive and  relief  was  urgently  demanded.  In  1878,  Mr.  Hopkins  was  instrumental  in  a 
daring  solution  of  this  question,  and  in  the  organization  of  The  Tide  Water  Pipe  Co.,  a 
corporation  having  a  capital  of  $2,000,000,  the  first  to  lay  a  pipe  line  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  crude  petroleum  to  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  This  enterprise  was  entered  upon  as 
an  experiment,  and  the  line  terminated  at  first  at  Williamsport,  Pa. ;  but  its  entire  suc- 
cess and  great  value  to  the  producers  were  soon  demonstrated,  and  have  since  resulted 
in  an  extension  of  the  line  to  the  Kill  von  Kull,  which  flows  into  the  harbor  of  New 
York  opposite  Staten  Island.  The  pipe  line  now  transports  3,000,000  barrels  of  crude 
petroleum  )-early  from  the  oil  regions  to  the  markets  of  the  Atlantic  coast.  From  the 
beginning  of  this  company,  Mr.  Hopkins  has  been  one  of  its  managers  and  its  very 
capable  and  hard-working  treasurer.  He  remained  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania  until 
May,  1890,  but  then  removed  his  family  to  Tarrytown,  X.  Y.,  which  has  since  been  his 
home.  His  business  headquarters  are  in  this  city. 

Feb.  17,  1886,  Mr.  Hopkins  married  Fannie  W.  Chambers,  of  Newtown,  Pa., 
and  has  one  son,  Robert  Emmet  Hopkins,  jr.  He  is  highly  esteemed  by  the  business 
community  of  New  York  city,  and  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  two  or  three 
social  organizations,  including  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the  Union  League  club. 

LEWIS  MARX  HORNTHAL,  clothing  manufacturer,  was  born  in  New  York  city, 
May  15,  1845.  His  parents  emigrated  to  this  country  in  1837  from  Bavaria,  Germany, 
and  his  father  was  the  late  Marx  Hornthal,  merchant  of  clothing  in  this  city. 
Lewis  attended  the  public  schools  during  boyhood  and  after  a  training  in  a  wholesale 
notion  house,  went,  in  1867,  to  his  father's  store,  wrhere  he  was  thoroughly  trained  as  a 
merchant.  About  1868,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  and  since  the  retirement  of  his 
father  in  1876  has  stood  at  the  head  of  the  house,  which  now  displays  the  sign  of  Horn- 
thai,  Weissman  &  Co.  The  manufacture  of  clothing  has  long  formed  a  feature  of  their 
operations.  They  have  connections  with  merchants  in  the  South  and  West  and  trans- 
act an  excellent  trade.  Mr.  Hornthal  is  a  school  trustee,  a  director  of  The  Pacific  Bank 
and  Mount  Sinai  Hospital  and  a  member  of  the  Harmonic  club  and  all  the  Hebrew 
charities.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  excellent  reputation  and  good  standing.  June  i, 
1869,  he  was  married  to  Carrie,  daughter  of  Elias  and  Eleanor  Speyer,  and  has  four 
children,  Milton  J.,  De  Witt  L.,  Helen  C.  and  Amy  L. 

JAMES  flADISON  MORTON,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Rockville,  Orange  county, 
X.  Y.,  was  born  Aug.  3,  1835.  Barnabas  Horton,  his  father,  a  farmer,  served  his 
country  in  the  War  of  1812.  The  family  trace  their  lineage  to  an  emigrant  who  came 
from  the  hamlet  of  Mousely,  Leicestershire,  England,  to  Hampton,  Mass.,  in  1633,  in 
the  Swallow.  Some  of  them  settled  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  and  the  old  Horton 
homestead,  now  more  than  a  century  old,  may  yet  be  seen  at  Southhold.  James  M. 
Horton  had  an  academy  education,  spent  several  years  in  the  cultivation  of  the  farm, 
and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  began  buying  farm  products  for  shipment  to  Xew  York, 
and  at  times  selling  meat  to  the  contractors  who  were  building  the  Erie  railroad.  The 
$11  profit  on  these  transactions  gave  him  much  anxiety,  because  he  fancied  that 
robbers  might  deprive  him  of  his  large  wealth.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Xew  York  city  to 
engage  in  the  wholesale  trade  in  milk  with  a  brother  and  a  brother  in  law.  These  raw 
country  lads  bring  into  this  town  so  much  breezy  freshness,  independence  of  character 


-22  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

1 

and  courage  in  facing  the  world,  that  they  often  rise  to  great  distinction  and  certainly 
no  name  is  better  known  in  New  York  than  that  of  Mr.  Morton.  During  1858-69,  he 
served  as  president  of  The  Orange  County  Milk  Association,  and  in  1870,  purchased  a 
small  ice  cream  business,  put  out  the  sign  of  J.  M.  Horton  &  Co.,  and  began  to  manu- 
facture upon  a  large  scale.  By  making  ice  cream  of  a  finer  texture  than  could  be  frozen 
in  private  houses,  using  the  purest  materials,  the  finest  flavors,  and  various  ingeni- 
ous devices  for  forming  ice  cream  into  curious  shapes,  Mr.  Horton  created  a  business, 
which  has  grown  every  year  until  the  present  time.  In  1873,  the  firm  reorganized  as 
The  J.  M.  Horton  Ice  Cream  Co.,  with  a  nominal  capital  of  $40,000,  Mr.  Horton  being 
the  president  and  largest  owner.  Prosperity  has  rewarded  effort  and  the  plant  of  the 
company  has  grown  by  reinvestment  of  profits,  until  the  stores,  houses  and  wagons,  ice 
houses,  factory,  etc.,  are  alone  a  great  property.  He  has  six  stores  in  this  city,  and 
two  in  Brooklyn,  and  sells  to  families,  confectioners,  restaurants  and  hotels.  He  is  now 
the  owner  of  a  large  area  of  unimproved  real  estate  and  several  dwellings  and  pieces 
of  business  property,  and  a  member  of  the  Harlem  and  Congregational  clubs.  He  was 
for  a  time  a  director  of  The  Hamilton  Bank,  and,  when  elected  director  of  The  Third 
Avenue  Savings  Bank,  declined  to  serve. 

DAVID  HARRISON  HOUGHTALING,  tea  merchant,  born  in  Kingston,  N.  Y., 
May  17,  1834,  comes  from  an  old  Knickerbocker  family  and  is  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Jan  Williamson  Hooteyling,  who  came  from  Loosdrecht,  Holland,  to  Kingston,  N.  Y., 
May  9,  1661.  His  father  was  Henry  Houghtaling.  After  leaving  his  books  in  Kings- 
ton academy,  the  young  man  found  a  clerkship  in  New  York  city  in  1850.  A  hard- 
working, honest  youth,  he  made  excellent  progress,  and  in  1860  began  the  importation 
of  tea  on  his  own  account.  A  splendid  merchant,  he  has  always  been  successful  and 
has  been  prosperously  engaged  in  this  trade  until  the  present  time.  A  man  of  fine 
character,  he  has  been  elected  a  director  in  The  Bank  of  North  America,  The  United 
States  Life  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Third  National  Bank,  of  this  city,  a  trustee  of  The 
Franklyn  Trust  Co.  of  Brooklyn,  and  director  of  The  Richmond  Railway  &  Electric 
Co  ,  and  many  other  corporations.  He  is  a  Republican  in  political  faith,  an'd  served 
two  terms  as  Park  Commissioner  under  Mayor  Seth  Low,  but  steadily  declined  public 
office  afterward.  He  is  the  owner  of  goodly  real  estate  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  where 
he  resides.  By  virtue  of  his  ancestry,  he  is  a  member  of  The  Holland  Society  and 
also  holds  membership  in  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League  and  Down  Town  clubs  of 
this  city  and  the  Hamilton  club  of  Brooklyn,  and  was_president  of  the  Oxford  club 
for  several  years.  In  1858,  Mr.  Houghtaling  married  Laura  M.,  daughter  of  John 
McAlister,  of  Waterloo,  N.  Y.  Their  children  are  Warren  R  and  Martha  Houghtaling. 

COLGATE  HOYT,  banker,  born  in  Cleveland,  O.,  March  2,  1849,  is  a  son  of  James 
M.  Hoyt,  a  lawyer  and  man  of  high  position.  The  young  man  attended  Phillips 
Academy,  Andover,  but,  owing  to  the  failure  of  his  sight,  left  school  at  the  end  of  the 
first  year.  He  then  secured  a  place  in  a  hardware  store  in  Cleveland,  rose  by  his  own 
merit,  and  finally  joined  his  father  in  real  estate  operations,  becoming  himself  the 
owner  of  desirable  properties.  During  1877-81,  he  engaged  in  loans  of  money  on  real 
estate  security.  In  May,  1881,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  to  become  a  partner  in 
the  banking  and  bullion  firm  of  J.  B.  Colgate  &  Co.  He  made  his  way  here  with 
marked  success  and  remained  an  active  member  until  the  death  of  Mr.  Trevor,  in 
1890.  Banking  soon  led  him  into  intimate  relations  with  large  corporations.  A  gov- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.  — HO. 


323 


ernment  director  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  1882-84,  he  was  thereafter  a  company 
director  but  resigned  several  years  later.  In  1884,  he  joined  Charles  L.  Colby  and 
Edwin  H.  Abbott  in  The  Wisconsin  Central  Railroad  enterprise,  these  three  men 
becoming  trustees  of  the  entire  stock  of  the  corporation,  and  building  a  road  to  St. 
Paul  and  one  from  near  Milwaukee  to  Chicago,  thus  making  The  Wisconsin  Central  a 
through  line  from  Chicago  to  St.  Paul  and  Milwaukee.  They  also  built  The  Chicago 
&  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  as  a  terminal,  with  splendid  passenger  stations  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  Hoyt  has  also  been  a  director  and  active  spirit  in  The  Oregon  Railway  &  Navi- 
gation Co.,  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and  The  Oregon  &  Transcontinental  Co., 
and  in  1890  reorganized  the  latter  as  The  North  America  Co.,  with  entire  success,  and 
under  trying  circumstances.  The  American  Steel  Barge  Co.,  whose  shipyard  and 
docks  are  at  West  Superior,  Wis. ,  is  the  creation  of  Mr.  Hoyt,  who  bought  the  whale- 
back  patents  of  Capt.  Alex.  McUougall  in  1888,  organized  the  company  with  a  capital 
of  $500,000,  becoming  its  president  and  treasurer,  and  has  since  employed  about  1,500 
men  and  constructed  about  thirty  whalebacks  and  other  vessels  of  importance. 
Another  of  his  enterprises  is  The  Spanish- American  Iron  Co.,  of  which  he  is  an  organ- 
izer and  treasurer,  which,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000,000,  is  working  the  Lola  group  of 
iron  mines  in  Cuba.  Mr.  Hoyt  is  prominent  socially,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Metro- 
politan, Union  League,  Lawyers',  Riding,  Fencers',  Country,  Oyster  Bay  Yacht,  Larch- 
mont  Yacht  and  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  clubs,  and  The  Ohio  Society.  In  1873, 
he  married  Lida  W.,  daughter  of  Judge  Charles  T.  Sherman,  and  a  niece  of  Gen. 
William  T.  Sherman.  They  have  four  children  living. 

EDWIN  HOYT,  merchant,  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  May  15,  1804,  died  in  New 
York,  May  15,  1874.  He  came  from  English  ancestry  and  was  a  son  of  Abraham  Hoyt, 
a  sea  captain.  Beginning  his  highly  successful  career  as  a  clerk  in  this  city  in  1823,  he 
rose  by  application  and  ability  to  the  head  of  the  dry  goods  commission  house  of  Hoyt, 
Sprague  &  Co.  Mr.  Hoyt  had  the  conservatism  of  a  prudent  merchant,  and  took  part 
in  the  direction  of  The  Manhattan  Banking  Co.,  The  Bank  of  Commerce,  The  Fourth 
National  Bank,  The  Continental  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co. 
He  married  Susan,  daughter  of  William  Sprague,  Governor  of  Rhode  Island,  and  his 
children  were  Mrs.  Sarah  H.  Lee,  Mrs.  Susan  S.  Francklyn,  William  S.  and  Edwin  Hoyt. 

GEORGE  ALLEN  HOYT,  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  Aug.  16,  1811,  died  in  the 
same  place,  Dec.  3,  1887.  He  was  a  son  of  Darius  Hoyt,  a  farmer,  and  Harriet,  his 
wife,  gained  a  district  school  education,  and  after  a  period  of  training  as  clerk  in  a 
clothing  store  in  New  York,  carried  on  for  a  number  of  years  a  large  clothing  store  on 
his  own  account.  In  1852,  he  accepted  the  position  of  treasurer  of  The  Pennsylvania 
Coal  Co.,  investing  largely  in  its  stock  and  from  time  to  time  increasing  his  holdings, 
until  eventually  he  became  president  of  that  corporation  and  one  of  its  principal  share- 
holders. A  very  active  man,  he  became  president  or  director  of  several  other  corpora- 
tions. Real  estate  was  also  a  favorite  field  of  investment  for  him,  and  he  owned  a  large 
amount  of  that  class  of  property  both  in  New  York  city  and  Stamford.  Aug.  25,  1838, 
he  was  married  to  Sarah  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Elisha  and  Electa  Hawley,  of  Stamford. 
To  them  were  born  four  children,  Francis  S.  Hoyt;  Georgianna,  who  married  Albert 
S  Swords;  Ida  Morton,  wife  of  Belden  B.  Brown,  of  Stamford,  and  Elizabeth  Hawley, 
wife  of  Edward  A.  Day,  of  Morristown,  N.  J.  After  1851,  the  familymade  thairhome 
in  Stamford. 


324 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


HENRY  SHEAF  HOYT,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  died  in  Pau,  Italy,  March 
1 8,  1891,  in  his  seventy-second  year.  His  father  was  Goold  Hoyt,  a  merchant  of  the 
early  part  of  this  century  in  this  city  in  the  East  India  and  China  trade,  owner  of 
ships,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Merchants'  Exchange  National  Bank,  besides 
being  one  of  the  vestrymen  of  Grace  Church,  who  advocated  moving  the  church  to  its 
present  site  on  Broadway  at  zoth  street,  and  interested  in  old  St.  Paul's  Church,  in 
Norwalk,  Conn. ,  where  a  monument  has  been  erected  to  his  memory  by  the  parishion- 
ers. His  grandtather  was  Goold  Hoyt,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.  Henry  graduated  from 
Columbia  College,  studied  law  under  Judge  Goold,  of  Litchfield,  Conn,,  and  practiced 
with  success  for  a  number  of  years.  About  the  close  of  the  war,  he  retired  from  busi- 
ness, and  during  his  last  ten  years  spent  most  of  his  time  traveling  abroad,  returning 
to  Newport  in  the  summer  time.  He  was  a  founder  of  the  Union  and  a  member  of  the 
Knickerbocker  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  of  this  city.  Mr.  Hoyt  was  married  April 
7,  1836,  to  Frances,  a  daughter  of  William  A.  Duer,  LL.D.,  president  of  Columbia 
College,  and  a  sister  of  Denning  Duer,  of  New  York.  His  wife  survived  him.  There 
were  no  children. 

JESSE  HOYT,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  March  12,  1815,  died  here  Aug. 
14,  1882.  He-was  of  English  and  Scottish  descent,  and  a  son  of  James  Moody  Hoyt, 
who,  for  over  fifty  years  a  prominent  merchant  of  this  city  and  a  man  of  strict  integrity 
and  Christian  probity,  died  at  Norwalk,  Conn.,  in  1854.  At  the  age  of  seventeen, 
Jesse  Hoyt  became  a  clerk  in  the  wholesale  grocery  house  of  C.  &  L.  Denison,  and  in 
1836,  a  partner.  In  1838,  he  retired  to  engage  in  the  flour  and  grain  business  with  his 
father,  who  had  formerly  been  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Eli  Hart  &  Co.  Jesse  Hoyt 
continued  in  business  with  his  father  until  1854,  when  the  firm  reorganized  as  Jesse 
Hoyt  &  Co.,  the  members  being  Jesse,  his  two  brothers,  Samuel  N.  and  Alfred  M. 
Hoyt,  and  Henry  W.  Smith,  and  rose  to  great  prominence  in  the  flour  and  grain  trade, 
having  business  connections  throughout  the  West  and  in  Europe.  Samuel  N.  retired 
in  1858  and  Jesse  and  Alfred  M.  Hoyt  in  1881.  Jesse  Hoyt  was  one  of  the  most  ener- 
getic and  enterprising  merchants  of  this  city.  He  promoted  every  interest  .which 
would  develop  the  resources  of  the  West  and  make  New  York  city  the  commercial  em- 
porium of  the  republic,  was  a  great  friend  to  the  Erie  Canal,  and  early  displayed  an  in- 
terest in  the  extension  of  railroads  to  the  West.  He  bought  great  tracts  of  pine  timber 
lands  in  Michigan,  erected  sawmills  and  carried  on  an  immense  business  in  manufactur- 
ing lumber,  and  built  and  owned  vessels  on  the  lakes  to  transport  the  lumber  to  a 
market.  He  also  built  grain  elevators  in  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  Jersey  City;  pur- 
chased real  estate  in  promising  towns,  notably  in  Saginaw;  built  hotels,  started  banks 
and  made  other  large  investments  in  Michigan  and  Minnesota.  In  association  with  D. 
N.  and  A.  H.  Barney,  William  G.  Fargo,  Alfred  M.  Hoyt,  S.  N.  Hoyt,  B.  B.  Cheney 
and  Angus  Smith,  he  also  built  and  owned  The  Winona  &  St.  Peter  Railroad,  now  a 
part  of  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  system.  In  building  and  extending  The  Flint  & 
Pere  Marquette  Railroad  across  the  State  of  Michigan,  he  was  a  leading  spirit  and  for 
years  was  president  of  the  company.  He  was  also  president  of,  and  interested  in 
building,  The  Milwaukee  &  Northern  Railroad,  and  projected  and  built  The  Saginaw, 
Tuscola  &  Huron  Railroad.  While  a  director  in  several  banks  and  insurance  com- 
panies, his  private  affairs  so  engrossed  his  time,  that  he  generally  declined  these 
positions  of  trust.  Mr.  Hoyt  was  an  era  maker  and  left  an  honorable  record  as  a 


. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HO.  325 

merchant  and  a  citizen  of  the  community  in  which  he  was  born  and  spent  his  life.  One 
of  his  strongest  traits  was  manifested  in  his  earnest  efforts  to  help  young  men  to  help 
themselves  and  to  become  active  and  energetic,  honorable  and  truthful  in  all  their 
dealings  with  their  fellow  men. 

JOSEPH  BLACKLEY  HOYT,  one  of  the  prominent  leather  merchants  in  New 
York,  born  Nov.  18,  1813,  died  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  Dec.  27,  1888.  He  learned  the 
tanner's  trade  as  an  apprentice  in  Connecticut,  and  at  the  age  of  20,  having  saved  §1,000, 
went  into  a  partnership  in  the  hide  currying  "business  in  New  York.  In  1848,  he  formed 
another  partnership,  and  for  six  years  Rees  &  Hoyt  manufactured  leather  belting. 
This  partnership  being  dissolved,  Mr.  Hoyt,  with  his  brothers,  Oliver  and  William, 
established  the  firm  of  Hoyt  Bro's,  who  made  a  specialty  of  fine  oak  sole  leather  and 
belting.  This  house  is  yet  in  existence,  and  famous.  After  a  few  )-ears,  the  business 
was  divided.  Mr.  Hoyt  withdrew,  and  with  Harvey  S.  Ladew  and  Daniel  B.  Fayer- 
weather  engaged  in  business  as  J.  B.  Hoyt  &  Co.,  leather  merchants  and  tanners,  con- 
tinuing xmtil  failing  health  compelled  him  in  1884  to  give  up  all  business,  except  that  of 
director  of  The  Fourth  National  Bank.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  energy  and 
purity  of  character.  Mr.  Hoyt  was  extremely  liberal,  and  his  fortune  enabled  him  to 
expend  much  for  charity.  He  was  the  leading  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Stam- 
ford and  especially  generous  toward  churches  of  his  own  denomination.  At  one  time, 
he  occupied  a  seat  in  the  Connecticut  Assembly. 

MARK  HOYT,  merchant,  partner  in  the  well-known  firm  of  Hoyt  Bro's,  tanners, 
an  earnest,  intrepid  and  driving  man,  is  one  of  the  few  in  commercial  life  who  have 
been  continuously  successful  from  their  youth. 

He  descends  from  a  very  old  family,  which  traces  its  ancestry  through  the  Somer- 
set branch  in  England,  as  far  back  as  Thomas  Hoyett  of  "Sevington  Marye,"  or  Seav- 
ington,  St.  Mary,  in  Somerset,  whose  will  is  dated  Nov.  10,  1576.  There  are  evidences 
that  the  English  family,  in  turn,  derived  its  descent  from  a  German  duke,  Von  Hoyte, 
of  Westphalia,  referred  to  in  Weigel's  "Book  on  German  Arms,"  printed  in  1696.  The 
founder  of  the  family  in  America  was  Simeon  Hoyt,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Charles- - 
town,  Mass.,  in  1628.  The  emigrant  changed  his  home  to  Dorchester  in  1630,  and  in 
1634  or  '35  to  Scituate,  removing  in  1636  to  Windsor,  Conn.,  where  he  located  perma- 
nently. There,  he  became  a  prominent  man  in  the  church  and  community  and  a  large 
landholder.  His  sixth  son,  Samuel,  born  in  1643,  removed  to  Stamford,  Conn.  Inher- 
iting the  ability  of  his  father,  he  became  a  man  of  high  standing  in  Stamford,  and  was 
a  Deputy  at  eleven  sessions  of  the  General  Assembly,  and  fourteen  years  a  Selectman 
of  the  town.  For  his  services  as  a  soldier  in  the  colonial  wars,  he  received  large  grants 
of  land.  The  larger  part  of  his  estate  descended  to  his  son,  Samuel,  who  was  born  July 
27,  1663.  The  eldest  son  of  the  latter,  born  March  17,  1709,  was  a  large  landholder, 
and  a  sergeant  in  the  American  Revolution.  The  second  son,  Joseph,  born  Dec.  12, 
1739,  married  Sarah  Weed,  and  their  son,  Joseph  Blackley  Hoyt.  was  the  father  of  Col. 
Mark  Hoyt. 

Mark  Hoyt,  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  was  born  May  5,  1835,  m 
Stamford,  Conn.  He  received  a  good  education  in  the  local  district  school  and  a 
boarding-school  in  Darien,  Conn.  His  father  wished  that  Mark  might  be  his  successor 
upon  the  farm,  but  the  boy  was  ambitious,  and  early  in  life  showed  such  a  decided 
adaptation  to  business  pursuits,  that  when  he  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  he  became  an 


326  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

apprentice  for  five  years,  three  of  which  were  spent  in  Rees  &  Hoyt's  tannery  in  Shokan, 
Ulster  county,  N.  Y.,  and  two  in  New  York  city.  As  a  practical  workman,  he  learned 
every  branch  of  the  industry.  After  three  years  as  a  clerk,  he  was  admitted  as  a  part- 
ner in  the  leather  house  of  Hoyt  Bro's  in  New  York  city,  which  had  been  formed  in 
March,  1854,  by  Joseph  B.,  William  and  Oliver  Hoyt,  to  succeed  to  the  business  of  Rees 
&  Hoyt  and  W.  &  O.  Hoyt.  The  new  firm  were  destined  to  great  success.  As  rapidly 
as  their  earnings  would  allow,  they  established  tanneries  of  their  own  in  various  regions 
in  Pennsylvania  and  New  York,  where  hemlock  bark  was  abundant,  and  finally  became 
the  owners  of  several  large  establishments  and  a  large  acreage  of  bark  lands,  and  the 
producers  of  enormous  quantities  of  leather.  They  became  one  of  the  most  extensive 
and  wealthy  houses  in  the  leather  business,  adding  to  their  home  trade  a  large  exporta- 
tion of  their  products  to  Europe,  principally  to  England. 

Mr.  Hoyt  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  has  voted  for  every  Re- 
publican nominee  for  President  from  Fremont  down  to  Benjamin  Harrison.  During 
the  Civil  War,  he  espoused  the  side  of  the  Union  with  all  the  ardor  inherited  from  an 
ancestry  devoted  to  the  cause  of  freedom.  In  1862,  he  raised  and  sent  to  the  field  the 
1 7 6th  N.  Y.  Vols. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Hoyt  engaged  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  name  of  Mark 
Hoyt  &  Co.,  but  relinquished  this  in  1870  to  return  to  the  firm  of  Hoyt  Bro's,  of  which 
he  is  now  the  head. 

Since  the  war,  Mr.  Hoyt  has  been  especially  occupied,  in  addition  to  his  large  busi- 
ness interests,  with  the  cause  of  education.  He  is  a  valued  trustee  and  benefactor  of 
the  Adelphi  Academy  in  Brooklyn,  the  Wesleyan  University  in  Middletown,  Conn., 
and  the  American  University  in  Washington,  D.  C. ,  which  is  about  to  be  established 
by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  was  elected  president  of  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  latter,  and  served  for  one  year,  but  was  obliged  to  decline  on  account  of  the 
pressure  of  business  duties.  He  is  also  trustee  and  treasurer  of  the  Drew  Theological 
Seminary  in  Madison,  N.  J. 

During  the  six  months  prior  to  May,  1893,  he  was  chiefly  occupied  in  promoting  tne 
greatest  enterprise  ever  organized  in  the  leather  trade,  which,  for  solidity  and  magni- 
tude, has  never  been  surpassed  in  the  business  world,  and  was  the  leading  spirit  in  the 
organization  of  The  United  States  Leather  Co. ,  which  is  a  consolidation  of  the  chief 
tanning  interests  of  the  country  for  a  continuation  of  the  business.  It  was  incorporated 
with  a  capital  of  $120,000,000,  one-half  of  which  represents:  the  actual  cash  value  of  the 
properties  purchased.  It  is  believed  that  in  actual  value  of  its  properties,  this  company 
is  superior  to  any  other  in  the  United  States.  Mr.  Hoyt  became  its  first  vice-president 
upon  incorporation  in  May,  1893. 

A  large  employer  of  labor,  Mr.  Hoyt  has  been,  both  in  the  United  States  and  dur- 
ing extensive  travels  abroad,  a  close  observer  of  the  condition  and  needs  of  the  working 
classes.  Deeply  interested  in  their  welfare,  he  has  done  much  to  promote  it.  He  is 
generous  in  his  dealings  with  men  and  never  slow  to  assist  the  deserving,  although 
impatient  with  those  who  would  impose  upon  his  liberality. 

Mr.  Hoyt  is  as  well  known  by  his  activity  in  church  work  as  by  his  devotion  to 
education  and  his  management  of  extensive  mercantile  and  manufacturing  interests. 
He  is  a  member  and  trustee  of  the  Summerfield  M.  E.  Ctmrch  in  Brooklyn,  where  he 
resides,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HO.  327 

He  is  a  man  of  large  physique,  agreeable  in-  his  manners,  and  a  popular  member 
of  various  social  organizations.  Among  the  clubs  to  which  he  belongs  are  the  Union 
League  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  Fulton  and  the  Hide  and  Leather  of  New  York  city.  He 
is  also  a  member  of  The  New  England  Society. 

OLIVER  HOYT,  leather  merchant,  born  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  Aug.  15,  1823,  died 
in  the  same  place,  May  5,  1887.  He  had  a  common  school  education  and  learned  the 
currier's  trade.  In  1844,  he  removed  to  New  York,  where,  with  his  brother  William, 
he  founded  the  firm  of  W.  &  O.  Hoyt,  afterward  known  as  Hoyt  Bro's.  Their  business 
was  from  the  start  lucrative  and  eventually  became  one  of  the  largest  in  the  "Swamp." 
Investment  of  his  share  of  the  profits  in  banks  and  insurance  companies  mainly  rapidly 
augmented  Mr.  Hoyt's  wealth,  so  that  long  before  his  death  he  was  already  a  man  of 
great  fortune.  He  served  three  terms  in  the  Connecticut  Legislature  as  a  Senator  and 
during  two  terms  was  chosen  presiding  officer.  In  1872,  he  was  a  Presidential  Elector 
from  Connecticut,  and  cast  his  vote  for  General  Grant.  The  $250,000  Grant  fund  was 
mainly  raised  by  Mr.  Hoyt's  liberality  and  zeal.  Methodist  Episcopal  institutions  and 
charities  he  regarded  as  having  an  especial  claim  upon  him.  One  of  the  founders  of 
TIu  Methodist,  he  was  for  many  years  one  of  the  managers  of  the  General  Missionary 
Society  of  the  M.  E.  Church,  and  he  gave  $100,000  to  the  Wesleyan  University,  and 
$2,000  to  the  Wesley  Memorial  Church,  in  Savannah,  Ga.,  contributed  largely  to  local 
Methodist  influences,  and  in  1881  represented  his  church  at  the  International  Assembly 
of  Methodists  in  London.  His  will  gave  $100,000  to  charitable  and  religious  institu- 
tions. He  was  a  director  of  The  National  Park  Bank,  The  Home  Insurance  Co.,  and 
The  Phenix  Insurance  Co. ,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  The  New 
England  Society.  Mr.  Hoyt  left  a  widow,  born  Corse,  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1852, 
and  four  sons,  Edward  C.,  Theodore  R.,  George  S.  and  Walter  S.  Hoyt,  of  whom  the 
first  three  succeeded  to  his  interest  in  the  firm  of  Hoyt  Bro's. 

HENRY  WILSON  HUBBELL,  merchant,  born  in  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  Oct.  30, 
1805,  died  in  Englewood,  N.  J.,  Nov.  13,  1884.  The  emigrant  ancestor,  Richard  Hub- 
bell,  joined  the  New  Haven  colony  from  England  in  1645,  and  settled  in  Fairfield,  of 
which  town  he  was  one  of  the  patentees  in  1685.  Of  his  descendants,  thirteen  served 
as  commissioned  officers  and  about  fifty  as  non-commissioned  officers  and  privates  in 
the  American  Revolution.  The  father,  grandfather  and  great  grandfather  of  Mr.  Hub- 
bell  were  owners  and  at  times  captains  of  vessels  engaged  in  the  China,  West  India 
and  coasting  trades.  In  the  early  part  of  this  century,  the  energetic  youth  of  New 
England  looked  towards  the  sea  as  the  field  whence  they  would  reap  their  fortunes,  as 
in  later  days  they  have  turned  towards  the  Great  West ;  and  a  splendid  race  of  ship 
masters  and  merchants  arose,  who  were  once  the  pride  of  the  country  and  brought  our 
foreign  commerce  to  its  zenith  in  the  '503.  Capt.  Ezekiel  Hubbell,  father  of  Henry  W. 
Hubbell,  on  his  three-year  voyage  around  the  world  in  1800-2,  on  the  ship  Enter- 
prise, carried  a  ship's  company  of  twenty-five,  every  soul  a  native  American.  It  is  said 
that  this  was  the  first  voyage  around  the  world  from  the  port  of  New  York.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  made  a  voyage  as  clerk  to  Manila  in  the  new 
ship  Ajax,  and  became  clerk  for  his  brother  George  in  a  commercial  house  in  Manila. 
Here  he  remained  five  years,  serving  meanwhile  as  supercargo  of  the  brig  Cadet  on  a 
successful  voyage  to  Peru.  In  1825,  George  Hubbell  visited  the  LTnited  States  and  left 
Henry  in  charge  of  the  business.  Henry  returned  to  New  York  in  1826,  and  from  that 


328  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

time  on  for  several  years  was  employed  as  supercargo  of  various  ships.  George  died 
in  1831,  and  Henry  then  became  a  partner  with  J.  W.  Peele,  of  Salem,  as  Peele,  Hub- 
bell  &Co.,  of  Manila.  A  few  years  afterward,  he  withdrew  to  establish  himself  in  Can- 
ton but  the  name  was  maintained  until  the  firm  went  out  of  existence  in  1887,  the  most 
ancient  house  in  the  East.  Russell  &  Co.,  established  at  Canton  in  1825,  ceased  to  ex- 
in  1891.  Until  1867,  excepting  during  the  unsuccessful  venture  with  unfamiliar  do- 
mestic business  in  New  York  city,  Mr.  Hubbell  resided  mainly  at  Canton,  representing 
a  part  of  the  time,  in  addition  to  his  own  business,  the  interests  of  Howland  &  Aspin- 
wall.  During  his  sojourn  in  the  East,  Mr.  Hubbell  saw  the  voyage  to  China  change 
from  a  five  or  six  months'  trip  round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  a  six  weeks'  trip  by 
steam  from  New  York,  interrupted  only  by  transportation  in  vans  from  Cairo  to  Suez. 
Instead  of  sending  out  Spanish  dollars  to  trade  with  the  Orient,  credits  on  London 
were  established  about  1829.  Supercargoes  were  abolished  about  1840.  Mr.  Hubbell 
witnessed  the  opium  war  between  China  and  England  and  the  Tai-Ping  rebellion.  He 
entertained  Commodore  Perry  and  his  officers  while  on  their  famous  expedition  to 
Japan.  He  was  in  Paris  in  1830,  when  Charles  X  abdicated  and  Louis  Philippe  suc- 
ceeded to  the  throne,  and  witnessed  the  coronation  of  William  IV.  in  West- 
minster Abbey  in  1833,  and,  when  in  Peru  in  1824,  witnessed  the  struggle 
of  Spain  to  save  the  last  of  her  vice  royalties  in  America.  In  1856,  Mr.  Hubbell 
returned  to  New  York,  and  after  a  year's  sojourn  in  Europe,  his  wanderings  ended. 
He  had  traveled  370,000  miles  and  traversed  almost  every  sea,  but  had  never  been 
overtaken  by  accident,  although  he  had  had  many  providential  escapes.  His  voyages 
constituted  the  historic  record  of  a  merchant,  each  one  entered  upon  with  a  carefully 
conceived  and  special  object  in  view,  and  all  done  by  sailing  vessel  up  to  1840.  They 
are  believed  to  have  been  unparalleled  by  any  individual  in  this  country.  A  man  of 
Mr.  Hubbell's  active  temperament  could  not  long  remain  idle,  and  he  soon  found  him- 
self again  in  the  full  tide  of  commerce  with  the  East.  In  1865,  he  was  to  some  extent 
managing  owner  of  twelve  ships  and  steamers.  Among  these  were  the  splendid  clip- 
pers, famous  in  the  era  of  our  finest  ships,  Sweepstakes,  Golden  State  and  Winged 
Racer.  His  associate,  Robert  L.  Taylor,  and  he,  persisted  in  sailing  their  vessels  under 
the  American  flag.  In  November,  1863,  the  Winged  Racer,  bound  from  Manila  to 
New  York,  was  burned  by  the  rebel  cruiser,  Alabama,  causing  a  loss  of  $400,000  to  her 
owners.  This  loss,  and  heavy  payments  for  war  risks,  later  violent  fluctuations  in  gold 
and  a  financial  panic,  rendered  ordinarily  satisfactory  collateral  for  loans  of  no 
account,  and  caused  Mr.  Hubbell  and  Mr.  Taylor  to  make  an  assignment.  Much 
litigation  ensued,  but  Mr.  Hubbell  was  honorably  released.  In  1874,  he  was  re- 
imbursed from  the  Geneva  award  for  the  loss  of  the  Winged  Racer,  and  later  for  war 
premiums  paid  for  insurance.  Mr.  Hubbell  was  an  indefatigable  agent  in  the  spread 
of  American  commerce,  and  took  pride  in  its  growth.  In  the  Eastern  world  he  stood 
forth  as  a  champion  for  America.  A  considerate  and  courtly  gentleman,  his  kindly 
help  started  more  than  one  deserving  but  friendless  young  man  on  an  honorable  career. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce;  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Mutual 
Life  Insurance  Co. ;  a  trustee  of  several  institutions,  and  one  of  the  early  members  of 
the  Union  League  club,  as  well  as  a  liberal  contributor  to  the  expenses  of  the  war. 
He  married,  March  31,  1836,  Jane  Maria,  oldest  daughter  of  Charles  Bostwick  of 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  and  his  children  were  Katherine  J.,  wife  of  Joseph  B.  Cumming,  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  329 

Augusta,  Ga. :  Capt.  Henry  W.  Hubbell,  U.  S.  Art. ;  Elizabeth  Bostwick  Hubbell  and 
Charlotte  B.,  wife  of  Win.  L.  Whittemore,  of  Englewood,  X.  J. 

CHARLES  I.  HUDSON,  one  of  the  leading  men  of  Wall  street,  was  born  in  New 
York,  Aug.  20,  1852,  and  is  one  of  those  whose  material  success  in  life  was  early  won 
and  uninterrupted.  His  father,  Isaac  X.  Hudson,  son  of  a  Yorkshire  clergyman,  came 
to  this  country  from  England  in  1830,  and  was  a  well  known  journalist  in  California 
and  other  parts  of  the  country.  In  1851,  he  married  in  Xew  York  Miss  Cornelia  A. 
Bogert  Haight,  daughter  of  John  Edward  Haight,  a  prominent  Maiden  Lane  merchant, 
and  their  eldest  son  was  Charles  I.  Hudson. 

The  lad  was  educated  in  Grammar  School  No.  13,  of  which  the  principal  at  that 
time  was  Thomas  Hunter,  later  principal  of  the  Xormal  College.  At  the  early  age  of 
fourteen,  he  left  school  and  found  employment  in  Wall  street  with  the  firm  of  S.  M. 
Mills  &  Co.  His  first  salary  was  the  modest  stipend  of  $4  per  week,  but,  by  the  time 
he  was  nineteen  years  old,  it  had  risen  to  $1,500  per  annum.  During  the  time  of  his 
employment  by  Mills  &  Co.,  he  was  a  special  and  trusted  messenger  between  tnat  firm 
and  Jay  Gould.  -  In  this  capacity  opportunities  were  presented  for  his  transaction  of 
several  important  missions  in  such  a  satisfactory  manner  that  Mr.  Gould  took  a  par- 
ticular fancy  to  him.  As  a  practical  evidence  of  his  appreciation,  the  great  financier, 
in  April,  1875,  gave  to  Mr.  Mills,  for  "that  active  young  man,"  nine  hundred  shares 
of  Union  Pacific  stock,  which  was  at  that  time  under  his  control.  Within  twenty  days 
thereafter,  the  sale  of  that  stock  netted  over  $19,000  profit.  This  sum  was  the  founda- 
tion of  Mr.  Hudson's  fortune.  It  enabled  him  to  pay  for  his  seat,  purchased  in  August, 
1874,  in  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  to  make  an  independent  start  in  business  for  himself. 

March  i,  1876,  he  went  into  partnership,  under  the  name  of  C.  I.  Hudson  &  Co., 
with  Mr.  H.  X.  Smith,  the  former  partner  of  Jay  Gould.  In  December,  1878,  the 
firm,  retaining  the  same  name,  was  reorganized,  Mr.  Smith  retiring  and  Robert  R. 
Lear  and  T.  H.  Curtis  taking  his  place.  That  partnership  continued  until  May,  1881, 
when,  yet  under  the  old  title,  the  membership  was  again  changed  to  Mr.  Hudson  and 
A.  H.  De  Forest,  with  Mr.  Henry  N.  Smith  as  special  partner.  In  October,  1885,  Mr. 
Smith  withdrew  and,  in  1894,  Mr.  Hudson's  brother,  Edward  J.  Hudson,  was  admitted 
to  the  firm.  All  three  of  the  present  partners  are  members  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  a 
fact  seldom  paralleled  in  Wall  street  offices. 

In  May,  1891,  Mr.  Hudson  was  elected  Governor  of  the  Exchange  on  an  independ- 
ent ticket,  receiving  over  two  thirds  of  the  entire  vote  cast,  a  satisfactory  evidence  of 
his  popularity.  The  term  of  office  is  four  years.  Mr.  Hudson  has  been  and  is  a  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Exchange,  and  was  instrumental  in  introducing  there  the  so-called 
trust  securities,  such  as  American  Cotton  Oil,  National  Lead  Co. ,  American  Sugar  Re- 
fining Co. ,  etc.  In  one  year,  his  firm  handled  over  two  and  a  half  million  shares  of  one 
•class  alone  of  these  securities,  and  in  one  day  have  handled  as  many  as  90,000  shares. 

Mr.  Hudson  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  The  Fourteenth  Street  Bank  in  1888,  and 
recently  resigned  from  its  directorate.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan,  New  York 
Athletic,  Colonial,  Larchmont  Yacht  and  New  York  Riding  clubs,  was  an  organ- 
izer and  is  a  director  of  the  Thousand  Islands  club,  and  belongs  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
River  Association  and  American  Jersey  Cattle  club  and  other  associations. 

On  June  8,  1876,  he  married  Miss  Sara  E.  Kierstede,  of  Scranton,  Pa.  (a  lineal  de- 
pendent of  Anneke  Jans),  and  has  four  children,  Percy  K.,  Hendrick,  Kierstede  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  331 

Alan.     Mr.  Hudson  owns  a  beautiful  country  home,    "The  Ledges,"  in  the  Thousand 
Islands. 

HENRY  CARLTON  HULBERT,  merchant,  is  a  son  of  New  England,  whose  up- 
right, energetic  and  successful  life  in  the  metropolis  illustrates  the  virtues  of  the  Puri- 
tan ancestry  from  which  he  descends.  He  traces  his  descent  from  several  notable 
families.  His  paternal  ancestor,  Lieut.  Thomas  Hurlbut,  came  from  England  with 
Leon  Gardiner  about  1635,  and  afterward  settled  in  Wethersfield,  Conn.  He  served 
as  an  officer  in  the  Pequot  War.  Through  the  marriage  of  John  Hulbert,  son  of  the 
pioneer,  Dec.  15,  1670,  with  Honor  Treat  Deming,  daughter  of  John  Deming,  he  de- 
scends from  Richard  Treat,  the  father  of  Gov.  Robert  Treat,  of  Connecticut.  Both 
Richard  Treat  and  John  Deming  were  among  the  patentees  of  the  famous  charter, 
which  was  granted  to  Connecticut  and  afterward  concealed  in  the  Charter  Oak  at  Hart- 
ford. Amos  Hulbert,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  soldier  of  the 
American  Revolution. 

The  maternal  ancestors  of  Mr.  Hulbert  were  early  settlers  in  the  Plymouth  colony, 
Mass.  One  of  them,  William  Bassett,  came  to  Plymouth  in  1621  in  the  good  ship  For- 
tune, and  the  town  of  Bridge  water,  Mass.,  was  set  off  to  him  and  others.  By  the  mar- 
riage of  Hannah  Hall,  granddaughter  of  Gov.  Josiah  Winslow,  in  1746,  to  Nathaniel 
Bassett,  of  Sandwich,  Mr.  Hulbert  descends  from  Gov.  Edward  Winslow,  who  married 
in  May,  1621,  Widow  Susannah  Fuller  White,  mother  of  Peregrine  White,  the  first 
white  child  born  in  New  England.  Both  Edward  Winslow  and  his  wife,  and  William 
White  and  his  wife  Susannah,  came  to  New  England  in  the  Mayflower,  Mrs.  Winslow 
and  Mr.  White  dying  during  the  first  terrible  winter  in  Plymouth.  The  first  marriage 
ceremony  in  the  colony,  May  12,  1621,  united  in  wedlock  Edward  Winslow  and  Susannah 
Fuller  White.  Gov.  Josiah  Winslow,  their  son,  was  the  first  native  born  governor 
and  general.  He  was  governor  from  1673  until  his  death  in  December,  1680,  and,  in 
1675,  he  was  commander-in-chief  of  the  whole  military  force  of  the  united  colonies. 

The  other  maternal  ancestor,  Thomas  Dymoke,  of  noble  family  in  England,  who 
emigrated  to  America  about  1631,  was,  in  1635,  selectman  at  Dorchester,  Mass.  In 
1639,  the  town  of  Barnstable,  Mass.,  was  set  off  to  him  and  others.  Sylvanus  Dymock, 
grandfather  of  Mr.  Hulbert,  was  a  soldier  in  the  American  Revolution.  Through  the 
marriage  of  Sarah  Hinckley,  Oct.  i,  1722,  to  Theophilus  Dymoke,  Mr.  Hulbert  de- 
scends from  Samuel  Hinckley,  the  father  of  Gov.  Thomas  Hinckley. 

Mr.  Hulbert  has  traced  out  lines  of  direct  descent  from  over  twenty  of  the  pio- 
neers who  arrived  in  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  before  1640,  and,  as  far  as  known,  none 
of  his  ancestors  arrived  in  this  country  after  1645.  He  is  surely  a  direct  descendant 
from  the  best  blood  of  the  Puritans,  being  of  New  England  extraction  in  an  unbroken 
line  of  over  250  years. 

His  father,  Amos  Geer  Hulbert,  was  a  sound,  sensible,  sagacious  man,  a  carriage 
manufacturer  in  Lee,  Mass.,  and  his  mother,  Cynthia  Bassett  Hulbert,  was  a  descend- 
ant of  the  Dimmock  and  Bassett  families. 

Henry  C.  Hulbert,  their  only  son,  was  born  in  Lee,  Mass.,  Dec.  19,  1831.  He  re- 
ceived a  good  education  at  the  Lee  Academy,  and,  what  was  of  equal  benefit,  an  excel- 
lent training  by  intellectual  and  loving  parents.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  entered  the 
store  of  William  Taylor,  of  Lee.  with  whom  he  had  previously  spent  six  months  when 
thirteen  years  of  age,  and  became  a  general  clerk. 


332  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

In  May,  1848,  upon  entering  the  store  of  Plunkett  &  Hulbert,  who,  in  Pittsfield, 
conducted  the  largest  dry  goods  business  in  Berkshire  county,  the  young  man  received 
from  his  excellent  and  experienced  father,  that  which  was  better  than  a  legacy,  and  for 
the  lack  of  which  other  young  men,  who  are  otherwise  qualified  to  succeed,  often  begin 
life  aimlessly  and  make  a  failure  of  it.  His  father  told  him:  "You  must  now  learn 
to  depend  upon  yourself.  After  this,  I  shall  never  give  you  another  command.  Here- 
after, it  will  be  advice.  My  last  injunction  is :  '  Wherever  you  are  placed  in  life,  be  a 
man!  Never  shirk  responsibility !  If  you  get  into  trouble,  pay  your  way  like  a  man, 
if  you  have  to  sell  the  shirt  off  your  back,  and  be  smart  enough  not  to  get  caught  a 
second  time ! ' '  This  sound  New  England  advice  was  given  to  a  young  man  capable  of 
understanding  its  value  and  of  framing  his  conduct  in  accordance  with  it.  He  began 
as  errand  boy  at  $150  a  year.  He  soon  rose  to  be  a  salesman  and  was  then  bookkeeper 
and  cashier  at  $225  a  year.  The  first  year  his  salary  paid  only  for  his  board  and  cloth- 
ing, and  when  he  left  Plunkett  &  Hulbert  he  gave  them  his  note  for  $27.51,  being  the 
balance  of  that  account.  His  father  offered  to  pay  this,  but  the  young  man  was 
spirited,  and  said,  "  I  will  pay  my  own  debts."  While  the  business  and  social  ideas  of 
the  firm  were  of  the  strictest  New  England  character,  yet  the  main  result  was  to  make 
the  clerks  solid,  strong,  honest  men,  and  their  after  lives  bore  witness  to  this  fact. 

In  1851,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  felt  a  desire  to  enter  into  a  larger  field  of  activity 
and  resolved  to  go  to  New  York.  His  father  sought  to  detain  him  with  a  promise  to 
establish  him  in  business  as  a  merchant  in  Lee,  Mass.  But  he  was  ambitious,  confident, 
and  resolved  to  go.  Thereupon,  he  obtained  letters  of  introduction  to  three  leading 
firms  in  New  York  city,  and  in  February,  1851,  started  for  New  York  to  try  to  obtain  a 
position.  He  first  called  upon  Cyrus  W.  Field,  who  promptly  said  "  I  have  no  place 
for  you.  I  know  your  father.  You  are  of  good  stock.  If  you  need  New  York  refer- 
ence, refer  to  me."  The  next  firm  to  which  he  applied  were  White  &  Sheffield,  dealers 
in  paper  and  importers  of  papermakers'  supplies.  Atter  a  few  moments'  conversation, 
they  requested  him  to  call  at  12  o'clock.  Prompt  to  the  minute  he  entered  their  store. 
After  an  interview  of  nearly  an  hour,  Mr.  Sheffield  said:  "What  is  your  intention  in 
coming  to  New  York  ?"  The  young  man  promptly  replied  :  "  If  I  obtain  a  position  in 
your  house,  I  shall  endeavor  to  make  myself  so  useful  that  you  will  give  me  an  interest 
in  your  concern."  Doubtless  amused  but  evidently  pleased  with  the  boy's  frank 
answer,  they  gave  him  a  position  at  $400  a  year.  He  returned  to  Pittsfield,  gave  his 
notice  of  leaving  to  Plunkett  &  Hulbert,  and,  March  17,  1851,  started  for  New  York 
with  $15  in  money  and  a  determination  to  accomplish  the  purpose  he  had  in  view. 
With  sound  good  sense,  he  resolved  to  live  within  his  income  and  he  engaged  lodgings 
in  a  small  attic  in  Willoughby  street,  Brooklyn,  in  company  with  another  young  man  from 
his  native  town.  At  the  store,  he  concentrated  his  energies  upon  making  his  mark. 
He  was  willing,  energetic,  first  at  the  store  in  the  morning,  last  to  leave  at  night,  and 
alert  to  opportunities.  Although  the  youngest  clerk  in  the  store,  he  promptly  made  his 
usefulness  felt.  He  did  not  waste  his  strength  in  social  pleasure,  but  was  always  ready 
for  each  day's  work  and  brought  to  the  business  all  the  energy  of  a  New  England  boy, 
willing  to  work  in  any  department  in  which  he  could  serve  ihe  firm. 

In  December,  1851,  the  bookkeeper  was  taken  sick  at  the  moment  when  it  was  im- 
perative to  prepare  the  quarterly  account  of  sales.  Mr.  Hulbert  volunteered  his  services 
and  succeeded  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  firm.  After  that,  his  promotion  was  rapid. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  333 

By  Xew  Year's,  1852,  he  had  saved  sufficient  to  pay  the  note  he  owed  Plunkett  & 
Hulbert,  and  with  $46  in  his  pocket  returned  to  New  York  with  a  light  heart  and  a 
stronger  intention  than  ever  to  succeed.  He  has  often  said  he  never  felt  as  wealthy  as 
at  the  time  the  note  was  paid.  After  two  years  and  nine  months  of  service,  a  vacancy 
occurred  in  the  position  of  head  salesman,  and  he  was  appointed  to  the  vacant  place. 
He  accepted  on  the  condition  that  he  should  not  be  asked  to  drink  with  customers  or 
see  them  around  the  town.  To  this  he  strictly  adhered ;  and,  not  willing  that  his  suc- 
cess should  be  built  upon  the  ruin  of  young  men,  he  has  ever  insisted  that  his  salesmen 
should  follow  the  same  course,  with  the  understanding  that  they  would  be  discharged 
if  the  rule  were  broken. 

Sept.  13,  1854,  on  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  year,  he  married  Susan  R.  Cooley,  of  Lee, 
Mass.  His  fortune  Jan.  i,  1855,  consisted  of  a  good  wife  and  §300  due  him  from  the 
firm.  In  1856,  he  was  taken  into  partnership,  the  firm  name  being  changed  to  J.  B. 
Sheffield  &  Co.  Thus  was  accomplished  his  original  intention;  and  he  proved  that  he 
was  capable  of  the  performance  of  a  specified  task.  Let  those  who  lament  that  life 
provides  them  with  no  opportunities  learn  from  this  that  it  is  not  the  lack  of  oppor- 
tunity which  keeps  them  back,  but  their  own  inability  to  make  the  most  of  situations 
presented. 

In  1856,  Mrs.  Hulbert  became  an  invalid,  and  for  three  years  was  almost  helpless. 
It  was  seven  years  before  her  health  was  restored.  The  expenses  of  her  illness,  only 
too  cheerfully  borne  by  her  husband,  were,  however,  a  serious  drain  upon  his  income; 
and  the  panic  of  1857,  which  swept  away  a  portion  of  his  profits,  also  added  to  the  load. 
Yet  he  preserved  his  credit  unimpaired  and  was  only  inspired  by  adversity  to  the  more 
active  exercise  of  his  powers. 

The  partnership  with  J.  B.  Sheffield  &  Co.  ended  Jan.  i,  1858.  Both  Mr.  White 
and  Mr.  Sheffield  were  desirous  of  a  renewal  of  the  arrangement,  and  they  offered  to 
increase  Mr.  Hulbert's  interest  fifty  per  cent.  The  offer  was  declined. 

In  March,  1858,  Mr.  Hulbert  organized  the  firm  of  H.  C.  &  M.  Hulbert,  with  his 
cousin,  Milan  Hulbert,  of  Boston,  as  general  partner,  and  Otis  Daniell,  of  Boston,  as 
special  partner  for  $30,000,  the  general  partners  contributing  $5,000  each.  Mr.  Hul- 
bert then  went  to  Europe  and  obtained  several  exclusive  agencies  for  the  sale  of  paper- 
makers'  materials,  some  of  which  are  retained  to  this  day.  In  October,  1858,  he 
opened  a  warehouse  at  No.  83  John  street,  and  May  i,  1861,  moved  to  No.  13  Beekman 
street.  From  that  day,  Mr.  Hulbert's  business  record  has  been  one  of  continued  prog- 
ress and  prosperity.  In  1862,  Mr.  Daniell  withdrew,  giving  his  partners  three  years' 
time,  without  security,  to  pay  for  his  interest.  Milan  Hulbert  withdrew  in  1872. 
Joseph  H.  Sutphin  and  George  P.  Hulbert,  both  clerks  in  the  employ  of  the  old  firm, 
were  then  taken  into  partnership,  and  the  firm  became  H.  C.  Hulbert  &  Co.  It  has 
ever  since  retained  this  name.  Mr.  Hulbert  passed  successfully  through  the  times  of 
the  Civil  War,  never  asking  a  day's  extension  of  time  or  a  dollar's  aid  from  his  special 
partner.  The  firm  have  always  borne  an  honorable  reputation,  and  for  years  the  mer- 
cantile agencies  have  given  them  the  highest  grade  of  credit  accorded  to  any  house  in 
the  city. 

Jan.  i,  1891,  Charles  F.  Bassett,  a  cousin  of  Mr.  Hulbert  and  of  the  same  New  Eng- 
land stock,  who  had  been  brought  up  under  the  latter's  own  training,  was  admitted  to 
the  firm. 


334 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 


Mr.  Hulbert  has  bravely  and  honorably  won  an  ample  fortune  and  is  now  a  large 
investor  in  enterprises  not  connected  with  his  mercantile  business.  Owing  to  his  known 
abilities,  he  has  been  called  to  aid  in  the  management  of  some  of  the  largest  financial 
institutions  in  the  country.  He  is  a  member  of  the  finance  committee  of  The  New 
York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co.;  has  been  for  more  than  twenty  years  a  director  in 
The  Importers'  &  Traders'  National  Bank;  is  one  of  the  executive  committse  of  The 
South  Brooklyn  Savings  Institution;  member  of  the  loss  committee  of  The  United 
States  Life  Insurance  Co. ,  and  for  years  has  been  the  only  New  York  director  of  The 
Pullman  Palace  Car  Co.,  a  concern  having  now  $36,000,000  of  capital  and  over  $26,- 
000,000  of  surplus.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The  Celluloid  Manufacturing  Co. ,  and  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  is  connected  with  none  except  the  best  and 
strongest  corporations. 

In  August,  1882,  Mr.  Hulbert  lost  his  wife  by  death.  She  was  a  woman  of  superior 
mind  and  generous  sympathies,  and  had  been  treasurer  of  The  Brooklyn  Industrial 
School  &  Home  for  Destitute  Children  for  many  years.  Of  her  two  daughters,  the 
older,  Susan  C.,  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  H.  Sutphin,  one  of  Mr.  Hulbert's  partners. 
The  younger  is  Carolyn  B.  Hulbert,  now  the  wife  of  the  junior  partner,  Charles  F. 
Bassett. 

Oct.  1 6,  1884,  Mr.  Hulbert  was  married  to  Miss  Fannie  D.  Bigelow,  of  Brooklyn. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Hulbert  traveled  extensively  in  foreign  lands  to  obtain  the  recreation 
needed  after  a  life  of  incessant  activity  for  more  than  thirty  years.  He  visited  Egypt, 
Palestine.  Greece  and  Turkey.  In  1886,  he  again  made  an  extended  trip,  visiting  Den- 
mark, Russia,  Norway,  and  Sweden,  also  making  the  continental  trip.  He  has  at 
other  times  traveled  extensively  both  abroad  and  in  his  native  land.  In  1889,  he  began 
building  a  fine  mansion  in  Brooklyn,  in  which  city  he  has  always  resided.  Placed  upon 
an  elevated  and  desirable  site,  at  No.  49  Prospect  Park,  West,  opposite  Prospect  Park, 
146  feet  above  tide  water,  it  is  constructed  of  rock  faced  Indiana  limestone,  elaborately 
carved  and  molded.  It  is  a  beautiful  example  of  the  Romanesque  style  of  architecture 
and  is  one  of  the  finest  private  residences  in  Brooklyn.  A  stained  glass  window  af  the 
head  of  the  staircase  landing  is  illustrative  of  an  incident  in  the  family  history  of  his 
ancestors,  the  Dymokes,  who  held  the  hereditary  title  of  "Royal  Champions"  of  Eng- 
land. The  window  represents  the  Lion  Gate,  an  entrance  to  Scrivelsby  Court  in  Lin- 
colnshire, the  home  of  the  family  for  many  generations;  and  it  depicts  the  champion, 
returning  in  state  from  a  royal  coronation,  mounted  on  a  white  horse  and  clad  in  armor 
as  required  by  law.  -- 

Mr.  Hulbert  is  a  liberal  contributor  to  every  worthy  object.  An  active  church 
member,  he  was  for  years  the  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School  of  the  South  Con- 
gregational and  afterward  of  the  Middle  Reformed  Church ;  and  on  Dr.  Ingersoll  remov- 
ing from  the  Middle  Reformed  Church,  he  united,  at  the  earnest  desire  of  his  children, 
with  Christ  Church,  Brooklyn,  and  is  now  one  of  the  vestrymen.  He  is  a  life  member 
of  both  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  New  England  Societies,  and  The  Society  of 
Colonial  Wars. 

FREDERICK  HUHPHREYS,  H.  D.,  a  distinguished  member  of  an  old  and  honored 
line  traces  direct  descent  from  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror.  The  founder  of  the 
family,  Sir  Robert  de  Umfreville,  landed  in  England  with  the  Conqueror  in  1066. 
Then  came  the  great  Humphrey  de  Bohun,  hereditary  High  Constable  of  England, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  335 

and  related  to  the  Conqueror.  From  this  branch  of  the  family  sprang  the  Earls  of 
Hereford,  Essex  and  Northampton.  The  American  branch  of  the  family  proves  its 
direct  descent  from  Michael  Humphrey  of  Lyme  Regis,  Dorsetshire,  England,  who  set- 
tled at  ancient  Windsor  Conn  ,  about  1640,  and  is  recorded  as  a  prominent  manufac- 
turer of  tar  and  turpentine  near  Windsor,  in  1643.  This  renders  the  Humphreys 
family  among  the  earliest  settlers  in  America,  and  from  these  sturdy  pioneers  have 
sprung  a  race  of  men  who  have  been  at  the  head  of  every  movement,  whether  of  peace 
or  war,  which  could  benefit  and  consolidate  the  great  country  of  their  adoption. 

Dr.  Humphreys  was  born  March  n,  1816,  in  Marcellus,  Onondaga  county,  N.  Y. 
When  his  family  removed  to  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  in  1823,  he  finished  his  studies  at  the 
Auburn  Academy  under  the  tuition  of  Josiah  Underbill,  a  Quaker  teacher.  From  four- 
teen to  sixteen  he  wras  a  clerk  in  a  store,  and  then  went  South  with  his  uncle  and 
brother  and  traveled  in  the  clock  business.  After  three  years'  experience,  he  returned 
to  manage  a  farm  which  his  father  had  purchased,  and  in  1837  he  married  Cornelia, 
daughter  of  William  and  Hester  E.  Palmer,  who  died  in  1840,  leaving  one  son,  George, 
also  now  deceased.  Soon  after  his  marriage,  Dr.  Humphreys  went  to  help  his  father- 
in-law  at  Chillicothe,  O.,  and  there  he  entered  the  ministry  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  On  his  wife's  death,  he  returned  to  Auburn  and  for  five  years  was  an  itinerant 
preacher  earning  a  precarious  living,  which  he  eked  out  by  medical  practice.  Being 
criticised  for  this  by  his  ministerial  brethren,  in  1844  he  removed  to  Utica,  gave  up 
preaching  and  joined  his  father,  Dr.  Erastus  Humphreys,  in  the  practice  of  medicine. 
He  studied  homoeopathy  with  enthusiasm  and  soon  gained  a  profitable  practice  in  Utica. 
In  1848,  he  entered  the  Pennsylvania  Homoeopathic  Medical  College  in  Philadelphia. 
He  studied  diligently  for  three  years  with  Dr.  Constantine  Hering,  and  in  1850  took  his 
degree  as  Doctor  of  Homoeopathic  Medicine. 

In  the  meantime,  Aug.  i,  1843,  Dr.  Humphreys  married  Frances  Maria,  daughter 
of  Alvah  Jefferson  and  Maria  Polly  Tuttle  Sperry  of  Ludlowville,  N.  Y.  With  this  lady, 
he  has  enjoyed  the  perfection  of  domestic  happiness,  has  four  children,  and  only  lately 
celebrated  his  golden  wedding,  surrounded  by  his  friends  and  full  of  devotion  and  love 
for  his  helpmate  of  fifty  years.  In  addition  to  his  studies  and  practice,  Dr.  Humphreys 
found  time  for  literary  and  medical  writings.  He  collaborated  with  his  father  a  series 
of  "  Tracts  for  the  Times,"  elucidating  the  new  doctrine  of  homoeopathy.  He  also  wrote 
"Cholera  and  its  Homoeopathic  Treatment,"  and  a  monograph  on  dysentery.  Then  a 
more  important  work,  entitled  "  Proving  of  the  Apis  Mellifica,  or  Poison  of  the  Honey 
Bee,"  and  "  Proving  of  the  Plantago  Major;"  but  the  work  of  which  Dr.  Humphreys  is 
justly  proud  is  his  heraldic  and  genealogical  "  History  of  the  Humphreys  Family," 
published  in  1883. 

In  1853,  the  doctor  came  to  New  York  and  at  once  took  the  lead  in  homoeopathic 
circles.  He  assisted  in  forming  and  was  prominent  in  The  Central  New  York  Homoe- 
opathic  Medical  Society,  which  was  subsequently  transformed  into  The  New  York  State 
Homoeopathic  Medical  Society.  He  %vas  made  Chairman  of  the  "  Bureau  for  the  Aug- 
mentation and  Improvement  of  the  Materia  Medica  "  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Homoeopathy,  and  later  was  called  to  the  chair  of  Homoeopathic  Institutes  and  Practice 
of  Medicine  in  his  old  college.  He  lectured  for  three  years. 

He  then  began  to  introduce  his  discovery  of  combinations  of  medicine  for  popular 
use  which  he  has  termed  Homoeopathic  Specifics.  This  caused  a  rupture  between  him- 


336  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

self  and  the  college  and  all  his  professional  friends  and  associates.  But  he  saw  his  path 
of  duty  clear  before  him.  He  fought  bravely  against  jealousy,  intrigue,  rascality  and 
fraud,  and  triumphed  after  a  weary  struggle  of  twenty-five  years.  The  work  of  his  life 
has  been  completed.  The  specifics  manufactured  by  The  Humphreys  Homoeopathic 
Medicine  Co.,  which  he  founded,  are  now  being  produced  upon  an  enormous  scale  and 
are  known  all  over  the  world.  He  has  been  energetic  in  the  management  of  his  busi- 
ness, and  his  "Manual,"  which  is  printed  in  English,  German,  French,  Spanish  and 
Portuguese,  is  being  distributed  at  the  rate  of  3,000,000  copies  a  year.  The  specifics 
have  brought  him  both  fame  and  fortune.  He  has  also  issued  a  Mentor  in  the  languages 
named  above  and  a  Veterinary  Manual. 

Dr.  Humphreys  has  always  been  active  in  church  work.  He  organized  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church  in  West  Utica,  buying  the  edifice  and  securing  the  pastor.  He 
also  helped  build  Trinity  Church  at  Asbury  Park,  and  rendered  efficient  service  in  con- 
solidating the  Church  of  the  Heavenly  Rest  on  Fifth  avenue,  of  which  he  has  been 
warden  for  fourteen  years.  He  has  for  a  long  time  contributed  to  Henry  Bergh's 
paper,  "Our  Animal  Friends, "and  has  written  many  clever  verses,  both  grave  and 
gay.  Essentially  a  home  loving  and  domestic  man,  Dr.  Humphreys  belongs  to  no 
clubs,  but  he  enjoys  himself  surrounded  by  his  family  in  his  home  on  West  39th  street. 
He  is  loved,  honored  and  respected. 

SOLON  HUMPHREYS,  banker,  born  Oct.  27,  1821,  in  Canton,  Conn.,  is  in  the 
seventh  generation  in  descent  from  Michael  Humphrey,  who  came  from  England  and 
settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  about  1640.  Finishing  his  education  with  one  year  in  St. 
John's  College,  Annapolis,  Md.,  Mr.  Humphreys  entered  the  house  of  William  G.  Har- 
rison, in  Baltimore,  in  1838,  and  1839-44  was  a,  clerk  for  E.  D.  Morgan  &  Co.  in  New 
York  city.  He  then  spent  nine  years  in  St.  Louis  in  the  firm  of  Humphreys  & 
Thatcher,  which  he  established,  and  obtained  wide  reputation  as  a  grocery  and  commis- 
sion merchant.  In  1853,  he  returned  to  New  York,  and  Jan.  i,  1854,  became  a  partner 
in  E.  D.  Morgan  &  Co.,  one  of  the  leading  firms  of  the  United  States  in  the  sugar,  tea 
and  coffee  trade.  Of  this  concern,  now  engaged  in  banking,  he  is.  yet  a  partner.  -He 
was  one  of  the  original  promoters  of  The  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  in  1852,  and  later 
active  in  the  consolidation  of  the  Wabash  system  of  railroads.  His  firm  have  been  in 
recent  years  largely  occupied  with  the  negotiation  of  railroad  and  investment  securities. 
.  Mr.  Humphreys  was  at  one  time  vice  president  and  for  years  treasurer  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  has  been  a  director  of  The  Ohio  &  Mississippi,  The  St.  Loxiis,  Iron 
Mountain  &  Southern,  The  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  &  Northern,  The  Peoria  &  Pekin, 
The  Pittsburgh  &  Western,  and  The  Toledo,  Wabash  &  Western  Railroads;  president 
and  receiver  of  The  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railway;  receiver  of  The  Illinois  &  St. 
Louis  Bridge  Co. ;  vice  president  of  The  Pittsburgh  &  Western  Railroad ;  and  president 
of  The  Painesville  &  Youngstown  and  The  Pittsburgh,  Painesville  &  Fairport  Rail- 
roads. Sound  judgment  and  fine  mind  allied  with  enterprise  have  made  him  a  suc- 
cessful man.  He  illustrates  in  his  own  life  the  best  traits  of  family  character  handed 
down  through  a  long  ancestry.  Nov.  16,  1847,  he  married  Mary  Ellen,  daughter  of 
Edward  Walsh,  of  St.  Louis.  His  only  child,  Edward  Walsh  Humphreys,  was  born 
Dec.  15,  1848.  The  family  have  made  their  home  at  Bergen  Point,  N.  J.,  since  1856. 

NOAH  S.  HUNT,  merchant,  a  native  of  Rah  way,  N.  J.,  died  at  the  Grand  Central 
Hotel,  this  city,  Nov.  12,  1886,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four.  He  came  to  New  York  when 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  337 

thirteen  years  of  age,  served  an  apprenticeship  as  a  mechanic,  and  for  many  years  as 
foreman  had  charge  of  the  pattern  room  of  Robert  Hoe's  printing  press  manufactory. 
Later  he  found  employment  in  a  hat  factory.  Finally  he  had,  by  hard  work,  strict 
economy  and  clear-headed  sagacity,  saved  enough  to  go  into  the  hardware  business 
with  one  of  his  younger  brothers  under  the  name  of  I.  L.  &  N.  S.  Hunt,  but  in  two 
years  discontinued  this  partnership  and  organized  the  firm  of  Ellis,  Hunt  &  Ellis. 
Retiring  about  1856  with  a  comfortable  fortune,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  care  of  his 
property  and  by  shrewd  investments  largely  increased  his  wealth.  Hio  operations  were 
often  of  an  unusual  character,  frequently  being  in  the  nature  of  discounting  notes, 
accepting  as  collateral  securities  usually  supposed  to  be  of  little  value,  but  out  of  which  he 
was  supposed  to  have  invariably  realized  a  profit.  He  was  a  bachelor  and  led  a  retired 
life,  avoiding  society  and  in  his  business  dealings  acting  through  his  brokers.  At  his 
death,  he  gave  happiness  to  numerous  nieces  and  nephews  by  giving  them  his  fortune. 

WILSON  Q.  HUNT,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  Jersey,  born  in  1805,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Dec.  7,  1892.  The  son  of  a  farmer,  he  started  in  life  while  a  boy  as  a  dry  goods 
clerk  in  New  York.  Owing  to  strong  natural  powers  of  body  and  mind,  he  advanced 
rapidly  and  soon  found  himself  a  partner  in  a  dry  goods  firm  in  William  street.  The 
panic  of  1837  swept  the  firm  out  of  existence,  but  Mr.  Hunt  rallied,  resumed  business, 
and  at  a  later  date  gave  a  dinner  to  his  creditors,  at  which  each  found  under  his  plate  a 
check  for  the  amount  of  his  claim  with  interest.  Mr.  Hunt  rose  to  great  prominence  as 
a  wholesale  dry-goods  merchant  and  ranked  as  one  of  the  older  generation  of  business 
men  of  the  city,  among  whom  he  had  stanch  friends  and  most  of  whom  he  survived. 
He  twice  refused  a  nomination  as  Mayor  of  New  York  but  was  active  in  local  affairs, 
and  a  director  of  The  United  States  Trust  Co. ,  The  National  Park  Bank,  The  Consoli- 
dated Gas  Co.,  The  Eagle  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust 
Co.,  The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad,  The  Globe  Fire  Insurance  Co., 
The  Washington  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Rail- 
road, and  other  corporations.  Mr.  Hunt  was  twice  married,  but  left  no  family. 

COLLIS  POTTER  HUNTINQTON,  president  of  The  Southern  Pacific  Co.,  stands 
in  the  very  front  rank  among  the  list  of  our  remarkable  men  of  action  in  America. 

Mr.  Huntington  was  born  in  Harwinton,  Litchfield  county,  Conn.,  Oct.  22,  1821, 
the  fifth  of  nine  children.  Leaving  school  at  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  began  work  for 
himself  at  a  compensation  of  seven  dollars  a  month  Two  years  later,  in  1837,  he  was 
in  Xew  York  city,  using  the  credit,  which  he  had  acquired  through  the  letters  of  mer- 
cantile friends  at  home,  to  purchase  goods,  which  he  disposed  of  at  a  good  profit.  The 
next  that  his  friends  knew  of  him.  he  was  traveling  through  the  South  applying  that 
faculty  for  negotiation,  which  was  to  be  exercised  later  in  life  in  the  gigantic  enter- 
prises familiar  to  the  whole  world. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  Mr.  Huntington  with  his  brother  Solon  opened  a  gen- 
eral merchandise  store  at  Oneonta,  Otsego  county,  New  York,  but  when  the  gold 
excitement  of  1849  came,  young  Huntington,  who  had  already  found  Oneonta  too  lim- 
ited a  field  for  his  talents  and  usefulness,  sailed  on  the  i  sth  of  March  of  that  year  for 
the  Golden  State.  He  was  detained  with  many  others  three  months  on  the  Isthmus, 
but,  unlike  many  others,  he  spent  that  interval  in  adding  to  the  $1,200  which  he  had 
drawn  out  from  his  business  for  the  expenses  of  the  trip,  and  by  the  time  he  had 
reached  Sacramento  he  had  $5,000  in  hand,  in  marked  contrast  with  a  great  many  who, 


338  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

being  less  usefully  occupied  on  the  Isthmus  or  for  other  reasons  arrived  "  dead  broke." 

In  Sacramento,  he  commenced  business  under  the  name  of  C.  P.  Huntington,  but 
afterward  established  the  well-known  hardware  house  of  Huntington  &  Hopkins, 
which  has  continued  up  to  the  present  day.  Numerous  anecdotes  are  told  of  the  mar- 
velous genius  for  business  evinced  by  Mr.  Huntington  while  trading  at  No.  54  K  street. 
He  studied  the  market  carefully  and  bought  in  large  quantities  when  supplies  were 
low  and  sold  in  lesser  quantities  when  the  prices  were  high.  He  was  ready  to  buy 
almost  anything,  which  was  not  perishable,  at  some  price  or  another,  and  it  used  to 
be  said  of  him  in  those  days  that  if  a  man  could  not  sell  a  thing  any  where  else,  he  could 
always  get  cash  from  Huntington.  In  1856  the  firm  had  a  fortune. 

Almost  from  the  first,  Mr.  Huntington  had  realized  the  tremendous  advantages 
which  would  accrue  from  a  railroad  connecting  California  with  the  East.  Believing  in 
its  feasibility,  he  led  some  of  his  neighbors  in  Sacramento  to  join  with  him,  and  these 
seven  men  bound  themselves  to  do  the  initial  work  of  an  instrumental  survey  across 
the  mountain.  Early  in  1861,  The  Central  Pacific  Railroad  Co.  was  organized  with  an 
original  capital  of  $8,500,000,  and  Mr.  Huntington  started  for  Washington,  armed  with 
maps  and  charts,  to  prove  to  Congress  the  practicability  of  the  plans  devised  and  to 
secure  from  the  Government  substantial  aid.  The  result  of  his  labors  is  summed  up  in 
the  acts  of  Congress  of  1862  and  1864,  by  which  the  Government  agreed  to  give  lands 
and  bonds  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  the  road.  It  was  a  great  triumph  for  Mr. 
Huntington  and  his  associates,  although  the  elation  of  the  man,  who  had  done  most  to 
achieve  it,  seems  to  have  been  tempered  by  the  thought  of  what  was  yet  before  him. 
His  telegraphic  despatch  to  his  co-directors  was  characteristic  :  "We  have  drawn  the 
elephant,  now  let  us  see  if  we  can  harness  him  up." 

Mr.  Huntington  at  once  came  on  to  New  York  to  enlist  the  aid  of  capital;  and  in 
this  field  his  persistence,  courage,  financial  ability  and  knowledge  of  men  were  put  to 
an  exceptionally  severe  test.  The  story  of  his  experiences  in  Boston  in  the  negotiation 
of  bonds  cannot  be  told  in  the  brief  outline  of  this  sketch,  but  it  offers  an  example  of 
financial  achievement,  in  the  face  of  disbelief  in  the  practicability  of  the  great  work 
and  doubt  of  the  value  of  the  security  proposed,  which  stamps  the  daring  leader  in  the 
enterprise  as  one  of  the  greatest  financiers  of  the  century. 

The  faith  of  the  four  men,  Huntington,  Hopkins,  Stanford  and  Crocker,  is  illus- 
trated by  the  characteristic  way  in  which  they  solved  the  first  problem  of  construction, 
when  they  agreed  to  pay  personally  for  the  labor  of  800  men  on  the  road  for  one  year, 
and  pledged  their  private  fortunes  to  meet  the  obligations  they  assumed.  The  con- 
struction race  with  The  Union  Pacific,  which  was  rushed  westward  while  The  Central 
Pacific  was  pushed  eastward,  created  unbounded  excitement  and  enthusiasm  as  the 
wires  flashed  across  the  continent  daily  the  progress  made.  The  tremendous  strain,  the 
anxieties  and  difficulties  of  this  construction  can  never  be  adequately  told.  Freights, 
prices  of  material  and  wages  rose  enormously,  and  the  necessity  of  paying  in  gold  coin 
in  California  at  a  time  when  gold  was  at  a  high  premium  was  an  aggravating  feature  of 
these  difficulties.  A  hundred  discouraging  problems  arose,  under  the  burdens  of  which 
the  builders,  had  they  been  ordinary  men,  must  have  been  crushed;  but  with  Mr. 
Huntington  an  unlimited  capacity  for  work,  natural  powers  which  had  never  been  im- 
paired by  the  use  of  tobacco  or  liquors,  and  the  rugged  physical  vitality  which  was  the 
outgrowth  of  heredity  and  early  training  carried  him  safely  through  the  ordeal. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HU.  339 

After  the  completion  of  The  Central  Pacific,  May  10,  1869,  Mr.  Huntington  and 
his  three  associates  created  and  built  The  Southern  Pacific  Railroad.  When  Colonel 
Scott  sought  to  extend  The  Texas  Pacific  to  the  west  coast,  Mr.  Huntington  rapidly 
threw  The  Southern  Pacific  across  the  desert  wastes  of  Arizona  and  New  Mexico,  met 
Colonel  Scott's  line  east  of  El  Paso  and  continued  building  eastwardly  until  he  reached 
San  Antonio.  In  the  meantime,  he  had  acquired  lines  east  of  San  Antonio,  consisting 
of  The  Galveston,  Harrisburg  &  San  Antonio  Railway,  The  Texas  &  New  Orleans  Rail- 
road, The  Louisiana  Western  Railroad  and  The  Morgan's  Louisiana  &  Texas  Railroad  & 
Steamship  Co.,  which  gave  his  system  of  lines  a  tide-water  outlet  at  Xew  Orleans.  In 
order  to  unify  the  operations  of  this  vast  system  of  transportation  lines,  so  that  the  pub- 
lic might  receive  the  fullest  benefit  therefrom,  he  organized,  in  1884,  The  Southern 
Pacific  Company,  of  Kentucky,  which  unifies  in  operation  a  system  of  transportation 
lines,  consisting  of  twenty-six  distinct  corporations,  comprising  8,024  miles  of  railroad 
and  4,976  miles  of  steamship  lines  in  the  United  States,  and  573  miles  of  railroad  in 
the  Republic  of  Mexico.  In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  he  is  largely  interested  in  other 
transportation  enterprises.  He  is  president  of  The  Guatemala  Central  Railroad,  which 
is  said  to  be  the  best  built  railroad  property  in  the  five  Central  American  republics. 
He  has  aided  the  building  of  railroads  and  the  development  of  coal  mines  in  Vancouver, 
B.  C.  He  is  president  of  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  whose  steamers  ply  between 
Japan  and  China,  and  has  promoted  steamship  lines  in  Brazil.  Mr.  Huntington  also 
built  and  owns  a  dry  dock  and  ship-building  yard  at  Newport  News,  Va. ,  which  is  pro- 
nounced to  be  the  best  appointed  shipyard  in  the  United  States. 

HENRY  AUGUSTUS  HURLBUT,  merchant,  manufacturer  and  financier,  was  born 
in  Hartford,  Conn.,  Dec.  8,  1808.  He  is  the  son  of  Ebenezer  Hurlbut,  who  was  a 
prominent  merchant  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  of  Fanny  Brewster  Hurlbut,  his  wife, 
both  members  of  old  New  England  families.  The  ancestors  of  his  father  had  made 
the  Connecticut  colony  their  home  since  1637,  the  year  in  which  Thomas  Hurlbut,  the 
pioneer,  came  to  America  to  settle  in  Saybrook  and  Wethersfield.  On  his  mother's 
side,  Mr.  Hurlbut  is  descended  directly  from  Elder  Brewster,  a  pilgrim  of  1620,  who 
arrived  in  the  new  world  in  that  famous  old  ship,  the  historic  Mayflower,  to  become  one 
of  the  founders  of  Plymouth  colony  and  a  bosom  friend  of  Governor  Bradford. 

The  death  of  Ebenezer  Hurlbut,  when  his  son  Henry  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
resulted  in  the  latter  having  the  advantages  of  a  common  school  education  only.  But 
the  young  man  was  resolved  to  rise.  By  persistent  and  personal  efforts  for  self-cultiva- 
tion, he  largely  broadened  his  training  and  laid  the  foundation  of  his  future  success. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  compelled  to  earn  a  living  and  appreciating  the  value  of  a  trade, 
he  apprenticed  himself  to  a  hat  manufacturer  in  Xew  Haven,  Conn.  He  learned  the 
business  thoroughly.  In  1828,  his  employer  died.  The  industry,  capability  and  in- 
trinsic worth  of  Mr.  Hurlbut  then  led  to  his  promotion  to  the  position  of  general 
superintendent  and  manager  of  the  business.  In  1835,  having  made  himself  indispens- 
able to  the  firm,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership,  without  the  payment  of  capital,  solely 
upon  his  own  personal  merits. 

After  much  persuasion,  Mr.  Hurlbut  induced  his  partner  to  open  a  branch  store  in 
the  city  of  New  York,  which  was  beginning  to  be  the  commercial  center  of  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Hurlbut  took  charge  of  the  store  and  conducted  it  with  such  marked 
success  that,  in  1839,  the  entire  business  was  moved  to  New  York. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW    YORK. HU.  341 

In  1043,  believing  his  partner  too  conservative,  Mr.  Hurlbut  associated  himself 
with  the  late  John  H.  Swift,  under  the  firm  name  of  Swift  &  Hurlbut,  and  the  new 
partnership  soon  took  the  position  of  the  leading  house  in  this  trade  in  the  United 
States.  The  Kossuth  hat,  so  popular  in  1851,  was  a  novelty  originating  with  him. 
His  firm  engaged  in  its  manufacture  on  an  extended  scale,  receiving  great  benefits 
therefrom,  and  from  its  adoption  dates  the  popularity  of  the  soft  felt  hat  in  this  country. 
In  1860,  the  firm  of  Swift  &  Hurlbut  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  Mr.  Hurlbut  retiring 
from  active  business  with  an  ample  fortune. 

In  1832,  Mr.  Hurlbut  married  a  New  Haven  lady,  Susan  Rebecca  Kennedy,  of 
Scottish  descent,  and  in  1882,  their  golden  wedding  was  celebrated  in  Paris  by  an  en- 
tertainment at  which  very  many  old  friends  were  present.  Mrs.  Hurlbut  died  in  1888. 
At  an  early  period  in  his  career,  he  evinced  a  decided  aptitude  for  the  management 
of  financial  institutions.  He  was  a  progressive  man  and  was  called  to  many  positions 
of  trust  and  responsibility,  in  all  of  which  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  make  a  brilliant 
record.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Second  National  Bank  and  its  first  president. 
He  was  also  one  of  the  incorporators  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society  and  is  now 
a  member  of  its  Finance  Committee.  He  was  one  of  the  committee  selected  to  super- 
intend the  building  of  the  present  magnificent  edifice  at  No.  120  Broadway.  He  has 
long  been  a  trustee  of  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  a  director  in  The  Home  Fire  Insur- 
ance Co.  and  The  Mercantile  Safe  Deposit  Co. ,  and  long  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  His  name  has  added  strength  to  every  institution  with  which  it  has  been 
connected.  He  has  also  been  active  in  social  life.  One  of  the  oldest  members  of  The 
New  England  Society  and  at  one  time  its  president,  and  for  many  years  a  member  of 
The  New  York  Historical  Society  and  The  American  Geographical  Society,  he  was  also 
one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Union  League  club,  and  has  served  as  a  vice-presi- 
dent. In  addition,  he  holds  membership  in  various  other  clubs  and  associations. 

In  politics  his  friends  point  to  his  consistent  record.  He  allied  himself  while  young 
with  the  old  Whig  party  of  the  days  before  the  war,  and  when  its  successor  the  Repub- 
lican party  was  formed,  he  became  a  member  of  that  organization.  In  the  dark  days 
of  the  late  Civil  War,  he  was  among  the  foremost  in  sustaining  the  Federal  government 
with  voice  and  purse.  As  a  public  duty,  he  became  a  delegate  to  the  convention  in  Phil- 
adelphia which  nominated  General  Grant  for  the  presidency.  At  the  close  of  the  war, 
when  his  friends  sought  to  show  their  appreciation  of  his  disinterested  patriotism  by 
entrusting  to  him  the  responsibilities  of  public  office,  he  persistently  refused.  From 
this  rule  he  has  never  departed,  except  in  one  worthy  respect.  When  Governor  Dix, 
his  life-long  personal  friend,  urged  upon  him  the  position  of  Commissioner  of  Emigra- 
tion, for  which  his  study  of  the  condition  and  habits  of  the  poorer  classes  of  the  old 
world,  during  his  many  trips  abroad,  had  thoroughly  fitted  him,  he  consented  to  take 
the  office,  and  1873  the  Governor  appointed  him  Commissioner  for  the  State  of  New 
York.  The  Board  unanimously  elected  him  chairman,  and  he  held  that  responsible 
position  for  twelve  years,  when  the  Federal  government  took  the  service  under  its  con- 
trol. In  this  field,  he  had  abundant  opportunity  to  exercise  the  liberal  charity  for 
which  his  life  has  been  distinguished.  The  record  is  full  of  examples  of  his  benevolence. 
Mr.  Hurlbut  has  been  prominent  in  religious  and  charitable  works  for  many  years, 
and  he  is  a  member  and  trustee  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  The  Amer- 
ican Seaman's  Friend  Society  and  the  Demilt  Dispensary. 


342  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Very  often  reminded  of  his  own  limited  school  advantages  and  feeling  that  a  thorough 
educational  training  is  almost  a  necessity,  he  founded  a  "  Hurlbut  Scholarship"  at 
Yale  University,  thereby  creating  a  fund  to  assist  worthy  but  indigent  students  ;  and  in 
accordance  with  his  earnest  wishes,  each  of  his  sons  received  a  collegiate  education,  the 
elder  being  graduated  at  Yale  University  in  1860,  and  the  younger  in  1863  at  Columbia 
College,  New  York  city,  although  neither  one  elected  thereafter  a  professional  life. 

His  career  reveals  the  secret  of  the  illustrious  position  of  the  metropolis  of  America, 
which  possesses  citizens  who,  while  building  their  own  private  fortunes,  are  sufficiently 
public  spirited  and  patriotic  to  devote  a  portion  of  their  time  to  public  affairs  and  the 
welfare  of  the  city  of  their  residence.  His  life  has  been  closely  identified  with  the  in- 
terests of  New  York  city,  and  we  must  class  him  among  the  "  merchant  princes  "  whose 
personal  history  is  a  vital  part  of  that  of  the  metropolis. 

SEYflOUR  LEQRAND  HUSTED,  street  railroad  president,  born  in  Danbury, 
Conn.,  Sept.  10,  1810,  died  at  his  home  on  Clinton  Avenue,  Brooklyn,  June  13,  1887. 
He  was  a  son  of  Platt  Husted  and  Mary  Barnum,  his  wife,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
the  same  pleasant  old  New  England  town.  While  a  mere  boy,  young  Husted  was 
taken  from  school  and  employed  in  his  father's  business,  which  was  that  of  the  pro- 
duction of  hatters'  furs.  In  1824,  the  business  and  the  family  were  removed  to  New 
York.  In  1828,  the  senior  Husted  died  and  the  entire  business  devolved  upon  the 
young  man,  who,  although  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  proved  himself  entirely  capable 
of  assuming  the  responsibilities  thus  thrust  upon  him.  He  soon  acquired  a  knowledge 
of  furs,  which  brought  him  into  requisition  among  experts  in  that  branch  of  business. 

In  1836,  Mr.  Husted  removed  his  manufactory  to  Brooklyn,  where  he  purchased  a 
considerable  tract  of  land  and  erected  extensive  buildings.  For  a  number  of  years,  he 
carried  on  the  business  under  improved  conditions,  save  during  the  financial  distress  of 
1837,  when,  during  the  general  paralysis  of  all  industry,  his  manufactory  was  tempo- 
rarily closed.  In  1848,  the  demand  for  hatters'  furs  had  so  far  diminished,  owing  to  the 
introduction  of  silk  plush,  that  the  manufacture  of  them  no  longer  yielded  a  .profit. 
Mr.  Husted  then  abandoned  the  industry.  Two  years  previous  to  this,  he  had  estab- 
lished a  stage  line  connecting  the  outlying  districts  of  Brooklyn  with  the  ferries  on  the 
East  River  front,  plying  to  New  York  city.  In  1853,  this  stage  line  gave  place  to  The 
Brooklyn  City  Railroad,  operated  by  a  company  of  which  Mr.  Husted  became  the  first 
president.  Under  his  administration,  this  railroad  grew  into  importance  and  the  company 
now  controls  a  more  extensive  system  of  street  railroads  than  any  other  in  the  country. 

From  his  earliest  residence  in  Brooklyn,  Mr.  Husted  displayed  a  deep  interest  in 
municipal  affairs  and  bore  a  prominent  part  in  the  progress  and  development  of  the 
city.  Besides  being  for  several  years  an  active  member  of  the  city  government,  he 
was  one  of  the  first  members  of  the  Prospect  Park  Board  of  Control  and  became  a 
member  of  the  first  board  of  Brooklyn  Bridge  trustees.  His  name  is  found  on  the  list 
of  directors  of  several  of  the  financial  and  industrial  corporations  of  Brooklyn  and 
among  those  of  the  trustees  of  many  of  her  charities. 

As  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church,  he  was  known  as  a  liberal  donor,  especially 
in  connection  with  St.  Mary's  Church,  which  as  a  free  church  excited  his  warmest 
sympathy  and  which  he  had  carefully  watched  in  its  growth  from  a  small  gathering  on 
the  outskirts  of  a  little  town  to  a  large  and  influential  congregation  in  a  great  city. 
He  was  also  active  in  the  work  of  creating  the  Diocese  of  Long  Island  and  at  his  death 


344  AMERICA'S  SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Cathedral  of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Garden  City. 

During  more  than  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Husted  served  as  a  trustee  of  The  Mu- 
tual Life  Insurance  Co.  of  New  York,  serving  upon  its  Finance  Committee.  In  that 
position,  his  knowledge  of  real  estate,  which  was  quite  exceptional,  proved  of  great 
value  to  the  vast  interests  which  he  served.  In  fact,  many  millions  of  dollars  were 
placed  in  Brooklyn  for  the  extension  and  improvement  of  the  property  of  the  company 
through  the  freely  given  advice  and  assistance  of  Mr.  Husted. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  The  Dime  Savings  Bank 
of  Brooklyn,  was  elected  its  president  in  1868,  and  retained  that  office  until  his  death 
in  1887.  He  devoted  his  best  energies  to  the  performance  of  the  onerous  duties  of  the 
position,  serving  without  salary,  and  saw  the  bank  develop  from  an  humble  beginning 
until  it  had  become  an  institution  with  nearly  50,000  depositors  and  notably  a  great 
benefit  to  the  working  classes.  He  was  also  a  director  of  The  Nassau  and  The  Mon- 
tauk  Fire  Insurance  Go's. 

Mr.  Husted  was  tall  and  of  fine  physique,  dignified  and  gentle  in  bearing.  He 
had  a  face  which  showed  deep  thoughtfulness  and  at  times  was  lighted  with  a  smile  of 
peculiar  sweetness  and  at  others  beamed  with  mirth.  He  was  positive  in  his  convic- 
tions, yet  amicable  in  the  careful  consideration  of  questions.  Fearless  and  of  unyield- 
ing integrity,  his  advice  was  much  sought  by  others  and  always  given  with  kindness 
and  tender  sympathy. 

In  1832  he  married  Mary  J.  Kendall,  daughter  of  William  Kendall  and  Margaret 
Cochran,  and  there  were  born  to  them  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  William  H. 
Husted,  who  died  July  24,  1890  ;  Charles  S.  and  Seymour  L.  Husted  ;  Mary  Louisa, 
wife  of  Edwin  Beers  ;  Esther  H.,  wife  of  Frederic  Cromwell,  and  M.  Katharine  Hus- 
ted. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Husted  celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in  1882. 

WILLIAfl  HENRY  HUSTED,  born  in  New  York,  Oct.  17,  1832,  was  killed 
at  Broadalbin,  N.  Y.,  in  the  Adirondacks,  July  24,  1890,  by  the  accidental  discharge  of 
a  gun.  Upon  his  mother's  side,  he  was  descended  from  the  Cochranes  of  Scotland. 
Well  educated  by  private  tutors,  he  then  engaged  in  transportation  enterprises  with  his 
father.  For  many  years,  he  held  a  colonelcy  on  General  Duryea's  staff,  and  aided  the 
recruiting  of  Union  regiments  during  the  Civil  War.  For  several  years,  he  was  presi- 
dent of  The  Broadway  Street  Railroad,  from  which  office  he  retired  to  become  presi- 
dent of  The  Bushwick  Railroad.  Mr.  Husted  was  also  a  director  of  The  Brooklyn 
City  Railroad,  The  Long  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Brooklyn  Gas  Co  ,  The  National 
City  Bank  and  the  Brooklyn  Academy  of  Music,  life  member  of  the  Long  Island 
Historical  Society  and  president  of  the  Brooklyn  Art  Association.  Thoroughly  inter- 
ested in  all  which  pertained  to  the  welfare  of  Brooklyn,  he  promoted  not  only  the 
institutions  named,  but  The  Philharmonic  Society  and  The  Brooklyn  Library,  and 
served  on  the  standing  committee  of  the  Diocese  of  Long  Island  and  as  vestryman  of 
Grace  Church  on  Brooklyn  Heights,  where  a  beautiful  memorial  window  now  occupies 
a  prominent  place.  He  collected  many  fine  paintings,  and  in  later  life  studied  German 
in  order  to  read  various  authors  in  the  original.  He  traveled  much  and  spent  several 
years  in  the  capitals  of  Europe.  A  devoted  Republican,  he  never  held  office,  but  was  a 
member  of  the  Century  club  of  New  York  and  the  Hamilton  and  Riding  and  Driving 
clubs  of  Brooklyn.  In  1871,  he  married  Miss  Lillias  J.,  daughter  of  Frederick  S.  Little- 
john  of  Brooklyn,  and  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  one  son,  Herbert  Seymour  Husted. 


I. 

ISAAC  ICKELHEIMER,  banker,  a  native  of  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  who  died  in 
New  York  city  in  his  fifty-eighth  year,  April  27,  1893,  while  the  great  naval  demon- 
stration in  the  harbor  in  honor  of  the  Columbian  celebration  was  in  progress,  came 
to  America  when  a  lad  of  fifteen  and  began,  life  first  as  a  clerk,  and  then  as  a  merchant 
in  the  jewelry  trade.  After  1873  he  spent  three  years  in  Europe.  Upon  his  return,  he 
engaged  in  private  banking  with  his  father-in-law,  A.  S.  Heidelbach,  in  the  firm  of 
Heidelbach,  Ickelheimer  &  Co.  He  was  a  clear  headed,  competent  and  careful  man 
and  slowly  amassed  a  fortune.  The  Chamber  of  Commerce  admitted  him  to  member- 
ship and  he  was  a  director  of  The  Importers'  &  Traders'  National  Bank,  and  one  of  the 
founders  and  directors  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank.  Henry  R.  Ickelheimer  succeeded 
him  in  the  firm. 

JOHN  HAMILTON  INMAN,  merchant,  was  born  Oct.  23,  1844,  in  Jefferson 
county,  Tenn. ,  and  is  the  second  son  of  Shadrack  W.  and  Jane  Martin  Inman.  His 
father  was  of  English  lineage  and  his  mother  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  From  this 
sturdy  ancestry,  John  H.  Inman  inherited  robust  physique  and  unusual  brain  power. 
His  father  was  a  rich  planter  in  Tennessee  before  the  war,  besides  being  a  banker  of 
pronounced  success.  The  family  have  been  stanch  Presbyterians  through  several 
generations,  and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  himself  a  consistent  member  of  that 
denomination. 

Mr.  Inman's  scholastic  education  was  ended  with  the  completion  of  his  academic 
course.  He  declined  collegiate  advantages  because  of  impatience  to  begin  his  business 
life.  Employment  came  to  him  first  in  the  position  of  an  ordinary  clerk  in  a  bank,  of 
which  his  uncle  was  president,  in  a  small  Georgia  town.  So  efficient  did  he  prove  him- 
self, that  at  the  age  of  sixteen  he  was  made  assistant  cashier.  He  resigned  this 
position  before  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  to  enlist  in  the  Confederate  army  with 
the  ist  Regiment  of  Tennessee  Cavalry,  and  served  faithfully  to  the  close  of  the  war. 

On  returning  home,  he  found  poverty  where  he  had  left  wealth,  and  widespread 
devastation  in  place  of  prosperity  and  plenty.  His  father's  fortune  had  been  turned 
topsy-turvy,  and  the  problem  of  life  through  the  violence  of  war  had  become  serious 
indeed.  The  impoverished  South  offered  no  encouragement,  and  Mr.  Inman,  with 
nothing  in  his  pocket  except  a  soldier's  parole,  came  to  New  York  to  make  a  new 
start  in  life.  From  that  day  to  this,  his  career  has  been  a  campaign  of  usefulness  as 
well  as  a  triumphal  march. 

On  coming  to  New  York  in  September,  1865,  he  secured  a  clerkship  in  a  cotton 
house,  which  position  he  held  for  three  years,  when  he  was  admitted  to  full  partnership 
in  the  firm.  Two  years  thereafter,  he  organized  the  now  internationally  well-known 
house  of  Inman,  Swann&Co.,  cotton  commission  merchants,  and  has  been  the  presiding 
genius  over  the  destinies  of  that  firm  from  the  hour  of  its  organization  to  the  present 
time.  About  ten  years  after  the  house  of  Inman,  Swann  &  Co.  had  been  established, 
Mr.  Inman  turned  his  attention  to  the  railroad  interests  of  the  South  and  rapidly  went 
to  the  very  foremost  position  in  the  management  of  Southern  railroads.  Latterly,  he 
has  almost  completely  withdrawn  from  that  field  of  operations  in  order  to  enjoy  more 


346  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

leisure  than  grave  official  responsibilities  will  permit.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Rapid 
Transit  Commission  of  this  city  and  has  been  since  its  creation.  For  the  material 
development  of  the  New  South,  he  has  probably  done  more  than  any  other  one  man. 
It  is  estimated  that  more  than  $100,000,000  have  been  sent  to  the  South  for  invest- 
ment through  his  indirect  instrumentality.  He  has  a  large  following,  having  won  to  his 
support,  through  brave  undertakings  and  brilliant  achievements,  men  of  brains, 
character  and  wealth.  His  personal  fortune  is  great  enough  not  to  need  counting. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  he  is  several  times  a  millionaire. 

He  is  identified  with  the  management  of  many  prominent  financial  institutions,  as 
any  conspicuously  successful  man  of  affairs  naturally  would  be.  He  is  by  no  means  a 
great  club  man,  but  holds  membership  in  several  of  the  leading  clubs,  including  the 
Metropolitan  and  Manhattan,  only  because  his  prominent  position  in  the  metropolis 
compels  him  to  belong  more  or  less  to  such  organizations.  His  home  is  a  far  greater 
delight  to  him  than  all  the  clubs  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan.  He  has  recently  built  a 
grand  house  at  No.  874  Fifth  Avenue,  and  its  impressive  exterior  is  only  a  hint  of  the 
luxurious  interior.  He  is  to-day,  when  viewed  from  all  sides,  the  foremost  Southerner 
in  New  York. 

Mr.  Inman  was  married  June  8,  1870,  to  Miss  Margaret  M.  Coffin,  of  Monroe 
county,  Tenn.  They  have  six  living  children,  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Their 
eldest  son,  Hugh  Martin  Inman,  is  a  student  at  Yale  University,  and  the  other  sons  are 
preparing  for  college. 

ADRIAN  ISELIN,  banker,  is  a  member  of  one  of  the  best  known  Hebrew  familes 
of  this  city,  which  has  long  enjoyed  standing  and  influence.  The  son  of  a  merchant 
who  was  favorably  known  to  the  fathers  of  the  present  generation,  he  began  life  as  an 
importer  of  dry  goods.  Under  close,  careful  and  energetic  management,  his  business 
prospered  greatly  and  he  finally  retired  from  active  mercantile  life  the  possessor  of  a 
fortune,  although  he  retains  to  this  day  a  special  partnership  in  William  Iselin  &  Co. 
In  recent  years,  Mr.  Iselin  has  been  occupied  with  banking  in  A.  Iselin  &  Co. ,  which 
house  was  established  by  him,  and  with  the  management  of  investments  in  real  estate 
and  corporations.  He  is  the  owner  of  coal  mines  in  Pennsylvania,  principal  proprietor 
of  the  Manhattan  Athletic  club  house,  the  Gallatin  Bank  Building  and  other  notable 
realty,  treasurer  of  The  Manhattan  Storage  Warehouse  Co. ,  director  of  the  Metropol- 
itan Opera  House  and  connected  with  various  other  business  enterprises.  Years,  ex- 
perience and  high  character  have  won  for  him  the  respect  of  this  community.  His 
popularity,  which  might  be  illustrated  in  many  ways,  is  fully  indicated  by  the  fact  that 
he  belongs  to  a  large  number  of  the  best  clubs  in  the  city,  including  the  Union, 
Metropolitan,  Knickerbocker,  Century,  Country,  Union  League,  Tuxedo,  Riding, 
Reform,  Racquet,  New  York  Yacht,  New  York  Athletic,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian 
Yacht,  and  Down  Town.  He  is  one  of  the  patrons  of  the  annual  Patriarchs'  ball. 

GEN.  BRAYTON  IVES,  banker,  born  in  the  town  of  Farmington,  Conn.,  in 
1840,  comes  from  English  ancestry,  the  family  having  been  planted  in  New  Eng- 
land several  generations  ago.  Graduating  from  Yale  University  in  1861,  he  entered 
the  Union  army  as  Adjutant  of  the  5th  Conn.  Inf.  and  served  throughout  the  war, 
being  promoted  successively  to  Captain,  in  October,  1861  ;  Assistant  Adjutant  Gen- 
eral, with  rank  of  Captain,  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  O.  S.  Terry,  March,  1862  ;  Major,  ist 
Conn.  Cav.,  January,  1864  ;  Lieutenant  Colonel,  November,  1864,  and  Colonel  of  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. IV.  347 

regiment  in  January,  1865.  During  the  last  year  of  the  War,  he  served  under  Custer 
and  Sheridan  and  was  mustered  out  in  August,  1865,  a  brevet  Brigadier  General.  In 
1867,  Gen.  Ives  went  into  stock  brokerage  in  Wall  street  and  soon  became  prominent 
at  the  Stock  Exchange.  Elected  vice-president  of  the  Exchange  in  1876  and  1877,  his 
associates  made  him  president  in  1878  and  1879,  and  he  was  a  member  of  the  Govern- 
ing Committee  for  thirteen  years.  Retiring  from  Wall  street  in  1889,  he  accepted  the 
presidency  of  The  Western  National  Bank,  April  i,  1890,  and  has  managed  the  bank 
capably  until  the  present  time.  By  diligent  study  of  the  problems  of  finance,  Gen. 
Ives  has  gained  the  rank  of  an  authority.  He  is  president  of  The  Northern  Pacific 
Railroad,  director  of  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co. ,  The  United  States  Guarantee  Co. ,  and 
The  New  York  Stock  Exchange  Building  Co.,  and  chairman  of  The  Westinghouse 
Electric  &  Manufacturing  Co.  Married  in  1867  to  Eleanor  A.,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  S. 
B.  S.  Bissell  of  Norwalk,  Conn.,  he  is  father  of  Winifred,  Sherwood  Bissell,  Eunice 
and  Frances  Havens  Ives.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Union  League,  Metropoli- 
tan, University,  Century,  Grolier,  Players',  New  York  Yacht,  Tuxedo,  and  Riding 
clubs  and  The  New  England  Society  and  Loyal  Legion.  The  press  has  published  many 
essays  from  his  pen.  He  is  a  collector  of  books  and  bric-a-brac,  was  a  Presidential 
Elector  on  the  Republican  ticket  in  1888  and  chairman  of  the  finance  committee  of  the 
centennial  celebration  in  New  York,  1889. 

DAVID  BRINKERHOFF  IVISON,  publisher,  born  in  Auburn,  N.  Y.,  June  28, 
1835,  is  a  son  °f  Henry  Ivison,  a  native  of  Paisley,  Scotland,  who  came  to  America  in 
1820,  learned  the  book  trade  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  1832  established  a  book  business  in 
Aubxirn,  and  in  1846  removed  to  New  York,  where  he  founded  the  well-known  firm  of 
Ivison,  Blakeman  &  Taylor,  publishers  of  school  books.  David  graduated  from  farm 
life  to  which  health  and  taste  inclined  him  for  several  years,  and  in  1857  was  given  a 
place  in  his  father's  store  in  New  York,  in  due  time  becoming  a  partner.  The  energy 
of  the  son  enabled  the  father  to  retire  in  1880  and  spend  a  few  years  in  the  quiet  enjoy- 
ment of  life.  Competition  between  school  book  publishers  became  so  intense  a  few 
years  ago,  that  Mr.  Ivison 's  firm  with  several  others  united  in  1890  to  form  The  Ameri- 
can Book  Co.  If  this  organization  is  a  trust,  it  would  be  well  to  have  more  of  this  class. 
They  have  reduced  the  price  of  school  books,  thus  benefiting  every  family  in  the  land. 
Mr.  Ivison  is  president  of  the  company  and  is  found  at  his  desk  daily  in  the  new  build- 
ing adjoining  Grace  Church,  busily  administering  the  affairs  of  the  company.  He  was 
married  in  1860  to  Emeline  M.,  daughter  of  Daniel  Crane.  Their  children  are  Sara  B. ; 
Eleanor,  wife  of  W.  W.  Hill;  Henry,  an  associate  of  his  father  in  business; and  William 
C.,  vice-president  of  The  .Cady-Ivison  Co.  in  Cleveland,  O.  Mr.  Ivison  makes  his  home 
in  Rutherford,  N.  J.,  but  is  a  member  of  several  clubs,  including  the  Aldineand  Union 
League  of  this  city,  and  the  Union  club  of  Rutherford.  He  is  an  elder  in  the  Presby- 
terian Church  of  Rutherford,  which  he  helped  to  found  in  1863. 


J. 


JOHN  C.  JACKSON,  retired  merchant,  is  a  native  of  Staffordshire  Potteries,  Eng- 
land, where  he  was  born  April  7,  1809.  Growing  up  in  the  occupation  peculiar  to  his 
birthplace,  he  located  in  New  York  city  in  1830  as  an  importer  of  china  and  earthen- 
ware. A  capable  merchant,  he  retired  in  1869  to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  well  earned  suc- 
cess, devoting  himself  thereafter  to  stock  breeding  in  Queens  county  on  Long  Island, 
the  presidency  of  the  county  agricultural  society  for  a  number  of  terms  and  other  local 
interests.  The  turnpike  built  by  him  from  Hunter's  Point  to  Flushing  was  such  a 
splendid  road  that  the  stockholders  of  the  company  presented  him  with  a  silver  dinner 
service.  In  1834,  he  married  Martha  M.,  daughter  of  Capt.  Andrew  Riker. 

THEODORE  FRELINGHUYSEN  JACKSON,  lawyer,  born  in  Rockaway,  N.  J., 
Nov.  16,  1830,  is  a  son  of  William  Jackson,  who  was  a  manufacturer  of  iron,  as  was  his 
father  Stephen  Jackson.  The  forge  worked  by  the  latter  before  the  Revolution  is  yet 
in  existence  in  1895.  The  family  contributed  several  soldiers  to  the  American  Revo- 
lution. William  Jackson,  having  met  with  business  reverses,  removed  in  1837  to  a 
farm  near  Avon,  N.  Y. ,  but  later  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  he  died  in  1872. 
Theodore  was  educated  at  the  public  schools,  left  home  in  1847,  studied  law  with  Judge 
H.  G.  Onderdonk  on  Long  Island,  became  acting  deputy  in  the  Queens  County  Clerk's 
office  in  1851,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1852.  The  same  year,  he  opened  a  law 
office  in  Williamsburg,  now  a  part  of  Brooklyn,  as  Assistant  to  Corporation  Coun- 
sel George  Thompson,  and  in  1853,  with  Paul  J.  Fish,  one  of  the  oldest  lawyers  in 
Williamsburg,  established  the  partnership  of  Fish  &  Jackson.  The  firm  dissolved  in 
1861,  and  Mr.  Jackson  continued  practice  alone  until  1874,  when  he  became  a  partner 
in  Jackson  &  Burr.  This  latter  firm  continued  in  existence  until  1895,  although  Mr. 
Jackson  retired  from  active  labor  in  1890.  Mr.  Jackson's  life  has  been  passed  in 
Brooklyn  and  his  practice  has  been  mainly  in  the  field  of  real  estate  law  and  the  man- 
agement of  estates.  He  owns  a  large  amount  of  realty,  mainly  in  the  i8th  ward,  upon 
which  he  has  expended  a  large  sum  in  improvements,  especially  in  the  construction  of 
a  canal  and  docks  at  the  head  of  Newtown  creek.  City  affairs  have  occupied  some  of  his 
attention  and  his  strong  social  and  financial  standing,  coupled  with  his  known  integ- 
rity, led  to  his  election  in  1889  and  1890  as  City  Comptroller_of  Brooklyn.  In  1882,  he 
accepted  the  office  of  Registrar  of  Arrears  in  Mayor  Low's  cabinet  and  performed  val- 
uable public  service  for  four  years  in  that  office.  In  1861,  he  married  Cornelia,  daugh- 
ter of  Jonathan  S.  Burr,  a  lineal  descendant  of  Jehu  Burr,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
Springfield,  Mass.,  and  afterward  of  Fairfield,  Conn.  His  clubs  are  the  Hamilton, 
Brooklyn  and  Hanover  clubs  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  Bar  and  Racquet  clubs  of  New 
York.  By  virtue  of  lineal  descent  from  Capt.  Stephen  Jackson,  he  is  a  member  of  The 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The  First  National  Bank  of 
Brooklyn,  The  Long  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Union  Ferry  Co.,  The  New  York 
&  East  River  Ferry  Co. ,  The  Brooklyn  Heights  Railroad,  The  Long  Island  Traction 
Co.,  and  The  Lawyers'  Mortgage  Insurance  Co. 

EDWARD  SOMERVILLE  JAFFRAY,  merchant,  born  in  London,  England,  March 
23,  1816,  died  in  New  York  city,  April  23,  1892.  His  father,  John  Richmond  Jaffray  is 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. JA.  349 

remembered  as  a  conspicuous  merchant  of  laces  and  dry  goods  in  London.  In  1809,  a 
branch  house  was  located  in  New  York  city  by  Robert,  a  brother  of  John  R.  J affray, 
and  in  1833  Edward  S.  Jaffray  took  a  place  in  the  New  York  store.  About  1852,  the 
latter  succeeded  his  uncle  and  adopted  the  style  of  J.  R.  Jaffray  &  Sons  Soon  after 
the  Civil  War,  the  firm  reorganized  as  E.  S.  Jaffray  &  Co.  The  war  brought  heavy 
losses  upon  many  New  York  merchants,  but  Mr.  Jaffray  escaped  that  affliction  because, 
owing  to  his  loyalty,  Southern  merchants  -had  withdrawn  their  custom  previous  to  the 
rebellion.  Mr.  Jaffray  was  a  large  owner  of  real  estate  in  the  city  and  he  had  a  farm 
at  Irvington.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Union  League 
and  New  York  Yacht  Clubs  and  a  director  in  The  Commercial  Union  Insurance  Co. 
He  married  in  1842  Anna,  daughter  of  the  Rev.  William  W.  Phillips,  pastor  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  The  generous  nature  of  Mr.  Jaffray  responded  to  the  noble 
influence  of  his  wife,  and  he  disbursed  annually  thousands  of  dollars  for  benevolent  ob- 
jects. His  children  were  Mrs.  F.  W.  J.  Hurst;  William  Jaffray,  now  deceased;  Howard 
S.  Jaffray;  Edith,  wife  of  Poultney  Bigelow;  Ada,  wife  of  James  McYickar  and  Mrs. 
John  R.  P.  Woodriff. 

DANIEL  JAflES,  merchant,  who  died  at  Beaconsfield,  near  Liverpool,  England, 
Nov.  27,  1876,  in  his  seventy-fifth  year,  began  life  as  a  clerk  for  Phelps  &  Peck,  mer- 
chants of  tin,  copper  and  iron  in  this  city.  Mr.  James  subsequently  rose  to  a  partnership 
in  Phelps,  Dodge  &  Co.,  which  succeeded  the  previous  firm.  In  1831,  he  made  his 
permanent  residence  in  England  being  a  member  of  Phelps,  James  &  Co.,  the  Liverpool 
correspondents  of  the  New  York  house.  As  a  business  man,  his  career  was  eminently 
successful,  and  he  gained  general  esteem  for  upright  character  and  superior  business 
capacity.  He  was  a  constant  and  liberal  contributor  to  the  best  charities,  especially 
during  his  liter  years.  Marriage  brought  him  five  children,  D.  Willis  James,  Olivia  P., 
wife  of  Robert  Hoe,  Jr. ;  and  three  sons  in  England. 

FREDERICK  PLUHflER  JAMES,  banker,  born  March  26,  1820,  in  Deerfield, 
X.  H.,  where  his  family  had  resided  many  years,  died  in  New  York  city,  May  29,  1884. 
In  school,  he  exhibited  marked  ability  in  mathematics.  At  an  early  age,  he  entered  a 
banking  office  in  Wall  street,  soon  after  established  his  own  bank,  and  devoted  his  life  to 
finance.  His  house  of  F.  P.  James  &  Co.  ranked  at  his  death  as  one  of  the  oldest  in 
the  street.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad  and  many 
other  corporations.  He  divided  his  attention  between  the  details  of  his  business  and 
the  cultivation  of  his  farm  at  Cold  Spring  on  the  Hudson,  in  which  he  was  deeply  in- 
terested. He  was  a  man  of  great  uprightness  and  enterprise  and  strong  natural 
powers  which  had  been  cultivated  by  association  and  travel,  an  attentive  observer  and 
careful  thinker  and  a  liberal  contributor  to  many  public  works  Shortly  before  his 
death,  he  presented  a  munificent  library  to  his  native  town  and  a  handsome  memorial 
chapel  at  Cold  Spring  also  testified  to  his  generosity.  An  interesting  coincidence  is  the 
fact  that  his  partner,  Horace  S.  Taylor,  died  in  the  office  of  the  firm,  just  one  week 
before  Mr.  James.  Mr.  James  was  married  Dec.  23,  1841,  to  Julia  Lorillard  Safford. 
Their  two  children  passed  away  before  him.  Frederick  Joseph  James  graduated  from 
West  Point  and  died  from  wounds  received  in  the  service  and  Julian  James  also  died 
after  honorable  service  in  the  Civil  War. 

JOSEPH  ADDISON  JAMESON,  banker,  born  in  Lebanon,  O.,  Jan.  29,  1824,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Aug.  17,  1890.  He  came  from  Scottish  stock  and  was  a  son  of 


350  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Alexander  Rankin  Jameson,  a  merchant.  For  many  years  a  wholesale  dry  goods  mer- 
chant in  St.  Louis  in  partnership  with  Amos  Getting,  he  came  to  New  York  after  the 
Civil  War,  and,  with  Mr.  Cotting,  engaged  in  the  banking  business.  The  death  of  Mr. 
Cotting  in  May,  1889,  proved  a  severe  blow  to  his  old  friend  and  partner.  Mr.  Jameson 
grieved  deeply,  and  for  a  long  time  was  afflicted  with  sleepless  nights,  and  the  burden 
finally  became  too  great  to  bear.  In  1851,  he  married  Miss  Fanny  E.  Story  in  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.,  who  survived  him  with  four  children,  Joseph  A.,  Alexander  Rankin,  and 
Minor  Story  Jameson,  and  Mrs.  R.  G.  Murphy. 

JOHN  JAY,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  June  23,  1817,  died  in  New  York 
city,  May  5,  1894.  His  father  was  William  Jay,  lawyer,  judge  and  author,  and  his 
grandfather,  John  Jay,  first  Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States.  The  subject  of  this 
memoir  graduated  from  Columbia  College  in  1836,  and  read  law  in  the  office  of  Daniel 
Lord,  jr.  He  was  born  to  fortune,  having  inherited  valuable  real  estate  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  and  was  able  to  devote  his  fine  intellect  mainly  to  public  affairs.  He  was  a 
Republican  and  an  active  advocate  of  the  abolition  of  slavery.  An  address  delivered  by 
him  in  1856,  on  "America  Free  or  America  Slave"  was  circulated  by  his  party  as  a 
campaign  document.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  aided  in  the  formation  of  the  National 
Union  League  and  later  became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Union  League  club  of  this 
city  and  its  president  1866-70  and  again  in  1877.  Appointed  by  President  Grant  as 
Minister  to  Austria  in  1869,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  negotiate  treaties  of  benefit  to 
his  country.  Mr.  Jay  was  a  favorite  speaker  upon  public  occasions  and  contributions 
from  his  pen  were  always  welcomed  by  the  magazines  and  newspapers.  Under  Gov. 
Cleveland,  Mr.  Jay  was  appointed  one  of  three  commissioners  to  put  in  operation  the 
civil  service  laws  of  the  State,  and  his  associates  Messrs.  Richmond  and  Schoonmaker, 
both  Democrats,  elected  him  chairman  of  the  commission.  It  was  he  who,  pursuant  to 
the  request  of  a  meeting  of  Americans  in  Paris  in  1869,  suggested  to  the  Union  League 
club  the  establishment  of  an  Art  Museum  in  New  York.  This  project,  carried  out  by 
the  members  of  the  club,  resulted  in  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  Mr.  Jay  mar- 
ried in  1837  Eleanor,  daughter  of  Hickson  W.  Field,  and  their  children  are  Col.  William 
Jay,  the  lawyer  ;  Eleanor,  widow  of  Henry  G.  Chapman  ;  Mary,  wife  of  William  H. 
Schieffelin  ;  and  Anna,  wife  of  Lieutenant  General  von  Schweinitz  of  the  Royal  Prus- 
sian Army.  Col.  William  Jay  is  president  of  the  Coaching  and  Meadow  Brook  Hunt 
clubs,  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church,  a  governor  of  the  Knickerbocker  Club  and  direc- 
tor in  The  Continental  Trust  Co. ,  and  lieutenant  colonel  By  brevet  in  the  volunteer 
army  of  the  United  States. 

OLIVER  BURR  JENNINGS,  oil  refiner,  a  native  of  Fairfield,  Conn.,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Feb.  12,  1893,  in  his  sixty -eighth  year.  First  in  business  in  New  York  city, 
he  joined  the  rush  to  California  in  1849,  and  in  company  with  Benjamin  Brewster 
established  himself  in  the  wholesale  clothing  business  in  San  Francisco  and  gained  a 
competency.  In  1862,  he  came  East,  where  he  engaged  in  the  petroleum  business,  and 
with  John  D.  and  William  Rockefeller  and  others  established  The  Standard  Oil  Trust, 
becoming  one  of  its  directors.  Large  wealth  came  to  him  through  shrewdness, 
persistent  enterprise,  and  his  unfaltering  determination  to  succeed,  and  enabled  him  to 
gratify  the  benevolence  of  his  nature  and  show  much  kindness  to  the  poor,  while  also 
sharing  in  the  management  of  various  large  corporations.  His  clubs  were  the  Union 
League,  Metropolitan,  University  and  New  York  Yacht. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. JE.  351 

MORRIS  KETCHUn  JESUP,  banker  and  philanthropist,  born  in  Westport.Conn., 
June  21.  1830,  springs  from  English  ancestry  and  is  in  the  seventh  generation  of 
descent  from  Edward  Jessup,  who  came  from  England  prior  to  1649,  settled  in  Fair- 
field,  Conn.,  thence  moving  to  Stamford  and  afterward  to  Middleborough  (since  called 
Newtown,  L.  I.),  finally  locating  in  Westchester,  being  noted  as  a  very  enterprising 
man.  The  parents  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  were  Charles  Jesup  and  Abigail 
Sherwood,  his  wife,  the  latter  a  daughtef-of  Samuel  Burr  Sherwood  of  Saugatuck,  a 
member  of  Congress,  1817-19,  and  eminent  as  a  lawyer.  Charles  Jesup  was  a  mer- 
chant in  his  native  place  and  in  New  York,  a  Christian  gentleman  and  man  of  ability. 
Morris  K.  Jesup  came  to  New  York  when  eight  years  old.  and  at  the  age  of  thirteen 
entered  the  office  of  Rogers,  Ketchum  &  Grosvenor,  manufacturers  of  engines  and 
cotton  machines  at  Paterson,  N.  J.  He  was  advanced  until  he  had  entire  charge  of  the 
Xe\v  York  office  and  of  all  the  buying  and  shipping.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  or- 
ganized the  firm  of  Clark  &  Jesup  at  136  Pearl  btreet,  this  partnership  lasting  about  five 
years.  He  then  organized  the  banking  firm  of  M.  K.  Jesup  &  Co  ,  afterward  merged 
into  the  firm  of  M.  K.  Jesup,  Paton  &  Co.,  and  later  into  Jesup,  Paton  &  Co.  He  also 
established  the  firm  of  Jesup,  Kennedy  &  Co.,  dealers  in  railway  supplies  in  Chicago, 
known  later  as  Crerar,  Adams  &  Co.  After  leaving  Rogers,  Ketchum  &  Grosvenor,  he 
had  been  offered  a  partnership  if  he  would  give  up  his  business  and  return  to  them,  but 
he  declined  to  do  this.  Afterward,  when  the  firm  became  The  Rogers  Locomotive 
Works,  he  accepted  the  vice-presidency  of  the  company  in  addition  to  his  own  business. 
Mr.  Jesup  retired  from  business  in  1884,  being  succeeded  by  John  Paton  &  Co.,  in 
which  firm  and  its  successors  he  has  since  remained  a  special  partner.  Mr.  Jesup  has 
long  been  connected  with  public  institutions  and  charitable  enterprises,  aiding  them 
substantially  both  with  his  means  and  with  personal  thought  and  labor,  giving  their 
affairs,  in  fact,  the  same  undivided  attention  as  in  his  busiest  days  he  gave  private 
business.  Since  retirement  from  active  labor  down  town,  he  has  had  abundant  occu- 
pation of  a  nature  useful  to  the  public.  He  has  long  been  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  is  one  of  its  vice-presidents  and  upon  its  Executive  Committee.  The 
measures  taken  by  the  New  York  Legislature  for  the  preservation  of  State  forests  em- 
anating from  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  were  prompted  by  him,  and  these  laws  have 
been  greatly  due  to  his  urgent  efforts.  For  many  years,  he  has  been  connected  with  The 
New  York  City  Mission  and  Tract  Society,  and  since  1881  has  filled  the  office  of  presi- 
dent. The  Five  Points  House  of  Industry  has  always  appealed  to  his  sympathies,  and, 
as  its  president,  he  has  always  been  ready  to  aid  it  with  his  means  and  counsel.  One 
of  the  founders  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  for  years  its  president,  he 
gave  largely  to  its  present  building  and  is  one  of  its  trustees.  He  is  also  vice-president 
of  The  Society  for  the  Suppression  of  Vice  and  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Animals,  and  fills  the  same  office  in  the  Institution  for  the  Instruction  of  the 
Deaf  and  Dumb  as  well  as  that  of  trustee  of  The  New  York  Geographical  Society.  In 
1881  he  built  in  Rivington  street  the  DeWitt  Memorial  Church  in  memory  of  his  wife's 
father,  Dr.  DeWitt,  and  gave  it  to  The  New  York  City  Mission  and  Tract  Society.  For 
many  years,  he  has  been  a  trustee  of  the  Union  Theological  Seminary  and  contributed 
a  large  sum  for  the  erection  of  one  of  its  principal  buildings,  now  called  "Jesup 
Hall."  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  has  received  his  attention  as  its 
president  since  1881  and  liberal  gifts  of  money.  One  of  his  contributions  has  been  the 


352  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

magnificent  collection  of  the  woods  of  the  United  States,  costing  about  $100,000,  which 
embraces  over  400  species  of  native  trees,  and  as  a  means  of  scientific  and  practical  in- 
formation, cannot  be  estimated  too  highly.  Among  other  institutions  with  which  he  is 
connected  are  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.,  The 
Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  The  Savannah,  Florida  &  Western  Railroad  and  other  cor- 
porations, and  the  John  F.  Slater  fund,  established  by  the  late  John  F.  Slatei  of  Nor- 
wich, Conn.,  for  the  industrial  education  of  the  negro,  of  which  he  has  been  a  trustee 
and  treasurer  since  its  foundation,  and  the  Hospital  Saturday  and  Sunday  Association. 
During  the  Civil  War,  he  served  as  treasurer  of  the  United  States  Christian  Commis- 
sion. He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Century  Association,  the  City  and  Metropolitan 
clubs,  the  Rittenhouse  club  of  Philadelphia  and  the  Metropolitan  club  of  Washington. 
Mr.  Jesup  has  made  large  gifts  to  institutions  not  named  above,  among  them  the 
Woman's  Hospital,  Children's  Aid  Society,  and  Yale  and  Williams  Colleges.  Honorary 
degrees  have  been  conferred  upon  him  by  those  colleges.  Mr.  Jesup  has  always  been 
foremost  in  all  matters  of  reform  in  this  city,  whether  in  banking  circles,  public  institu- 
tions or  philanthropic  work.  By  virtue  of  lineal  descent  from  an  ancestor  in  the  war  for 
independence,  "he  is  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  The  American  Revolution. 

HUGH  JUDGE  JEWETT,  railroad  president,  was  born  July  i,  1817,  in  an  ancient 
stone  house  standing  upon  the  farm  of  Lansdowne  near  the  present  village  of  Glen- 
ville,  Md.,  which  had  been  in  the  possession  of  the  family  for  several  generations. 
His  parents  were  John  and  Susannah  Judge  Jewett.  Several  of  his  brothers  became 
men  of  note.  Thomas  L.  Jewett  was  for  many  years  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  in  the 
Steubenville  district,  Ohio,  and  later  president  of  The  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad,  while  Isaac  W.  Jewett,  who  removed  to  Baltimore,  became  president  of  The 
Potomac  Fire  Insurance  Co.  there.  Joshua  H.  Jewett  held  a  seat  in  Congress  from 
Kentucky  during  the  terms  of  Presidents  Pierce  and  Buchanan.  The  first  representa- 
tive of  the  family  in  this  country  was  Joseph  Jewett,  who  came  from  the  West  Riding 
of  Yorkshire,  England,  to  Rowley,  Mass.,  in  1639,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Colonial 
Assembly  of  Massachusetts  from  1650  to  1660.  Mr.  Jewett's  mother,  Susannah  Judge, 
an  eminent  preacher  in  the  Society  of  Friends,  was  the  daughter  of  Hugh  Judge  of 
Philadelphia. 

Mr.  Jewett  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Col.  John  C.  Groome  in  Elkton,  Md. 
He  received  his  authority  to  practice  in  October,  1838,  and  entered  upon  his  legal  career 
in  St.  Clairsville,  O.  His  abilities  soon  made  him  widely  known.  In  1848,  he  removed 
to  Zanesville,  O. ,  a  city  then  coming  into  prominence  and  the  seat  of  a  busy  industry. 
Banking  soon  attracted  his  attention,  and  his  large  and  varied  practice  gave  him  an 
opportunity  of  studying  the  subject  of  finance  in  all  its  aspects.  In  1852,  the  Musk- 
ingum  Branch  of  The  Ohio  State  Bank  elected  him  its  president,  and  thereafter  one 
honor  after  another  was  bestowed  upon  him  rapidly.  In  1853,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat 
in  the  Ohio  Senate  and  was  also  appointed  United  States  District  Attorney  by  President 
Pierce.  His  service  in  all  these  several  stations  added  greatly  to  his  prestige  and  rep- 
utation. About  this  time,  Mr.  Jewett  established  a  bank  of  his  own  in  Zanesville  in 
partnership  with  Charles  C.  Russell,  and  then  soon  became  a  leading  spirit  in  the  pro- 
motion of  railroad  enterprise  in  the  State.  Elected  a  director  of  The  Central  Ohio  Rail- 
road in  1855,  he  became  vice  president  and  general  manager  in  1856,  and  president  in  the 
panic  year  of  1857.  Although  he  resigned  all  other  official  positions  and  brought  all 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. JE.  353 

his  influence,  the  powers  of  a  trained  mind,  his  comprehensive  knowledge  and  untiring 
energy  to  the  management  of  the  corporation  named,  he  could  not  save  it  from  insol- 
vency, and  in  1859  he  became  receiver  of  the  road.  The  duties  of  this  position  he  dis- 
charged to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  stockholders.  In  1861,  he  leased  the  line  to  The 
Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad  upon  advantageous  terms  and  retained  the  presidency  for 
several  years. 

Mr.  Jewett's  genial  nature,  dignity  and  courtesy  of  manner  and  indomitable  will 
made  him  exceedingly  popular  in  Ohio,  and  his  proved  capacity  now  made  him  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party  for  political  honors.  He  had  run  for  Congress  in  1860, 
spted  a  nomination  in  1861  for  Governor  of  Ohio,  and  in  1863  was  made  a  candidate 
ar  the  United  States  Senate.  While  he  made  a  strong  and  effective  canvass  in  each 
case  for  the  sake  of  his  party,  the  State  was  too  strongly  Republican  to  permit  of  an 
election.  He  served  his  party,  however,  at  various  times  as  chairman  of  State  conven- 
tions and  member  of  electoral  commissions. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Jewett  accepted  the  vice  presidency  of  The  Pittsburgh,  Cincinnati  & 
St.  Louis  and  the  presidency  of  The  Little  Miami  and  Columbus  &  Xenia  Railroads 
and  after  a  short  residence  in  Cincinnati,  established  his  home  in  Columbus,  O.  Now 
fairly  launched  upon  a  railroad  career,  he  undertook  about  this  time,  with  others,  the 
construction  of  The  Kansas  Pacific  and  other  Western  railroads.  He  also  became  one 
of  the  organizers  and  General  Counsel  of  The  Pennsylvania  Co.,  displaying  in  all  these 
varied  capacities  the  highest  qualities  of  management.  After  one  unsuccessful  contest 
for  a  seat  in  Congress  from  Columbus,  Mr.  Jewett  was  elected  in  1872  by  a  flattering 
majority.  These  positions  were,  however,  resigned  from  time  to  time,  after  he  had 
removed  to  New  York  city  in  1874. 

In  the  year  last  named,  Mr.  Jewett  accepted  the  presidency  of  The  Erie  Railroad 
under  a  stipulation  to  remain  ten  years.  The  company  was  then  in  serious  straits  and 
went  into  insolvency,  May  26,  1875,  when  Mr.  Jewett  became  receiver  and  continued  to 
administer  its  affairs. 

The  Erie  was  a  magnificent  property,  which  however  had  been  exposed  to  de- 
structive competition  with  other  trunk  lines  and  to  a  management  which  had  left  the 
road  virtually  bankrupt  and  its  stock  the  football  of  speculation.  In  the  summer  of 
1876,  Mr.  Jewett  met  the  English  stockholders  in  London,  explained  to  them  the  condi- 
tion of  the  property  and  his  plans  and  received  from  them  every  mark  of  confidence 
and  esteem.  When  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railroad  Co.  was  organized, 
April  27,  1878,  Mr.  Jewett  became  president  of  the  new  corporation.  At  the  time 
when  his  connection  with  this  road  began,  the  company  was  involved  in  serious  litiga- 
tion with  James  McHenry  and  other  London  capitalists  and  its  ruin  seemed  inevitable. 
Under  Mr.  Jewett's  direction,  all  questions  involved  in  litigation  were  decided  by  the 
courts  both  in  England  and  the  United  States  in  favor  of  the  company,  although  serious 
losses  were  suffered.  The  Erie  Railroad  was  practically  rebuilt  by  him,  reduced  from 
a  six-foot  to  the  standard  guage  of  4  feet  8  inches,  and  laid  with  steel  rails.  Access  was 
gained  to  the  anthracite  coal  field  by  building  The  Erie  &  Wyoming  Valley  Railroad, 
to  Chicago  by  The  Chicago  &  Atlantic  Railroad,  and  to  Cincinnati  by  The  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad.  The  ten  years  of  his  connection  with  the  Erie  constitu- 
ted a  period  of  incessant  labor,  of  struggle  against  tremendous  odds,  and  the  pressure 
of  heavy  responsibilities.  Mr.  Jewett  was  fully  equal  to  the  tasks  allotted  to  him 


354  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and  he  displayed  ability  of  the  highest  order  in  rescuing  the  affairs  of  his  company  from 
chaos  and  placing  them  on  a  solid  foundation.  The  story  of  this  anxious  and  critical 
period  cannot  be  fully  told  in  these  pages,  but  those  whose  investments  in  Erie  were 
saved  from  destruction  by  Mr.  Jewett's  masterly  genius,  award  to  him  an  honorable 
place  among  the  great  leaders  of  that  period  in  the  railroad  world.  In  1884,  Mr.  Jewett 
resigned,  owing  to  impairment  of  health  from  an  accident  from  which  he  never  fully 
recovered.  During  his  active  career,  he  served  as  a  director  of  The  Western  Union 
Telegraph  Co.,  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.,  and  other  corporations,  but  in  recent 
years  has  lived  mainly  in  tranquil  retirement,  the  most  of  the  time  upon  the  old  farm 
near  Glenville,  Md.,  which  is  now  in  his  possession  and  which  he  has  greatly  improved. 

Mr.  Jewett  was  married  twice,  first  to  Sarah  J.,  daughter  of  Judge  Ellis  of  St. 
Clairsville,  O.  Of  their  four  children,  two  are  living,  John  Ellis  and  George  Mony- 
penny  Jewett,  Mary  and  Charles  C.  having  died.  April  n,  1853,  he  married  Sarah 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Julius  Chappell  Guthrie.  To  them  were  born  William  Kennon, 
Helen  Pamelia,  and  Sarah  Guthrie  Jewett. 

CHARLES  JOHNSTON,  merchant,  a  native  of  County  Fermanagh,  Ireland,  1845, 
died  in  New  York  city,  April  30,  1880.  He  came  to  New  York  at  the  age  of  ten,  made 
a  modest  beginning  as  errand  boy  in  a  dry  goods  house,  became  an  expert  salesman  and 
an  authority  upon  all  matters  pertaining  to  silk  goods,  and  during  the  Civil  War,  with  his 
his  brother  John,  founded  the  house  of  J.  &  C.  Johnston,  dry  goods  merchants.  Their 
store  grew  into  a  large  and  well-known  establishment.  Mr.  Johnston  was  much  beloved 
by  his  employes  for  his  generous  disposition,  and  ranked  among  his  friends  as  a  well- 
informed  and  interesting  man.  He  had  traveled  to  every  part  of  Europe  and  as  far 
east  as  Smyna.  For  many  years,  he  made  two  yearly  trips  to  England  and  the  con- 
tinent in  the  interest  of  the  foreign  purchases  of  the  firm.  He  gained  an  ample 
fortune,  which  descended  to  his  brother  John. 

JOHN  JOHNSTON,  merchant,  born  on  the  west  bank  of  Lake  Erin,  County  Fer- 
managh, Ireland,  about  1834,  died  in  New  York  city,  May  15,  1887.  He  came  to 
America  in  1847,  followed  later  by  his  brother  Charles.  They  were  both  clerks  in  the 
employment  of  Ubsdell  &  Pierson,  dry  goods  merchants,  and  in  1864  engaged  in 
business  on  their  own  account  as  J.  &  C.  Johnston,  with  the  money  they  had  saved. 
In  the  depreciation  following  the  close  of  the  war,  culminating  in  the  crisis  of  1867, 
while  many  old  houses  succumbed,  J.  &  C.  Johnston  through  the  able  management  of 
the  senior  partner,  weathered  the  crisis  successfully,  meeting-all  engagements  promptly 
and  honorably.  They  had  a  large  branch  store  in  Albany.  Mr.  Johnston  was  noted 
for  public  spirit  and  for  open-handed  gifts  to  deserving  persons  employed  in  the  store. 
Self-educated  and. well  read,  he  delighted  in  history  and  mathematics.  In  general 
culture,  he  attained  a  breadth  which  would  have  reflected  credit  on  a  man  who  had 
devoted  his  life  to  scholarship. 

JOHN  TAYLOR  JOHNSTON,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  April  8,  1820, 
died,  March  24,  1893.  A  son  of  John  Johnston,  merchant,  he  came  from  Scottish 
ancestry.  Mr.  Johnston  graduated  from  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York  in 
1839,  studied  law  in  Yale  College  and  in  the  office  of  Daniel  Lord  in  this  city,  and 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession.  From  an  early  period,  he  was  interested 
in  railroads  and  in  1848  took  the  presidency  of  the  Elizabeth  town  &  Somerville  Rail- 
road, which  developed  into  The  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey.  He  remained  presi- 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. JO.  355 

dent  of  this  company  until  1876.  Shortly  after  this  date,  his  active  career  came  to  an 
end,  in  consequence  of  ill-health.  One  of  the  most  public-spirited  citizens  in  town,  he 
aided  in  establishing  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  was  its  first  president,  and 
made  handsome  donations  to  its  collections.  He  was  an  incorporator  of  the  Presby- 
terian Hospital  and  for  many  years  one  of  the  council  of  the  University  of  the  City  of 
New  York.  An  incorporator  and  prominent  director  of  The  Niagara  Fire  Insurance 
Co.,  he  also  sat  in  the  directorate  of  The-  Bank  for  Savings,  The  New  York  Life 
Insurance  and  Trust  Co.,  The  Central  New  Jersey  Land  Improvement  Co.  and  the  Dol- 
phin Jute  Mills.  By  a  life  of  incessant  activity  he  gained  a  large  fortune,  which,  how- 
ever, was  somewhat  impaired  by  losses  toward  the  last.  Mr.  Johnston  was  a  member 
of  the  Century  club  and  a  supporter  of  various  public  institutions.  His  private 
collection  of  paintings,  sold  in  1876,  was  known  throughout  the  world. 

WILLIAH  HCEWEN  JOHNSTON,  banker,  born  in  Tennessee,  July  20,  1850,  is  a 
son  of  Ebenezer  Johnston  and  of  Scotch-Irish  ancestry.  Educated  in  Washington  Col- 
lege. Lexington,  Va.,  1866-70,  Mr.  Johnston  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  the  banking  house 
of  R.  T.  Wilson  &  Co.  in  New  York  city.  In  1879,  he  was  admitted  as  a  partner  and 
has  since  been  an  active  and  progressive  member  of  that  enterprising  firm,  paying 
much  attention  to  the  development  of  railroad  traffic  in  the  South  and  aiding  in  the 
development  of  the  mineral  and  mining  industries  of  that  part  of  the  country.  Mr. 
Johnston  has  now  become  thoroughly  identified  with  the  life  of  the  metropolis  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Manhattan,  Union,  Metropolitan,  Tuxedo,  Racquet,  Coney  Island 
Jockey  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs.  Dec.  31,  1892,  he  married  Miss  Flewellyn  Reese 
of  Macon,  Ga.,  and  has  one  child  Viola. 

DAVID  JONES,  brewer,  born  in  New  York  city,  March  14,  1811,  died  here  Jan. 
17,  1881.  He  had  the  advantage  of  growing  up  in  a  business  established  by  his  father 
and  of  succeeding  to  its  management,  but  his  native  energy  resulted  in  a  great  expan- 
sion of  his  industry7.  He  had  breweries  in  Newark  and  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  New 
Rochelle  and  Williamsburg,  N.  Y. ,  and  at  length  built  a  large  brewery  in  town  on 
Sixth  street,  which  was  subsequently  destroyed  by  fire.  In  all,  he  operated  eight 
breweries  and  three  malt  houses.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  Scranton  Hotel  in  Scran- 
ton,  Pa  ,  a  director  of  The  Nassau  Bank,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co. ,  and  The 
Star  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  member  of  the  Manhattan  and  Union  clubs.  He  never 
married  and  his  fortune  of  many  millions  was  left  to  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

EUGENE  JONES,  flour  miller,  born  in  Fairfield,  Conn.,  in  July,  1842,  is  a  son  of 
Obadiah  W.  Jones,  also  a  flour  miller,  and  a  descendant  of  Edward  Johnes,  who  sailed 
with  Winthrop's  fleet  in  1629  from  Yarmouth,  England,  reaching  Charlestown,  Mass., 
in  1630.  The  pioneer  of  the  family  is  believed  to  have  come  from  Bristol  on  the  bor- 
ders of  Wales.  In  1644,  he  settled  at  Southampton  on  Long  Island,  and  rose  to 
influence  and  position.  About  the  end  of  the  last  century,  the  family  name  was  changed 
to  Jones.  Beginning  life  in  his  father's  flour  mill  in  New  York  city,  Eugene  Jones 
succeeded  in  time  to  the  business,  and  with  his  brother,  Frederick,  under  the  name  of 
Jones  &  Co. ,  carried  on  The  New  York  City  Roller  Flour  Mills  on  Broome  and  Lewis 
streets.  In  1892,  Mr.  Jones  sold  his  plant  and  business  to  a  new  organization,  which  he 
aided  in  forming,  entitled  The  Hecker-Jones- Jewell  Milling  Co.,  a  large  company  having 
a  capital  of  §7,500,000,  of  which  he  became  a  director  and  with  which  he  has  since  been 
connected  as  first  vice  president.  Jan.  25,  1888,  Mr.  Jones  married  Julie  d'Anterroches 


356  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Dix,  daughter  of  J.  Augustus  Dix,  of  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  and  great  granddaughter  of 
Joseph  Louis,  Count  d'Anterroches,  a  French  nobleman  of  ancient  family,  and  a 
connection  of  Lafayette,  who  came  to  this  country  during  the  American  Revolution. 
He  has  one  child,  an  infant.  His  home  is  in  Tarrytown,  N.  Y.,  and  is  known  as 
Brookside.  He  has  acquired  the  property  on  the  opposite  side  of  Broadway,  surround- 
ing the  monument  to  the  captors  of  Major  Andre,  and  has  converted  it  into  a  beautiful 
park,  known  as  "Brookside  Park,"  building  a  number  of  handsome  cottages.  The 
Andre  brook,  which  crosses  the  property,  is  the  stream  at  which  that  unfortunate  officer 
stopped,  and  it  was  in  the  grounds  of  Brookside  that  his  capture  occurred. 

GEORGE  JONES,  publisher,  born  in  Poultney,  Vt.,  Aug.  16,  1812,  died  in  Poland 
Springs,  Me.,  Aug.  12,  1891.  His  father  was  John  Jones  of  England,  a  manufacturer 
of  woolen  goods,  who  had  for  those  days  a  large  factory  in  Poultney  and  who  after  a  few 
years  emigrated  to  Ohio,  where  both  he  and  his  wife  soon  died  of  malarial  fever,  leav- 
ing the  subject  of  this  sketch  an  orphan  at  twelve  years  of  age.  As  a  young  man, 
George  Jones  lived  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  where  he  met  his  wife,  Sarah  M.,  daughter  of 
Benjamin  Gilbert.  He  afterward  came  to  New  York  and  found  employment  for  a  time 
as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  house,  and  later  in  THE  TRIBUNE  office,  Henry  J. 
Raymond  being  there  at  the  same  time.  In  1842,  he  moved  to  Albany  and  opened  a 
store  at  the  corner  of  State  street  and  Broadway  for  the  sale  of  books,  magazines  and 
newspapers.  Several  years  later,  he  left  this  business  to  become  a  private  banker. 
While  Mr.  Raymond  was  in  Albany,  Mr.  Jones  and  he  planned  a  daily  newspaper,  the 
result  of  which  was  The  New  York  Times.  Mr.  Jones  spent  the  remainder  of  his  life  as 
publisher  of  that  journal.  He  exhibited  marked  enterprise  in  extending  the  circulation 
of  his  paper,  but  his  greatest  act  was  the  exposure  of  the  rascalities  of  the  Tweed  ring 
in  1871.  The  details  of  the  robbery  of  the  city  treasury  by  the  Tweed  combination  first 
appeared  in  The  Times,  which  gained  thereby  an  enormous  sale.  It  is  reported,  and 
is  believed  never  to  have  been  denied,  that  the  Tweed  conspirators  offered  $1,000,000 
to  Mr.  Jones  if  he  would  discontinue  his  attacks.  He  had  the  honor  and  public  spirit 
to  refuse.  In  time,  Mr.  Jones  obtained  a  controlling  interest  in  the  paper,  which 
brought  him  a  fortune.  He  was  a  quiet  man,  positive  in  character,  tenacious  in 
opinion  and  a  bold  opponent,  and  had  the  courage  to  antagonize  a  large  body  of  his 
readers  by  opposing  the  election  of  James  G.  Elaine  to  the  Presidency,  finally  making 
his  paper  Democratic  in  tone.  The  Times  Building  which  he.  constructed  at  a  cost  of 
about  $1,000,000  in  1888  was  at  the  time  the  tallest  in  the  group  of  lofty  office  build- 
ings which  cluster  around  what  is  popularly  called  Printing  House  Square.  He  was 
married  to  Sarah  M.,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Gilbert.  This  union  brought  them  four 
children:  Emma,  wife  of  Uzal  W.  Ireland;  Elizabeth  G. ,  wife  of  Edward  J.  Lowell; 
Mary,  wife  of  Henry  L.  Dyer,  and  Gilbert  E.  Jones. 

JOHN  QUENTIN  JONES,  banker,  who  died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  i,  1878,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-four,  sprang  from  a  long  line  of  Huguenot  ancestors,  and  in  his  charac- 
ter and  personal  traits  did  honor  to  his  line.  Early  in  life,  he  learned  in  the  old  ship- 
ping house  of  Lawrence  &  Trimble  those  sound  business  principles,  to  which  The 
Chemical  National  Bank  afterward  owed  its  unparalleled  success.  Mr.  Jones  was  con- 
nected with  this  bank  from  its  foundation  in  1833  until  his  death,  was  its  cashier  for 
several  years  and  after  1844  its  president.  Under  his  management,  The  Chemical 
Bank  accumulated  a  surplus  of  many  times  its  capital  and  took  the  highest  rank  among 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. JO.  357 

banking  institutions  in  the  city.  He  was  a  member  of  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Churcn  and 
generous  in  his  gifts  to  its  institutions 

JOSHUA  JONES,  lawyer,  born  in  this  city  Oct.  27,  1806,  died  here  March  23, 
1888.  He  was  a  son  of  Isaac  Jones,  from  whom  he  inherited  a  large  amount  of  local 
property,  including  the  garden  known  as  Jones's  Wood,  and  in  all,  over  two  hundred 
city  lots  and  buildings.  Some  of  the  land  lay  west  of  Central  Park.  Mr.  Jones  never 
married.  His  expenses  were  moderate,  and  he  bent  his  energies  steadily  throughout 
life,  while  not  engaged  in  foreign  travel,  to  the  improvement  of  his  realty  and  to 
accumulation.  His  brother,  John  Q.  Jones,  being  president  of  The  Chemical  National 
Bank,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  became  a  large  stockholder  in  that  institution.  His 
friends  knew  him  as  a  scholarly  gentleman  of  the  old  school,  who  preferred  a  retired 
and  quiet  life  and  careful  attention  to  the  increase  of  his  wealth.  He  left  $8,000,000 
to  about  forty  relatives. 

HENRY  T.  JOURNEAY,  merchant,  born  in  Central  New  York,  died  in  Brooklyn 
Dec.  24,  1890,  about  sixty -five  years  of  age.  His  forbears  were  Huguenots  in  France. 
When  he  had  saved  a  little  money  as  a  dry  goods  clerk,  Lyman  S.  Burnham  and  he 
established  a  small  retail  dry  goods  store  as  Journeay  &  Burnham,  in  Brooklyn,  in 
1845,  employing  one  assistant.  They  displayed  so  much  enterprise,  that,  in  the  large 
quarters  on  Atlantic  street,  to  which  the  store  finally  expanded,  they  carried  on  the 
most  extended  retail  trade  in  that  part  of  the  city.  Mr.  Journeay  was  noted  for  con- 
servatism, and  the  old  methods  of  selling  goods  seemed  to  him  the  best  and  to  them 
he  always  adhered.  A  curious  fact  is  that  owing  to  some  trivial  disagreement,  friendly 
relations  ceased  to  exist  between  Mr.  Journeay  and  Mr.  Burnham.  For  nearly  twenty 
years,  the  partners  were  almost  complete  strangers  to  each  other,  and  nevertheless 
carried  on  the  business  without  friction  until  Mr.  Journeay's  marriage,  when  the 
partners  became  completely  reconciled.  Two  children,  Henry  Perrine  and  Catherine 
Journeay,  survived  him.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Brooklyn  Library  and 
the  Philharmonic  Society. 


K. 

MARTIN  KALBFLEISCH,  chemist,  a  native  of  Flushing,  Netherlands,  born  Feb. 
8,  1804,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  12,  1873.  In  1822,  the  youth  sailed  to  the  island 
of  Sumatra,  but  finding  that  the  Asiatic  cholera  was  raging  there,  he  promptly  returned 
with  his  ship  to  Antwerp  Thence  he  went  to  Havre,  France,  and  spent  four  years  in 
commercial  enterprise.  In  1826,  he  came  to  the  United  States  with  small  means  but 
splendid  pluck.  In  New  York  city,  hard  work  as  a  clerk  and  chemist  brought  him  a 
little  money  and,  in  1835,  he  started  a  manufactory  of  colors  and  chemicals  in  Harlem. 
After  several  changes  of  location,  the  business,  which  had  prospered  under  his  energetic 
management,  was  finally  moved  to  Metropolitan  Avenue  in  Brooklyn.  The  works  now 
occupy  eleven  acres  of  ground  on  Newtown  creek.  Mr.  Kalbfleisch  was  a  man  of  clear 
head,  strong  common  sense  and  ability.  He  served  in  various  public  offices  in  Brook- 
lyn and  was  elected  Mayor  in  1861.  In  1862,  his  fellow  citizens  sent  him  to  Congress 
and  in  1867  and  1871  again  made  him  Mayor.  Later,  they  offered  him  the  nomination 
for  Governor  of  the  State  on  the  same  ticket  with  Horace  Greeley.  In  1854,  he  was 
married  to  Elizabeth  Harvey.  Eleven  children  were  born  to  them:  Elizabeth  W., 
wife  of  Robert  Robinson;  Frederick  W.  Kalbfleisch;  Helen  M. ,  wife  of  Rodney  Thursby  ; 
Edward  L.  G.,  Charles  H.,  Albert  M.,  and  Franklin  H.  Kalbfleisch;  Josephine  M.  L., 
wife  of  Robert  S.  Fleet  ;  Isabella  G.,  wife  of  James  E.  Weaver;  and  John  and  George 
Kalbfleisch.  He  retired  from  business  in  1868  in  favor  of  his  sons,  who  thereupon 
organized  the  firm  of  Martin  Kalbfleisch's  Sons,  which  controlled  the  business  until 
1886.  The  sons  extended  the  business  and  operated  not  only  The  Bushwick  Chemical 
Works  in  Brooklyn,  but  The  Chemical  Works  in  Bayonne,  N.  j.,  The  Buffalo  Chemical 
Works  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  The  Baltimore  Acetate  Works  in  Baltimore.  The  plant, 
the  largest  in  this  industry  in  the  country,  was,  a  few  years  ago,  sold  to  a  syndicate, 
composed  of  men  in  the  clothing  business  and  a  few  lawyers,  who  are  now  operating  it. 

JAMES  ROBERT  KEENE,  a  conspicuous  speculator  in  Wall  street,  was  born  in 
England  in  1838,  the  son  of  a  London  merchant.  At  an  early  age,  he  was  placed  under 
the  care  of  a  tutor  and  pursued  his  studies  in  Lincolnshire  until  he  was  prepared  to 
enter  a  large  private  school.  Remaining  in  Lincolnshire  for  three  years,  he  was  then 
sent  to  Dublin  to  prepare  for  a  higher  course  of  education  in  the  home  of  an  old  master 
of  Trinity.  The  father  of  Mr.  Keene  met  with  a  serious  impairment  of  his  fortune  at 
this  juncture  through  injudicious  ventures,  and  thereupon  in  1852  took  his  family  to 
California  and  settled  in  Shasta  county  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State. 

Although  only  fourteen  years  of  age,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  who  had  ac- 
quired an  unusually  good  English  education  and  a  fair  training  in  French  and  Latin, 
already  displayed  all  the  energy  and  ambition,  which  have  since  contributed  greatly  to 
his  success.  His  first  employment  was  obtained  at  Fort  Reading  in  the  modest  capacity 
of  one  of  the  guards  of  the  animals  of  the  post,  which  was  then  in  the  Indian  country. 
After  three  months'  service,  having  earned  enough  money  to  buy  a  miner's  outfit,  he 
joined  the  throng  of  bold  and  adventurous  men  who  were  prospecting  every  canyon, 
gulch  and  stream  in  search  of  gold.  For  several  years,  he  spent  his  time  in  mining, 
freighting,  stock  raising  and  milling  with  indifferent  success,  and  then  edited  a  news- 


360  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

paper  for  two  years.  Finding  this  unprofitable  also,  he  went  to  Nevada  a  year  or  two 
after  the  discovery  of  the  famous  Comstock  lode.  Securing  some  mining  property 
there  and  reselling  it  advantageotisly,  he  went  to  San  Francisco  and  there  plunged  into 
speculation  in  mining  stocks.  Within  a  few  months,  he  made  upwards  of  $125,000. 
He  then  married  Sara,  daughter  of  Col.  Leroy  Daingerfield,  of  Virginia,  residing  at  the 
time  in  California  with  her  brother,  Wm.  P.  Daingerfield,  Judge  of  the  Ninth  Judicial 
District. 

In  the  crash  which  followed  the  first  excitement  in  shares  after  the  discovery  of 
the  Comstock,  Mr.  Keene  lost  all  that  he  had  made  and  found  himself  nearly  penni- 
less in  a  strange  city  and  with  few  acquaintances  or  friends.  But  he  had  a  spirit  which 
nothing  could  daunt.  Through  much  hardship  for  a  year  or  more  he  struggled,  refus- 
ing every  offer  of  employment,  confident  that  his  only  chance  lay  in  speculation,  for 
which  he  felt  he  had  a  natural  talent.  As  operations  in  mining  shares  were  then 
largely  carried  on  in  the  street,  he  secured  some  business  and  attracted  the  attention  of 
Senator  C.  N.  Felton,  then  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange  and  a  large  operator,  and 
transacted  Mr.  Felton's  business  for  some  time.  When  that  gentleman  became  As- 
sistant United  -States  Treasurer  in  San  Francisco,  he  offered  his  seat  in  the  Stock  Ex- 
change to  Mr.  Keene.  The  latter  did  not  have  the  money  with  which  to  purchase  the 
seat,  and  took  it  with  the  understanding  that,  if  he  were  elected,  he  would,  when  called 
on,  pay  the  price  which  seats  commanded  at  the  time  of  the  demand.  Once  in  the 
Board,  he  rose  rapidly  to  great  influence  in  that  organization,  made  a  large  amount  of 
money  and  was  elected  president  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  By  purchasing  the  stocks  of 
the  California  and  Consolidated  Virginia  mines,  known  the  world  over  as  the  Bonanza 
of  the  Comstock  lode,  he  made  in  these  and  other  stocks  of  which  he  held  large  quan- 
tities, a  fortune  of  about  $6,000,000.  When  the  Bank  of  California  failed,  Mr.  Keene 
became  one  of  the  four  contributors  of  a  million  cash  to  the  guarantee  fund  of 
$8,000,000,  necessary  to  secure  the  depositors  of  the  Bank  against  loss  and  enable  the 
institution  to  continue  in  business.  Largely  through  his  influence  in  the  Stock  Ex- 
change, a  resolution  was  carried  through  that  body  contributing  $500,000,  and  his  per- 
sonal exertions  secured  from  the  leading  brokers  a  contribution  of  nearly  as  much  more. 
The  Bank  resumed  operations  and  the  State  was  saved  by  the  guaranteeing  syndicate 
from  a  panic,  from  which  the  people  of  California  would  have  taken  years  to  recover. 

The  strain  of  large  operations  had  now  so  undermined  his  health,  that  Mr.  Keene 
was  advised  by  his  physicians  to  go  to  Europe  for  a  long  rest.  Arriving  in  New  York 
in  the  Spring  of  1877,  en  route  for  the  old  world,  he  found  the  stock  market  here  de- 
moralized and  prices  as  low  as  they  had  been  in  the  panic  of  1873.  Having  large  cap- 
ital at  his  command,  he  deferred  his  trip  abroad;  bought  nearly  all  the  leading  stocks; 
displayed  all  his  old  energy  in  advancing  the  market;  and  in  the  Autumn  of  1879  sold 
out  with  a  profit  of  over  $9,000,000.  Then,  feeling  entitled  to  a  rest,  he  visited 
Europe.  Since  his  return  he  has  been  a  resident  of  New  York  city.  He  has  since 
taken  part  in  many  daring  operations  and  has  engineered  large  speculations.  These 
have  not  always  enriched  him.  On  the  contrary,  he  has  at  times  met  with  the  expe- 
rience common  to  those  who  contribute  to  the  activity  of  the  street  and  thereby  tempt 
the  unscrupulous  to  organize  against  them.  Mr.  Keene  is,  however,  usually  more  than 
a  match  for  all  combinations,  is  a  man  of  large  fortune,  and  one  of  those  who  in  these 
later  days  impart  vivacity  to  Wall  street. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KE.  361 

His  home  is  at  Cedarhurst  on  Long  Island  and  he  is  steward  of  the  Jockey  Club  and 
a  member  of  the  Rockaway  Hunt  Club.  His  children  are  Foxhall  Parker  Keene,  who 
married  Miss  Lawrence  of  Bay  Side,  L.  I.,  and  Jessie  Harwar,  wife  of  Talbot  I.  Taylor 
of  Baltimore. 

HENRY  KEEP,  railroad  president,  a  native  of  Jefferson  count}7,  N.  Y.,  died  in 
New  York  city,  July  30,  1869,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one.  A  part  of  his  remarkable 
energy  can  be  traced  to  the  fact  that  his  first  occupation  was  farming,  in  which  he 
began  as  an  apprentice.  After  experiencing  poverty  for  several  years,  Mr.  Keep  found 
employment  in  Honeoye  Falls  as  a  teamster.  By  careful  saving,  he  gained  a  small  sum 
of  money  which  he  invested  in  depreciated  currency  during  the  panic  of  1837,  the 
return  of  better  times  bringing  him  a  handsome  profit.  He  then  bought  Canadian 
bank  notes,  which  were  at  a  discount  on  this  side  of  the  border,  took  them  to  Canada 
and  received  payment  for  them  at  par.  A  bank  of  his  own  was  soon  opened  in  Water- 
town,  N.  Y.,  and,  later,  several  country  banks  in  that  part  of  the  State.  A  strong 
mind,  practical  energy  and  clear  head  fitted  Mr.  Keep  for  a  larger  field,  and  he  finally 
removed  to  New  York  city,  invested  his  profits  in  railroads  and  thereafter  was  mainly 
known  as  a  large  and  successful  manager  of  this  class  of  properties.  In  1861-63,  be 
was  treasurer  of  The  Michigan  Southern  Railroad,  and  for  a  while,  in  1866,  president 
of  The  New  York  Central,  and  after  1868,  president  of  The  Chicago  &  North 
Western  Railroad.  He  was  also  president  of  The  Cleveland  &  Toledo  Railroad  and 
controlling  owner  of  The  North  Indiana  Railroad.  Mr.  Keep  was  famous  for  keen 
sense  of  humor,  fine  conversational  ability  and  whole-hearted  liberality.  One  of  his 
latest  endeavors  was  to  start  a  National  Academy  for  the  Advancement  of  Art,  for 
which  he  promised  §1,500,000.  His  wife  and  one  daughter  survived  him. 

CHARLES  KELLOGG,  merchant,  originated  in  Newington,  Conn.,  where  he  was 
born  July  24,  1825.  He  died  in  this  city  Oct.  24,  1892.  A  descendant  of  Governors 
Welles,  Pitkin  and  Saltonstall  of  Connecticut,  and  the  son  of  Gen.  Martin  Kellogg, 
manufacturer  and  farmer,  and  of  Mary  Welles,  his  wife,  Mr.  Kellogg  traced  his  remote 
ancestry  to  Joseph  Kellogg,  an  Englishman,  who  settled  in  Deerfield,  Mass.,  in  1631. 
At  the  time  of  the  Deerfield  massacre,  the  Kellogg  family  were  scattered,  some  of 
them  being  captured  and  when  reunited  moved  to  Connecticut.  At  the  age  of  twenty, 
Charles  Kellogg  left  school  to  enter  a  commission  house  in  Philadelphia.  Later,  he 
founded,  with  James  L.  Brumley,  the  dry  goods  commission  house  of  Brumley  & 
Kellogg  in  New  York  city.  Failing  health  compelled  him  to  retire  from  active  labor 
in  1870.  He  was  interested  in  The  Bowery  Savings  Bank,  The  Metropolitan  Plate 
Glass  Insurance  Co.,  and  several  insurance  companies,  in  which  he  was  a  director. 
Married  first  to  Anne  M.,  daughter  of  Robert  Davidson,  D.  D.,  after  her  death  in  Italy, 
in  1870,  he  married  Ellen,  daughter  of  John  H.  Prentice  of  Brooklyn.  His  wife  and 
three  sons  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Charles  Prentice,  John  Prentice  and  Martin 
Welles  Kellogg.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  The  Genealogical 
Society,  The  New  England  Society  and  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution. 

EDWARD  HENRY  KELLOGG,  oil  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  Ira,  N.  Y.,  and 
was  born  Sept.  i,  1828.  His  father,  Silas  Kellogg,  was  a  farmer  and  his  maternal 
grandfather,  Capt.  James  Simpson,  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution.  Educated 
in  the  Victory  Academy  and  the  Quaker  Seminary  in  Venice,  in  his  native  county,  the 
young  man  found  his  first  employment  as  a  clerk  in  Auburn  and  later  in  Rochester. 


362  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Coming  to  New  York  city  in  1851  to  accept  a  clerkship  in  a  produce  commission  house, 
he  rose  by  application  to  a  partnership  in  1854.  In  1858,  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
lubricating  oils  from  animal  and  vegetable  substances,  but  when  petroleum  was  discov- 
ered, he  adopted  that  oil  as  a  base  and  his  firm  of  E.  H.  Kellogg  &  Co.,  has  since  car- 
ried on  a  safe,  sound,  and  profitable  business.  A  keen  and  energetic  merchant,  his 
prosperity  is  of  his  own  making.  In  1876,  he  opened  a  branch  house  in  Liverpool  and 
now  sends  his  cylinder  and  machinery  oils  to  all  parts  of  the  world.  He  has  joined  the 
Union  League  and  Down  Town  clubs  of  this  city  and  the  Hamilton  club  of  Brooklyn. 
In  1860,  he  married  Charlotte,  daughter  of  Francis  Fickett,  an  old  resident  of  this  city, 
a  native  of  Maine,  whence  he  came  to  New  York  and  rose  to  eminence  as  a  ship 
builder.  Mr.  Fickett  and  his  associates  built  the  Savannah,  the  first  steamer  which  ever 
crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  became  an  alderman  in  New  York,  and  was  until  his  death 
in  1843  confidential  agent  of  John  G.  Coster  with  fullest  power  of  attorney. 

EUGENE  KELLY,  merchant  and  banker,  born  Nov.  25,  1806,  in  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  died  in  this  city,  Dec.  19,  1894.  He  sprang  from  an  ancient  and  honorable  family. 
One  of  his  direct  ancestors  sat  in  the  Irish  Parliament  of  1585.  The  father  of  Mr. 
Kelly  was  Thomas  Boye  O'Kelly,  of  Mullaghmore.  A  feud  between  two  branches  of 
his  family  arose  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  who  decided  against  the  Mullaghmore 
branch,  much  of  the  property  of  the  latter  being  confiscated.  Becoming  greatly  im- 
poverished, the  head  of  this  line  migrated  from  Mullaghmore  during  the  seventeenth 
century  to  the  North  of  Ireland,  where  he  purchased  a  small  estate.  There  is  a  tomb 
stone  of  the  seventeenth  centxiry  in  a  churchyard  near  the  property,  which  records  the 
burial  of  the  first  of  this  branch  of  the  family  in  the  North.  The  quaint  Latin  in- 
scription thereon  announces  the  fact  that  William  Boye  O'Kelly  was  the  representative 
of  the  Mullaghmore  O'Kellys,  a  great  majority  of  whom  had  been  buried  in  the  Abbey 
of  Kilconnel,  founded  by  them  in  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century,  the  first 
abbot  having  been  Hugh  O'Kelly  of  Mullaghmore.  In  1798,  Mr.  Kelly's  father, 
having  been  drawn  into  the  political  troubles  of  that  year,  decided  to  drop  the 
distinctive  title  of  O'Kelly  of  Mullaghmore,  which  was  inscribed  upon  his  tomb, 
nevertheless. 

The  splendid  vigor  of  body  and  mind  which  distinguished  the  subject  of  this 
memoir  during  his  whole  career,  reminded  one  always  of  his  healthful  early  life  and 
the  intellectual  prominence  of  his  ancestors.  He  remained  in  Ireland  until  the  age 
of  twenty-four,  and  then,  believing  it  hopeless  to  make  his  way  in  "his  native  land, 
in  view  of  the  disabilities  to  which  Roman  Catholics  were  exposed  in  those  days, 
resolved,  like  many  a  son  of  an  old  Irish  house,  upon  seeking  his  fortune  across  the 
seas.  He  expected  at  first  to  go  to  Peru,  but,  changing  his  mind,  came  to  this 
country.  He  landed  in  New  York  city  with  a  letter  of  introduction  to  Donnelly 
Bro's,  and  a  hundred  pounds  sterling,  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  some  land  near  Derry, 
which  had  been  deeded  to  him  by  his  mother.  He  secured  a  clerkship  in  the  house 
of  Donnelly  Bro's  of  South  William  street. 

After  being  some  years  with  the  Donnellys,  who  were  a  well-known  importing 
firm,  Mr.  Kelly  with  their  aid  established  a  modest  business  of  his  own  in  Maysville, 
Ky.  About  a  year  later  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  established  a  branch  dry 
goods  house  of  the  Donnellys,  adopting  the  title  of  Eugene  Kelly  &  Co.  Shrewd, 
energetic  and  capable,  he  prospered  greatly  in  this  field.  A  flood  of  population  was 


Eng^iyH-B  Hall's  3on::.NewYork. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — KE.  363 

then  pouring  into  the  Mississippi  valley,  and  merchants  of  the  distributing  centers 
found  it  easy  to  extend  their  trade  rapidly.  In  1848,  the  people  of  St.  Louis  had 
already  accounted  Mr.  Kelly  a  wealthy  man. 

When  the  country  was  surprised  by  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  Mr. 
Kelly  promptly  resolved  to  extend  his  trade  to  the  Pacific  coast  and  open  a  branch 
store  of  Eugene  Kelly  &  Co.  in  San  Francisco,  the  certainty  of  adding  to  his  fortune 
being  apparent  to  his  acute  mind.  Late  in  1849,  Mr.  Kelly  took  a  train  of  mules 
across  the  plains,  his  guide  being  the  famous  scout  Aubrey,  known  as  the  "  White 
Cloud  of  the  Prairies."  After  numerous  dangers  and  hardships,  Mr.  Kelly  succeeded 
in  reaching  San  Francisco  in  Jamiary,  1850,  and  opened  his  store  in  partnership  with 
Joseph  A.  Donohoe,  Daniel  T.  Murphy  and  Adam  Grant.  Payments  were  made  in 
those  early  days  in  gold  dust,  which  everybody  carried  in  bags,  and  this  led  Mr.  Kelly 
gradually  into  the  purchase  of  gold  dust  and  nuggets  for  shipment  to  the  East,  and 
this,  again,  led  him  into  a  regular  banking  business.  After  a  successful  career  of  ten 
years,  the  old  dry  goods  firm  of  Eugene  Kelly  &  Co.  dissolved,  the  business  being 
continued  by  the  junior  partners,  Messrs.  Murphy  and  Grant,  under  the  title  of 
Murphy,  Grant  &  Co.  The  house  yet  flourishes  as  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
respected  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

In  1 86 1,  Mr.  Kelly  founded  in  San  Francisco  the  banking  house  of  Donohoe, 
Ralston  &  Co.  and  in  New  York  the  banking  house  of  Eugene  Kelly  &  Co.  In  1 864, 
Mr.  Ralston  retired,  and,  associating  himself  with  D.  O.  Mills,  subsequently  became 
one  of  the  leading  financiers  of  the  West.  The  San  Francisco  bank  then  took  the 
name  of  Donohoe,  Kelly  &  Co.,  Mr.  Donohoe  managing  partner,  and  so  continued 
until  1891,  when  the  partners  incorporated  as  a  joint  stock  company  under  the  title  of 
The  Donohoe-Kelly  Banking  Co.  From  the  day  of  its  origin,  the  San  Francisco 
concern  enjoyed  great  prosperity. 

After  1860,  Mr.  Kelly's  visits  to  San  Francisco  practically  ceased  and  he  devoted 
his  entire  time  to  the  New  York  house.  For  more  than  thirty  years,  he  was  a  promi- 
nent figure  in  Wall  street,  engaged  in  large  operations  usually  with  entire  success.  In 
May,  1894,  the  house  of  Eugene  Kelly  &  Co.,  was  dissolved,  Mr.  Kelly  having  long 
intended  to  retire  from  the  banking  business  in  order  to  devote  himself  to  the  manage- 
ment of  his  private  property.  His  retirement  at  the  close  of  an  honorable  career  ex- 
tending over  sixty-four  eventful  years,  elicited  from  the  financial  world  and  the  news- 
paper press  of  both  coasts,  comments  upon  his  character  and  successes,  of  an  exceedingly 
flattering  nature. 

Large  means  enabled  Mr.  Kelly  to  take  part  in  many  important  enterprises.  He 
founded  The  Southern  Bank  of  the  State  of  Georgia  in  the  seventies,  and  helped  to 
rebuild  the  Town  Hall  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  after  the  war.  He  was  a  director  in  The 
National  Park  Bank,  The  Bank  of  New  York,  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society, 
The  American  Contracting  &  Dredging  Co.,  The  Emigrant  Industrial  Savings  Bank, 
The  Equitable  Gas  Light  Co.,  The  Title  Guarantee  &  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Atlanta  & 
Charlotte  Air  Line  Railway,  and  president  of  The  East  &  West  Railway.  Mr.  Kelly 
was  also  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  of  the  American  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History,  one  of  the  original  life  members  of  the  Academy  of  Design,  a  patron  of 
the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  a  member  of  the  Geographical  Society.  He  was 
for  thirteen  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  in  1884  was  chairman  of 


364  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

the  Electoral  Committee  of  the  State  of  New  York.  He  helped  found  the  Catholic 
University  of  America  and  sat  in  its  directorate  at  the  time  of  his  death,  and  was  also 
a  trustee  of  Seton  Hall  College.  Public  spirit  led  him  also  to  act  upon  numerous  com- 
mittees, such  as  those  which  built  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral,  the  Washington 
Memorial  Arch,  and  the  Bartholdi  Statue.  A  number  of  excellent  clubs  elected  him 
to  membership,  including  the  Manhattan,  Democratic  and  Catholic. 

Mr.  Kelly  married  first  Miss  Donnelly,  sister  of  Terence  Donnelly,  his  former 
employer.  This  union  brought  them  one  daughter,  Eugenia,  wife  of  the  late  James 
A.  G.  Beales  of  New  York.  Mrs.  Kelly  died  in  1848.  In  1857,  Mr.  Kelly  again  visited 
New  York,  when  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Htighes,  a  niece  of  the  late  Archbishop 
Hughes.  His  wife  and  four  sons  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Eugene,  Edward, 
Thomas  Hugh  and  Robert  J.  Kelly. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  enjoyed  an  excellent  reputation  for  business  ability  and 
integrity.  He  amassed  wealth  by  honorable  means,  and  used  it  generously  in  pro- 
moting education,  in  relieving  distress  and  in  endowing  Roman  Catholic  institutions 
and  churches.  He  was  broad  and  liberal  in  his  charities,  making  no  discrimina- 
tion on  account  of  either  creed  or  race.  For  a  long  time,  the  cause  of  Ireland 
enlisted  his  active  interest  and  he  longed  for  the  time  to  come  when  the  people  of 
his  native  land  might  enjoy  political  liberty.  To  the  $150,000  fund,  raised  to  aid  the 
cause  of  Home  Rule  in  the  elections  to  Parliament,  he  contributed  $20,000  and  was 
conspicuous  as  president  of  the  National  Federation  and  treasurer  of  the  Irish  Parlia- 
mentary Fund.  America  supplies  no  opportunities  for  men  who  do  not  deserve  suc- 
cess, but  for  those  who  are  resolved  to  rise  by  diligent  labor,  wise  self  restraint,  good 
character,  and  the  exercise  of  the  talents  with  which  nature  has  endowed  them,  no 
country  in  the  world  presents  a  more  favorable  scope  for  their  activities  than  the 
United  States.  Of  this,  the  career  of  Mr.  Kelly  is  an  excellent  illustration. 

GEORGE  KEHP,  merchant,  a  native  of  County  Cavan,  Ireland,  born  in  1826,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Nov.  23,  1893.  He  was  a  son  of  Edward  Kemp,  a  farmer,  and 
traced  his  ancestry  to  the  Kemps  who  emigrated  from  England  to  Ireland  in  the  time 
of  Cromwell.  Coming  to  the  United  States  in  1834,  he  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools,  and  while  yet  a  young  lad  entered  the  employment  of  Murray  &  Lanman,  im- 
porters and  exporters  of  drugs  and  merchandise.  With  this  house  he  remained  until 
his  death,  with  only  a  short  interval  in  the  '4o's  when  he  went  to  Janesville,  Wis  ,  then 
in  the  wild  west,  to  found  a  drug  house.  With  integrity,  ability  afid  remarkable 
capacity  for  work,  he  advanced  step  by  step  until  he  became  a  partner,  and  eventually 
the  sole  proprietor  of  the  firm  which  then  became  and  is  yet  known  as  Lanman  & 
Kemp.  He  retired  from  actual  participation  in  the  business  in  1867,  continuing  as 
special  partner  only.  He  invested  largely  in  real  estate  and  owned  several  important 
properties  up  town.  With  his  fellow  members  of  the  Union  League  club,  he  was  a 
public  spirited  supporter  of  leading  public  institutions.  Mr.  Kemp  married  Juliet 
Augusta,  daughter  of  Francis  Tryon,  who  survived  him  with  four  children. 

ISAAC  CHOATE  KENDALL,  merchant,  only  child  of  Ephraim  and  Lydia  Choate 
Kendall,  born  in  Ipswich,  Mass.,  Jan.  27,  1800,  died  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  Aug.  18,  1878. 
His  ancestor,  Francis  Kendall,  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Woburn,  Mass., 
in  1640.  At  an  early  age,  Mr.  Kendall  went  to  Boston  to  begin  life,  and  when 
twenty-six  years  old  entered  into  partnership  with  Lewis  Tappen,  a  leading  and  success- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KE.  365 

ful  merchant,  whose  warm  friendship  continued  until  the  close  of  a  long  life.  In  1824, 
Mr.  Kendall  came  to  New  York  and  carried  on  a  mercantile  business  until  1849,  being 
well  known  among  old  merchants  here.  He  retired  from  active  business  and  became 
largely  interested  in  real  estate.  He  clearly  foresaw  the  possibilities  of  the  then 
yen-  limited  city  of  New  York  and  prophesied  its  present  vast  dimensions  to  friends, 
who,  however,  thought  his  expectations  visionary.  His  was  a  particularly  genial, 
warm-hearted  and  unselfish  nature,  and  ^sympathetic  understanding  of  the  troubles  of 
others,  enabled  him  to  look  upon  them  as  his  own.  His  long  career  was  strongly 
marked  by  perfect  integrity  and  steadfastness  and  an  indomitable  desire  and  purpose  of 
right  doing.  "  I  cannot  imagine,"  he  once  said  to  a  friend,  "any  one  hesitating  to 
walk  right  through  the  fire,  if  duty  so  called."  A  Republican,  a  member  of  the 
Union  League  club,  and  a  strong  Abolitionist,  his  sincere  sympathy  with  the  cause 
led  him  to  write  many  articles  in  behalf  of  the  slaves  and  to  use  his  influence  to  right 
their  wrongs.  Mr.  Kendall  was  twice  married. 

WILLIAM  BURRAGE  KENDALL,  merchant,  born  in  Sterling,  Mass.,  March  i,  1831, 
is  a  son  of  Pierson  T.  Kendall,  a  physician  and  of  English  ancestry.  He  was  educated 
in  a  private  school  and  at  Groton  Academy,  and  then  found  employment  as  a  clerk  in 
Boston  in  the  office  of  Henry  P.  Fairbanks,  the  first  treasurer  of  The  Bigelow  Carpet 
Co  ,  an  important  corporation,  which  now  has  a  capital  of  $1,000,000  and  factories  in 
Clinton,  Mass.  In  1855,  he  became  the  New  York  agent  of  The  Bigelow  Carpet  Co., 
and  yet  holds  this  position.  Mr.  Kendall  is  an  active  spirit  in  financial  life  and  is  a 
director  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Mechanics'  National  Bank,  The 
State  Trust  Co.,  The  American  Surety  Co.,  The  Queen  Insurance  Co.,  The  Long 
Island  Railroad,  and  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Merchants'  and 
Lawyers'  clubs  and  New  England  Society  of  this  city  and  of  the  Hamilton  and  Mon- 
tauk  clubs  of  Brooklyn,  in  which  latter  part  of  the  metropolis  he  resides.  His  wife  is 
Harriett  M.,  daughter  of  Luke  Fay,  late  of  Boston.  They  were  married  in  1855  and 
they  have  had  two  children,  William  B  Kendall,  jr.,  who  died  in  1893,  and  Mrs.  A.  E. 
Lamb. 

HARVEY  KENNEDY,  capitalist,  born  in  West  Galway,  Dec.  28,  1826,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Dec.  9,  1889.  He  was  a  son  of  James  Kennedy,  farmer,  and  of  Scotch-Irish 
ancestry.  First  a  general  merchant  in  his  native  town  and  then  a  manufacturer  of 
stoves  in  Albany,  he  came  to  New  York  city  about  1859  with  a  little  capital,  which 
he  invested  in  the  stock  brokerage  firm  of  Durant  &  Kennedy.  A  member,  first,  of  the 
old  Open  Board  of  Brokers,  he  joined  the  Stock  Exchange  in  1869.  He  had  various 
partners  at  different  times,  among  them  his  brother,  William  L.  Kennedy  and  Nicholas 
Palmer,  under  the  name  of  H.  Kennedy  &  Co.  After  the  panic  of  1873,  Mr.  Kennedy  en- 
gaged in  a  heavy  speculation  in  the  stock  of  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  and  The  Chi- 
cago, Rock  Island  &  Pacific  Railroads.  In  1877,  disaster  overtook  him.  Creditors  compro- 
mised their  debts,  however,  and  Mr.  Kennedy  resumed.  He  finally  bought  stock  of  The 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  when  it  was  ranging  at  about  30  cents 
on  the  dollar  and  its  subsequent  rise  in  value  brought  him  a  large  fortune.  He  was  a 
large  owner  in  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  and  The  Bank  of  North  America. 
A  part  of  his  fortune  was  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  the  fluctuations  of  the  stock  market 
by  investment  in  local  real  estate.  His  wife,  Helene,  daughter  of  Cornelius  Vandeveer 
of  Amsterdam,  N.  Y.,  passed  away  before  him,  and  three  brothers  and  a  sister  alone 


366  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

survive  him.  Fond  of  the  society  of  young  people  and  a  courteous  gentleman,  tall  and 
dignified,  he  was  one  of  the  most  worthily  popular  of  men.  His  favorite  club  was  the 
Union  League.  His  fortune  descended  to  Martin  Kennedy,  his  brother,  and  his  sister, 
Mrs.  Lucinda  Stewart,  the  widow  of  a  retail  grocer,  both  of  Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  and  to 
Lauren  O.  Kennedy  of  West  Galway  and  William  L.  Kennedy  of  New  York. 

JOHN  PATTERSON  KENNEDY,  manufacturer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  22, 
1820,  died  at  his  home,  38  East  36th  street,  Feb.  27,  1892.  His  parents  were  Scotch-Irish 
Protestants,  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  and  well  connected.  His  father  made  his 
mark  as  an  architect  and  builder  in  Belfast  and  passed  a  few  years  in  this  city,  finally 
returning  to  his  native  heath,  where  he  died,  leaving  his  family  without  means.  The 
subject  of  this  sketch,  then  about  nine  years  old,  became  the  sole  support  of  his  mother, 
with  whom  he  returned  to  this  country.  He  went  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  and  entered  the 
cotton  mill  of  his  uncle,  James  Hoy.  By  close  application  and  by  study  during  leisure 
hours,  he  became  a  skillful  mechanic  and  advanced  step  by -step  until  he  finally  became 
the  proprietor.  A  fire  in  1851  destroyed  the  mill,  which  he  decided  not  to  rebuild. 
Shortly  afterward,  he  accepted  the  position  of  constructing  engineer  for  Perdicaris  & 
Hoy,  the  latter  -his  cousin  and  one  of  the  early  pioneers  in  the  gas  industry  in  this 
country.  Mr.  Kennedy  subsequently  became  a  partner  in  Hoy  &  Kennedy,  and  a  few 
years  later,  the  sole  owner.  During  his  career,  he  erected  more  gas  works  plants  than 
any  other  individual  in  the  country  and  ultimately  reached  the  highest  pinnacle  in  gas 
engineering.  Prior  to  1860,  his  operations  were  almost  exclusively  in  the  South,  where 
he  built  and  operated  a  number  of  works.  Subsequently,  he  built  the  works  of  The 
Metropolitan  Gas  Light  Co.  in  this  city,  completing  them  in  1863,  and  also  built  sim- 
ilar works  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  San  -Francisco,  Detroit,  and  numerous 
other  cities.  He  was  joint  owner  with  his  cousin,  Mr.  Hoy,  of  The  Atlantic  Dock  Iron 
Works  in  South  Brooklyn,  where  they  built  all  the  apparatus  for  their  gas  plants.  In 
1870,  he  built  the  works  of  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light  Co.,  foot  of  East  nth, 
1 2th  and  i3th  streets,  this  city,  and  became  managing  director  of  that  company-  until 
1877,  when,  upon  retiring  from  active  business,  he  was  elected  president,  to  succeed 
Cornelius  K.  Garrison,  and  filled  the  position  until  his  death.  In  the  Mutual  works, 
he  introduced  apparatus  for  the  manufacture  of  naphtha  gas  and  through  his  clever  fore- 
sight and  skill  as  an  engineer,  the  citizens  of  this  metropolis  first  enjoyed  the  advan- 
tages of  high  quality  illuminating  gas.  The  same  high  standard  of  quality  has  been 
maintained  ever  since  the  completion  of  the  works  in  1872.  Mr.  Kennedy  was  an  in- 
ventor of  no  ordinary  ability.  In  the  course  of  his  career,  he  executed  some  railroad 
work  and  was  frequently  consulted  about  various  mechanical  and  business  matters. 
He  was  an  original  director  of  The  Metropolitan  Elevated  Railroad  ;  president  of  The 
Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad  and  of  The  Howe  Sewing  Machine  Co  ;  director  of 
The  Hudson  County  Gas  Light  Co.,  Hoboken,  and  trustee  of  The  Hazelton  Boiler  Co., 
which  concern,  in  conjunction  with  his  sons,  he  founded  early  in  1884.  In  1849,  he 
married  Ruth  R  ,  daughter  of  Edward  S.  and  Maria  Townsend,  and  this  union  brought 
them  three  children  Edward  S.  T.,  William  T. ,  and  Jessie  May  Kennedy.  In  1884,  he 
built  the  schooner-rigged  steam-yacht  Viola  and  was  a  member  of  the  New  York, 
Larchmont,  and  American  Yacht  clubs,  and  vice-commodore  of  the  latter  at  his  death. 
Symmetrical  and  strong  in  character,  his  loyalty  to  truth,  devotion  to  duty,  and  sound 
judgment,  revealed  genuine  manhood  and  inspired  the  respect  of  all. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KE.  367 

HENRY  AUGUSTUS  KENT,  merchant,  born  in  Hudson,  Ohio,  Oct.  21,  1814, 
died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  i,  1893.  His  father,  Zenas  Kent,  of  Middletown, 
Conn.,  came  from  the  same  Puritan  stock  as  the  jurist,  Chancellor  Kent,  and  his 
grandfather  was  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution.  In  1835,  Mr.  Kent  came  to 
New  York  city,  became  a  wholesale  merchant,  was  very  successful,  and  retired  in 
1863  with  a  fortune.  Investment  led  him  into  corporations  and  he  sat  in  the  directorate 
of  The  Atlantic  &  Great  Western,  The  Toledo  &  Wabash,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna 
&  Western,  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western,  and  The  Cleveland,  Lorain  & 
Wheeling  Railroads,  The  Brooklyn  City  and  The  New  York  Second  Avenue  Surface 
Railroads,  The  Kent  National  Bank  in  Ohio  and  The  Bank  of  North  America  in  New 
York  city,  being  an  incorporator  and  for  years  vice-president  of  the  latter.  He  was  also 
one  of  the  oldest  trustees  of  The  Union  Trust  Co.  Mr.  Kent  served  once,  in  1851,  as 
alderman  and  president  of  the  City  Council  of  Brooklyn,  and  in  1860  as  delegate 
to  the  Chicago  convention  which  nominated  Abraham  Lincoln  for  President.  He 
was  twice  married,  and  four  children  survive  him. 

EUGENE  KETELTAS,  property  owner,  born  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  18,  1804, 
died  in  Newport,  R.  I.,  Aug.  26,  1876.  His  father,  Dr.  Philip  D.  Keteltas,  an  old 
Knickerbocker,  was  a  son  of  the  Rev.  Abraham  Keteltas,  a  famous  preacher  and 
patriot  in  Revolution  times,  whose  great  grandfather  came  from  Holland  in  1649  and 
made  his  fortune  as  a  merchant.  Eugene  Keteltas  studied  law  under  Gen.  Robert  Bo- 
gardus,  and  was  admitted  to  practice,  but  shortly  afterward  married  the  daughter  of  John 
Gardner  and  retired.  He  inherited  a  large  property  in  real  estate  on  the  east  side  of 
New  York  city  from  his  father  and  received  a  large  amount  also  through  his  wife, 
which,  constantly  appreciating  in  value,  amounted  at  the  time  of  his  death  to  a 
great  property.  He  was  married  to  the  daughter  of  John  Gardner,  and  their  ten 
children  were  Henrietta,  who  married  C.  Bainbridge  Smith,  a  prominent  lawyer;  Jane 
and  Eugene,  who  died  young;  Mary,  who  died  in  1895;  Henry,  Alice,  and  Philip  D. ; 
Eugene  M.,  who  died  in  1886;  J.  Gardner,  and  Edith  M.,  who  married  George  P.  Wet- 
more  of  Rhode  Island.  His  friends  knew  Mr.  Keteltas  as  a  benevolent  man,  con- 
stantly engaged  in  works  of  charity  in  an  unostentatious  way.  Retiring  in  disposition 
and  fond  of  the  scenes  of  his  childhood,  he  always  lived,  while  in  the  city,  in  the  old 
family  residence  on  the  corner  of  8th  street  and  Second  avenue. 

CHAUNCEY  KILMER,  pioneer  in  the  manufacture  of  straw  paper,  was  born  in 
Rock  City  Falls,  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.,  March  23,  1816.  This  little  hamlet  he  yet 
calls  his  home,  although  his  winters  are  spent  at  a  residence  in  New  York  city. 

The  lad  received  a  fair  education  at  the  public  school,  supplementing  it  in  later 
years  by  extensive  reading  and  his  own  activity  in  the  greater  school  of  affairs.  His 
father  was  a  millwright  and  the  boy  learned  his  art,  beginning  life  poor.  The  build- 
ing of  saw,  grist  and  paper  mills  under  contract  occupied  him  for  many  years.  By 
giving  diligent  attention  to  the  details  of  every  contract,  he  became  widely  known  as  a 
competent  and  careful  millwright.  His  thorough  experience  in  building  for  others  gave 
him  a  knowledge  of  the  operations  of  the  paper  mills  themselves,  which  afterward 
proved  of  the  greatest  service. 

In  1840,  he  was  married  to  a  childhood  playmate,  Miss  Mary  Jane  Ashman,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  John  Ashman.  This  happy  union  brought  them  four  sons  and  a 
daughter.  A  son  and  the  daughter  are  now  living. 


dU/Vv 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KI.  369 

Having  saved  enough  money  from  his  earnings  for  the  purpose,  Mr.  Kilmer  built 
a  small  printing  paper  mill  at  Rock  City  Falls  and  began  operations  Jan.  i,  1845. 
This  mill  was  burned  a  short  time  after  its  construction,  but,  possessing  native  pluck, 
Mr.  Kilmer  rebuilt  and  went  on.  In  1852,  anew  process  was  brought  to  his  notice, 
which  aimed  at  the  making  of  printing  paper  from  rye  straw.  He  embarked  in  the 
venture  and  built,  in  his  lower  mill,  the  first  complete  equipment  for  making  printing 
paper  from  straw.  Costly  experiments  were  necessary  but  Mr.  Kilmer  persevered. 
In  1855,  after  a  long  struggle,  a  quantity  of  straw  printing  paper  was  produced,  which 
was  used  in  one  edition  of  The  Saratoga  Whig.  It  was  not  perfect  in  quality  but,  little 
by  little,  the  product  was  improved  by  Mr.  Kilmer  until  sufficiently  pliable  for  general 
use  by  newspapers. 

A  contract  was  then  obtained  from  Moses  S.  Beach  of  The  New  York  Sun,  whereby 
that  prosperous  newspaper  agreed  to  take  the  entire  product  of  the  mill.  With  this 
powerful  customer,  the  success  of  Mr.  Kilmer  was  assured,  and  he  has  supplied  The  Sun 
Association  continuously  down  to  the  present  time.  More  than  §7,000,000  worth  of 
paper  has  now  been  shipped  to  The  New  York  Sun  and  every  dollar  of  it  paid  for. 

From  1850  to  1857,  Mr.  Kilmer  held  an  interest  in  five  different  paper  mills,  which 
ran  continuously  day  and  night,  every  day  of  the  year  except  Sunday.  His  success  has 
been  remarkable.  He  has  met  panics  bravely  and  has  never  passed  a  monthly  pay  day. 

Although  they  knew  Mr.  Kilmer  as  an  acknowledged  expert,  his  competitors  re- 
garded the  straw  paper  enterprise  at  first  with  doubt.  When  it  became  a  success,  these 
competitors  were  glad  to  take  out  licenses  under  the  patent  used  by  him.  This  is  only 
one  instance  out  of  many,  in  which  his  sound  judgment  and  unerring  forethought  have 
been  strongly  vindicated. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Kilmer  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  the  Congress  and  Empire 
Springs  at  Saratoga  and  united  them  under  a  stock  company  with  §1,000,000  capital, 
becoming  president  and  treasurer. 

In  1869,  The  American  Wood  Paper  Co.  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  paid  him  the  high  compli- 
ment of  making  him  general  manager  of  their  whole  system  in  the  manufacture  of  wood 
pulp  and  paper  at  their  mammoth  mills  in  Manayunk,  Philadelphia,  and  Rover's  Ford,  Pa. 

Mr.  Kilmer  has  invested  some  of  his  savings  not  only  in  real  estate  in  Saratoga 
Springs,  but  in  New  York  city,  Chicago,  New  Mexico  and  elsewhere.  In  these  later 
years,  he  spends  his  time  largely  in  the  oversight  of  these  investments.  The  manufac- 
turing business  is  carried  on  at  Rock  City  Falls  and  is  managed  at  that  place  entirely. 
A  superintendent  is  in  charge  and  acts  under  the  daily  advice  of  Mr.  Kilmer,  when  the 
latter  is  absent  from  the  mill. 

In  1871,  he  moved  to  New  York  city  and  built  a  beautiful  house  at  No.  9  East  57th 
street.  This  is  one  of  the  occasional  broad  cross-town  streets  in  the  best  residence 
portion  of  the  city,  and  is  filled  with  fine  dwellings.  An  upright,  honorable  man,  with 
a  spotless  record  of  integrity  and  fair  dealing,  Mr.  Kilmer  has  become  one  of  the  most 
valued  citizens  of  this  city  and  State.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  presence  and  courteous 
manners  and  is  universally  esteemed.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  director  in  The 
First  National  Bank  of  Saratoga.  His  character  is  without  a  stain  and  his  life  is  an  illus- 
tration of  the  possibilities  of  this  free  republic  for  young  men  of  ambition. 

ARCHIBALD  GRACIE  KING,  banker,  was  born  in  Everton,  near  Liverpool, 
England,  July  n,  1821.  His  father,  James  Gore  King,  was  a  notable  banker,  who, 


37° 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 


born  May  8,  1791,  in  New  York  city,  dying  in  Weehawken,  N.  J.,  Oct.  3,  1853,  was  the 
third  son  of  Rufus  King,  eminent  as  a  statesman,  member  of  the  convention  which  drafted 
the  Constitution,  and  United  States  Senator  from  New  York,  and  of  Mary  Alsop,  his 
wife.  Well  educated,  first  in  England  and  France,  James  Gore  King  graduated  from 
Harvard  College  in  1810,  studied  law  and  during  the  War  of  1812  served  as  assistant 
Adjutant  General.  In  1815,  he  founded  the  commission  house  of  James G.  King&  Co., 
which  was  so  favored  by  fortune  and  the  energy  of  the  senior  partner  that  it  sprang 
speedily  into  prosperity.  In  1818,  Mr.  King  moved  to  Liverpool  and  established  the 
English  house  of  King  &  Gracie,  in  partnership  with  Archibald  Gracie.  Returning  to  New 
York  in  1824,  he  declined  John  Jacob  Astor's  offer  of  the  presidency  of  The  American 
Fur  Co.,  and  entered  the  bank  of  Prime,  Ward,  Sands,  King&  Co.,  which  in  1826  became 
Prime,  Ward  &  King,  and  in  1847  James  G.  King&  Sons.  He  was  sound,  prudent  and 
successful,  and  in  1837  his  bank  was  quoted  as  one  of  the  few  strong  concerns  of  that 
terrible  year.  Mr.  King  was  active  in  promoting  the  construction  of  the  Erie  Railroad, 
and  served  as  president  without  compensation.  In  1837,  he  performed  a  public  service 
by  visiting  England  and  obtaining  an  advance  of  _£  1,000,000  in  gold  from  The  Bank 
of  England  upon  the  guarantee  of  the  Barings,  which  being  transmitted  to  this  city  in 
coin,  enabled  the  banks  of  New  York  to  resume  specie  payments.  Mr.  King 
married,  Feb.  4,  1813,  Sarah  Rogers  Gracie,  daughter  of  Archibald  Gracie,  one  of  the 
most  eminent  merchants  of  his  time.  There  were  born  to  them  Caroline,  who  married 
Denning  Duer;  Harriet,  who  married  George  Wilkes,  M.  D. ;  James  Gore  and  Archi- 
bald Gracie  King;  Mary,  who  married  Edgar  H.  Richards;  Frederick  Gore  and 
Edward  King,  and  Fanny,  wife  of  James  -L.  McLane.  Mr.  King  dwelt  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  in  Weehawken,  and  was  sent  thence  to  Congress  in  1849.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce  after  1817  and  its  president 
1841-48,  and  president  of  The  Institution  for  the  Savings  of  Merchants'  Clerks, 
1848-50.  Archibald  Gracie  King  was  educated  in  America  and  at  the  school  of  Herr 
von  Fellenberg  at  Hofwyl,  near  Berne,  Switzerland,  and  graduated  from  Harvard 
University  in  1840  with  honors.  First,  clerk  in  the  banking  house  of  Prime,  Ward  & 
King,  in  1844  he  was  admitted  to  partnership.  He  has  since  risen  to  the  head  of  the 
house,  which  has  been  known  since  1853  as  James  G.  King's  Sons.  Mr.  King  is  a 
capable,  clear-headed  and  sound  business  man.  He  was  elected  a  trustee  of  The 
Institution  for  the  Savings  of  Merchants'  Clerks  in  1861,  treasurer  in  1865  and  presi- 
dent in  1873,  resigning  his  connection  with  the  bank  in  1881,  in  consequence  of  his 
removal  to  New  Jersey,  the  laws  of  New  York  requiring  trustees  of  savings  banks  to 
be  residents  of  New  York.  He  is  a  trustee  in  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.  In  1845, 
he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  William  A.  Duer,  and  their  children  are  May  D., 
wife  of  John  King  van  Rensselaer;  Sara  Gracie,  wife  of  Frederic  Bronson  and  Frederick 
Gore  King.  The  family  live  in  Weehawken,  in  a  home  commanding  a  splendid  view 
of  the  Hudson.  While  having  little  time  for  club  life,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Union 
and  Down  Town  clubs. 

GEORGE  LOVETT  KINGSLAND,  merchant,  born  in  New  York,  Sept.  4,  1834,  who 
died  in  Babylon,  N.  Y.,  July  14,  1892,  was  descended  from  one  of  the  oldest  of  the 
Knickerbocker  families,  his  ancestors  having  settled  in  New  Jersey  before  1780  on  a 
grant  of  land,  ten  miles  long  and  three  miles  wide,  lying  between  the  Hackensack  and 
Passaic  rivers.  The  old  manor  house  may  yet  be  seen  on  this  property.  Ambrose  C, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KI.  371 

Kingsland,  father  of  George  L.  Kingsland,  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  great  mer- 
chants of  New  York  of  the  first  part  of  the  present  century  and  a  Whig,  whom  the 
people  of  this  city  placed  in  the  Mayor's  chair  in  1850  by  a  majority  of  more  than  4,000 
over  Fernando  Wood,  and  who  originated  Central  Park.  George  L.  Kingsland  grad- 
uated from  Columbia  College  in  1856  with  high  honors,  a  finished  Greek  and  Latin 
scholar,  and  entered  the  office  of  D.  &.  A.  Kingsland  at  No.  49  Broad  street,  afterward 
becoming  a  partner.  Commercial  business  and  the  management  of  the  Kingsland 
estate  of  which  he  was  an  executor,  occupied  him  for  many  years.  He  had  large  inter- 
ests in  Maryland  and  served  as  president  of  The  Georges  Creek  &  Cumberland  Coal 
Co.,  and  The  Georges  Creek  Railroad.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  commodore  of  the  New  York  Yacht  squadron,  and  member  of  the  Metro- 
politan, Union,  and  other  clubs.  In  1875,  he  married  Helen  Schermerhorn,  daughter 
of  Benjamin  S.  Welles,  of  Boston,  and  left  one  son,  George  Lovett  Kingsland  and  two 
daughters.  A  man  of  sterling  integrity  and  large  knowledge  of  business,  he  won  an 
enviable  reputation  and  the  sound  respect  of  the  prominent  men  of  affairs  in  this  city. 

FRANCIS  SHERWOOD  KINNEY,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  New  Brighton  on 
Staten  Island,  Oct.  16,  1839.  He  is  a  son  of  Franklin  S.  Kinney,  a  lawyer  prominent 
in  New  Jersey  politics  and  commissioner  to  the  World's  Fair  in  1851.  The  lad  attended 
school  in  New  Brunswick,  whence  a  restless  disposition  led  him  to  go  to  sea.  He 
served  upon  several  noted  clipper  ships  and  rose  to  become  a  mate.  He  then 
abandoned  a  seafaring  life  and  turned  his  attention  to  railroads.  Under  engagement 
with  William  Wheelwright,  he  built,  as  foreman,  the  first  wharves  and  the  first  ten 
miles  of  The  Cordova  Central  Railroad.  He  then  took  command  of  an  expedition  to 
explore  the  upper  waters  of  La  Plata  river  and  after  two  years  of  hardship  appeared 
with  a  raft  built  of  cedar  logs  at  the  head  of  steamboat  navigation,  having  run  the 
blockade  of  the  Paraguayan  war  and  demonstrated  the  possibility  of  rafting  on  the 
Uraguayan  river.  In  1869,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  tobacco  at  No.  141 
West  Broadway,  this  city,  and  founded  the  firm  of  Kinney  Bro's,  afterward  known  as 
The  Kinney  Tobacco  Co.  In  this  business,  he  has  been  exceedingly  successful.  His 
industry  is  now  a  branch  of  The  American  Tobacco  Co. ,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the 
incorporators  and  is  a  large  shareholder  and  a  director.  Mr.  Kinney  has  large 
investments  in  real  estate  in  New  York  city.  His  property  on  Broadway  alone  has 
grown  to  be  worth  a  million  and  a  half.  In  New  Jersey,  his  estate  of  Kinnelon,  thirty 
miles  from  New  York  city,  comprises  4,000  acres.  Mr.  Kinney  is  a  member  of  the 
New  York  Athletic,  the  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  and  the  principal  racing  clubs 
in  this  city,  and  is  the  inventor  of  the  moving  seat  in  rowing  boats  now  so  universally 
used.  He  has  also  invented  hydro-pneumatic  pressure  accumulators  of  value  and 
other  mechanical  appliances. 

GUSTAV  HERflANN  KISSEL,  merchant,  born  in  Frankfort,  Germany,  May  n, 
1810,  died  on  Staten  Island,  July  23,  1876.  He  descended  from  a  burgher  family  well 
known  throughout  the  Palatinate.  An  uncle  was  one  of  the  prominent  Burgomasters 
of  Frankfort-on-the-Main  in  the  days  when  Frankfort  ranked  as  one  of  the  free  cities 
of  Germany,  taking  an  important  part  in  the  history  of  Germany.  Passing  his  early 
years  in  his  native  town,  he  came  to  this  country  in  1837  and  promptly  and  completely 
identified  himself  with  its  interests,  cherishing  toward  the  country"  of  his  adoption  the 
feelings  of  a  native  rather  than  of  a  stranger.  A  great  merchant,  his  probity  and 


372  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

purity  in  business  won  the  highest  esteem  of  his  associates.  Although  he  devoted  him- 
self with  assiduity  to  business  affairs,  it  was  not  to  the  exclusion  of  higher  pursuits. 
He  was  a  man  of  dignified  and  courteous  manner  and  of  rare  natural  intelligence,  which 
he  had  cultivated  by  a  judicious  course  of  reading  and  study.  He  took  pleasure  in  the 
latest  productions  of  modern  literature,  and  his  judgment  in  literary  matters  was 
highly  respected  by  men  of  culture.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  was  a  prominent  aboli- 
tionist and  in  the  riots  of  1863  his  house  was  a  refuge  for  persecuted  negroes,  whose 
cause  he  defended  with  much  personal  bravery.  Soon  after  his  arrival  in  New  York 
city,  he  married  Charlotte  Anne,  daughter  of  Jeremy  Stimson,  a  distinguished  phys- 
ician of  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  which  increased  his  acquaintance  with  a  large  circle  of 
relatives  and  friends,  and  at  his  death  few  men  held  a  higher  place  in  the  esteem  and 
admiration  of  both  social  and  business  associates  than  Mr.  Kissel.  His  children  were 
Eleonora,  who  married  Dr.  F.  P.  Kinnicutt  in  this  city  ;  Gustav  Edward,  who  married 
a  daughter  of  W.  K.  Thorn  ;  Godfrey,  who  married  a  daughter  of  Dexter  Bradford  of 
Boston  ;  and  Rudolph  Herman,  who  married  a  daughter  of  D.  P.  Morgan. — His  son, 
QUSTAV  EDWARD  KISSEL,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  Sept.  30,  1854,  was 
educated  in  the  schools  of  Charlier  and  J.  H.  Morse  in  New  York,  subsequently  at  the 
Academic  of  Latisanne,  Switzerland,  and  then  for  three  years  at  Heidelberg  University. 
Entering  business  in  New  York  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  became  a  partner  in  the 
banking  firm  of  Kessler  &  Co.,  in  Wall  street  in  1883,  and  has  since  been  occupied  with 
financial  operations  in  which  he  has  been  successful.  The  parent  house  is  in  Manches- 
ter, England,  the  New  York  office  being  a  branch.  Their  business  is  largely  in  the 
line  of  foreign  exchange  and  bond  investment.  He  was  married  in  1884  to  Caroline, 
daughter  of  William  K.  Thorn,  and  their  four  children  are  William  Thorn,  Dorothea, 
Louise  Baring  and  Jeannette.  The  family  make  Morristown,  N.  J.,  their  home,  spend- 
ing their  winters  in  town.  Mr.  Kissel  has  joined  some  of  the  best  clubs  in  the  city, 
including  the  Union,  Century,  Knickerbocker,  City,  Reform  and  Racquet,  and  is  inter- 
ested in  the  development  of  The  American  Geographical  Society  and  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History,  being  trustee  in  these  institutions. 

SHEPHERD  KNAPP,  banker,  born  in  Worthington,  Mass.,  Jan.  7,  1795,  died  in 
New  York  city,  Feb.  22,  1875.  His  father,  Jonathan  Knapp,  a  farmer,  was  descended  from 
Aaron  Knapp,  who  came  to  America  with  the  second  Plymouth  colony.  The  subject 
of  this  memoir  left  his  father's  farm  in  1812,  came  to  New  York,  obtained  a  clerkship 
with  Gideon  Lee,  a  prominent  leather  merchant,  rose  to  a  partnership  in  iSfg,  and 
with  Mr.  Lee,  retired  in  1833.  In  1832,  he  was  elected  director  of  the  branch  Bank  of 
the  United  States  in  New  York.  He  was  best  known  in  financial  circles,  however,  as 
president  of  The  Mechanics'  Banking  Association,  organized  under  the  State  law,  and 
afterward  of  The  Mechanics'  Bank.  He  held  this  position,  1838-73,  when  he  resigned, 
his  management  having  been  attended  with  great  success.  During  the  panic  of  1873, 
he  was  prominent  in  measures  to  prevent  the  spread  of  disaster.  When  he  retired 
from  the  presidency,  to  be  succeeded  by  B.  B.  Sherman,  he  was  presented  with  a 
testimonial  and  many  emphatic  expressions  of  regard  and  good  will.  Mr.  Knapp 
was  elected  president  of  The  General  Society  of  Mechanics  and  Tradesmen  in  1837. 
He  was  an  original  director  of  The  Erie  Canal  and  The  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad, 
chamberlain  of  the  city  under  Mayor  Gideon  Lee,  a  director  of  The  United  States 
Trust  Co.,  The  American  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank  and  other 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KN.  373 

institutions,  one  of  the  seventeen  incorporators  of  the  Century  Society,  better  known 
as  the  Century  club,  and  a  member  of  the  New  England  and  St.  Nicholas  Societies. 
In  1819,  he  married  Catherine  Louisa,  daughter  of  William  Kumbel  of  this  city,  and 
their  children  were  two  sons  who  died  in  infancy,  and  Gideon  Lee,  Peter  K.,  William 
K.,  Shepherd  F.  and  Austin  Melvin  Knapp. 

SMEPPARD  KNAPP,  merchant,  born  in  Yorktown,  Westchester  county,  near 
Peekskill,  Aug.  30,  1839,  descends  from,  one  of  the  older  families  of  the  country. 
Moses  Knapp,  born  in  England  about  1655,  was  one  of  the  trustees  named  in  the  royal 
charter  of  White  Plains,  dated  March  13,  1721,  and  died  in  this  country  in  1756  at  the 
age  of  1 01.  The  men  of  the  family  were  farmers  and  their  lands  have  been  handed 
down  from  father  to  son  through  successive  generations.  Jacob  Frost  Knapp,  Shep- 
pard's  father,  farmer  and  carriage  builder,  died  when  his  son  was  three  years  of  age. 
Coming  to  New  York  in  1852,  a  lad,  Mr.  Knapp  obtained  a  clerkship  and  saved  enough 
to  gain  a  year's  course  at  an  academy  in  Bordentown,  N.  J.  Resuming  the  fancy  dry 
goods  trade  in  New  York  city,  he  accepted  later  a  clerkship  in  a  retail  carpet  store  in 
Hudson  street.  In  1855,  a  fellow  clerk  and  he  started  a  carpet  store  of  their  own  and 
carried  it  on  successfully  for  nine  years,  then  removing  to  a  commodious  store  on  Sixth 
avenue,  near  his  present  location.  Seven  years  later,  he  negotiated  for  the  erection  of 
a  large  building,  which  he  now  occupies  although  it  has  been  enlarged.  When  Mr. 
Knapp  began  the  sale  of  carpets,  the  American  manufacture  was  in  its  infancy.  Mr. 
Knapp  promoted  the  development  of  the  home  industry,  and  it  is  largely  due  to  his 
effort  and  example  that  millions  of  dollars,  which  were  once  annually  sent  to  Europe 
for  carpets,  are  now  retained  in  this  country.  The  Smyrna  American  carpet  almost 
owes  its  existence  to  Mr.  Knapp,  and  he  was  refused  a  patent  only  on  a  mere  techni- 
cality. In  1863,  he  married  Sarah  E.,  daughter  of  Hiram  Miller  of  New  York.  They 
have  five  children.  Mr.  Knapp  is  an  earnest  and  active  citizen,  esteemed  for  his 
upright  and  progressive  character.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  Athletic  club. 

EDWIN  FRANKLIN  KNOWLTON,  manufacturer,  the  calm,  clear-headed,  senior 
member  of  the  firm  of  William  Knowlton  &  Sons,  is  a  native  of  West  Upton,  Mass., 
where  he  was  born,  Feb.  2,  1834.  The  ancestor  of  this  family  came  to  America  from 
Wales,  and  William  Knowlton,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  the  founder  of 
what  is  now  the  oldest,  most  extensive,  successful  and  best  known  straw  goods  manu- 
facturing house  in  this  country.  The  industry  was  begun  in  West  LTpton  by  William 
Knowlton  about  seventy  years  ago,  and  his  business  energy  and  undoubted  integrity 
in  all  his  dealings  brought  a  success,  which  has  been  continued  in  an  increasing  ratio 
under  the  management  of  his  -sons.  The  establishment  and  early  upbuilding  of  the 
business  took  place  under  the  difficulties  which  always  attend  the  starting  of  a  new 
industry.  These  were  bravely  contended  with  and  overcome,  until  finally  success 
crowned  his  efforts;  and,  in  the  later  years  of  his  life,  he  was  able  largely  to  give  up 
business  cares  to  his  son  Edwin,  and  devote  a  considerable  portion  of  his  time  to 
matters  of  public  interest.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Massachusetts  Agri- 
cultural Society,  a  State  Senator,  Presidential  elector  in  1880,  when  General  Garfield  was 
elected,  and  held  many  positions  of  trust  and  responsibility  in  town,  county  and  State. 

Edwin  F.  Knowlton  spent  his  early  life  in  West  LTpton,  where  his  father  laid  the 
foundation  of  the  present  great  business  and  where  the  manufacturing  department 
continues  to-day. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KU.  375 

After  receiving  an  academic  education  at  Wilbraham,  he  returned  home  to  apply 
himself  in  every  department  of  the  industry  where  he  could  make  himself  useful,  and 
he  thus  learned  all  parts  of  the  business  thoroughly  and  fitted  himself  for  his  future 
successful  career.  After  a  few  years,  his  father  seeing  his  aptness  and  good  judgment 
sent  him  to  Montreal  to  take  charge  of  a  branch  sales  house  there,  and  later  to  New 
York,  where,  becoming  a  partner,  he  took  the  main  management  of  the  purchasing, 
selling  and  financial  conduct  of  the  business.  As  years  have  rolled  on,  continued  and 
uninterrupted  prosperity  has  crowned  his  efforts.  With  him  in  the  firm  are  now 
associated  his  brothers  George  W.,  Eben  J.  and  Daniel  W.  Knowlton.  In  addition  to  his 
other  business  interests,  Mr.  Knowlton  has  been  able  to  devote  much  time  to  the  study  of 
the  financial  soundness  of  railroad  corporations  and  has  become  one  of  the  best  judges  in 
New  York  of  that  class  of  securities.  He  has  never  been  a  large  holder  of  real  estate, 
but  has  been  connected  with  some  extensive  railroad  purchases  and  reorganizations. 
He  is  a  director  in  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.  and  The  Phenix  Fire  Insurance  Co. , 
having  withdrawn  from  and  declined  election  to  directorships  in  other  institutions, 
believing  that  a  man  ought  not  to  lend  his  name  unless  his  personal  attention  and  time 
can  be  faithfully  given  to  the  care  of  the  interests  intrusted  to  him.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Hamilton  club  of  Brooklyn  and  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  him. 
His  kind  heart  is  ever  ready  to  respond  to  the  calls  of  benevolence  and  many  a  young 
man  has  received  from  him  aid  when  unfortunate  circumstances  have  overtaken  him. 
It  is  by  such  men  that  the  prosperity  of  our  country  is  advanced  and  its  character 
elevated.  Dec.  15,  1861,  Mr.  Knowlton  was  married  to  Ella  C.,  daughter  of  Dr. 
Elijah  W.  Carpenter.  The  children  born  to  them  have  been  a  son  who  died  in  early 
childhood  and  Mary  C.,  who  married  Count  Johannes  Sierstorpff  and  lives  in  Berlin, 
Germany. 

Associated  with  Mr.  Knowlton  in  the  business  of  his  firm  are  his  brothers  George 
W.,  born  Sept.  3,  1839;  Eben  J.,  born  June  23,  1844,  and  Daniel  W..  born  Sept.  6,  1847. 

FREDERICK  KUEHNE,  banker,  a  native  of  the  city  of  Magdeburg,  Germany,  was 
born  Feb.  4,  1824,  and  died  in  Paris,  France,  April  19,  1890.  The  son  of  Frederick  J. 
Kuehne,  a  man  of  means,  his  early  life  spent  in  Europe  was  full  of  the  promise  of  a 
distinguished  career.  After  receiving  a  college  education  and  acquiring  a  knowledge 
of  business  methods,  he  entered  the  firm  of  Knauth  &  Esche,  bankers  and  merchants 
in  Leipzig,  Germany,  in  1851,  where  his  keen  good  judgment,  sound  character,  and 
agreeable  personality  soon  made  him  a  valued  accession  to  the  house.  A  few  years 
later,  he  was  entrusted  with  new  responsibilities,  and  coming, to  New  York  city,  he 
established,  with  Theodore  Knauth  and  Jacob  Nachod,  the  banking  firm  of  Knauth, 
Nachod  &  Kuehne  of  Leipzig  and  New  York,  at  the  head  of  which  he  remained  until 
his  death.  Located  near  Wall  street,  the  financial  center  of  the  metropolis,  his  house 
rapidly  rose  to  prominence.  They  dealt  largely  in  foreign  exchange  and  investment 
securities. 

Mr.  Kuehne  won  many  warm  friends  by  the  unselfish  devotion  he  gave  to  every 
interest  entrusted  to  his  care,  by  his  works  of  benevolence  and  the  deep  interest  he 
always  showed  in  the  political  life  of  his  adopted  country.  During  the  late  Civil  War, 
he  was,  on  several  occasions,  the  confidential  adviser  of  Mr.  Chase,  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  ;  and  it  was  largely  due  to  his  advice  that  the  government  averted  great 
losses,  threatened  by  the  high  premium  on  gold  at  that  time. 


tf~1e</. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. KU.  377 

Before  the  unification  of  Germany  he  represented  for  over  sixteen  years  all  the 
German  States  excepting  Prussia,  as  Consul  General  in  this  city.  This  was  a  marked 
expression  of  confidence  ;  and  upon  retirement  from  office  he  received  from  the  princes 
he  had  represented  many  high  decorations  in  recognition  of  his  services. 

In  politics,  he  was  always  a  stanch  Republican,  like  so  many  others  of  the  chil- 
dren of  the  fatherland,  a  strong  friend  of  the  Union  of  the  States,  and  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Union  League  club,  and  twice  served  his  party  as  Presidential  Elector 
in  successful  campaigns,  first  in  1872  for  Gen.  Grant,  and  in  1876  for  President  Hayes. 
He  was  several  times  offered  by  his  fellow  citizens  a  nomination  as  Mayor  of  New 
York  city  but  in  each  case  refused  it,  preferring  to  devote  his  energies  to  the  private 
trusts  committed  to  his  care  and  to  the  management  of  his  banking  house.  A  man  of 
Mr.  Kuehne's  influence,  excellence  of  character  and  knowTi  abilities  is  always  sought 
for  to  take  part  in  the  establishment  and  management  of  financial  institutions  ;  and  it 
is  an  illustration  of  his  standing  in  the  metropolis,  that  he  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
The  German  American  Bank,  The  Lincoln  National  Bank,  The  Lincoln  Savings  & 
Deposit  Co.,  and  The  State  Trust  Co.,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  a  director  in  the 
last  three  and  vice  president  of  The  Citizens'  Savings  Bank.  He  also  served  his  fellow 
citizens  as  a  School  Commissioner  by  appointment  from  Mayor  Hewitt  and  as  one  of 
the  governors  of  the  institution  at  Randall's  Island. 

In  1856,  he  married  Ellen  Josephine,  daughter  of  the  late  George  J.  Miller,  who 
with  two  sons,  Frederick  J.  and  Percival  Kuehne,  and  two  daughters,  Selma  Kuehne 
Hume  and  Irma  Kuehne  survive  him. 

The  city  of  New  York  is  indebted  to  Germany  not  only  for  a  large  and  important 
element  in  its  population  but  for  many  men  of  superior  talents  who,  making  this  city 
their  home,  have  contributed  by  their  labors  to  advance  the  prestige  and  power  of  the 
metropolis.  Of  these  latter,  Mr.  Kuehne  was  one  and  his  memory  will  long  be  held  in 
grateful  remembrance. 


L. 

HARVEY  SMITH  LADEW,  leather  merchant  and  tanner,  born  in  Ladew  Corners, 
now  Mount  Pleasant,  N.  Y.,  Jan.,  16,  1826,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  9,  1888. 
The  son  of  Abram  D.  Ladew,  a  tanner,  he  left  school  at  an  early  age  to  join  his 
father  in  this  industry.  They  operated  a  tannery  in  Shokan  in  Ulster  county,  market- 
ing the  leather  in  New  York  city.  Harvey  was  sent  here  in  1866,  to  occupy  himself 
with  the  mercantile  branch  of  the  business.  He  had  been  admitted  to  partnership 
with  Hoyt  Bro's  before  this  time,  and  afterward  became  a  full  partner  in  J.  B.  Hoyt 
&  Co.  Upon  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  Hoyt  in  1884,  the  firm  of  Fayerweather  &  Ladew 
was  organized.  These  two  young  men  showed  so  much  ability  that  they  rose  to  a 
place  among  the  leading  tanners  and  leather  merchants  of  the  United  States,  owning 
factories  in  the  hemlock  and  oak  regions  of  New  York,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland, 
West  Virginia  and  Tennessee.  Mr.  Ladew  was  a  man  of  the  highest  character.  By 
an  integrity  beyond  reproach,  honorable  methods  and  diligent  enterprise,  he  gained 
a  large  fortune.  He  was  married  in  1849  to  Rebecca,  daughter  of  Reuben  Krom. 
Their  children  are  Edward  R.  Ladew  and  Joseph  H.  Ladew,  and  one  daughter, 
Louise  Ladew  Williams. — His  son,  EDWARD  R.  LADEW,  tanner,  was  born  in  New 
York,  Feb.  18,  1855.  Educated  in  Charlier  Institute  and  Anthon  Grammar  School, 
he  began  his  career  as  assistant  to  his  father  and  spent  much  of  his  early  life  at  the 
tanneries  of  the  firm  of  J.  B.  Hoyt  &  Co.  He  became  a  member  of  that  firm  in  1877. 
When  the  name  was  changed  to  Fayerweather  &  Ladew,  he  became  more  active  in  the 
management,  and  since  1889  has  been  the  head  of  this  old  and  substantial  house. 
He  is  a  clear-headed,  competent  and  upright  man  and  enjoys  the  entire  respect  of  all 
his  business  associates.  The  confidence  entertained  in  his  ability  is  illustrated  by  his 
election  as  vice-president  of  The  United  States  Leather  Co.,  a  corporation- with  a 
capital  of  $120,000,000,  and  representing  more  real  property  than  any  other  industrial 
interest  in  the  United  States.  He  is  also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  The  Elk  Tanning 
Co.,  composed  of  a  union  of  twenty-three  tanneries  in  Pensylvania,  including  several  of 
his  own.  Mr.  Ladew  was  married  on  Jan.  20,  1886,  to  Louise  B.,  daughter  of  Charles 
Wall,  and  their  children  are  Harvey  S.  Ladew  and  Elise  Wall  Ladew.  Although  he 
would  be  welcome  in  every  club  in  the  city,  Mr.  Ladew  has  joined  only  a  few,  namely, 
the  Union  League  and  Carteret,  the  New  York,  Larchmont,  American,  and  Atlantic 
and  Hempstead  Harbor  Yacht  clubs  and  the  Fulton  and  Hide  &  Leather  luncheon 
clubs.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Liederkranz  Society,  and  owner  of  the  steam 
yacht  Orienta.— JOSEPH  HARVEY  LADEW,  tanner,  son  of  the  late  Harvey  S. 
Ladew,  a  young  man  of  good  ability,  was  born  in  New  York  April  10,  1864.  He 
received  his  education  at  Columbia  College,  and  then  found  occupation  as  an  assistant 
to  his  father  in  the  management  and  operation  of  the  leather  business  and  the  man- 
ufacture of  belts.  He  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  Fayerweather  &  Ladew, 
Feb.  i,  1889.  He  has  already  shown  application  and  good  management  and  promises 
to  rank  among  the  prominent  merchants  of  this  generation.  He  is  a  director  in  The 
United  States  Leather  Co. ,  holds  a  prominent  position  in  the  direction  and  manage- 
ment of  the  company,  and  also  conducts  the  business  of  Fayerweather  &  Ladew  with 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LA.  379 

his  brother,  Edward  R.  Ladew.  His  clubs  are  the  Union  League,  Riding,  American 
Yacht,  New  York  and  Stamford  Yacht,  and  Hide  &  Leather.  He  is  owner  of  the 
steam  yacht  Columbia,  380  tons,  a  beautiful  vessel  built  in  1893,  205  feet  in  length, 
and  23  feet  deep,  having  a  speed  of  18  knots  an  hour. 

GEORGE  GRAHAfl  LAKE,  merchant,  born  in  Brookfield,  Conn.,  Sept.  19,  1821, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  21,  1884.  He  began  life  as  an  errand  boy  in  this  city, 
later  as  clerk  for  Ubsdell  &  Pierson,  dry  goods  merchants.  His  salary  was  so  small  that 
for  a  time  he  slept  on  a  counter  in  the  store,  his  food  being  exceedingly  frugal.  The 
firm  soon  discovered  his  ability,  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  they  made  him  head  sales- 
man in  the  silk  department  under  a  contract  to  serve  for  four  years  at  a  salary  of  $18  a 
week.  When  a  large  importing  house  offered  him  a  salary  for  four  years,  increasing 
annually  from  §1,000  the  first  year  to  $4,000  the  fourth  year,  he  remained  loyal  to 
Ubsdell  &  Pierson  and  at  the  end  of  the  four  years  his  firm  offered  him  $10,000  a  year 
for  ten  years,  which  he  accepted.  In  1853,  he  became  a  partner,  and  when  in  1863  the 
firm  dissolved,  Mr.  Lake  associated  himself  with  James  McCreery  as  Lake  &  McCreery 
and  succeeded  to  the  business.  In  1869  Mr.  Lake  retired.  Thereafter,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  various  important  enterprises.  He  reorganized  The  Harlem  Gas  Co. ,  and  be- 
came a  director  of  The  Williamsburg  Gas  Co.  and  was  largely  interested  in  New  York 
surface  railroads.  Mr.  Lake  helped  found  The  Home  for  the  Aged  and  Infirm,  and 
subscribed  liberally  to  the  musical  education  of  Emma  Abbott.  From  his  first  mar- 
riage, there  were  two  children,  one  of  whom,  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Mary  Louisa  Thompson, 
survived  him.  His  second  wife,  who  died  in  1862,  was  the  widow  of  George  Steers. 
Their  son,  George  G.  S.  Lake,  survived  his  father  but  has  since  died.  In  1863,  he  mar- 
ried Frances  E.,  daughter  of  James  R.  Steers.  Of  their  four  children,  three  survived 
him,  James  R.  S. ,  Frances  E.,  and  Henry  S.  Lake. 

CATHOLINA  LAHBERT,  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Keithley,  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, March  28,  1834,  and  is  a  son  of  Samuel  Lambert,  a  papermaker.  He  was  educa- 
ted in  the  village  schools,  a  part  of  the  time  attending  them  at  night,  and  at  the  age  of 
nine  began  life  as  a  cotton  mill  boy.  Coming  to  America  on  a  packet  ship,  he 
landed  in  Boston  Oct.  29,  1851,  and  found  employment  as  a  generally  useful  boy  in  a 
store,  rising  to  a  clerkship  in  a  year's  time,  and  the  place  of  salesman,  the  second 
year.  He  became  a  partner  in  Dexter,  Lambert  &  Co.,  Jan  i,  1855,  and  has  devoted 
himself  to  the  manufacture  of  silks,  in  which  he  has  been  very  successful.  The  firm 
are  animated  with  a  spirit  of  enterprise  and' have  planted  factories  in  Patersou,  N.  J., 
and  Honesdale  and  Hawley,  Pa.  They  employ  2,500  operatives  in  busy  times  and 
have  diffused  great  benefits  among  the  people  of  those  three  cities.  His  business  office 
and  salesroom  are  in  New  York  city  ;  his  home  in  Paterson.  He  has  joined  the  Union 
League,  Colonial,  Republican  and  Merchants'  Central  clubs  here  and  has  always  been 
a  Republican.  Sept.  9,  1857,  he  married  Isabella  E.  Shattuck  of  Pepperell,  Mass.  Of 
his  eight  children,  two  are  living.  Mr.  Lambert's  career  illustrates  the  opportunities 
of  America  for  a  poor  boy. 

CHARLES  GRISWOLD  LANDON,  merchant,  born  in  Guilford,  Conn.,  Aug.  n, 
1818,  died  in  New  York,  March  23,  1893.  The  family  is  of  English  descent  and 
was  planted  at  Southold,  Long  Island,  about  1640.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  young 
Landon  going  to  New  Haven  entered  the  employment  of  Henry  Sanford,  merchant. 
There  he  remained  seven  years.  He  came  to  New  York  city  in  1842  and  entered  the 


380  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

store  of  Simeon  B.  Chittenden,  wholesale  dry  goods  merchant,  afterward  being  taken 
into  the  firm,  which  then  consisted  of  S.  B.  Chittenden,  John  J.  Phelps  and  George 
Bliss.  The  firm  afterward  became  George  Bliss  &  Co.  In  1864,  Mr.  Landon  severed 
his  relations  and  became  a  partner  in  Benkard  &  Hutton,  one  of  the  oldest  dry  goods 
importing  houses  in  the  city,  and  about  1885,  changed  the  firm  name  to  Charles  G. 
Landon  &  Co.  His  success  was  notable.  Mr.  Landon  was  long  a  vestryman  and  for 
a  few  years  senior  warden  of  Grace  Church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  a  director  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Central  Trust 
Co.,  The  Bank  of  America,  The  Sixth  National  Bank,  The  Greenwich  Savings 
Bank,  The  Gold  &  Stock  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Sixth  Avenue  Railroad  Co.,  The  German- 
American  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  and  The  Hanover  Fire  Insurance  Co. ;  a  trustee  of  St. 
Luke's  Hospital;  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Union,  Metropolitan  and 
Lawyers'  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society.  In  1849,  he  married  Miss  Susan  H. 
Gordon,  a  member  of  an  old  Virginia  family,  and  a  descendant  of  the  Hunts  and  Hunters. 
She  died  in  1885.  Five  children  survived  him,  Henry  H.,  Edward  H.,  and  Francis  G. 
Landon,  Annie  L.,  wife  of  L.  Townsend  Howes  and  Mary  G.,  wife  of  Dallas  B.  Pratt. 

WOODBURY  LANQDON,  merchant,  a  native  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  was  born 
Oct.  22,  1836.  His  father,  of  the  same  name,  followed  the  vocation  of  ship  master  and 
merchant,  and  his  great  grandfather,  also  of  the  same  name,  was  active  in  the  agitation 
for  American  Independence,  a  member  of  Continental  Congress  and  a  judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  New  Hampshire.  The  present  Woodbury  Langdon  fitted  for  college 
but  finally  chose  a  business  life.  In  1853,  he  entered  the  dry  goods  store  of  Frothing- 
ham  &  Co. ,  in  Boston,  where  he  displayed  so  much  ability  that  he  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  New  York  city  branch  of  the  business.  In  1870,  the  firm  reorganized  as  Joy, 
Langdon  &  Co.,  under  which  name  they  are  yet  known.  They  are  the  selling  agents 
for  several  of  the  leading  cotton  mills  in  New  England,  in  which  the  partners  have  an 
interest.  Mr.  Langdon  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  having  been  one 
of  the  Executive  Committee  since  1888,  has  served  as  a  Rapid  Transit  Commissioner 
and  is  a  director  of  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  The  Central  National  Bank,  The 
German- American  Insurance  Co.  and  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co.  Since  1888, 
he  has  been  one  of  the  vice-presidents  of  the  Union  League  club.  The  Merchants' 
club  was  organized  by  him  and  others,  and  he  belongs  also  to  the  Lawyers',  City, 
Racquet,  Riding  and  New  York  Athletic  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society.  He 
married  March  28,  1894,  Edith  E.,  daughter  of  the  late  David  B.  Pugh. 

JAMES  FRANKLIN  DOUGHTY  LANIER,  banker,  born  in  Washington,  N.  C., 
Nov.  22,  1800,  died  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  27,  1881.  The  founder  of  his  family, 
Thomas  Lanier,  a  Huguenot,  came  to  America  with  John  Washington,  great  grand- 
father of  George  Washington,  settled  in  Virginia  and  married  a  daughter  of  John 
Washington.  James  Lanier,  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  a  planter 
and  a  captain  of  cavalry  in  the  American  Revolution,  while  Alexander  Chalmers  Lan- 
ier, his  son,  served  in  the  War  of  1812  and  in  the  Western  campaign  under  Gen.  Harri- 
son, with  the  rank  of  Major,  dying  from  the  effects  of  the  service.  James  F.  D.  Lan- 
ier, son  of  the  latter,  studied  in  the  village  school  of  Eaton,  O.,  the  academy  of  New- 
port, Ky. ,  and  in  a  private  school  and  refused  an  appointment  to  West  Point,  to  save 
his  mother  from  the  distress  of  his  leaving  home.  Graduating  from  the  Transylvania 
Law  School  in  1823,  he  settled  in  Madison,  Ind.,  and  began  practice.  Next  year,  he 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LA.  381 

was  appointed  assistant  clerk  of  the  Indiana  House  of  Representatives,  serving-  until 
1827,  when  he  was  elected  chief  clerk.  His  practice  and  his  salary  gave  him  an  excel- 
lent income.  In  1833,  he  became  president  of  the  Madison  branch  of  The  State  Bank 
of  Indiana,  being  one  of  the  organizers  thereof  and  its  largest  stockholder  and  in  its 
management  attaining  distinction.  In  1 849,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  and  here, 
with  Richard  H.  Winslow,  founded  the  firm  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  for  the  negotia- 
tion of  Western  railroad  securities  and  a  general  banking  business.  This  concern  has 
survived  the  shock  of  panics,  wars,  and  other  public  calamities  for  nearly  fifty  years  and 
is  yet  in  existence.  In  1847,  Mr.  Lanier  went  to  Europe  to  arrange  for  a  settlement  of 
Indiana's  State  debt  of  $12,000,000,  a  mission  which  he  performed  to  the  entire  satis- 
faction of  the  State.  During  1849-54,  his  bank  negotiated  a  large  quantity  of  railroad 
securities,  often  bought  railroad  iron  on  commission,  and  sold  the  first  Western  rail- 
road bonds  ever  offered  in  this  market.  After  1854,  they  confined  their  attention  to 
banking  and  took  part  in  many  large  schemes.  A  strong  Union  man,  Mr.  Lanier 
loaned  $640,000  to  the  State  of  Indiana  for  the  equipment  of  troops.  Dec.  8,  1819,  he 
married  Elizabeth  Gardner  of  Kentucky.  To  them  were  born  Alexander  Chalmers 
Lanier  of  Madison,  Ind.;  Elizabeth  Lanier,  widow  of  Gen.  W.  M.  Dunn,  U.  S.  A.  ; 
Mrs.  Drusilla  Lanier  Cravens  ;  Mary  Lanier,  widow  of  J.  Cameron  Stone  ,  Louisa 
Lanier,  deceased  ;  Charles  Lanier,  the  New  York  banker  ;  and  Katharine  Lanier,  wife 
of  Miles  Standish,  the  sixth. — His  son,  CHARLES  LANIER,  banker,  born  in  Madison, 
Ind.,  Jan.  19,  1837,  was  educated  in  New  Haven.  In  1860,  he  was  given  an  interest 
in  the  banking  house  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  and  has  since  been  identified  with  its 
affairs,  having  risen  to  the  head  of  the  house.  This  bank,  established  in  1849,  has 
negotiated  many  important  railroad  loans  and  railroad  reorganizations.  As  a  result 
Mr.  Lanier  has  been  called  into  the  management  of  various  corporations.  He  is  a 
director  of  The  Central  Railroad  of  New  Jersey,  The  West  Shore  Railroad,  The 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Central  &  South  American 
Telegraph  Co.,  The  Madison  Square  Garden  Co.,  and  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce. 
One  of  the  most  capable  bankers  and  business  men  in  town,  his  success  is  mainly  the 
result  of  his  own  clear  head  and  energy.  In  1857,  he  married  Sarah  E. ,  daughter  of 
the  late  Thomas  Egleston,  and  this  union  has  brought  them  four  children,  James  F.  D. 
Lanier;  Sarah  Egleston,  wife  of  Francis  C.  Lawrence,  jr.;  Frances  L. ,  wife  of  Francis 
R.  Appleton;  and  Elizabeth  G.,  wife  of  George  E.  Turnure.  His  wife  and  he  are  hos- 
pitable entertainers  and  welcome  in  the  most  cultivated  circles.  Many  of  the  leading 
clubs  have  elected  Mr.  Lanier  to  membership,  including  the  Union  League,  Union, 
Metropolitan,  Knickerbocker,  Century,  Tuxedo,  Players',  Lawyers',  Riding,  New  York, 
and  Mendelssohn  Glee. 

HENRY  GRIFFITH  LAPHAfl,  leather  merchant,  a  native  of  Danby,  Vt  ,  born 
Feb.  24,  1822,  died  in  New  York  city  Jan.  28,  1888.  The  family  of  which  he  was  a 
distinguished  member  trace  their  lineage  to  John  Lapham,  a  pioneer,  who  sailed  to 
the  new  world  from  Devonshire  in  England  and  settled  in  Rhode  Island  in  1637. 
They  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  and  in  1699,  John  Lapham  and  three 
others  built  the  first  meeting  house  erected  in  Dartmouth,  Mass.  The  great  grandfather 
of  the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  in  Smithfield,  R.  I.,  in  1722,  and  his  grandfather 
in  the  same  town  in  1761,  moving  thence  to  Adams,  Mass.,  and  later  to  Danby,  Vt. 

Jesse  Lapham,  father  of  Henry  G.  Lapham,  was  born  in  Danby  and  engaged  in 


382  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

mercantile  pursuits  and  milling  both  there  and  in  South  Wallingford  in  the  same  State 
and  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  man  of  marked  purity  and  natural  force  of  character 
and  great  influence  in  his  community,  and  as  president  of  The  Danby  Bank  and  one  of 
those  who  promoted  the  building  of  The  Western  Vermont  Railroad,  he  rose  to  prom- 
inence and  reputation. 

Educated  in  the  schools  of  Rutland  county  and  the  Columbia  Friends'  School  in 
Chatham,  N.  Y.,  Henry  G.  Lapham  located,  and  later  had  charge  of  his  father's  in- 
terests, in  South  Wallingford,  consisting  of  a  general  store,  saw  mills  and  grist  mills 
and  a  foundry.  The  varied  experience  which  he  had  there  proved  of  great  use  to  him 
in  his  later  business  life.  In  1849,  the  young  man  visited  the  West,  attracted  by  the 
possibilities  of  that  region,  with  an  idea  of  settling  there;  but,  after  a  careful  exam- 
ination, he  returned  the  same  year  and  resumed  his  place  in  charge  of  his  father's 
interests.  But  he  was  ambitious,  and  in  1854  removed  to  New  York,  where,  as  a  clerk, 
he  entered  the  employment  of  his  uncle,  Anson  Lapham,  then  a  prominent  leather 
merchant  in  the  "  Swamp."  Already  trained  in  the  discharge  of  responsible  duties,  he 
rose  by  prudence,  diligent  labor  and  capacity,  to  important  positions  in  the  house  and 
soon  displayed ,  every  qualification  of  a  successful  merchant.  After  a  few  years,  a 
partnership  was  formed  between  the  uncle,  the  nephew,  and  Joseph  E.  Bulkley,  as 
Lapham  &  Bulkley,  and  Mr.  Lapham  was  principally  engaged  thereafter  for  the  rest  of 
his  life  in  the  tanning  and  lumber  business  in  New  York  State  and  Pennsylvania. 
He  had  various  partners  at  different  times  and  his  firm  became  known  successively  as 
Bulkley  &  Lapham,  Lapham  &  Bulkley,  H.  G.  Lapham  &  Co.,  and  Lapham,  Costello 
&  Co.  In  1887,  the  firm  name  of  H.  G.  Lapham  &  Co.  was  finally  adopted  and  has 
been  retained  to  this  day. 

In  1880,  with  F.  H.  Rockwell  of  Warren,  Pa.,  he  formed  the  firm  of  F.  H. 
Rockwell  &  Co. ,  and  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  leather  and  lumber  in  northwestern 
Pennsylvania.  Later,  with  Mr.  Rockwell,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  production  of 
petroleum  in  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio.  He  was  also  interested  in  ranching  in  Mexico. 

Mr.  Lapham  was  one  of  the  old  race  of  solid,  upright  and  progressive  merchants 
of  this  city.  He  was  widely  known  and  highly  respected.  In  all  matters  affecting  the 
business  to  which  he  devoted  his  life,  his  judgment  was  held  in  the  highest  regard, 
and  his  advice  was  continually  sought  by  his  associates  in  the  trade.  He  retired  from 
active  management  of  the  firms  in  which  he  was  interested  several  years  before  his 
death,  surrendering  the  labor  to  his  sons.  Most  of  his  time  thereafter  was  spent  in  { 
travel,  except  that  he  incidentally  gave  some  attention  to  a  general  supervision  of  his 
varied  interests.  He  gave  liberally  to  charity.  To  his  generous  contributions,  the 
Schofield  School  for  Colored  Children  in  Aiken,  S.  C.,  largely  owes  its  success.  He  was 
a  member  of  The  Charity  Organization  Society  and  The  New  England  Society.  Mr. 
Lapham  was  never  active  in  politics  and  never  held  office,  although  he  was  a  public 
spirited  man  and  always  deeply  concerned  in  whatever  affected  the  welfare  of  his 
fellow  men  and  his  country.  The  temperance  cause  enlisted  his  especial  support. 
Not  only  did  he  practice  temperance  himself,  a  natural  outgrowth  of  his  purity  and 
firmness  of  character,  but  he  used  his  influence  at  all  times  to  promote  the  growth  of 
a  sentiment  in  favor  of  it,  this  in  turn  being  the  result  of  his  benevolent  disposition 
and  long  observation  of  the  intolerable  evils  which  spring  from  the  vice  to  which  he 
was  opposed. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LA.  383 

His  marriage  in  1846  to  Semantha,  daughter  of  John  and  Ruth  Vail  of  Danby, 
brought  him  two  children,  John  Jesse  and  Lewis  Henry.  That  portion  of  his  extensive 
business  connected  with  the  tanning  of  leather  has  been  in  recent  years  merged  in 
that  of  The  United  States  Leather  Co.,  one  of  the  greatest  corporations  in  America. 

FRANCIS  W.  LASAK,  merchant,  born  in  Leipsic,  Dec.  2,  1799,  died  in  Dobbs 
Ferry,  X.  Y.,  Feb.  13,  1889.  The  name  of  his  family  was  Wlasak,  but  the  subject  of 
this  memoir  used  the  first  letter  of  the  surname  as  an  initial.  The  Wlasaks  were  of 
Bohemian  origin,  dating  back  three  centuries  or  more.  Most  of  them  were  soldiers. 
At  the  age  of  nine,  Mr.  Lasak  went,  after  the  death  of  his  father,  Albert,  to  learn  the 
furrier's  trade  in  Prague  with  a  maternal  uncle.  Later,  he  spent  two  years  in  London 
and  then,  in  1822,  migrated  to  New  York  city,  where,  after  a  year  in  the  employment 
of  Jacob  Wendell,  fur  merchant,  he  established  his  own  trade  in  furs  in  Maiden  Lane. 
Prosperity  attended  his  enterprise  and  he  rose  to  great  prominence  in  the  trade.  His 
profits  were  invested  at  an  early  day  in  real  estate  both  in  this  city  and  in  Westchester 
and  Kings  counties,  and  the  advance  in  value  of  this  property  to  more  than  ten  times 
its  original  cost  price,  brought  him  a  fortune  of  several  millions.  Mr.  Lasak  sat  at  one 
time  in  the  State  Legislature,  but,  as  a  rule,  preferred  a  private  life.  He  married 
Harriet  Fawcett  and  was  the  father  of  nine  children.  Two  died  in  childhood.  Of  the 
others,  Edgar  F.,  George  W.,  and  Frances  H.  are  now  deceased,  and  those  living  are 
Cordelia  D.,  wife  of  Eugene  Chauvet  of  Nantes,  France;  Ophelia  J.,  wife  of  Edward 
Cuthbert  of  Tennessee;  Antoinette  Lucinda,  wife  of  John  W.  Schermerhorn  of  New 
York,  and  Victoria  Adelaide,  wife  of  John  D.  McKenzie  of  Brooklyn. 

GEORGE  LAW,  railroad  builder,  born  in  Jackson,  Washington  county,  N.  Y., 
Oct.  25.  1806,  died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  18,  1881.  John  Law,  his  father,  a  native 
of  County  Down,  Ireland,  who  came  to  America  in  1784,  settled  upon  a  farm  in  Jack- 
son, became  noted  as  a  dairyman,  and  died  the  owner  of  500  acres.  George  spent  his 
early  life  upon  the  farm.  He  heard  the  cannon  firing  during  the  battle  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain  and  saw  the  prisoners  of  war  march  through  the  village,  guarded  by  American 
troops.  The  youth  gained  his  education  in  night  schools  and  from  books  which  he 
read  at  home  by  candle  light,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  with  $40,  which  he  had  saved, 
walked  to  Troy,  36  miles  away,  sought  employment,  and  began  life  with  a  hod  upon 
his  shoulder.  A  quarryman  in  the  York  mountains  in  Pennsylvania  in  1826  and  in  Port 
Deposit  in  1827,  a  workman  on  the  Harlem  Canal  in  1828  and  the  next  year  on  The 
Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal,  he  then  engaged  in  contract  work  on  his  own  account. 
By  diligent  stud}-,  he  made  himself  a  good  draftsman  and  engineer.  He  helped  build 
the  Croton  Aqueduct,  took  the  whole  contract  for  the  High  Bridge,  and  then  revived 
the  fortunes  of  The  Dry  Dock  Bank,  The  Harlem  Railroad  and  The  Mohawk  Railroad, 
buying  their  stock  at  nominal  figures  and  bringing  the  price  up  nearly  to  par.  Next, 
he  turned  his  attention  to  the  sea.  In  1843,  he  bought  the  steamer  Xeptune  and  in 
1845  launched  the  Oregon,  selling  them  in  1847.  He  founded  a  line  of  steamers  to  ply 
between  New  York  and  Panama,  and  at  one  time  operated  a  line  upon  the  Pacific  in 
opposition  to  The  Pacific  Mail.  After  a  lively  war,  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co. 
bought  his  steamers  on  the  Pacific  in  1851  and  he  bought  theirs  on  the  Atlantic,  and 
thereafter  they  co-operated  in  harmony.  In  1851,  Mr.  Law  bought  stock  to  the  amount 
of  $500,000  in  The  Panama  Railroad,  and  in  1853  built  the  Eighth  Avenue  Railroad 
in  this  city,  of  which  he  remained  president  until  his  death.  Later,  he  purchased  the 


384  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Staten  Island  ferry,  built  the  Ninth  Avenue  Railroad  and  at  his  death  owned  the 
Grand  and  Roosevelt  street  ferries  to  Brooklyn.  At  one  time,  he  ranked  as  the  fourth 
richest  man  in  America. 

JOHN  WATSON  LAWRENCE,  merchant,  born  in  Flushing  on  Long  Island  in 
1800,  in  an  old  house,  famous  in  the  American  Revolution,  which  was  burned  in  1828, 
died  in  Flushing,  Dec.  20,  1888.  His  ancestor,  William  Lawrence,  settled  in  Flushing 
in  1645,  having  come  to  this  country  from  England  with  his  two  brothers  in  1635.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen,  Mr.  Lawrence  entered  the  mercantile  house  of  Hicks,  Jenkins  &  Co. 
of  New  York  as  a  clerk,  and  remained  there  until  he  had  reached  his  majority.  He 
then  formed  a  partnership  with  a  fellow  clerk  under  the  firm  name  of  Howland  &  Law- 
rence and  became  a  prosperous  shipping  and  commission  merchant  on  his  own  account. 
He  gained  a  fortune  partly  in  business  and  in  real  estate  and  partly  by  inheri- 
tance. He  was  married  in  1826  to  Mary  King,  daughter  of  Walter  Bowne,  afterward 
Mayor  of  New  York.  In  1845,  Mr.  Lawrence  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  and  declined 
a  renomination.  He  subsequently  served  in  Congress,  1846-47,  declining  a  re-nomina- 
tion. Having  amassed  a  sufficient  fortune,  he  retired  from  business  in  1848  and  later 
became  president  of  The  Seventh  Ward  Bank.  He  was  also  for  fifteen  years  president 
of  The  Queens  County  Savings  Bank  and  director  of  the  local  branch  of  The  United 
States  Bank,  and  for  more  than  thirty  years  president  of  The  Lawrence  Cement  Co. 
His  home  was  at  Willow  Bank,  a  beautiful  place  in  the  village  of  Flushing,  on  the  site 
of  the  house  where  he  was  born. 

WILLIAM  BEACH  LAWRENCE,  lawyer,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  Oct. 
23,  1806,  who  died  March  26,  1881,  was  a  grandson  of  Dr.  Beach,  assistant  rector  of 
Trinity  Church  before  the  American  Revolution,  and  son  of  Isaac  Lawrence,  president 
and  principal  owner  of  the  branch  of  The  United  States  Bank  in  this  city.  Graduating 
from  Columbia  College  in  1818,  Mr.  Beach  pursued  legal  and  historical  studies  at 
Litchfield,  Conn.,  and  in  Paris,  and  in  1823,  began  the  practice  of  law  in  this  city.  In 
1826-27,  he  became  secretary  of  legation  at  London,  while  Albert  Gallatin  was 
Minister,  and  in  1827—28  acted  as  Charge  d' Affaires,  making  a  popular  and  successful 
representative  of  his  country.  When  Andrew  Jackson  became  President,  Mr.  Lawrence 
returned  to  America  to  resume  practice,  and  soon  gained  a  prominent  position.  He 
actively  promoted  the  construction  of  The  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  was  vice- 
president  of  The  New  York  Historical  Society,  1836-45,  and  between  1841  and  1850, 
.published  various  historical  works  and  a  number  of  articles  in  the  reviews.  In  1850^ 
he  removed  to  Newport,  R.  I.,  where  the  Democrats  in  1851  elected  him  Lieutenant- 
Governor  of  the  State.  During  a  part  of  his  term  he  acted  as  Governor.  In  1853,  he 
served  as  member  of  the  Rhode  Island  Constitutional  Convention.  Mr.  Beach  pub- 
lished in  1855  a  new  edition  of  Wheaton's  "Elements  of  International  Law,"  with 
annotations,  having  undertaken  the  work  for  the  benefit  of  the  author's  family.  He 
was  an  eminent  jurist,  a  member  of  many  learned  societies  and  a  prolific  writer  upon 
legal  subjects.  Inheriting  some  wealth,  he  displayed  such  ability  in  its  management 
and  in  his  law  practice  as  to  accumulate  a  handsome  fortune.  The  purchase  of  seventy 
acres  of  land  at  the  Cliffs  in  Newport  was  a  fortunate  venture,  an  investment  of 
$15,000  becoming  worth  $700,000  in  time.  He  also  possessed  much  real  estate  in  New 
York  on  Broadway  and  in  the  Murray  Hill  region.  Mr.  Lawrence  married  a  daughter  of 
Archibald  Gracie  and  was  the  father  of  Gen.  Albert  G.  Lawrence  and  five  other  children. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LA.  385 

WILLIAM  EDWARD  LAWRENCE,  merchant,  born  in  Concord,  Mass.,  July  4, 
1812,  died  in  New  York  city  Feb.  7,  1882.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Lawrence  of 
Lincoln,  Mass.,  and  Abagail  Flint  of  Concord,  Mass.  His  father  died  while  William 
was  young  and  left  the  boy  to  care  for  himself.  Coming  to  New  York  city  with  his 
mother,  he  attended  the  private  school  of  Flint  &  Kidder  on  Amos,  now  West  toth, 
street,  and  then  secured  a  situation  as  errand  boy  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Pearl  street 
and  in  1825,  a  place  in  a  retail  dry  goods  store  in  the  upper  part  of  Bleecker  street, 
•  then  known  as  Greenwich  village.  WHen  he  reached  his  majority,  he  started  a  dry 
goods  store  on  that  street  and  conducted  a  successful  business  there  until  his  death. 
He  was  first  vice-president  of  The  Northern  Dispensary  and  a  trustee  of  The  Irving 
Savings  Bank,  and  had  served  as  director  of  several  insurance  companies.  Although 
his  early  education  was  limited,  Mr.  Lawrence  grew  to  be  an  accurate  scholar,  a  close 
student  of  history  and  a  man  of  sound  judgment.  He  was  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years  an  elder  in  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  His  wife  and  one  daughter  survived 
him. 

JAMES  DANIEL  LEARY,  ship  builder  and  contractor,  is  one  of  those  enterprising 
and  active  minded  men,  who,  coming  from  another  part  of  the  continent,  many  years 
ago,  and  making  a  modest  and  unnoticed  entrance  to  the  world  of  affairs,  has  grad- 
ually pushed  his  way  in  the  metropolis,  solely  by  his  own  merits,  to  standing,  fortune 
and  influence.  He  was  born  near  Montreal,  Canada,  Sept.  25,  1837.  After  an  educa- 
tion in  private  schools,  he  sallied  forth  at  the  age  of  sixteen  to  begin  the  battle  of  life, 
in  which  few  men  have  more  bravely  played  a  man's  part.  Coming  to  Williamsburg, 
now  a  part  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  he  entered  the  shipyard  of  his  uncle,  Thomas  Stack, 
and  spent  an  apprenticeship  of  four  years  in  learning  the  art  of  building  and  repairing 
vessels.  A  strong  desire  for  a  sound  education  led  him  during  this  period  to  continue 
his  studies  by  attendance  at  the  night  schools. 

While  favored  by  his  relationship  to  the  proprietor  of  the  yard,  the  young  man  did 
not  depend  upon  that  for  advancement.  He  knew  that  he  must  make  his  own  way. 
Ambitious  to  learn,  willing,  self  denying  and  energetic,  he  applied  himself  with  such 
diligence  that  his  employer  made  him  foreman  of  the  shipyard  in  1855.  In  1861,  Mr. 
Leary  started  in  business  on  his  own  account,  as  proprietor  of  a  small  yard  for  the 
building  and  repair  of  vessels  at  the  foot  of  North  Thirteenth  street,  Brooklyn.  Suc- 
cess comes  to  those  who  deserve  it.  The  young  constructor  speedily  made  his  reputa- 
tion. In  1862,  he  was  appointed  assistant  Superintendent  of  Construction  and  Repairs 
for  the  United  States  Revenue  Marine.  He  gave  the  closest  personal  attention  to  his 
business  and  being  endowed  with  perfect  health,  an  intelligent  mind,  a  pleasing  man- 
ner and  determination  to  succeed,  the  consequence  was  exactly  what  might  have  been 
expected.  To  secure  proper  facilities  for  his  work,  Mr.  Leary  moved,  in  1866,  to  a 
larger  yard  at  the  foot  of  North  Fourth  and  North  Sixth  streets,  extending  a  distance 
of  three  blocks  along  the  river  front. 

The  government  work,  performed  by  Mr.  Leary,  produced  one  result  which  was 
of  lasting  benefit  to  him.  It  brought  him  into  contact  with  public  men,  who,  pleased 
with  the  qualities  of  the  earnest  young  man,  pointed  out  other  government  work  which 
he  might  obtain  and  thus  led  him  to  compete  for  and  secure  many  important  contracts. 

Early  in  his  career,  Lloyd's  Register  of  British  and  Foreign  Shipping  selected  him 
as  its  surveyor  in  the  United  States,  retaining  him  in  this  responsible  position  for 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LE.  387 

nine  years.  It  is  the  duty  of  a  surveyor  to  give  a  rating  to  vessels,  based  upon  their 
age,  condition  and  seaworthiness,  and  the  service  requires  the  constant  examination 
both  of  vessels  newly  built  and  of  those  which  have  been  damaged  or  are  growing  old. 
Labors  of  this  description  occupied  a  great  deal  of  Mr.  Leary's  time.  This  appoint- 
ment bore  eloquent  testimony  to  Mr.  Leary's  ability  and  honor.  Ship  masters  and 
owners,  the  most  leisurely  men  in  the  world  at  certain  times,  are,  when  the  vessel  is  in 
port,  the  most  hurried.  They  are  anxious  to  put  to  sea  again  in  the  shortest  possible 
time  and  secure  the  best  possible  rating  for  their  ships,  and  a  surveyor  has  opportun- 
ities thrust  upon  him  for  betraying  the  confidence  of  his  principals  to  his  own  advan- 
tage. Nothing  more  need  be  said  than  that  Mr.  Leary's  record  has  always  been  one 
of  unblemished  honesty. 

In  1871,  having  gained  sufficient  capital  to  enlarge  his  operations,  Mr.  Leary  bought 
the  plant  of  The  Williamsburg  Mill  &  Lumber  Co. ,  as  an  auxiliary  both  to  the  ship 
yard  and  to  other  work  in  which  he  had  become  engaged.  He  had  now  entered  upon 
an  entirely  new  phase  of  business  activity,  but,  it  may  be  said  here,  that  while  im- 
portant work,  not  connected  with  the  mercantile  or  official  marine,  gradually  claimed 
more  and  more  of  his  attention,  he  has  never  ceased  to  perform  a  large  amount  of 
building  and  repairing  of  vessels.  Steamboats,  lighters,  barges,  sailing  vessels,  tugs, 
and  other  craft  in  great  variety  have  been  launched  from  his  yard.  He  also  con- 
structed the  Hercules  dredges  and  lighters  used  by  The  American  Contracting  & 
Dredging  Co.  in  the  excavation  of  the  Panama  Canal.  The  total  number  of  vessels 
built  by  Mr.  Leary  is  about  390.  A  large  plant  has  come  into  existence  for  the  per- 
formance of  this  work,  the  ship  and  lumber  yards  combined  having  a  water  front  of 
1 100  feet  and  covering  an  area  of  four  city  blocks.  Xor  is  this  all.  Small  saw  mills  in 
Florida  and  Georgia  belong  to  him,  which  supply  his  yards  with  vast  quantities  of  yel- 
low pine  lumber  for  sale  and  use  in  his  various  works. 

Shortly  after  the  War,  Mr.  Leary's  practical  abilities  led  him  into  another  field  of 
operations,  where  there  was  abundant  scope  for  a  man  of  his  energy,  namely,  contract 
work.  In  1868,  he  obtained  a  contract  for  transportation  of  all  supplies  for  the  army 
purchased  in  New  York  city  to  the  trains  and  boats  by  which  the  goods  were  forwarded 
to  the  different  army  posts.  This  contract  he  held  until  1880  and  fulfilled  with  fidelity 
and  success.  He  also  devoted  himself  to  the  construction  of  improvements  and  public 
works.  He  has  built  water  batteries,  piers  and  dikes  and  dredged  harbors  for  the 
United  States  Government,  and  during  the  Virginius  excitement  in  1871-72,  when  it 
was  believed  that  the  United  States  might  soon  be  at  war  with  Spain,  he  built  a  large 
number  of  beds  for  heavy  guns  for  all  the  fortifications  both  on  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
coasts.  This  service  brought  him  once  more  into  contact  with  important  public  officials, 
and  he  gained  the  friendship  of  such  men  as  Generals  Grant,  Hancojk,  Ingalls,  Newton 
and  Gilmore. 

On  the  Brooklyn  water  front,  under  his  skillful  direction,  piers  and  bulkheads  have 
grown  into  existence  for  the  Havemeyers  and  Dick  &  Meyer  sugar  refineries,  The 
Pennsylvania  Railroad  Co.,  The  Philadelphia  &  Reading  Railroad  Co.,  Charles  Pratt, 
The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  and  other  concerns,  this  work  aggregating  over  §3,000,000.  Mr. 
Leary  never  fails  to  give  entire  satisfaction  to  his  clients,  and,  as  a  rule,  finishes  his 
work  ahead  of  the  specified  time.  His  reputation  in  this  respect  not  only  testifies  to 
his  driving  energy,  his  power  of  organization  and  effective  management  of  bodies  of 


388  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

men,  biit  continually  brings  him  new  contracts.  In  Long  Island  City,  he  has  improved 
the  water  fronts  of  the  property  owned  by  Union  College,  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance 
Co.,  the  Hon.  Roswell  P.  Flower,  The  Barber  Asphalt  Paving  Co.,  The  New  York 
Terra  Cotta  Co.,  The  Warren  S(?harf  Paving  Co.,  John  Good  (the  cordage  manufact- 
urer) and  B.  T.  Babbitt  (the  soap  manufacturer),  as  well  as  performed  a  large  amount  of 
construction  work  for  many  other  important  concerns. 

During  1873-82,  he  engaged  extensively  in  the  coal  trade,  having  secured  contracts 
for  supplying  all  the  public  schools  and  charitable  institutions  of  New  York  city  and 
all  the  army  posts  and  navy  stations  of  New  York  harbor  with  coal. 

Since  1882,  Mr.  Leary  has  been  largely  occupied  with  contract  work  along  the 
Harlem  river.  The  first  considerable  task  in  the  improvement  of  the  water  front  in 
that  vicinity  was  from  issth  to  isSth  street  for  H.  A.  Cram,  and  Third  to  Fourth 
avenue  for  J.  H.  Cheever.  For  Morris  &  Adams,  he  improved  the  river  front  from 
1 44th  to  1 49th  street,  and  then  secured  from  John  Jacob  and  William  B.  Astor,  a 
contract  for  continuing  these  improvements  from  i4gth  street  as  far  as  Cromwell 
creek.  Although  given  three  years  in  which  to  complete  this  undertaking,  he  ended  it 
in  less  than  a  year  and  a  half  at  a  cost  of  $928,000.  These  were  all  profitable  opera- 
tions. Mr.  Leary  has  lately  been  building  bulkhead  walls,  excavating  the  rocks  and 
dredging  the  river,  in  order  to  create  the  United  States  Harlem  River  Ship  Canal. 
He  is  now  constructing  the  first  section  of  the  new  Harlem  driveway,  which  will  be 
completed  at  an  expense  of  about  $850,000  during  1895.  The  immediate  supervision 
of  the  details  of  the  work  is  entrusted  to  his  son,  Daniel  J.  Leary,  a  graduate  of 
Columbia  College  and  a  competent  civil  and  mining  engineer.  His  son  has  been  of 
great  assistance,  and  has  since  1882  relieved  his  father  of  a  vast  burden  of  the  details 
of  construction  of  public  works. 

A  novel  enterprise  in  which  Mr.  Leary  at  one  time  engaged,  attracted  public 
curiosity  for  its  originality  and  courage.  This  was  the  towing  of  large  rafts  of  timber 
from  Nova  Scotia  to  this  city  by  way  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Seven  huge  rafts  have 
been  brought  to  this  port  in  safety. 

Mr.  Leary  is  a  director  of  The  North  Side  Bank  of  Brooklyn,  The  New  York  & 
Long  Island  Railroad  Co.,  The  Hoffman  House  Co.,  and  The  Morris  &  Cummings 
Dredging  Co. ;  vice-president  of  The  John  Good  Cordage  &  Machine  Co. ;  and  a 
member  of  the  Manhattan  club. 

He  was  married  Sept.  28,  1859,  to  Miss  Mary  C.  Fallen,  daughter  of  James  Fallon 
of  Brooklyn,  long  known  as  a  builder  and  dealer  in  brown  stone  and  marble.  They 
have  three  sons  and  one  daughter,  Daniel  James,  Sylvester  Napoleon,  George  and 
Marie  C.  Leary.  The  latter,  at  the  age  of  six,  christened  the  steamer  City  of  Gloucester 
built  by  her  father.  Mr.  Leary  is  very  happy  in  his  family  life,  and  every  hour  which 
he  can  spare  from  his  engrossing  labors  is  spent  amid  this  loving  home  circle. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Leary  is  an  independent,  never  having  joined  either  of  the  two 
great  party  organizations.  Deriving  no  part  of  his  success  from  inheritance,  his  life 
affords  an  excellent  example  of  the  self-made  man,  and  illustrates  the  possibilities  of 
free  America  for  those  who  begin  a  business  career  without  capital. 

WILLIAM  FOSTER  LEE,  merchant,  born  Sept  20,  1820,  in  Brimfield,  Mass.,  died 
in  New  York  city,  March  8,  1888.  His  father  was  Daniel  Foster  Lee,  a  dry  goods 
merchant,  and  his  ancestors  on  both  sides  were  Puritans  who  settled  in  America  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LE.  389 

early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Educated  in  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York,  Mr.  Lee  began  life  in  the  dry  goods  business  in  St.  Louis  but -soon  aftenvard 
removed  to  New  York  and  made  a  fortune  in  the  dry  goods  business  here.  He  retired 
before  the  War  and  after  that  devoted  his  money  and  energy  to  charity.  He  was  one  of 
the  earliest  members  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  chairman  of  its 
Employment  Committee,  and  connected  with  many  other  institutions.  Among  them  were 
The  Half  Orphan  Asylum,  of  which  he  was  superintendent;  Grace  Chapel,  of  which  he 
was  assistant  superintendent ;  Mr.  Moody's  Boy's  School  at  Northfield,  Mass. ,  of  which  he 
was  treasurer;  and  The  Society  for  the  Suppression  of  Vice,  being  a  member  of  its 
executive  committee.  He  was  also  interested  in  The  Home  for  the  Friendless,  and  the 
Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  House  and  was  an  officer  in  Rev.  Dr.  Howard  Crosby's 
church.  His  wife  was  Helen  L.  Althause  of  New  York. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  LEE,  merchant,  born  in  New  Britain,  Conn.,  May  19,  1818, 
died  in  New  York  city,  April  9,  1895.  He  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Lee,  and  in  the  fifth 
generation  of  descent  from  John  Lee,  who  came  from  Colchester,  England,  to  America 
in  1634.  His  great  grandfather,  Isaac  Lee,  was  a  Colonel  in  the  American  Revolution, 
a  member  of  the  State  Assembly  and  chief  magistrate  of  his  town  until  incapacitated 
by  old  age.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  life  in  Troy,  N.  Y. ,  came  to  New  York 
in  1842  and  spent  three  years  in  the  employment  of  J.  R.  J affray  &  Co.  His  name 
appeared  first  as  a  principal  in  1845,  when  he  organized  the  firm  of  Lee  &  Case  for 
importing  and  jobbing  dry  goods,  the  other  partners  being  Watson  E.  Case,  John  J. 
Phelps  and  Amos  R.  Eno.  Later,  the  firm  became  Wm.  H.  Lee  &  Co.,  Lee,  Bliss  & 
Co.  and  finally  Lee,  Tweedy  &  Co.,  in  each  house  Mr.  Lee  being  senior  partner. 
They  have  always  carried  on  an  enormous  trade  in  the  importation  and  jobbing  of  dry 
goods,  maintaining  an  agency  in  England  and  representing  important  mills  in  Man- 
chester and  elsewhere.  Mr.  Lee  was  a  merchant  of  fine  character  and  high  position, 
and  won  success  by  deserving  it.  He  sat  in  the  directorate  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank 
and  The  Hanover  and  The  National  Fire  Insurance  Go's,  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Union  League  club,  and  a  member  also  of  the  Insurance  and  Merchants'  clubs,  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  and  The  New  England  Society. 

ABRAHAM  LEQQETT,  merchant,  born  in  Mount  Pleasant,  Westchester  county, 
X.  Y.,  in  1805,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  i,  1878.  This  family  are  of  English 
descent,  the  emigrant  ancestor  having  been  Gabriel  Leggett,  who  came  to  this  city 
from  the  Barbadoes  over  200  years  ago,  settling  in  Westchester  county.  Abraham 
Leggett  found  his  way  to  New  York  city  when  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and  with  his 
twin  brother  Isaac,  engaged  in  the  grocer)'  business  under  the  Fulton  Market.  In 
1848,  he  bought  the  premises  at  No.  205  Front  street  and  carried  on  a  large  wholesale 
grocer}'  trade  under  the  name  of  A.  Leggett  &  Son,  until  1871,  when  he  retired.  His 
son,  William,  succeeded  him.  Mr.  Leggett  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Produce 
Exchange.  His  wife  was  Sarah,  daughter  of  Richard  Lee  and  he  left  four  sons, 
Richard  L.,  William  A.,  Francis  H.  and  Theodore  Leggett,  the  latter  dying  in  1883. — - 
His  son,  FRANCIS  HOWARD  LEQQETT,  wholesale  grocer,  born  in  New  York  city, 
March  27,  1840,  was  a  student  in  the  local  schools  until  the  age  of  sixteen  and  then,  in 
1856,  entered  the  produce  commission  business  of  R.  L.  Leggett  &  Co.,  in  which  his 
father  was  a  partner,  to  acquire  a  training  in  business  pursuits.  He  became  a  part- 
ner in  1862.  The  young  man  having  saved  about  §18,000  borrowed  about  as  much 


39°  AMERICA  3     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

more  from  his  father  in  1870  and  with  Theodore  Leggett  established  the  importing  and 
jobbing  grocery  house  of  Francis  H.  Leggett  &  Co.  This  concern  has  by  perseverance, 
sound  methods  and  fine  ability,  created  a  business  extending  to  all  parts  of  the  United 
States  and  now  ranks  as  one  of  the  strongest  houses  in  the  trade.  It  occupies  a  large 
building  of  its  own  on  West  Broadway,  as  well  as  a  warehouse  on  Laight  street.  Mr. 
Leggett  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Grolier,  Tuxedo,  Metropolitan,  Riding  and 
Merchants'  clubs,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Cotton  and  Produce  Exchanges. 

EHANUEL  LEHflAN,  merchant,  a  native  of  the  village  of  Rimpar,  near  Wurz- 
burg,  Germany,  was  born  Feb.  15,  1827.  His  parents,  who  were  of  German-Hebrew 
descent,  gave  their  son  a  sound  training  both  at  home  and  in  the  high  school  in  Wurz- 
burg  and  the  lad  then  entered  upon  the  practical  work  of  life.  At  that  period,  many 
Germans  had  learned  of  the  better  opportunities  presented  by  the  new  world  and  were 
exchanging  homes  in  the  fatherland  for  a  residence  in  the  Southern  States.  Following 
this  movement,  Mr.  Lehman  sailed  for  America  in  1847  and  joined  his  brother  Henry, 
a  merchant  in  Montgomery,  Ala.,  since  1844,  in  the  management  of  a  general  store. 
They  were  diligent  and  hard  working  men,  and  as  they  prospered  drifted  naturally 
into  a  factorage  and  cotton  business.  To  enable  a  cotton  planter  to  cultivate  his  crop, 
it  is  necessary  for  him  to  resort  to  some  neighboring  general  merchant,  who  will 
advance  to  him  'a  large  amount  of  supplies  and  carry  him  along  to  the  time  when  the 
crop  can  be  harvested  and  sold.  The  intimate  relations  of  the  Lehman  Bro's  with 
the  cotton  planters  resulted  in  the  development  of  an  extensive  trade,  both  in  supplies 
and  in  cotton.  The  staple  they  shipped  to  the  north  and  to  Europe. 

In  1856,  the  Lehman  Bro's  found  themselves  compelled  by  a  growing  bxisiness  to 
establish  a  house  in  New  York  city,  and  Emanuel  Lehman  was  placed  in  charge  of  it. 
The  Civil  War  caused  a  serious  interruption  in  the  operations  of  the  New  York  house, 
but,  in  1865,  it  was  re-established  by  Emanuel  Lehman,  the  younger  brother,  Mayer, 
remaining  in  Montgomery  for  a  while  in  charge  of  the  Southern  business,  which  is  yet 
conducted  under  the  name  of  Lehman,  Durr  &  Co.  They  also  established  a  com- 
mission business  in  New  Orleans  in  1865  under  the  title  of  Lehman,  Newgass  &  Co., 
now  known  as  Lehman,  Stern  &  Co.  All  three  firms  are  now  prominent  in  their 
respective  cities  and  deal  in  cotton,  sugar,  coffee,  etc.  Emanuel  Lehman,  senior 
partner  in  the  firm,  has  made  his  home  in  New  York  since  1856. 

After  the  War,  the  brothers  Lehman  devoted  themselves  to  a  task  which  has  en- 
listed the  sympathy  and  active  interest  of  every  progressive  and  public-spirited  man 
in  the  South,  namely,  a  revival  of  the  interests  prostrated  by  the  War  and  a  develop- 
ment of  the  theretofore  scarcely  exploited  natural  resources  of  the  region.  In  1865," 
the  State  of  Alabama  being  impoverished,  the  Lehman  Bro's  furnished  $100,000  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  the  first  convention,  held  under  the  reconstruction  act,  and 
afterward  acted  as  fiscal  agents  for  the  State,  retaining  this  relation  until  Alabama 
came  under  the  control  of  the  Radicals,  about  1871.  By  their  investments,  they 
promoted  the  reorganization  of  railroad  companies,  the  improvement  of  real  estate, 
the  building  of  iron  furnaces  and  other  factories,  and  the  opening  of  coal  mines. 
They  now  have  large  interests  in  these  properties  and  have  aided  largely  in  building 
several  Southern  railroads.  They  are  also  principal  owners  of  two  excellent  and 
prosperous  cotton  mills,  one  operated  by  The  Tallassee  Falls  Manufacturing  Co. ,  near 
Montgomery;  the  other,  the  Lane  Mills  in  New  Orleans. 


392  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Mr.  Lehman  is  a  director  of  The  Mercantile  National  Bank,  The  Queens  County 
Bank  on  Long  Island,  The  Alabama  Mineral  Land  Co.,  The  Berry-Boice  Cattle  Co., 
The  Metropolitan  Ferry  Co.,  and  The  Tenth  &  Twenty-third  Streets  Railroad  Co.,  and 
The  Third  Avenue  Railroad.  He  displays  the  marked  philanthropy  so  characteristic  of 
his  race,  and  cordially  supports  the  Hebrew  charities  of  the  city  and  serves  as  president 
of  The  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum. 

In  May,  1859,  he  married  Pauline,  daughter  of  Louis  Sondheim  of  New  York. 
His  wife  died  in  1871,  leaving  four  children:  Milton;  Philip  a  partner  in  the  firm; 
Harriet  and  Eveline.  Mr.  Lehman  is  a  member  of  The  Southern  Society  and  highly 
respected  in  business  circles  in  this  city. 

flAYER  LEHflAN,  merchant,  next  to  the  senior  partner  in  the  conspicuous  firm 
of  Lehman  Bro's,  was  born  in  Rimpar,  near  Wurzburg,  Germany,  Jan.  9,  1830.  He 
had  the  advantage  of  a  sound  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Wurzburg,  and  in  1850 
followed  his  brothers,  Emanuel  and  Henry,  to  the  United  States.  After  a  year  of  ex- 
perience in  the  store  of  Lehman  Bro's  in  Montgomery,  he  resolved  to  engage  in  busi- 
ness on  his  own  account,  and  in  January,  1851,  started  a  store  of  his  own  in  Mont- 
gomery, which  he  carried  on  until  1853.  He  then  joined  his  two  brothers  in  the  partner- 
ship of  Lehman  Bro's.  Henry  died  in  1855,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  the  house 
has  carried  on  a  prosperous  trade  under  the  direction  of  Emanuel  and  Mayer  Lehman. 

Mr.  Lehman  saw  much  of  the  operations  of  the  Civil  War,  and  experienced  the 
wild  excitement  of  that  period  which  strongly  moved  every  resident  of  the  South. 
Montgomery  was  the  theater  of  stirring  scenes.  In  1864,  the  Governor  of  Alabama 
appointed  Mr.  Lehman  a  Commissioner  to  visit  and  look  after  the  interests  of  Alabama 
soldiers,  held  prisoners  of  war  in  the  North.  Other  tenders  of  office  were  made  to 
him  frequently  but  declined. 

In  1867,  Mr.  Lehman  came  to  New  York  and  has  ever  since  made  the  metropolis 
his  home  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  Cotton  Exchange  and  has  been  actively 
identified  with  its  management,  as  a  director  and  otherwise,  until  the  present  time. 
His  brother  and  he  are  naturally  proud  of  a  business  career,  which,  extending 'over  a 
full  half  century,  has  been  attended  with  success  from  the  day  of  its  first  small  begin- 
ning Mr.  Lehman  has  been  active  in  the  railroad,  land,  industrial  and  mining  enter- 
prises of  his  house,  and  was  one  of  twenty  men  who  established  the  first  important  iron 
furnace  in  the  South  before  the  war.  He  is  a  progressive,  clear  headed  and  capable 
man,  and  is  a  director  of  The  Hamilton  Bank,  The  American  Cotton  Oil  Co.,  The^ 
Union  Oil  Co.,  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  The  N.  K.  FairbankCo.,  of  Chicago.  Highly' 
esteemed  in  private  life,  he  takes  an  active  interest  in  philanthropic  work,  is  a  member 
of  The  Harmonie  club,  was  a  trustee  of  Temple  Emanu-El  and  of  a  number  of  chari- 
table societies,  and  is  a  generous  giver,  being  especially  active  in  Mount  Sinai  Hospi- 
tal and  Training  School. 

Married  in  1858  in  New  Orleans  to  Babetta,  daughter  of  Isaac  Newgass,  he  is  the 
father  of  several  children,  of  whom  those  living  are  Sigmund  M.,  Hattie,  Settie,  Clara, 
Arthur,  Irving  and  Herbert. 

JAflES  LENOX,  founder  of  the  Lenox  Library,  died  in  this  city,  Feb.  17,  1880, 
in  his  eightieth  year.  The  Lenox  family,  which  has  been  conspicuous  on  the  Island  of 
Manhattan  for  more  than  a  century,  was  planted  here  by  Robert  and  James  Lenox, 
brothers,  natives  of  Scotland.  James  engaged  in  business  here  after  the  American 


394  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Revolution  as  a  cooper  in  company  with  Joshua  Jones.  Robert  Lenox  supplied  the 
British  troops  on  this  island  with  provisions,  etc.,  during  the  Revolution,  and  after  the 
war  became  a  great  merchant.  He  lived  in  Pearl  street,  and  his  standing  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  he  was  president  of  The  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  the  oldest  in  the  city, 
dating  from  1787 ;  a  director  in  the  old  United  States  Branch  Bank,  The  Marine  Insur- 
ance Co.,  and  other  corporations;  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  at  one 
time  president  of  The  St.  Andrews  Society.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Nicholas 
Carmer.  Mr.  Lenox  bought  real  estate  upon  various  parts  of  the  island  and  gained  a 
fortune  of  several  millions  by  the  increase  in  value  of  his  land.  This  fortune  at  his 
death,  Dec.  13,  1839,  descended  to  his  son,  James  Lenox,  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
and  his  five  daughters,  four  of  whom  married  into  the  Kennedy,  Donaldson,  Banks  and 
Sheafe  families,  Henrietta  Lenox  remaining  unmarried.  James  Lenox  spent  his  life 
largely  in  the  administration  of  his  fortune.  Among  his  possessions  was  a  farm  be- 
tween Fourth  and  Fifth  avenues,  near  7  ad  street,  which  after  1864  he  divided  into  city 
lots.  He  was  generous  in  gifts  of  charity,  and  he  founded  at  a  cost  of  $2,000,000  the 
Lenox  Library,  fronting  Central  Park  on  Fifth  avenue,  between  7oth  and  yist  streets, 
which  he  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  public.  Always  fond  of  rare  books  and  works 
of  art,  he  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  collecting  them.  By  his  will,  Mr.  Lenox  gave 
$300,000  more  to  the  Lenox  Library,  and,  excepting  $153,000  in  specific  legacies,  left 
the  residue  of  his  estate  to  his  sister,  Henrietta  A.  Lenox.  Although  a  man  of  agree- 
able manners  and  a  fine  raconteur,  he  shunned  fashionable  society  and  never  married. 

WILLIAM  LIBBEY,  merchant,  retired,  and  financier,  for  many  years  the  only 
partner  and  general  manager  of  the  dry  goods  firm  of  A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co.,  noted  for 
his  upright,  industrious  and  successful  business  life,  was  born  March  7,  1820,  in  New- 
burgh,  Orange  county,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  son  of  William  Seavey  Libbey,  formerly  of  Rye 
Beach,  N.  H.,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  John  Libbey,  who  came  from  the  west  of 
England  in  1630,  settled  in  Maine,  and  became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  town  of 
Scarborough.  Mr.  Libbey's  great  grandfather  and  grandfather  in  the  paternal  line 
served  during  the  Continental  and  Revolutionary  wars.  His  father  moved  to  'New- 
burgh  about  1 8 10  with  a  colony  from  Salem,  Mass.,  having  married  just  previously 
Sarah  Farrington,  of  that  place. 

When  a  lad,  Mr.  Libbey  attended  the  Newburgh  academy  and  prepared  for  col- 
lege in  the  classical  school  of  the  Rev.  Joel  Phinney.  Vis'ting  Schenectady,  he  had 
arranged  to  enter  Union  College  about  1835,  when  circumstances  shortly  afterward 
obliged  him  to  enter  at  once  upon  a  commercial  career.  William  S.  Libbey's  inability 
to  send  his  boy  to  college  grew  out  of  his  failure  as  an  architect  and  builder  while 
living  in  Newburgh.  The  impression  made  upon  William's  mind,  induced  the  latter, 
being  the  only  son,  to  form  a  resolution  that,  if  he  were  ever  able,  he  would  make  up 
any  deficiency  resulting  from  his  father's  failure.  He  requested  the  assignee,  after 
paying  all  that  could  be  obtained  from  the  assets,  to  deliver  to  him  all  books  and 
papers  of  the  estate.  Subsequently,  after  a  period  of  thirty  years,  he  caused  to  be 
prepared  a  statement,  showing  each  of  these  unsettled  claims  and  then  paid  them  in 
full,  with  seven  per  cent,  interest,  to  the  persons  or  heirs  of  the  estates  represented. 
These  receipts  of  payment,  bound  in  book  form,  he  presented  to  his  father,  upon  the 
latter's  seventy-ninth  birthday. 

In  the  fall  of  1835   at  the  age  of  fifteen,  William  Libbey  came  to  New  York  city, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LI.  395 

and  entered  the  store  of  W.  &  J.  Van  Buskirk.  jobbers  in  dry  goods  at  Xo.  9  Pine 
street.  The  position  not  being  satisfactory,  he  remained  there  only  thirty  days.  He 
then  engaged  with  Clark  &  Myers,  dry  goods  jobbers,  at  No.  66  Liberty  street,  and  re- 
mained with  them  about  seven  years. 

In  1842,  Mr.  Libbey  became  connected  with  the  old  and  well  known  firm  of  job- 
bers, known  as  Hunt  Bro's,  at  Xo.  18  Exchange  Place,  who  were  among  the  pioneers 
in  establishing  the  principle  of  selling  goods  for  cash. 

At  the  close  of  1849,  Mr.  Libbey  left-the  firm  of  Hunt  Bro's  and,  Jan.  i,  1850,  be- 
came one  of  the  firm  of  Hastings,  Libbey  &  Forby,  located  at  Xo.  37  Xassau  street. 
Three  years  later,  he  withdrew  from  this  connection  and  became  associated  with  Arnold 
Graef,  who  represented  a  large  number  of  foreign  woolen  and  silk  accounts.  The  two 
men  formed  the  firm  of  William  Libbey  &  Graef  of  Xo.  56  Liberty  street,  Xew  York, 
and  of  Philadelphia,  and  Arnold  Graef  &  Libbey,  Dresden  and  Aix  la  Chapelle,  Ger- 
man}'. This  connection  was  successful  up  to  1857,  when  the  disasters  of  that  year 
largeh"  delayed  remittances  to  their  correspondents  abroad  and  resulted  the  succeeding 
year  in  a  liquidation  of  the  business.  The  consignors,  whom  the  firm  represented,  em- 
powered Mr.  Libbey  to  liquidate  their  affairs  and  make  remittances,  voluntarily  agree- 
ing to  accept  the  results  of  such  liquidation  as  in  full  of  all  demands  for  their  respective 
claims.  It  was  characteristic  of  the  scrupulous  sense  of  honor  of  Mr.  Libbey,  that  after 
having  paid  from  the  assets  all  that  could  be  obtained,  he  remitted  the  balance,  prin- 
cipal and  interest  of  all  claims  against  him,  about  nine  years  later.  Gold  being  at  a 
premium  of  32  per  cent.,  he  added  one  half  as  his  equitable  share. 

In  1859,  his  abilities  and  character  attracted  the  attention  of  A.  T.  Stewart,  whom 
he  had  never  personally  met,  and  he  was  invited  in  September  to  an  interview.  This 
resulted  in  the  acceptance  by  Mr.  Libbey  of  the  position  made  vacant  by  the  death  of 
Mr.  Stewart's  partner,  W.  H.  Burrows,  involving  charge  of  the  credits  of  the  house, 
engagement  of  employe's  and  general  management.  The  character  of  the  business  of 
A.  T.  Stewart  &  Co..  commencing  with  1860,  changed  materially,  growing  out  of 
the  fact  that  previous  to  that  time,  it  had  been  made  up  principally  of  the  sale  of 
choice  and  expensive  foreign  fabrics,  and  had  been  built  up  by  Mr.  Stewart  into  a 
large  and  successful  retail  business,  including  a  moderate  amount  of  wholesale  trade 
with  the  large  retailers  throughout  the  country.  The  firm  also  enjoyed  to  a  large 
extent  the  trade  of  old  families  located  throughout  the  States.  About  the  time  of 
and  prior  to  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  Mr.  Libbey,  in  reorganizing  the  department 
of  credits  then  under  his  immediate  control,  closed  about  800  accounts  of  this  class 
as  a  matter  of  precaution.  Conditions  and  circumstances  existing  at  that  time  forced 
a  discussion  of  the  question,  frequently  brought  before  Mr.  Stewart's  mind,  of  either 
retiring  from  the  business  altogether,  and,  as  he  repeatedly  said,  "  Putting  out  the  red 
flag  and  liquidating,"  or  determining  on  a  great  change  in  a  different  direction.  Mr. 
Stewart  was  much  in  doubt  during  1860  as  to  the  results  of  the  impending  war.  His 
health  was  broken  and  the  complication  of  doubtful  conditions  was  further  increased 
by  the  discovery  of  a  large  defalcation  by  a  former  partner,  in  whom  he  had  placed 
every  confidence.  Mr.  Libbey's  long  experience  in  the  domestic  jobbing  trade  of  this 
country  enabled  him  to  suggest  a  possible  alternative,  which  was  subsequently 
accepted  by  Mr.  Stewart,  and  resulted  in  an  organization  whereby  the  home  fabrics  of 
the  United  States  and  a  popular  trade  were  substituted  for  the  finer  and  exclusive 


396  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

fabrics  of  foreign  manufacture  and  a  select  trade.  From  time  to  time  thereafter,  by 
engaging  competent  and  able  assistants  and  organizing  new  departments,  a  large  and 
successful  business  was  developed. 

One  marked  feature  of  the  work  of  the  house  was  that  of  the  bureau  of  credits, 
in  the  basis  of  which  Mr.  Libbey  had  been  much  interested,  and  with  which  he  had 
been  familiar  from  its  initiation  in  the  house  of  Arthur  Tappan  &  Co.  about  1830,  and 
in  The  Mercantile  Agency  of  Lewis  Tappan  &  Co.  in  1841. 

In  the  firm's  new  bureau  of  credits,  started  in  1860,  a  system  was  created  whose 
efficacy  was  tested  by  Mr.  Stewart  at  a  time  of  panic,  when  he  desired  to  know 
whether  they  were  not  getting  into  deep  water  by  making  large  sales  on  credit.  He 
was  not  personally  informed  about  the  details  and  did  not  usually  desire  to  be,  but  now 
sought  information  as  to  the  facts.  It  was  provided  for  him  by  Mr.  Libbey,  who 
prepared  a  statement  of  net  loss  upon  the  last  hundred  million  dollars  of  all  kinds  of 
credit  sales  made  by  the  house.  The  result,  when  obtained,  showed  that  the  losses 
were  within  a  fraction  of  one  mill  per  cent. 

During  their  business  connection,  and  particularly  during  the  last  ten  years,  Mr. 
Stewart  placed  nearly  the  whole  management  of  affairs  under  Mr.  Libbey's  control. 
The  transactions  of  the  house,  included  in  purchases  and  sales,  had  increased  from 
about  fifteen  millions  per  annum,  prior  to  1860,  to  about  one  hundred  and  ten  millions, 
and,  incidentally,  an  organization  had  been  evolved  probably  unequaled  in  the  world. 

In  1873,  during  a  severe  attack  of  illness  from  which  he  never  fully  recovered, 
Mr.  Stewart  made  his  will,  making  Mr.  Libbey,  his  only  surviving  partner,  one  of  his 
executors.  Subsequently  to  Mr.  Stewart's  death  in  1876,  the  business  was  continued 
for  a  few  years,  in  partnership  with  Judge  Henry  Hilton,  and  then  liquidated,  Mr. 
Libbey  retiring. 

Notwithstanding  the  impressions  and  opinions  formed,  which  grew  principally 
out  of  the  jealousy  and  envy  characteristic  of  competitive  trade,  it  is  proper  to  say,  as 
Mr.  Libbey  has  often  stated,  that  after  an  association  with  Mr.  Stewart  during  a  period 
of  nearly  seventeen  years  of  the  closest  personal  and  business  intimacy,  he  always 
found  him  intensely  loyal  to  all  his  surroundings,  infallibly  true  to  his  word,  and  a 
most  agreeable  associate  and  companion.  One  of  the  marked  traits  of  his  character 
was  that  of  implicit  reliance  on  those  in  whom  he  placed  confidence. 

July  8,  1850,  Mr.  Libbey  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Marsh,  of  Fausse  Point,  La., 
daughter  of  Jonas  Marsh  and  Elizabeth  Morse,  the  latter  a  member  of  the  Morse 
family  of  New  Jersey  and  Louisiana.  This  union  brought  them  three  sons,  William 
Libbey,  jr.,  married,  and  a  professor  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  Princeton,  N.  J.  ; 
Jonas  M.  Libbey,  unmarried,  and  from  1877  to  1884  editor  and  proprietor  of  The 
Princeton  Review ;  and  Frederick  A.  Libbey,  married,  and  associated  with  Jonas  M. 
and  their  father  in  looking  after  various  investments. 

Retiring  in  1883  from  active  labor  in  the  dry  goods  business,  Mr.  Libbey  contin- 
ued to  take  a  lively  interest  in  financial  affairs.  Among  other  institutions  and  corpor- 
ations, he  is  a  director  of  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  The  New  York,  Lake 
Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  and  The  American  Pig  Iron  Storage  Warrant  Co. ;  trustee  of 
The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Sun  Insurance  Co.,  of  London  ;  a  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce  ;  and  life  member  of  The  New  England  Society,  The  New 
York  Historical  Society,  and  The  American  Geographical  Society.  He  is  also  a  trus- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LI.  397 

tee  of  the  College  of  New  Jersey  and  of  the  Princeton  Theological  Seminary.  There 
are  many  others  in  which  he  has  borne  a  part  but  with  which  at  the  present  time  he  is 
not  associated.  Since  1840,  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian 
Church  and  for  several  years  was  a  trustee. 

In  connection  therewith,  he  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  organization,  in  1842,  of  a 
society  of  which  he  was  afterward  the  president  and  which  subsequently  developed  in 
the  formation  of  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations  in  this  country  and  Europe. 
He  was  for  many  years  in  active  association  with  Sunday  school  and  other  benevolent 
work  and  is  identified  with  The  New  York  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  The  Northern 
Dispensary  and  many  hospitals,  charities  and  educational  institutions,  to  which  he  has 
been  a  liberal  contributor. 

Mr.  Libbey  spends  his  leisure  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  beautiful  home  on 
Washington  Heights  on  the  upper  part  of  this  island  overlooking  the  Hudson. 

BENJAMIN  LICHTENSTEIN,  merchant,  was  born  in  Hollstadt,  Bavaria,  Aug. 
16,  1839.  His  father  was  Salome  Lichtenstein,  a  merchant.  Educated  in  New  York 
city,  the  young  man  served  as  errand  boy  and  clerk  in  various  stores,  beginning  with  a 
salary  of  $1.25  per  week.  In  1862,  he  ventured  to  engage  in  the  wholesale  jobbing  of 
tobacco  and  cigars  in  New  Orleans  and  met  with  excellent  success,  but  illness  caused 
him  to  abandon  business  in  the  South  and  he  started  a  manufactory  of  cigars  in  New 
York  city  under  the  name  of  Lichtenstein  Bro's  &  Co.  Energy,  determination  and 
business  skill  brought  him  rapidly  to  the  front.  He  is  now  president  of  The  Consoli- 
dated Cigarette  Co.  and  a  trustee  of  The  Lichtenstein  Bro's  Co.  His  means  have  been 
judiciously  invested  in  real  estate,  which  is  constantly  growing  in  value  and  is  already 
worth  about  a  million  dollars.  He  owns  13  and  640  Broadway,  442-6  loth  street,  and 
135-141  Avenue  D,  free  of  incumbrances.  He  lives  quietly,  is  a  member  of  the 
Freundschaft  club,  and  is  a  worthy  man.  Nov.  29,  1863,  he  married  Sara  Katten  of 
New  Orleans  and  has  six  children :  Salome  K. ,  Alexander,  Melvin,  Eleanor,  Stella  and 
Harry  Everett  Lichtenstein. 

EDWARD  FRANCIS  LINTON,  realty  owner,  was  born  in  Mattapoisett;  Mass., 
Feb.  7,  1843.  He  is  of  English  descent  and  his  father,  Edward  D.  Linton,  was  a  con- 
spicuous abolitionist,  associate  editor  of  The  Liberator,  and  was  on  one  occasion,  in 
1848,  driven  by  violence  from  the  lecture  platform  in  New  Bedford.  Edward  gained  a 
fair  education,  and,  being  poor,  learned  the  art  of  pyrotechnics  at  Weymouth,  Mass., 
in  the  employment  of  E.  S.  Hunt.  When  South  Carolina  seceded,  he  was  in  the  city 
of  Charleston,  whence  he  worked  his  way  to  New  York  on  the  last  sailing  vessel  to 
leave  the  port  before  the  firing  on  Fort  Sumter.  Led  by  inherited  sentiment  and  this 
experience,  he  enlisted  in  the  nth  Mass.  Inf.,  being  the  first  man  in  Weymouth  to 
enlist,  and  served  through  the  war.  Coming  to  New  York  in  1868,  he  established  a 
small  factory  for  making  fireworks,  which  proved  successful.  The  industry  grew 
enormously  and  was  incorporated,  with  Mr.  Linton  as  president.  The  warehouse  is 
on  Park  Place,  a  street  devoted  in  part  to  this  class  of  enterprises.  Mr.  Linton  retired 
from  this  business  in  1884.  Since  then,  real  estate  transactions  in  Brooklyn  have 
occupied  his  principal  attention.  He  has  been  the  agent  for  the  sale  of  an  immense 
amount  of  property  and  has  bought  and  sold  on  his  own  account  large  tracts  of 
land  in  the  26th  Ward.  In  four  years'  time,  he  built  over  400  houses  on  these  prop- 
erties. He  is  senior  partner  in  the  bank  of  E.  F.  Linton  &  Co.  in  Brooklyn,  secre- 


398  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

tary  of  The  D.  &  M.  Chauncey  Real  Estate  Co. ,  president  of  The  German-American 
Improvement  Co.,  director  of  The  Brooklyn  Real  Estate  Exchange  and  member  of  the 
Brooklyn  and  Union  League  clubs  of  Brooklyn.  By  his  marriage  with  Julia  A.  Baker 
of  Weymouth,  Mass.,  in  1866,  his  children  are  Edith,  Alice  and  Enid. 

JOSEPH  JAflES  LITTLE,  printer,  was  born  in  England,  June  5,  1841.  He  began 
life  in  modest  circumstances,  the  son  of  James  Little,  a  tailor  who  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  in  1847.  The  family  settled  soon  afterward  in  Morris,  Otsego  county, 
N.  Y.  Joseph  left  district  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  printer 
as  an  apprentice.  Three  years  later,  he  came  to  New  York  and  found  employment  in 
the  printing  office  of  Rennie,  Shea  &  Lindsey,  rising  to  the  foremanship  about  1864. 
Two  years  later,  Mr.  Little  began  business  on  his  own  account  in  a  small  way,  having 
for  a  junior  partner  his  former  employer,  Mr.  Rennie.  A  third  associate  joining  in  the 
venture,  the  three  with  the  combined  capital  of  $5,000  started  the  printing  office  of 
Little,  Rennie  &  Co.  on  Broome  street,  in  1867.  Being  practical  and  hard  working 
men  they  made  their  way  by  inches.  In  1873,  William  Jennings  Demorest  joined  the 
firm  and  brought  them  the  printing  of  his  fashion  papers.  The  business  finally  grew 
quite  large  and  in  1871  was  moved  to  an  uptown  location.  In  his  present  large  quar- 
ters on  Astor  place,  they  do  an  enormous  business  in  the  printing  of  books,  magazines, 
etc.,  employing  about  500  persons.  The  present  title  of  J.  J.  Little  &  Co.  was  adopted 
in  1876  The  success  of  Mr.  Little  is  due  to  sound  business  methods,  steady  persist- 
ence, and  the  adoption  of  the  most  modern  processes  in  the  work  of  his  house.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Aldine,  Manhattan,  Players'  and  Democratic  clubs,  and  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  The  General  Society  of  Mechanics  &  Tradesmen,  The  American  Geo- 
graphical Society,  The  American  Institute.  Lafayette  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Kane 
Lodge,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  Colonel  of  the  Veteran  Association  of  the  7ist  Regiment,  N. 
G. ,  S.  N.  Y.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The  Astor  Place  Bank  and  trustee  of  The  New 
York  Infant  Asylum.  He  saw  service  in  the  Civil  War  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education,  resigning  to  take  a  seat  in  the  52d  Congress,  to  which  he  was 
elected  by  a  plurality  of  over  8,000.  He  has  served  on  several  public  committees.  In 
1866,  he  married  Josephine  Robinson.  Of  their  eight  children,  six  survive:  Edith 
Agnes,  Arthur  W. ,  Louise  S.  (now  Mrs.  Thompson),  Estelle  R.,  Raymond  D.,  and 
Elsie  Little. 

ANSON  LIVINGSTON,  lawyer,  born  at  No.  37  Broadway  in  this  city,  May  i, 
1807,  died  on  Staten  Island,  Aug.  4,  1873.  His  father  was  Judge  Brockholst  Living- 
ston of  the  United  States  Supreme  Court,  who  was  the  son  of  William  Livingston, 
Governor  of  New  Jersey,  the  third  in  descent  from  Robert,  founder  of  the  Livingston 
family  in  America.  The  mother  of  Anson  Livingston,  Ann  Ludlow,  the  second  wife  of 
Judge  Livingston,  died  shortly  after  her  son's  birth,  and  the  child  was  named  after  her, 
Anson,  i.e.,  "Ann's  son."  He  graduated  from  Columbia  College  and  after  his  father's 
death  traveled  abroad.  Always  enterprising,  he  attempted  the  ascent  of  Mt.  Blanc, 
but  was  driven  back  by  a  great  storm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  married  a  rela- 
tive, Anne,  the  daughter  of  Henry  Walter  Livingston,  and  for  a  few  years  thereafter 
lived  in  Columbia  county,  N.  Y.  About  1836,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  and  lived 
there  until  1861  when  he  established  his  home  on  the  north  shore  of  Staten  Island  at 
what  is  now  Livingston.  Although  a  lawyer,  Mr.  Livingston  did  not  practice  his  pro- 
fession. His  principal  business  occupation  lay  in  taking  care  of  the  estates  of  his 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LI.  399 

brothers  and  sisters  who  resided  abroad.  He  inherited  a  modest  fortune  from  his 
father,  which  he  increased  by  judicious  management  and  steady  application.  Mr. 
Livingston  combined  in  his  character  two  opposite  traits,  strongly  marked.  He  was 
brave  almost  to  rashness,  and  tender  almost  to  weakness.  He  was  ever  ready  to  for- 
give and  forget.  Throughout  his  entire  life,  he  was  a  sportsman  in  the  higher 
sense  of  the  term,  and  enthusiastic  about  fast  trotters,  many  of  which  he  owned  and 
drove.  He  was  a  yachtsman  also,  and  owjied  several  of  the  well-known  small  yachts 
in  the  New  York  Yacht  club — the  Annie.  Whitecap,  and  Vixen.  He  took  a  great 
interest  in  the  famous  America  and  was  a  friend  of  John  L.  Stevens.  As  to  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  a  remark  is  recalled  made  by  Commodore  Stevens  at  a  dinner  given 
to  him  on  his  return  with  the  "Queen's  Cup,"  at  which  Mr.  Livingston  was  present. 
When  asked  whom  Prince  Albert  looked  like,  Commodore  Stevens  glancing  round  the 
table  answered:  "He  looks  like  Anson."  As  the  Prince  Consort  was  exceedingly 
handsome  and  Mr.  Livingston  exceedingly  modest,  the  latter  blushed  like  a  girl  at  the 
compliment,  and  a  laugh  went  round  at  his  expense.  In  intellectual  endowments  and 
in  beauty  of  character,  he  also  much  resembled  Prince  Albert.  Mr.  Livingston  was 
greatly  gifted  in  birth,  opportunity,  intellect,  personal  prowess,  and  deep  and  earnest 
purpose.  He  used  these  gifts  well.  His  example  was  a  good  one  to  all  the  young 
men  who  knew  him,  and  they  honored  him.  He  left  a  son  Ludlow,  who  died  a  few 
months  after  his  father,  and  two  daughters  who  are  yet  living,  Mrs.  Mary  L.  Harrison 
and  Ann  L.  Livingston. 

ROBERT  EDWARD  LIVINGSTON,  born  in  Clermont,  Columbia  county,  N.  Y., 
died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  20,  1889.     The  descendant  of  an  eminent  family,  on  his 
mother's  side,  he  was  a  grandson  of  Robert  R.  Livingston,  one  of  the  drafters  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  on  his  father's,  a  grandson  of  Philip  R.  Livingston, 
one  of  the  Signers  of  the  Declaration  and  a  member  of  the  first  Continental  Congress. 
He  was  a  son  of  Edward  P.  Livingston,  at  one  time  Lieutenant  Governor  of  New  York. 
Educated  at  Clermont  by  private  tutors,  he  managed  the  estate  which  came  to  him  by 
inheritance  with  the  ability  of  a  business  man  and  the  graciousness  of  a  gentleman. 
He  promoted  the  welfare  of  his  tenants,  constantly  building  churches  and  school  houses 
for  them  and  otherwise  displaying  his  interest  in  their  affairs.     In   1854,  he  married 
Susan,  daughter  of  James  F.  De  Peyster,  and  lived  a  part  of  every  year  in  New  York, 
where  he  became  a  vestryman  in  Grace  Church,  president  of  The  New  York  Dispensary, 
and  vice  president  of  the  St.  Nicholas  club.     Mr.  Livingston  was  connected  with  many 
old  families  of  the  city,  among  others  the  Beekmans,  Schuylers,  De  Peysters,  Van  Cort- 
landts,  Reades  and  Stuyvesants.     His  wife,  three  sons  and  a  daughter  survived  him. 
FREDERICK  LOESER,  merchant,  a   native   of  Mergentheim,   Germany,  and    of 
Hebrew  descent,  was  born  Dec.   23,  1833.     His  father,  a  silversmith,  was  a  worthy 
man  but  of  moderate  means.     Frederick  left  the  Latin  school  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
to  become  an  apprentice  for  three  years  to  a  maker  of  dress  trimmings  and  buttons  in 
Wurzburg.     He  learned  the  art,  became  a  journeyman,  and,  in  accordance  with   cus- 
tom, spent  three  years  practicing  his  trade  in  Vienna,  Munich,  Zurich  and  Berne.     In 
November,  1853,  in  order  to  escape  military  duty,  which  at  that  time  meant  six  years' 
service,  he  emigrated  to  New  York  city.     His  trade   had  not   been   developed  in  the 
United  States  and  Mr.  Loeser  made  his  way  to  distant  relatives  in  Morganfield,  Ky., 
where  he  traded  in  furs  and  learned  the  American  language.     In   1855,  he  accepted  a 


4oo  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

position  as  traveling  salesman  in  the  employment  of  a  wholesale  clothing  house  in 
Louisville,  Ky.  In  1857,  the  panic  caused  his  house  to  liquidate  and  he  came  to  New 
York,  where  he  found  employment  with  S.  M.  Peyser,  importer  and  retailer  of  dress 
trimmings  and  worsted  embroideries.  Three  years  later,  with  Moritz  Dinkelspiel,  his 
brother-in-law,  as  a  partner,  and  with  a  capital  of  about  $1,200,  he  opened  a  small 
store  at  No.  277  Fulton  street,  Brooklyn,  for  the  sale  of  worsteds,  embroideries  and 
trimmings,  under  the  name  of  Frederick  Loeser  &  Co.  Thorough  knowledge  of  the 
business  brought  to  him  many  customers,  who  had  formerly  made  their  purchases  in 
New  York  city.  The  Civil  War  brought  trying  times  to  the  firm,  but  by  dint  of  energy 
and  by  dispensing  with  salaried  clerks,  they  met  every  liability  without  failure.  In 
1863,  they  established  a  branch  store  at  No.  737  Broadway  in  New  York,  but  Jan.  i, 
1866,  the  partners  separated,  Mr.  Loeser  retaining  the  Brooklyn  store,  and  Mr.  Dinkel- 
spiel the  one  in  New  York.  For  six  years,  Mr.  Loeser  traded  under  his  own  name, 
but  in  1872,  admitted  Louis  and  Hermann  Liebmann,  and  in  1876,  his  brother,  Gustav 
Loeser,  to  partnership  under  the  old  name  of  Frederick  Loeser  &  Co.  In  1887,  the 
store  was  sold  to  the  Liebmanns  at  a  competitive  sale,  and  the  Loesers,  associating 
with  themselves  John  and  Howard  Gibb,  opened  a  new  general  dry  goods  store  on 
Fulton  street,  opposite  the  junction  with  DeKalb  avenue,  under  the  time-honored 
name  of  the  old  firm.  In  this  new  location,  the  business  has  assumed  dimensions 
which  have  surprised  the  partners  themselves.  Mr.  Loeser  is  a  member  of  the 
Brooklyn  and  Liederkranz  clubs.  He  was  married,  Sept.  30,  1860,  to  Matilde  Dinkel- 
spiel, by  whom  he  had  two  children,  Charles  Alexander  and  Robert  M.  Loeser.  His 
second  wife  is  Emilie  Viet,  his  cousin. 

EDWARD  VICTOR  LOEW,  lawyer,  builder  and  insurance  president,  born  in  this 
city,  March  18,  1839,  is  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Salome  S.  Loew,  who  came  to  this 
country  from  Strasbourg  in  the  province  of  Alsace,  France  (now  included  in  German 
territory)  where  the  family  name  had,  for  many  years,  been  prominent  in  the  manu- 
facture of  woolen  goods.  The  young  man  attended  the  old  public  school,  No.  14,  in 
this  city,  of  which  Leonard  Hazeltine  was  principal,  but,  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
father,  was  compelled  to  leave  his  books  when  only  twelve  years  of  age  and  begin  to 
earn  his  own  support. 

Having  obtained  employment  in  a  real  estate  office,  he  applied  himself  to  acquiring 
a  full  knowledge  of  every  detail  of  the  business,  and  rose  by  application  and  merit  to 
be  chief  clerk,  and  only  left  that  position  at  an  early  age  to  make  a  start  for  himself  in 
the  same  vocation  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  Charles  E.  Loew,  now  deceased. 
During  his  leisure  time,  he  mastered  the  rudiments  of  law  and  after  completing  his 
studies  under  Samuel  P.  Bell,  a  well  known  real  estate  attorney,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1868.  By  making  a  specialty  of  real  estate  conveyancing  and  other  office 
business,  he  soon  created  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He  then  engaged  in  impor- 
tant land  and  building  operations,  which  soon  required  his  undivided  attention  and 
which  he  conducted  with  such  excellent  judgment  and  ability  as  to  win  distinct  success. 
He  has  been  interested  in  the  construction  of  over  300  buildings  for  residence  purposes 
in  this  city. 

Mr.  Loew  has  also  won  the  reputation  of  a  shrewd  and  careful  financier.  He  be- 
came an  incorporator  in  1867  of  The  Eleventh  Ward  Bank,  which  has  been  highly  suc- 
cessful and  of  which  he  is  yet  a  director,  and  in  1869,  of  The  Eleventh  Ward  Savings 


402  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Bank,  of  which  he  was  the  first  president,  filling  the  position  with  so  much  efficiency 
and  success,  that  upon  his  retirement  very  complimentary  resolutions  of  respect  and 
appreciation  were  adopted  by  the  trustees. 

Mr.  Loew  in  1870  aided  in  the  incorporation  of  The  Manufacturers' &  Builders' 
Fire  Insurance  Co.,  becoming  its  president  and  serving  for  twenty-three  years.  He 
made  the  company  one  of  the  best  and  most  prosperous  in  the  city.  In  1873,  Mr. 
Loew  became  an  incorporator  of  The  New  York  Real  Estate  Guaranty  Co. ,  of  which 
he  is  now  president.  He  is  a  director  in  The  Seaboard  National  Bank,  The  Knicker- 
bocker Trust  Co.,  The  Standard  Gas  Light  Co.,  and  The  New  York  Mutual  Savings 
&  Loan  Association,  and  first  vice  president  of  The  American  Savings  Bank,  The  Iron 
Steamboat  Co. ,  and  the  Batopilas  Mining  Co.  It  is  seldom  that  one  meets  with  such 
marked  and  continuous  progress  as  that  which  has  attended  the  persistent  enterprise  of 
Mr.  Loew. 

Although  ever  ready  to  do  his  full  duty  as  a  citizen,  Mr.  Loew  has  declined  many 
offers  of  public  office.  In  1884,  however,  he  accepted  from  a  combination  of  reform 
organizations  a  nomination  for  Comptroller  of  the  City  of  New  York  and  was  elected  by 
a  flattering  majority.  During  his  three  years  in  office,  man}'  opportunities  arose  for  an 
upright,  independent  and  intelligent  official  to  serve  the  public  interest  against  the 
best  laid  schemes  of  public  plunder,  and  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  the  reputation  which 
secured  Mr.  Loew's  nomination  was  confirmed  and  strengthened  by  his  acts  as  Comp- 
troller. In  1887,  he  was  urgently  pressed  by  a  large  number  of  the  most  prominent 
men  in  the  city  to  accept  a  renomination,  but  was  obliged  to  decline. 

Mr.  Loew  was  married  in  1872,  to  Julia,  daughter  of  Thomas  Goadby,  a  retired 
manufacturer  of  this  city,  and  has  a  family  of  three  sons,  Edward  Victor  Loew,  jr., 
Wm.  Goadby  Loew  and  Frederick  W.  Loew,  and  two  daughters,  Edna  Goadby  Loew 
and  Marguerite  Salome  Loew.  His  tastes  are  thoroughly  domestic  and  he  belongs  to 
only  three  clubs,  the  Manhattan,  Riding  and  City.  He  finds  his  greatest  pleasure  in- 
promoting  the  happiness  of  his  family  and  dispensing  a  refined  hospitality  to  a  host  of 
friends. 

Mr.  Loew  has  acquired  wealth  and  position  by  ability,  perseverance  and  upright 
methods  and  has  given  employment  to  thousands  of  men  and  improved  the  city  in  which 
he  lives.  The  path  of  many  a  struggling  friend  has  been  smoothed  by  his  acts  of 
kindness,  and  he  has  shown  by  his  success  that  "where  there  is  a  will  there  is  a  way." 
He  gives  with  discrimination,  and  is  a  good  citizen,  whose  life  record  is  an  heritage  for_ 
his  children  and  should  be  full  of  inspiration  to  every  honest  youth  who  is  determined 
to  succeed. 

ALFRED  LEBBEUS  LOOfllS,  M.  D.,  born  in  Bennington,  Vt.,  in  1831,  died  at 
No.  19  West  34th  street,  in  this  city,  Jan.  23,  1895.  Graduating  from  Union  College  in 
1851  and  fitting  himself  for  the  practice  of  medicine  at  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  in  this  city,  Dr.  Loomis  established  himself  as  a  general  practitioner  in 
1855,  after  having  spent  two  years  as  assistant  physician  on  Ward's  and  Blackwell's 
islands.  Diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs  were  adopted  as  his  specialty  from  the 
beginning  and  in  his  later  years  his  associates  in  medicine  conceded  to  him  the  rank  of 
one  of  the  leading  authorities  in  the  United  States  in  that  branch  of  medical  science. 
His  consulting  rooms  were  thronged  with  patients,  who  paid  him  large  fees  for  his 
advice,  and  Dr.  Loomis  was  one  of  the  few  who  accumulated  a  large  fortune  in  his 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LO.  403 

profession.  Bellevue,  Mount  Sinai,  the  Charity  and  other  hospitals  gave  him  a  place 
on  their  staffs,  and  he  belonged  to  all  the  principal  medical  societies  of  America  and 
Europe  and  the  faculty  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  No  other  man 
did  more  than  he  to  promote  the  prominence  of  the  Adirondacks  as  a  health  resort. 
He  was  a  large  contributor  to  the  medical  literature  of  the  day,  some  of  his  larger 
works  being  "  Lessons  in  Physical  Diagnosis,"  "Diseases  of  the  Respirator}*  Organs, 
Heart  and  Kidneys,"  "Lectures  on  Fevers,"  "Diseases  of  Old  Age,"  and  "A  Text 
Book  of  Practical  Medicine."  Dr.  Loomis  married  twice,  and  his  second  wife  and 
two  children  by  his  first  wife  survived  him. 

DANIEL  LORD,  lawyer,  a  native  of  Stonington,  Conn.,  born  Sept.  2,  1795,  died 
in  New  York  city,  March  4,  1868.  He  was  a  brother  of  Rufus  L.,  Thomas,  and  David 
X.  Lord,  the  latter  a  notable  merchant  of  this  city  and  prominent  promoter  of  The 
New  York  &  Erie  Railroad  and  also  of  Eleazer  Lord,  president  of  that  road. 
Graduating  from  Yale  College  and  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1817,  this  countrv  lad 
rose  in  time  to  be  the  greatest  mercantile  lawyer  of  New  York  city.  Few  great  cases 
in  either  the  New  York  or  United  States  courts  came  to  trial  without  his  appearance 
on  one  side  or  the  other,  and  his  practice  brought  him  a  fortune.  He  was  a 
distinguished  orator  and  his  indignant  speech  at  a  public  meeting  held  in  the  Broad- 
way Tabernacle  over  the  brutal  assault  upon  Charles  Sumner  in  the  United  States 
Senate  so  stung  the  Slidell  family,  that  one  of  its  members  challenged  him.  Mr.  Lord 
disposed  of  the  challenge  with  contempt. 

SAflUEL  LORD,  dry  goods  merchant,  born  in  Yorkshire,  England,  died  at  his 
home,  Ashton-on-Mersey,  Cheshire,  England.  May  23,  1889,  in  his  eighty-sixth  year. 
The  youngest  of  five  children,  he  was  left  an  orphan  while  young.  He  served  an 
apprenticeship  in  the  trade  of  iron-moulder,  rising  to  be  master  of  the  craft.  In 
1824,  he  came  to  New  York  and  engaged  in  the  dry  goods  business,  and  in  1826,  was 
joined  by  his  young  wife  and  child,  whom  he  had  left  in  England.  His  wife's  cousin, 
George  W.  Taylor,  entered  the  business  with  him  in  1834,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Lord  &  Taylor,  but  withdrew  in  1845,  and  was  succeeded  by  James  S.  Taylor,  Mrs. 
Lord's  brother.  The}"  continued  in  business  in  Catherine  street  until  1854,  when  they 
moved  to  the  corner  of  Grand  and  Chrystie  streets,  and  in  1860,  established  a  second 
store  on  Broadway  at  the  corner  of  Grand  street,  later  removing  the  latter  to  the 
corner  of  Broadway  and  2oth  street,  the  present  location  of  the  up-town  store. 
Mr.  Lord  retired  in  1862,  making  his  home  thereafter  at  Ashton,  Cheshire,  England. 
He  was  a  special  partner  in  several  firms.  He  never  forgot  those  who  helped  him  in 
his  early  struggles.  His  two  sons,  G.  W.  Taylor  Lord  and  Samuel  Lord,  jr.,  succeeded 
him  in  the  firm. 

THOflAS  LORD,  merchant,  born  in  Norwich,  Conn.,  about  1795,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Feb.  8,  1879.  He  was  one  of  a  notable  family,  the  men  of  which  were 
all  prominent  in  this  city,  the  early  part  of  the  present  century.  In  1822,  he  became 
a  partner  of  the  old  firm  of  Lord  &  Lees,  great  importers  of  dry  goods  in  this  city, 
famous  in  every  part  of  the  country.  He  married  a  daughter  of  Elbert  Anderson  and 
had  several  children.  He  was  president  at  one  time  of  The  Columbia  Marine  In- 
surance Co.  Receiving  a  large  inheritance  from  his  brother  Rufus,  he  added  thereto 
until  his  wealth  was  conspicuous.  Real-estate,  which  he  bought  at  what  would  now 
be  regarded  a  low  price  in  the  heart  of  the  business  portion  of  the  city,  afterward 


404  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

rose  to  a  high  value.  In  1841,  he  was  Naval  Officer  of  the  port.  His  first  wife  died 
in  1872.  Dec.  31,  1877,  he  was  married  to  Mrs.  Annette  Wilhelmina  Hicks,  a  leader 
in  the  social  life  of  the  city. 

PETER  LORILLARD,  tobacconist,  who  died  at  Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  6,  1867,  in 
the  seventy-second  year  of  his  age,  succeeded  his  father  in  a  well-established  tobacco 
business  in  this  city  about  the  middle  oi  the  century,  ana  after  many  years  of  strict 
frugality  and  untiring  industry  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  tobacco,  became  the 
richest  person  in  the  trade  in  the  United  States.  Long  before  the  many  dealers  whose 
names  are  now  familiar  as  leaders  in  the  business  had  become  known  in  commercial 
circles,  Mr.  Lorillard  accumulated  a  fortune  which  enabled  him  to  rule  the  market. 
The  business  and  house,  which  his  children  inherit,  are  one  hundred  years  old.  The 
most  conspicuous  representative  of  the  family  at  the  present  time  is  Pierre  Lorillard, 
who  is  a  large  stockholder  in  The  P.  Lorillard  Co.,  incorporated,  which,  with  a  capital 
of  $5,000,000,  employs  about  3,000  persons  in  large  factories  in  Jersey  City.  He  is  the 
founder  of  Tuxedo  Park  and  a  very  public-spirited  man. 

PHINEAS  CHAPflAN  LOUNSBURY,  statesman,  financier,  and  for  many  years 
president  of  The  Merchants'  Exchange  National  Bank  of  New  York,  was  born  Jan. 
10,  1841,  in  Ridgefield,  Conn.,  of  good  old  colonial  stock.  His  grandfather  was  a 
farmer  but  fought  bravely  throughout  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  while  his  father, 
who  yet  enjoys  a  hearty  old  age,  devotes  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits. 

The  young  man  received  his  early  education  in  the  schools  of  his  native  State 
and  showed  a  marked  fondness  for  and  proficiency  in  the  classics,  elocution  and  debates, 
his  favorite  study  being  mathematics.  When  the  Civil  War  began,  he  enlisted  as  a 
private  in  the  i7th  Conn.  Vol's,  but  was  stricken  down  by  sickness,  which  compelled 
his  retirement.  He  was  recommended  for  a  pension  but  refused  it.  In  spite  of  the 
fact  that  bad  health  debarred  him  from  participation  in  the  battles  in  which  his  regi- 
ment distinguished  itself,  he  has  never  lost  interest  in  his  former  comrades  in  arms 
and  is  an  active  member  of  Edwin  D.  Pickett  Post  No.  64,  G.  A.  R.  of  Ridgefield 

When  his  old  regiment  dedicated  a  monument  on  the  battlefield  of  Gettysburg,  in 
July,  1884,  the  former  private  was  orator  of  the  day  and  delivered  a  touching  and  elo- 
quent eulogy  over  the  graves  of  the  comrades,  who  gave  up  their  lives  in  that  hotly 
contested  fight.  His  peroration  was  worthy  of  the  occasion.  It  was  couched  in  these 
words  : 

"If  in  the  years  to  come,  the  North  and  South  shall  vie  with  each  other  in  the 
bloodless  battle  of  industry  and  patriotism,  of  social  justice  and  political  freedom,  of 
intelligence  and  virtue,  as  gallantly  and  truly  as  on  this  field  they  fought  in  fratricidal 
strife,  to  gather  the  harvest  the  battle's  red  rain  has  made  to  flow,  who  shall  regret 
the  price  paid  ?" 

Governor  Lounsbury's  political  career  has  been  an  enviable  and  brilliant  one,  char- 
acterized as  it  has  been  by  perfect  purity  and  fervent  patriotism.  His  first  vote  was 
cast  in  1862  for  Abraham  Lincoln  and  from  that  day  he  has  always  been  a  devoted 
Republican.  In  1874,  he  served  in  the  Connecticut  Legislature,  representing  his  native 
place,  and  his  services  in  that  body,  both  on  committee  work  and  as  Speaker,  won  such 
unanimous  commendation  that  he  soon  became  a  leader  in  his  party.  It  was  largely 
through  his  efforts  that  the  local  option  laws,  which  were  passed  in  the  State,  were  en 
acted,  and  however  they  may  have  antagonized  certain  classes,  it  is  certain  that  they 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LO.  405 

elevated  him  in  the  esteem  of  all  whose  esteem  is  worth  having.  It  was  by  his  speeches 
in  favor  of  temperance  that  he  first  won  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  orators  of 
the  State,  and  in  the  Elaine  campaign  of  1884,  he  added  largely  to  this  reputation. 

At  these  State  conventions,  he  was  brought  forward  as  candidate  for  Governor.  In 
1882,  he  requested  that  his  name  be  withdrawn  in  favor  of  the  Hon.  Wm.  H.  Buckley, 
but  four  years  later  he  was  unanimously  nominated  on  the  first  ballot. 

His  administration  of  the  high  office  -during  1887  and  1888,  was  characterized  by 
wisdom  and  patriotism  and  firmness,  such  as  entitle  him  to  rank  high  compared  with  his 
predecessors.  A  notable  instance  ot  how  his  influence  was  felt  was  shown  in  the  "  In- 
corrigible Criminals  Act."  This  provides  that  a  person  who  has  been  twice  convicted 
of  an  offense,  involving  a  term  of  not  less  than  two  years  in  prison,  shall  on  the  third  con- 
viction be  sentenced  to  imprisonment  for  twenty-five  years.  Governor  Lounsbury  be- 
lieved that  a  life  sentence  should  be  imposed  in  such  cases,  and  said  so  in  a  message  in 
which  he  brought  the  subject  to  the  attention  of  the  Legislature,  his  strongest  argu- 
ment being  that  the  State  prison  is  primarily  for  the  protection  of  society,  an  idea  which 
has  resulted  recently,  in  one  State  at  least,  in  the  imposition  of  a  life  penalty,  although 
it  was  thought  best  not  to  impose  the  life  sentence,  the  twenty-five  year  term  in  most 
cases  amounting  to  practically  the  same  thing. 

Politics  ran  high  during  Governor  Lounsbury's  time,  yet  when  his  term  came  to  an 
end,  even  his  most  bitter  political  foes  could  find  no  peg  upon  which  to  hang  a  just 
criticism,  and  on  nearly  all  sides  it  was  admitted  that  he  was  one  ot  the  best  executives 
the  State  had  ever  had.  His  integrity  was  beyond  question,  his  courtesy  to  all  never 
failing,  and  his  splendid  business  tact  and  his  evident  inclination  to  administer  State 
affairs  on  purely  business  principles  gained  him  the  admiration  of  friends  and  antag- 
onists alike  throughout  the  commonwealth.  It  is  seldom  that  a  man  retiring  from  a 
public  office  is  enabled  to  cany  with  him  such  universal  esteem  and  commendation. 

Even  The  Hartford  Daily  Times,  the  leading  Democratic  newspaper  of  Connecti- 
cut, was  impelled  to  say  of  him  editorially : 

"  While  our  political  preferences  did  not  favor  his  election  to  the  Chief  Magistracy 
of  the  State,  and  while  we  had  at  the  outset  some  doubts  as  to  the  probable  methods  of 
his  official  course,  we  very  frankly  say  that  he  has  been  one  of  the  best  Governors 
Connecticut  has  ever  had.  Governor  Lounsbury  unquestionably  retires  from  office  with 
the  respect  and  hearty  good  feeling  of  every  one,  irrespective  of  party,  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  into  official  personal  relations." 

Governor  Lounsbury  married  Miss  Jennie  Wright,  daughter  of  Neziah  Wright, 
one  of  the  founders  of  The  American  Bank  Note  Company,  in  1867,  and  his  domestic 
relations  are  of  the  happiest.  In  religion,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  having  been  a  lay  delegate  to  the  General  Conference  in  1886.  He  has  been 
for  many  years  a  trustee  of  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Middletown,  Connecticut, which 
conferred  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  upon  him  in  1887. 

Among  the  organizations  to  which  he  belongs  are  the  Colonial  and  Republican 
clubs  of  New  York,  and  the  Mystic  Tie  and  Jerusalem  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.,  Ridge- 
field,  Conn.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Master  of  Eureka  Chapter,  Danbury,  Conn. ,  a  Knight 
Templar  of  Crusader  Commanderv  of  the  same  place,  and  a  noble  of  the  Mystic  Shrine, 
attached  to  Pyramid  Temple,  Bridgeport,  Conn. 

Governor  Lounsbury  is  a  trustee  in  The  American  Bank  Note  Co.  and  chairman 


406  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

of  the  executive  committee  of  The  Washington  Trust  Co.  and  holds  official  positions 
in  several  other  financial  institutions. 

ABIEL  ABBOT  LOW,  merchant,  a  native  of  the  old  seaport  town  of  Salem,  Mass., 
born  Feb.  7,  1811,  died  in  Brooklyn,  Jan.  7,  1893.  The  oldest  son  among  the  twelve 
children  of  Seth  and  Mary  P.  Low,  he  went  from  the  grammar  schools  directly  into  the 
office  of  Joseph  Howard  &  Co.,  merchants  in  the  South  American  trade,  and  grew 
naturally  into  a  commercial  career.  In  1829,  the  family  moved  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
Abiel  assisted  his  father,  a  drug  merchant,  for  three  years  and  then  sailed  to  China  to 
become  a  clerk  for  Russell  &  Co.,  of  Canton,  in  which  his  uncle,  William  H.  Low,  was 
a  partner.  Admitted  to  partnership  in  1833,  he  returned  to  New  York  in  1840,  opened 
a  store  in  Fletcher  street  and  became  an  importer  of  tea.  Josiah  O.  Low,  his  brother, 
joined  him  in  1845,  and  in  1852,  his  brother-in-law,  Edward  H.  R.  Lyman.  The  firm 
name  of  A.  A.  Low  &  Bro's,  then  adopted,  yet  adorns  the  building  in  Burling  Slip, 
in  which  a  general  business  is  carried  on.  With  the  expansion  of  his  trade,  Mr. 
Low  found  it  necessary  to  possess  his  own  ships.  He  had  a  large  fleet  and  employed 
them  in  the  trade  with  China.  Mr.  Low  not  only  possessed  the  money-making  faculty 
and  a  resolute  spirit  in  emergencies,  but  a  strong  and  broad  mind,  a  generous  heart, 
a  desire  to  promote  the  interests  of  his  brother  merchants,  and  a  character  which  com- 
manded public  confidence.  He  entered  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  1846  and  was  its 
president,  1863-67,  resigning  then  in  order  to  enjoy  a  voyage  around  the  world.  He 
was  president  of  the  trustees  of  the  Packer  Institute  in  Brooklyn  for  many  years, 
and  a  patron  of  nearly  all  the  philanthropic  institutions  on  that  side  of  the  East  river. 
During  the  War,  he  proved  a  stanch  and  active  supporter  of  the  Union.  Investment 
and  the  habit  of  giving  personal  attention  to  every  important  interest  led  him  into  the 
directorate  of  The  American  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Delaware 
&  Hudson  Canal,  The  Greenwich  Insurance  Co.,  The  Low  Moor  Iron  Co.,  The  Nassau 
Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  The  Old  Dominion  Land  Co., 
The  Greenwood  Cemetery  Co.,  The  Home  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Union  Trust  Co., 
and  The  Washington  Life  Insurance  Co.  He  was  a  large  owner  of  The  Brooklyn 
City  Railroad  and  The  Franklin  Trust  Co.  Although  amassing  great  wealth,  he  bore 
himself  with  quiet  modesty  and  was  universally  loved.  In  March,  1841,  he  married 
Ellen  Almira,  daughter  of  Josiah  Dow.  Their  four  children  were  Harriette  Low, 
Abbot  Augustus  Low,  Seth  Low  and  Mrs.  Henry  E.  Pierrepont.  Mrs.  Low  died 
Jan.  25,  1850.  Feb.  25,  1851,  Mr.  Low  was  married  again  to  Ann  D.  B.,  widow  of  his 
brother,  William  H.  Low.  She  died  in  1891.  His  son,  Seth  Low,  president  of  Colum- 
bia College,  has  recently  made  the  munificent  gift  of  $1,000,000  to  the  college. 

JOSEPH  TOflPKINS  LOW,  merchant,  was  born  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  August, 
1846,  and  is  a  son  of  James  Low,  a  native  of  Massachusetts,  and  Emeline  Van  Buskirk, 
of  Louisville.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  New  York  city  and  began  life  as  a 
clerk  in  the  dry-goods  jobbing  house  of  Wicks,  Smith  &  Co.  In  January,  1867,  he  had 
gained  sufficient  experience  and  confidence  to  go  into  the  firm  of  Low,  Harriman  & 
Co. ,  dry  goods  commission  merchants.  They  have  always  represented  various  factories, 
especially  the  New  York  Mills  of  Utica,  N.  Y. ,  and  by  diligent  enterprise  have  in- 
creased their  transactions  to  several  million  dollars  a  year.  In  1888,  the  style  of  the 
firm  was  changed  to  Joseph  T.  Low  &  Co.,  Mr.  Harriman  having  retired.  The  senior 
partner  is  not  simply  a  competent  merchant.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  fine  cultivation  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. LO.  407 

high  character  and  is  highly  esteemed  both  in  business  circles  and  up  town  and  enjoys 
the  acquaintance  of  a  large  number  of  pleasant  friends.  He  married  Mary,  grand- 
daughter of  Dr.  Valentine  Mott,  in  February,  1870,  and  his  children  are  Joseph  T., 
Oliver  H.,  May  and  Laura  Low  He  has  joined  many  of  the  best  clubs,  including  the 
Union  League,  Manhattan,  Country,  Merchants',  and  Lawyers',  and  The  New  England 
Society,  and  is  a  director  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Hanover  Fire 
Insurance  Co.,  The  Safe  Deposit  Co.  of  New  York,  and  other  institutions. 

JOSEPH  S.  LOWREY,  merchant,  born  in  Newark,  N.  J  ,  died  at  his  home  in  this 
city,  July  27,  1885,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four.  He  came  to  New  York  when  seventeen 
years  old,  and  for  several  years  was  employed  by  the  dry  goods  firm  of  Edmund  J. 
Kingsland,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  city.  In  1855,  he  organized  the  firm  of  J.  S. 
Lowrey  &  Co. ,  importers  of  furnishing  goods  and  rose  therein  to  fortune.  Mr.  Lowrey 
was  one  of  the  organizers  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  of  which  he  was  president,  and  was 
a  director  in  The  Importers'  &  Traders'  Bank,  The  Hanover  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  The 
Missouri  Pacific  Railway  and  The  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern  Railway. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  was  for  some  time  chairman  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  Union  League  club.  For  thirty  years,  he  had  been  one 
of  the  most  active  business  men  of  New  York.  His  wife  and  one  son  survived  him. 

WILLIAfl  LUnniS,  banker  and  stock  broker,  born  in  New  York  city,  May  2, 
1841,  is  a  son  of  William  Maxwell  Lummis,  a  dry  goods  merchant,  and  Ann  O'Brien, 
his  wife,  the  latter  the  sister  of  William  and  John  O'Brien,  the  famous  bankers.  In  the 
veins  of  Mr.  Lummis  flows  the  blood  of  a  mingled  ancestry,  both  patrician  and  demo- 
cratic. His  paternal  line  is  traced  back  to  a  Puritan  pioneer,  who  emigrated  to  the  new 
world  from  England  in  1636.  The  Maxwell  family  originated  in  the  north  of  Ireland 
and  was  planted  in  this  country  about  the  year  1700.  The  maternal  line  descends  from 
French  Huguenot  and  Irish  stock  and  the  grandfather  of  Mr.  Lurnmis  was  Lord 
O'Brien,  Earl  of  Inchiquin.  In  his  own  character  and  career,  Mr.  Lummis  has  exem- 
plified the  elevated  spirit,  the  enterprise  and  the  sterling  qualities  of  his  forbears. 
He  had  the  advantage  of  beginning  life  with  an  excellent  education  and  is  one  of  those 
to  whom  his  associates  point  with  satisfaction  as  typical  of  the  success  of  the  "college 
man  in  business  "  From  private  schools  in  this  city,  Mr.  Lummis  went  to  Columbia 
College,  whence  he  graduated  in  1859,  with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  receiving  three  years 
later,  from  his  alma  mater,  the  degree  of  A.  M. 

Destined  at  first  for  the  law,  he  studied  the  text  books  of  that  profession  for  two 
years  in  the  offices  of  Augustus  Schell,  Waldo  Hutchins  and  Judge  Henry  E.  Davies. 
But  an  active  spirit  and  opportunity  combined  led  him  to  decide,  finally,  upon  a  differ- 
ent career,  and  he  then  entered  the  banking  office  of  William  &  John  O'Brien  in  Wall 
street.  The  vocation  proved  congenial  and  he  made  himself  useful  at  once.  He  pur- 
chased a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange  in  1864,  and  in  1865,  was  admitted  to  partnership 
by  his  uncles.  Mr.  Lummis  has  spent  his  whole  life  in  the  world  whose  interests 
center  in  Wall  street  He  retired  from  William  &  John  O'Brien  in  1878,  and  formed  a 
partnership  with  Henry  Day,  previously  of  Gwynne  &  Day,  and  conducted  a  banking  and 
brokerage  business  on  Wall  street,  under  the  title  of  Lummis  &  Day  until  1885,  when 
he  retired  from  active  business,  his  brother  succeeding  to  his  interest  in  the  firm. 

At  the  Stock  Exchange,  Mr.  Lummis  b2came  prominent  in  a  very  few  years  in 
consequence  of  his  soundness  of  judgment,  personal  popularity  and  courteous  address. 


AMERICA'S  SUCCESSFUL   HEX. 

He  served  as  a  governor  of  the  Stock  Exchange  ,874-S6,  and  was  elected  vice  president 
in  ,884.  For  a  time  after  the  resignation  of  A.  S.  Hatch,  he  was  the  acting  president 
of  the  Exchange  and  thereafter  declined  farther  office. 

He  has  since  been  occupied  with  investments.  He  is  an  excellent  judge  of  cor 
porate  properties,  is  cool,  keen  and  successful  in  their  management,  and  n  or  has  been 
a  director  of  The  Rome,  Watertown  &  Ogdensburg,  The  Uticaft  Black  Hirer  The 
Xew  York  &  New  England,  The  Xewburgh,  Dutchess  &  Connecticut  and  The  South 
Carolina  &  Georgia  Railroads,  The  Washington  Trust  Co.,  The  Emigrant  Industrial 
Savings  Bank  and  The  Bond  &  Mortgage  Guarantee  Co.  AH  of  these  are  important 
msbtntions  and  derive  much  strength  from  Mr.  Lummis's  connection  with  them. 

To  some  extent,  he  has  served  his  fellow  citizens  of  the  metropolis  in  public 

affairs,  although  too  busy  a  man  to  make  politics  much  of  a  feature  in  his  Hfe      He 

served  as  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  for  seven  years  and  was  chairman  of 

the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Board  for  several  vears,  succeeding  Jacob  D.  Vermilve. 

e  resigned  m  1893.     Mayor  Grace  paid  him  the  compliment  of  appointment  as  Com- 

Mssoner  of  Taxes  but  Mr.  Lummis  found  himself  reluctantlj  compelled  to  decline. 

is  as  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  city,  however,  as  anv  other  old  Xew 
\  orker  and  has  promoted  its  prosperity  in  many  ways. 

He  was  married  in  1886  and  is  the  father  of  William  Maxwell,  CharksP    Rnthand 

t  Lummis,  and  while  greatly  preferring  home  life  to  that  which  is  found  beneath 

f  a  club  house  is  nevertheless  a  member  of  the  Manhattan  club  up  town  and 

for  the  sake  of  its  facilities  of  the  Lawyers'  club  down  town.     He  is  also,  bv  virtue  of 

the  services  of  Capt.  John  Maxwell  of  Xew  Jersey,  in  die  War  for  Independence,  a  Son 

of  the  Revolution. 

EDWARD  HUTCHINSON  BOBBINS  LYflAN,  born  in  Northampton,  Ma*.   Feb 

!2j!!!Lf  JL!^J1  JOSep!l  Lyman*  hwyer'  J™^^  P™****,  andamemberof  the 
celebrated  Hartford  Convention.     His  father's  family  were  English,  his  mother's.  Scot- 
Fhe  paternal  ancestor,  Richard  Lyman,  left  England  for  this  country  about  i6« 
and  from  his  three  sons,  Richard,  Robert  and  John,  originated  all  of  the  name  of 
Lyman  in  this  country.     The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended  die  schools  of  Xorthamp- 

r1"1^:^*  '^     HC  ^  f0tmd  «1**»«  in  Boston  in  the  store  of 

Z^t??6  '  **  g00dS  ^P0"6*5-     Fo*r  rears  later,  when  the  firm  dissolved, 

two  houses  were  formed.     Mr.  Lyman  continued  with  one  of  them,  that  of  George  B. 

Jlake&  Co.,  and  m  ,  838,  went  to  England  as  their  representative.     Hebecameapan- 

nerin,84i,  and  ertahHshed  a  branch  in  Xew  York  city  under  the  name  of  NermT& 

Co.     Remaining  abroad  as  the  representative  of  the  two  howes  until  fte  fall  of  1847 

he  returned  to  occupy  himself  in  Xevins&  Co.     In  ,85*,  Mr.  Lyman  became  a  partner 

he  firm  of  A.  A.  Low  &  Bro's,  merchants  in  the  China  trade,  and  thereafter  devoted 

^totheof.erationsof  flrisfirin.     He  was  an  excellent  merchant,  spirited,  up- 

^^!t^fgtM^SLaad  l**rfweil  "*  P«  *"**  over  forty  yean,  of  active 

^^^J^^^  *  **  Lyman"S  Dame  *«  been  ««*•  bV  several  cor- 
ponitaoo^and  he  has  been  second  vice  president  of  The  Seamen's  Bank  for  Savings,  a 
director  in  The  Atlantic  Trust  Co.,  The  New  York  Mntnal  In»«anee  Co..  Tn^w 
100  ^*'^  °rieDt   Matnal  **«»«  Co.,  The  Xassau  National  Bank  of 

toook^n^TheBrooldyn  Trust  Co.     He  is  not  attracted  by  club  We  and  has  joined 
only  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Down  Town  clubs,  die  latter  a  favorite  resort  of  thesab- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.  —  LY.  409 

stantial  men  of  the  lower  part  of  New  York  city  for  luncheon.  His  home  is  in  Brook- 
lyn. He  was  married  in  August,  1846,  to  Sarah  Elizabeth,  a  sister  of  A.  A.  Low. 
This  union  brought  them  four  children,  Edward  Robbins,  who  lived  four  months; 
Joseph,  who  died  in  September,  1883;  Anna  Jean,  who  married  Alfred  T.  White,  and 
Frank  Lyman.  His  wife  died  in  April,  1863  In  August,  1865,  he  married  Catharine 
Amelia,  daughter  of  Dr.  Alfred  Tredway,  of  Hart's  Village,  Dutchess  county,  N  Y. 

WILLIAfl  HEATH  LYON,  a  most  successful  wholesale  merchant,  born  in  the  town 
of  Holland,  Hampden  count) ,  Mass. ,  Oct.  i8,"i8i9,  traces  his  descent  from  William  Lyon, 
one  of  the  early  English  settlers  of  Massachusetts,  who  located  at  Roxbury  in  1635. 

Mr.  Lyon  spent  his  early  life  in  work  upon  a  farm,  attending  the  district  school 
during  every  winter.  When  fourteen  years  of  age,  he  was  sent  to  a  school  in  Hart- 
ford, Conn.,  and  after  graduation  went  to  Wayne  county,  N.  Y.  where  for  five  years 
he  engaged  in  teaching,  the  last  two  years  as  principal  of  the  Clyde  High  School. 

While  principal  of  this  school,  the  enterprise  of  Prof.  Morse,  who  had  put  a  tele- 
graph line  into  operation  between  Washington  and  BaUimore,  attracted  his  attention. 
Mr.  Lyon  was  deeply  interested  in  the  subject  of  telegraph}',  and,  in  the  course  of  some 
experiments  of  his  own,  constructed  a  printing  telegraph  machine,  or  rather  demon- 
strated, by  means  of  a  model  which  he  had  made,  that  type  and  ink  could  be  used  in 
conveying  messages  by  telegraph  wire.  This  no  doubt  was  the  basis  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  machine,  wrhich  has  since  been  utilized  throughout  the  world.  The  Clyde 
Eagle,  a  paper  published  at  Clyde,  in  its  issue  of  July  n,  1844,  Volume  i,  No  9, 
printed  a  two  column  editorial  article  in  full  explanation  of  Mr.  Lyon's  telegraphic 
experiments,  which  was  copied  and  commented  upon  by  The  New  York  Evening  Post, 
Tlie  Commercial  Advertiser,  The  Boston  Traveller  and  other  journals.  Mr.  Lyon  was 
one  of  the  earliest  electricians  in  the  United  States,  and  had  he  chosen  to  pursue  the 
investigations,  upon  which  he  entered  fifty  years  ago,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  risen 
in  time  to  the  front  rank  in  this  science.  But  commercial  pursuits  appeared  to  be 
more  agreeable  to  him  and  to  offer  a  wider  field  for  advancement  than  electrical  or 
scientific  investigations.  He  therefore  decided  to  engage  in  the  former. 

In  1845,  he  came  to  New  York  city  and  for  two  years  found  occupation  as  salesman 
in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  business.  He  then  changed  from  dry  goods  to  what  was 
then  termed  '  •  Yankee  notions  and  fancy  goods. "  After  organizing  the  firm  of  Wm. 
H.  Lyon  &  Co.,  his  brother,  Warren  W.  Lyon,  being  the  "Co.,"  he  began  business  at 
his  own  risk  with  a  very  limited  capital  on  the  second  floor  of  the  building  at  No.  169 
Pearl  street.  Mr.  Lyon  proved  a  splendid  merchant,  energetic,  upright  and  sound, 
and  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  a  gradual  but  constant  growth  of  his  trade. 
Larger  quarters  were  soon  needed.  In  1851,  they  moved  to  No.  4  Dey  street,  in  1860, 
to  No's  15-17  Cortlandt  street;  in  1864,  to  No.  371  Broadway  and  in  1870,  to  the  large 
double  store  No's  483  and  485  Broadway,  fifty  feet  in  width,  running  through  the 
entire  block  to  Mercer  street.  A  business  conducted  with  intelligence  and  energy 
advances  with  accumulating  speed  and  in  the  new  location  the  trade  of  Mr.  Lyon 
increased  rapidly.  The  firm  remained  there  for  twenty  years,  when  Mr.  Lyon  having 
reached  the  age  of  three  score  and  ten,  decided  to  close  the  business  of  the  firm  and 
retire  from  mercantile  pursuits.  During  the  forty-three  years  of  existence  of  the  firm, 
several  valued  employe's  were  admitted  to  partnership,  but  the  name  of  the  house  was 
never  changed. 


410  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

The  firm  of  Wm.  H.  Lyon  &  Co.  were  ever  in  the  van  of  progress.  Mr.  Lyon  had 
the  spirit  and  sagacity  to  be  the  first  New  York  merchant  in  his  line  of  business  to  visit 
Europe  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  a  better  assortment  of  fancy  goods,  small  wares, 
etc.,  than  could  be  obtained  at  the  time  from  New  York  importers.  The  first  trip 
took  place  in  1848.  He  had  intended,  after  completing  his  purchases  in  England,  to  go 
directly  to  France,  but  was  prevented  for  the  moment  by  the  revolution  in  progress 
there.  He  visited  Belgium  instead.  While  there  he  heard  of  the  flight  of  Louis 
Phillipe  to  England  and  the  establishment  of  the  provisional  government  of  the 
French  Republic  under  Lamartine.  Leaving  Belgium  immediately  for  France,  he  was 
the  first  American  merchant  to  enter  Paris  after  the  insurrection.  Confusion  reigned 
throughout  the  city  and  the  trade  of  the  commission  houses  and  manufacturers  was 
prostrated.  Goods  then  ruling  at  low  prices,  Mr.  Lyon  purchased  liberally  and  made 
arrangements  for  future  shipments.  These  ventures  earned  their  own  reward  in  large 
profits.  The  house  afterward  imported  large  quantities  of  goods  from  all  the  leading 
commercial  cities  in  Europe,  and  from  India,  China  and  Japan.  Few  firms  in  New 
York  became  better  known  throughout  the  commercial  world  than  Wm.  H.  Lyon  & 
Co.  Their  sales  extended  to  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  to  Canada,  Mexico,  the 
West  Indies  and  South  America. 

Although  Mr.  Lyon  always  gave  to  all  his  business  affairs  the  strict  and  pains- 
taking attention  characteristic  of  a  thorough  business  man,  he  found  time  nevertheless 
for  social  enjoyment,  public  duties  and  the  management  of  corporate  enterprises.  He 
is  an  old  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New  York,  and  a  member  of  The 
Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society,  and  the 
Oxford  and  Union  League  clubs  of  Brooklyn.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The  New  Eng- 
land Society,  The  Brooklyn  Life  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Bedford  Bank  and  vice 
president  of  The  Hamilton  Trust  Co. ,  of  Brooklyn. 

An  important  public  service  has  been  performed  by  Mr.  Lyon  with  respect  to 
those  scattered  tribes  of  the  original  possessors  of  this  continent  yet  surviving  in  the 
West.  During  General  Grant's  administration,  Congress  authorized  the  President  of 
the  United  States  in  his  discretion  to  organize  a  Board  of  Indian  Commissioners,  select- 
ing men  noted  for  intelligence  and  philanthropy,  to  serve  without  compensation.  Mr. 
Lyon  was  appointed  by  General  Grant  one  of  the  members  of  this  Board.  He  was  im- 
mediately assigned  to  the  Purchasing  Committee  and  served  as  its  chairman  under  six 
Presidential  administrations.  The  purchases  of  Indian  annuity  goods  and  supplies  had 
previously  been  conducted  in  a  way  which  did  not  give  general  satisfaction.  Mr.  Lyon 
organized  a  system  of  bids  and  awards  under  which  an  animated  competition  in  bidding 
took  place  between  the  largest  merchants  and  manufacturers  in  the  country,  and  there- 
after the  goods  and  supplies  required  for  the  Indians  were  obtained  at  very  low  prices. 
During  several  summer  vacations,  Mr.  Lyon,  as  a  member  of  this  board,  visited  and 
held  councils  with  the  following  Indian  tribes :  The  Chippewas  and  Pembinas  in  Northern 
Minnesota;  the  Sioux,  Mandans,  Arickarees  and  Gros  Ventres  in  Dakota;  the  Poncas 
in  Nebraska;  the  Utes  in  Colorado;  the  Northern  Arapahoes  and  Cheyennes,  Bannocks 
and  Shoshones  in  Wyoming;  the  Pi  Utes  in  Nevada;  and  the  Mountain  and  Yellow- 
stone River  Crows  in  Montana.  He  also  visited  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  St.  Louis,  Denver 
and  San  Francisco  in  the  interest  of  the  government  for  the  purchase  of  Indian  goods 
and  supplies.  It  may  be  mentioned  that  at  the  various  councils  with  savage  tribes, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — LY.  4H 

the  Indians  fell  into  the  habit  of  addressing  Mr.  Lyon  as  General,  it  being  their  con- 
ception that  persons  in  authority  were  war  chiefs,  and  Mr.  Lyon  has  long  enjoyed  the 
distinction  of  the  soubriquet  of  General. 

Many  years  ago,  Mr.  Lyon  invested  a  portion  of  his  means  in  large  tracts  of  real 
estate  in  Iowa,  Minnesota  and  Dakota  at  very  low  prices.  This  property  has  continued 
to  increase  in  value  and  proved  to  be  an  excellent  investment,  but  since  retirement  from 
mercantile  pursuits  he  has  confined  his  investments  mostly  to  bank  and  trust  company 
stocks  and  real  estate  mortgages.  He  has  never  manifested  any  desire  for  political 
office;  but  while  in  California  on  Indian  business  in  1878,  he  was  nominated  for  Con- 
gress on  the  Republican  ticket  from  his  district  in  Brooklyn,  which  usually  gave  a 
Democratic  majority  of  8,000.  His  candidacy  reduced  this  majority  about  one  half. 

Mr.  Lyon  and  his  family  were  always  fond  of  traveling,  and  after  closing  up  his 
business,  they  made  a  long  journey  through  several  countries  of  the  old  world.  Having 
previously  visited  the  principal  cities  in  Western  Europe,  they  went  directly  upon  this 
occasion  to  Italy  and  after  visiting  Florence,  Rome  and  Naples,  sailed  for  Egypt, 
where  they  met  William  H.  Lyon,  jr.,  then  fresh  from  a  voyage  around  the  world  via 
California,  Japan,  China,  India  and  the  Red  Sea.  After  spending  several  weeks  on  the 
River  Nile  in  Egypt  and  Nubia,  they  went  to  Jerusalem  and  other  places  in  the  Holy 
Land,  and  then  visited  Damascus,  Baalbek,  Beirut,  Smyrna,  Athens,  Constantinople, 
Vienna,  Moscow,  St.  Petersburg,  Stockholm,  Copenhagen,  Berlin,  and  Brussels  and 
came  home,  via  London. 

Mr.  Lyon  has  long  been  a  resident  of  New  York  avenue  in  Brooklyn.  His  large 
double  house,  with  all  modern  improvements,  surrounded  by  grounds  covered  with 
many  kinds  of  shade  trees  and  flowering  shrubbery,  is  liberally  furnished  with  mate- 
rial selected  by  his  family  in  Oriental  countries  expressly  for  that  purpose,  and  many  of 
the  fruits  of  a  long,  busy  and  prosperous  life  can  be  seen  in  his  very  pleasant  and  com- 
fortable home.  He  was  married  in  1853  to  Ellen  M.  Gaylord,  daughter  of  Marvin  J. 
Gaylord,  of  Bristol,  Conn.,  and  there  have  been  born  to  them  Alena  F. ,  Adela  J.,  Wm. 
H  ,  jr.,  and  Marvin  T.  Lyon. 

A  man  of  genial  temperament,  strong,  calm  and  sedate,  Mr.  Lyon  enjoys  to  the 
uttermost  in  his  years  of  rest  the  friendship  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends  won  by  an  hon- 
orable, sympathetic  and  useful  life.  His  energy  and  integrity  have  contributed  to  the 
glory  of  the  metropolis  and  the  decent  administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  government. 
While  fortune  has  rewarded  his  practical  labors,  the  crown  of  his  life  grows  out  of 
those  elements  of  his  character  which  have  won  for  him  the  esteem  of  his  fellow  citizens. 


M. 

DAVID  HUNTER  McALPIN,  whose  name  is  known  wherever  the  brands  of  tobacco 
he  manufactures  are  used,  and  that  is  nearly  everywhere,  was  born  in  Pleasant  Valley, 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y. ,  Nov.  8,  1816.  His  father,  James  McAlpin,  came  to  this  coun- 
try in  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  with  Jane  Hunter,  his  wife,  and  estab- 
lished himself  in  a  small  way  as  a  grocer.  James  McAlpin  came  from  Belfast,  County 
Antrim,  Ireland,  and  sprang  from  the  Scottish  stock  which  emigrated  from  Ireland  in 
Cromwell's  time,  his  father  being  among  those  who  were  driven  from  Ireland  by  the 
Rebellion  of  1798.  From  such  ancestors  descend  many  of  the  Scotch-Irish  race,  who 
have  been  so  instrumental  in  building  up  the  fortunes  of  this  country. 

Mr.  McAlpin  was  the  fourth  of  eight  children  and  found  his  first  employment  in  a 
cotton  factory  when  he  was  only  ten  years  old.  His  father  had  been  ruined  by  busi- 
ness reverses  and  by  a  fire  which  destroyed  all  his  property.  Until  1836,  the  youth 
worked  at  various  occupations  in  Dutchess  county,  but  removed  during  that  year  to 
New  York  and  ^embarked  in  the  cigar  business  in  Catharine  street.  There  are  many 
New  Yorkers  yet  alive,  who  well  remember  the  store.  He  also  opened  and  operated  a 
branch  store  at  No.  305  Broadway.  He  retained  these  places  of  business  until  1857  or 
1858,  when  he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  John  Cornish  &  Co.,  manufacturers  of 
tobacco.  Four  or  five  years  later,  he  was  able  to  buy  the  interest  of  his  partners  and 
establish  the  firm  of  D.  H.  McAlpin  &  Co.,  of  which  he  remains  to  this  day  the  head. 
By  dint  of  persistent  enterprise,  strong  common  sense,  sound  business  methods  and 
knowledge  of  the  public  tastes  and  wants,  acquired  by  years  of  experience,  Mr. 
McAlpin  has  brought  his  house  to  the  front,  and  it  now  holds  a  leading  position 
among  the  tobacco  manufacturers  of  the  country.  He  makes  the  well  known  brands  of 
Virgin  Leaf  and  Navy  chewing  tobaccos,  which  are  known  wherever  tobacco  is  used. 

The  firm  of  D.  H.  McAlpin  &  Co.  were  incorporated  in  1894,  retaining  the  old  name 
and  with  a  nominal  capital  of  $500,000.  Mr.  McAlpin  is  the  president  of  the  company. 
The  large  factory  on  Avenue  D  gives  employment  to  over  250  persons,  many  of  whom 
have  been  employed  for  thirty  years  or  more.  It  has  been  a  practice  with  Mr.  McAlpin 
throughout  his  life  never  to  discharge  one  of  his  employe's  without  the  gravest  cause 
and  always  to  take  a  deep  personal  interest  in  the  people  who  work  for  him.  He  has 
always  shown  himself  solicitous  for  their  welfare,  and,  as  a  result,  there  are  few  em- 
ployers more  highly  respected  and  honored  by  their  working  people. 

From  the  first  day  when  his  business  began  to  prosper,  Mr.  McAlpin  has  always 
had  the  conviction  that  real  property  would  be  the  best  investment,  and  to-day  he  is 
largely  interested  not  only  in  New  York  but  elsewhere  in  real  estate.  One  of  his  prin- 
cipal holdings  in  this  city  is  the  Alpine  block  on  Broadway  between  33d  and  34th  streets, 
which  is  occupied  by  a  splendid  apartment  house.  Besides  this  and  his  factory  build- 
ings, which  are  very  valuable,  he  owns  a  large  establishment  in  West  23d  street  and 
considerable  property  in  residence  neighborhoods.  In  1866,  he  was  compelled,  owing 
to  the  stress  of  increasing  business  and  the  temporary  failure  of  his  health,  to  take  a 
long  rest  in  the  country.  Morristown,  N.  J.,  having  been  commended  to  his  attention, 
he  finally  selected  that  town  as  his  place  of  residence  for  a  time.  He  remained  there 
about  a  year,  and  then,  becoming  impressed  with  the  healthfulness  of  the  place  and  the 


414  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

rare  opportunities  it  offered  for  investment,  he  purchased  a  country  seat,  which  is  now 
his  home  for  several  months  every  year.  He  has  been  constantly  adding  to  this  estate 
for  nearly  thirty  years,  until  he  now  owns  1,500  acres  of  land  around  the  city  in  addition 
to  his  well-appointed  country  home  as  well  as  a  large  block  of  property  in  the  business 
center  of  Morristown,  upon  which  he  has  recently  erected  several  new  buildings.  He 
takes  an  active  interest  in  the  welfare  and  prosperity  of  Morristown,  and  is  noted  for 
his  public  spirit  and  demotion  to  the  progress  and  prosperity  of  the  place. 

Despite  the  fact  that  his  boyhood  from  his  tenth  year  was  spent  in  hard  labor,  Mr. 
McAlpin  is  a  gentleman  of  intelligence  and  culture  and  the  possessor  of  a  splendid 
library,  among  whose  treasures  are  a  large  number  of  rare  books  on  Scottish  gene- 
alogy, including  many  volumes  devoted  to  the  family  name.  Like  all  other  members 
of  the  Irish  branch  of  the  family,  he  spells  his  name  without  the  final  "e,"  while  most 
of  those  who  descend  from  ancestors  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury and  settled  in  the  South,  call  themselves  McAlpine.  They  all  descend  from  the 
clan  Alpine,  which  is  frequently  mentioned  in  Sir  Walter  Scott's  works,  and  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  is  proud  of  his  derivation. 

Busy  as  he  always  is,  he  finds  time  to  attend  to  other  duties  and  is  a  director  of  The 
Home  Insurance  Co.,  The  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  National  Bank  of  the 
Republic,  The  Union  Trust  Co.,  The  Rutgers  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Standard  Gas 
Light  Co.,  The  Eleventh  Ward  Bank,  and  The  First  National  Bank  of  Morristown. 
He  is  also  a  member  of  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  The  American 
Geographical  Society,  and  a  patron  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  a  director 
of  The  Union  Theological  Seminary. 

Mr.  McAlpin  was  married  to  Miss  Adelaide  Rose,  daughter  of  Joseph  Rose,  on 
the  i6th  of  April,  1845,  at  the  old  Market  street  church,  now  the  Church  of  Sea  and 
Land.  Ten  children  were  born  to  him,  of  whom  two  died  in  infancy,  while  eight  at- 
tained their  majority.  These  were  Edwin  A.,  formerly  Colonel  of  the  yist  Reg't, 
N.  G. ,  N.  S.  Y.,  of  this  city,  who  was  recently  appointed  Adjutant  General  of  the  State 
by  Governor  Levi  P.  Morton,  and  who  assists  his  father  in  the  management  of  his 
business;  Joseph  Rose,  who  died  in  1888;  George  Lodowick,  who  graduated  from 
Yale  in  1879;  William  Willet;  Frances  Adelaide,  who  married  James  Tolman  Pyle; 
Dr.  David  Hunter,  who  graduated  from  Princeton  in  1885  and  is  now  a  professor  in 
Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College;  Charles  W. ,  who  graduated  from  Princeton  in 
1888,  and  John  Randolph  McAlpin,  of  Princeton,  1893,  who  died  the  same  year. 

From  his  earliest  days,  Mr.  McAlpin  has  been  an  indefatigable  worker,  but  despite 
his  labors,  he  has  found  time  to  form  a  collection  of  masterpieces  of  American  and 
European  art,  to  which  he  is  making  constant  and  judicious  additions.  He  has  traveled 
extensively  both  at  home  and  abroad  and  during  his  frequent  trips  to  Europe  and  for- 
eign lands  has  acquired  a  vast  amount  of  practical  knowledge  and  experience,  which 
furnishes  a  fund  of  entertainment,  both  interesting  and  instructive.  He  has  always 
been  an  active  and  generous  supporter  of  all  charitable  and  reform  movements,  and 
has  recently  erected  the  Olivet  Chapel,  a  handsome  edifice  situated  on  zd  street,  oppo- 
site the  Marble  Cemetery,  in  memory  of  his  lamented  son,  Joseph  R  McAlpin. 

Mi.  McAlpin  is  the  possessor  of  a  robust  constitution,  and  a  cheery  and  happy 
disposition,  and  he  personally  attends  to  the  details  of  his  great  business.  He  ranks 
among  the  eminently  successful  self-made  men  of  the  metropolis. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. H  A 


415 


GEN.  EDWIN  AUGUSTUS  McALPIN,  manufacturer,  puolic  man,  and  now  Adju- 
tant General  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  born  June  9,  1848,  in  New  York  city,  the 
son  of  David  H.  McAlpin,  founder  of  the  tobacco  house  in  which  both  men  have  risen 
to  prominence.  In  early  life,  the  subject  of  this  biography  attended  the  public  schools 
of  New  York  city,  and  later,  during  the  first  year  of  the  Civil  War,  graduated  from 
Phillips  academy  in  Andover,  Mass.  Like  others  of  the  youth  of  his  time,  General 
McAlpin  felt  strongly  moved  by  the  patriotic  impulses  which  then  stirred  the  people  of 
the  North,  and  he  strove  to  go  to  the  front  "and  take  part  in  the  great  war  for  the  pres- 
ervation of  the  Union.  His  longing  to  take  part  in  that  national  drama  could  not, 
however,  be  gratified;  and,  although  he  twice  actually  enlisted  as  a  drummer  boy, 
parental  authority  came  into  play,  wisely,  to  restrain  the  enthusiastic  boy  from  that  for 
which  the  immaturity  of  his  strength  unfitted  him.  When  he  had  become  old  enough 
to  go,  the  War  was  over,  but  this  did  not  quench  his  military  ardor,  and,  although  upon 
his  return  from  school  to  New  York,  he  had  found  occupation  in  a  clerkship  in  the  great 
tobacco  manufactory  of  his  father  on  Avenue  D,  he  was  determined  in  time  to  ally  him- 
self with  some  military  corps.  The  yth  regiment  is  one  of  the  commands  toward  which 
the  sons  of  good  families  in  this  town  turn  instinctively  when  they  desire  a  military 
experience,  and  in  this  corps  the  future  general  enlisted  as  a  private  at  an  early  age. 
After  a  term  of  service  there,  he  was  elected  Lieutenant  of  Co.  E,  7  ist  N.  Y.  Promoted 
soon  afterward  to  be  Captain  of  the  company,  he  rose  in  two  years  to  the  rank  of  Major 
and  not  long  thereafter  to  that  of  Colonel  of  the  regiment.  His  energy  resulted  in  a 
great  improvement  of  the  discipline  of  this  command ;  but  increasing  business  respon- 
sibilities made  such  demands  upon  his  time  and  strength  as  to  compel  him  to  resign, 
June  30,  1887,  after  eighteen  years  of  service  in  the  National  Guard. 

In  1870,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  D.  H.  McAlpin  &  Co.,  and  has  ever 
since  been  an  efficient  factor  in  the  prosperity  of  the  concern,  aiding  materially  to  make 
his  house  the  largest  fine  cut  tobacco  industry  in  the  country.  He  is  at  present  prac- 
tically the  manager  of  the  business.  A  good  disciplinarian,  he  is,  nevertheless,  a  kind 
and  considerate  employer,  and  his  numerous  acts  of  friendliness  have  greatly  endeared 
him  to  the  working  people  in  the  factor)7.  Further  than  that,  he  has  become  popular 
with  working  men  at  large  and  their  regard  has  been  invariably  shown  whenever  Gen- 
eral McAlpin  has  been  nominated  for  an  elective  office. 

General  McAlpin  established  his  home  in  Sing  Sing  on  the  Hudson  in  1878.  He 
has  always  been  an  ardent  Republican  in  political  faith  and  of  too  active  a  nature  to 
refrain  from  participation  in  movements  which  awaken  his  interest.  In  1884,  the  Re- 
publicans of  the  1 4th  District  nominated  him,  a  week  before  election  and  in  his  absence,, 
as  the  most  meritorious  man  they  could  select,  to  lead  the  local  fight  for  a  seat  in  Con- 
gress. The  district  being  strongly  Democratic,  the  odds  were  appalling,  but  Mr. 
McAlpin  sprang  into  the  fight  with  vigor,  and  although  defeated  by  1,200  votes  ran 
2,000  votes  ahead  of  his  colleagues  on  the  Republican  ticket. 

At  one  time  postmaster  of  Sing  Sing,  he  was  during  1 886-88  a  trustee  of  the  vil- 
lage and  in  1889,  its  president.  Thrice  his  name  has  been  placed  on  the  Republican 
ticket  of  New  York  State  as  Presidential  elector  and,  in  1888,  he  received  the  largest 
vote  of  any  one  on  the  ticket  in  the  entire  State.  For  many  years,  he  has  been  espec- 
ially identified  with  the  movement  for  the  organization  of  Leagues  of  Republican  clubs, 
and  during  1889-92  was  for  four  years  president  of  the  League  in  New  York  State. 


a. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — M'C.  417 

Through  his  energy,  that  organization  became  an  effective  force  in  the  party,  arousing 
new  activity  on  the  part  of  the  older  members  and  increasing  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
younger.  When  the  national  meeting  of  Republican  clubs  was  held  in  Denver  in  1894, 
at  least  1,000  of  the  1,500  votes  in  that  convention  rallied  to  his  support  for  election  as 
president  of  the  National  League.  With  characteristic  modesty  and  a  coolness  of  judg- 
ment, which  enabled  him  to  act  with  deliberation  in  spite  of  the  exceedingly  compli- 
mentary character  of  the  support  tendered  him,  he  declined  in  favor  of  Mr.  Tracy  of 
Illinois,  who  had  more  time  to  give  to  the  practical  work  of  the  League  and  was  accord- 
ingly elected.  Gen.  McAlpin  became  president  of  the  League,  however,  in  1895. 

In  1895,  he  accepted  from  Governor  Levi  P.  Morton  an  appointment  as  Adjutant 
General  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  has  since  given  a  large  amount  of  time  to 
the  duties  of  this  office.  A  long  service  in  the  National  Guard  has  fitted  him  for  the 
position,  and  while  the  appointment  was  a  compliment  to  General  McAlpin's  untir- 
ing work  for  the  Republican  party,  it  has  given  the  State  an  Adjutant  General,  who 
knows  what  is  required  from  him  and  is  fully  competent  to  perform  his  duty.  During 
the  railroad  riots  in  Brooklyn  in  1895,  he  was  constantly  at  his  post  and  made  several 
personal  visits  to  the  scene  of  action,  his  arrangements  for  the  preservation  of  order 
being  made  with  calmness  and  prudence. 

His  business  interests  are  now  quite  diversified.  He  is  not  only  active  in  D.  H. 
McAlpin  &  Co.,  but  is  president  of  The  McAlpin  Tobacco  Co.,  of  Toronto,  The 
Manhattan  Hotel  Co.,  and  The  Ossining  Electrical  Railroad,  and  director  of  The  Sixth 
National  Bank,  The  Eleventh  Ward  Bank  and  The  State  Trust  Co.  of  this  city,  of  the 
latter  of  which  he  was  an  incorporator. 

By  his  marriage  in  October,  1870,  with  Annie,  daughter  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Brand  - 
reth,  he  is  the  father  of  Benjamin  B.,  Edwin  A.,  David  H.,  3d,  Kenneth  R.,  and  J. 
Roderick  McAlpin.  The  family  make  their  home  in  Sing  Sing  on  the  Hudson.  Gen. 
McAlpin  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  the  Union  League,  Lotus,  Republican, 
New  York  Athletic,  Seventh  Regiment  Veteran,  United  Service,  new  Manhattan 
Athletic,  Hardware,  and  the  New  Rochelle  and  Sing  Sing  Yacht  clubs,  and  several 
trade  and  charitable  associations.  He  is  fond  of  open  air  amusements,  has  pluck, 
energy,  enthusiasm  and  a  clear  head  and  gives  his  services  and  means  loyally  and  gen- 
erously to  every  cause  which  he  espouses. 

JOHN  McCONVILLE,  merchant,  born  in  Ireland  in  1813,  died  in  this  country,  July 
24,  1875.  He  was  a  son  of  William  McConville,  weaver  of  linens.  After  the  usual 
education  of  a  young  man  who  must  follow  a  practical  career,  he  began  business  life  in 
1848  as  a  jobber  and  merchant  of  dry  goods  in  a  small  store  in  Catharine  street,  New- 
York,  removing  some  time  afterward  to  Cedar  street.  All  the  energies  of  his  mind 
were  devoted  to  an  expansion  of  his  trade,  and  his  career  was  an  excellent  illustration 
of  the  rewards  which  attend  honest}7,  perseverance,  ability  and  continual  reflection  upon 
the  opportunities  of  the  commercial  world.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  occupied  a 
large  store  at  12-14  Walker  street,  and  his  firm  of  John  McConville  &  Co.  were  known 
from  Maine  to  California.  He  sold  only  for  cash  and  acquired  large  means  He  was  a 
generous  and  kind  hearted  man,  who  gave  freely  to  the  unfortunate  while  living  and 
remembered  them  in  his  will  at  his  death. 

ROBERT  HcCOSKRY,  banker,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  died  in  1867,  in  this  city, 
was  a  successful  merchant  in  the  wholesale  hosiery  trade,  located  for  many  years  in 


418  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Maiden  Lane,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Chemical  Bank.  One  of  the  wittiest  men 
of  his  day,  his  excellent  humor,  sound  sense,  sterling  integrity  and  kindliness  of  feeling 
made  him  everywhere  a  welcome  guest  and  most  entertaining  companion.  His  wife 
was  Catherine  M.,  daughter  of  Arba  Read  of  Troy,  N.  Y.  She  survived  him  and 
died  April  22,  1886,  leaving  $50,000  to  Williams  College  and  large  sums  to  charity. 

NATHANIEL  L'HOfiriEDlEU  McCREADY,  born  in  this  city,  Oct.  4,  1820,  died  at  sea 
upon  the  steamer  Etruria,  Oct.  3,  1887.  Thomas  McCready,  his  father,  died  while 
Nathaniel  was  a  child,  and  the  lad  went  to  Mobile,  Ala.,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  to  fill  a 
clerkship  in  a  shipping  house.  Returning  to  New  York  city  when  twenty-one,  he  estab- 
lished the  shipping  firm  of  N.  L.  McCready  &  Co.,  engaged  in  the  coasting  trade,  and 
remained  at  the  head  of  his  house  a  quarter  of  a  century.  An  earnest,  practical  man, 
he  prospered  in  business  and  became  widely  known,  In  1865,  he  retired  to  associate 
himself  with  Livingston,  Fox  &  Co.  and  two  years  later,  organized  The  Old  Dominion 
Steamship  Co.,  which  he  managed  as  its  president  until  his  death.  He  was  a  director 
of  The  Farmers'  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Empire  City  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  The 
Washington  Life  Insurance  Co. ;  for  a  time  president  of  The  Missouri,  Kansas  & 
Texas  Railroad  Co. ;  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Union  and  St.  Nicholas  clubs. 
He  was  a  good  merchant,  exemplary  in  habits  and  noted  for  his  firmness  in  support  of 
what  he  deemed  to  be  right.  His  wife  was  Caroline  Amanda  Waldron,  a  descendant 
of  Resolved  Waldron,  who  came  to  America  with  Peter  Stuyvesant.  Of  his  five 
children,  Nathaniel  L.  McCready,  jr.,  and  Mrs.  William  Ward  Robbins  survived  him. 

ROBERT  H.  flcCURDY,  merchant,  born  in  Lyme,  Conn.,  April  14,  1800,  died  in 
New  York,  April  5,  1880.  He  sprang  from  an  excellent  family  and  by  his  own  life 
conferred  honor  upon  the  name.  Coming  to  New  York,  a  youth,  he  entered  a  dry 
goods  store  as  a  clerk  and  it  was  there  that  he  met  Herman  D.  Aldrich,  with  whom  a 
friendship  was  contracted,  which  continued  throughout  life.  In  1820,  he  opened  a 
branch  store  in  Petersburg,  Va. ,  for  his  employer  and  remained  there  several  years. 
About  1828,  with  Mr.  Aldrich,  he  established  in  this  city  the  commission  dry  goods 
firm  of  McCurdy  &  Aldrich,  which  enjoyed  a  prosperous  existence.  After  1840,  the 
house  was  known  as  McCurdy,  Aldrich  &  Spencer.  The  senior  partner  retired  about 
1857.  Mr.  McCurdy  married  Miss  Gertrude  Mercer  Lee,  niece  of  the  late  Theodore 
Frelinghuysen  of  New  Jersey,  and  was  survived  by  five  children,  Richard  A.  and 
Theodore  F.  McCurdy  and  Mrs.  Gardner  G.  Hubbard,  Mrs.  Elias  J.  Marsh  and  Mrs. 
Charles  M.  Marsh.  ,He  was  one  of  the  founders  and  a  trustee  of  The  Mutual  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  trustee  of  The  Continental  Insurance  Co.,  director  of  The  Merchants' 
Exchange  Bank  and  The  American  Exchange  National  Bank  and  member  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce.  He  aided  in  founding  the  Union  League  club,  and  always 
took  pride  in  having  organized  the  Union  Defense  Committee  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
War.  The  life-long  association  between  himself  and  Mr.  Aldrich,  honorable  to  both 
and  romantic  in  its  nature,  is  referred  to  more  fully  in  the  sketch  of  Mr.  Aldrich. 

CHARLES  HcCLUNG  McGHEE,  railroad  president,  was  born  Jan.  23,  1828,  in 
Monroe  County,  Tenn.,  at  the  junction  of  the  Little  Tennessee  and  Tellico  rivers,  near 
old  Fort  London,  the  point  first  settled  by  the  whites  beyond  the  Alleghanies.  He  is 
the  son  of  John  and  Betsy  Jones  McGhee,  the  latter  born  McClung  and  a  niece  of 
Hugh  Lawson  White,  United  States  Senator  from  Tennessee,  1825-40,  and  a  candidate 
for  the  Presidency  in  1836.  He  is  of  Scotch-Irish  descent  on  both  sides,  his  great 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. Sl'G.  419 

grandparents  having  emigrated  from  Ireland  about  1746-47,  to  Lancaster  county,  Pa., 
whence  his  grandfather,  Barclay  McGhee,  moved  to  Blount  county,  Tenn.,  to  become 
one  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  State.  John  McGhee,  the  father  of  Charles  M.,  born 
Oct.  15,  1788,  ranked  as  one  of  the  most  successful  businessmen  in  Tennessee.  He 
was  throughout  life  a  planter,  owning  about  15,000  acres  in  the  valley  of  the  Little 
Tennessee.  Charles  M.  McGhee,  the  youngest  of  three  children,  graduated  from  the 
University  of  East  Tennessee  in  1846  -On  the  death  of  his  father,  he  came  into  a 
large  inheritance  of  land  and  negroes.  After  conducting  for  about  ten  years  a  large 
plantation  in  Monroe  county,  he  married  Miss  Cornelia  White,  great  grandaughter  of 
General  James  White,  founder  of  Knoxville,  and  grand  niece  of  Hugh  Lawson  White, 
mentioned  above.  When  the  Civil  War  rendered  secluded  estates  insecure,  he  moved 
into  Knoxville  and  cast  his  lot  in  with  the  Confederacy,  being  commissioned  in  the 
staff  department,  owing  to  ill-health.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  without  previous  train- 
ing, he  embarked  in  banking  and  became  president  of  The  People's  Bank  of  Knoxville. 
Success  attended  him.  Later,  he  conceived  the  design  of  controlling  the  disjointed 
system  of  railways  traversing  Tennessee,  and  having  secured  the  co-operation  of  men 
of  financial  ability,  became  actively  engaged  in  developing  the  mineral,  coal  and  rail- 
road interests  of  East  Tennessee.  Surmounting  all  obstacles  by  his  capacity  for  labor 
and  organization,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years  he  had  built  a  railroad  to  give  the  city  of 
Knoxville  a  direct  connection  with  Cincinnati,  and  had  with  R.  T.  Wilson  and  others, 
consolidated  the  disjointed  roads,  running  out  from  Knoxville,  into  The  East  Tennessee, 
Virginia  &  Georgia  Railroad.  About  ten  years  ago,  he  retired  from  active  business, 
having  accumulated  a  large  fortune,  by  enterprise,  foresight,  and  never  failing  faith  in 
the  resources  of  his  section.  In  1875,  he  was  elected  to  the  State  Legislature  as  a 
Democrat  and  served  for  two  years,  but  has  since  resolutely  refused  public  office.  He 
was  for  many  years  president  of  The  Knoxville  &  Ohio  and  The  Memphis  &  Charleston 
Railroads,  and  was  constantly  a  director  in  The  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia 
Railroad.  He  is  now  a  director  in  The  Texas  &  Pacific  and  The  Cincinnati,  Jackson 
&  Mackinaw  Railroads,  and  has  been  connected  with  the  development  of  most  of  the 
principal  railway  properties  of  the  South.  Compelled  to  spend  a  large  part  of  his 
time  in  New  York  city,  he  moved  his  residence  here  in  1886.  He  is  to-day  one  of 
the  most  influential  of  the  colony  of  enterprising  Southerners,  whose  financial  interests 
have  compelled  them  to  gravitate  to  the  metropolis  as  their  natural  abode.  In  June, 
1892,  General  McGhee  accepted  the  senior  receivership  of  the  great  system  of  lines, 
which  had  been  consolidated  in  The  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia  Railroad. 
During  the  last  ten  years,  he  has  made  large  donations  to  public  objects.  To  the  city 
of  Knoxville,  he  has  given  the  Lawson  McGhee  Library  building  as  a  memorial  to  a  de- 
ceased daughter,  and  he  has  been  the  constant  friend  and  benefactor  of  the  St.  John's 
Orphanage  of  that  city.  He  has  also  bestowed  large  sums  in  the  way  of  charity. 
Wherever  he  is  known,  his  name  is  a  synomym  for  inflexible  honesty. 

GEORGE  WARRINGTON  McGILL,  inventor,  born  in  Lancaster,  O.,  March  9, 
1844,  is  a  son  of  Peter  McGill,  civil  engineer  and  author.  Beginning  life  himself  as  a 
civil  engineer,  Mr.  McGill  had  turned  his  attention  to  invention  and  become  the  patentee 
of  useful  devices  before  he  had  attained  his  majority.  Since  then,  he  has  made  a  dis- 
tinct reputation  as  an  inventor  and  for  devices  originating  with  him  has  received  over 
200  letters  patent  from  the  United  States  government  Some  of  these  inventions  are 


4.20  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

exceedingly  ingenious  and  his  brass  fasteners  for  documents  and  law  papers  have  met 
with  an  especially  large  sale  all  over  the  world.  His  patents  cover  spikes,  spike 
machines,  railroad  gates,  pins  and  pin  machines,  button  machines,  electric  wires  and 
wire  machines,  stapling  machinery,  chains  and  chain  machinery,  the  well-known  McGill 
fasteners  and  a  great  variety  of  other  articles.  Mr.  McGill  is  a  large  stockholder  in  The 
Holmes,  Booth  &  Haydens  Brass  Co.,  of  Waterbury,  Conn.,  director  or  stockholder  in 
several  industrial  companies,  and  president  of  The  McGill  Fastener  Co.  His  inventions 
have  given  employment  to  thousands  of  people  at  home  and  abroad  during  the  last  thirty 
years.  By  his  marriage  with  Mary  Peebles  Harry,  he  is  the  father  of  W.  Harry 
McGill,  his  only  child.  Mr.  McGill  is  a  firm  believer  in  protection  to  American  indus- 
try, a  man  of  genial  presence  and  fine  character  and  a  member  of  the  New  York  Yacht, 
Racquet,  Lawyers'  and  American  Yacht  clubs,  and  The  Ohio  Society,  as  well  as  of  the 
Waterbury  club  of  Waterbury,  Conn. 

HENRY  KING  McHARQ,  stock  broker,  originated  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  was  born 
Feb.  6,  1851.  His  father,  John  McHarg,  a  Scot  by  descent,  and  a  wholesale  dry  goods 
merchant  by  occupation,  gave  the  young  man  a  good  education  at  Albany  academy  and 
the  Walnut  Hill  school  in  Geneva,  N.  Y.  At  the  age  of  fifteen,  Mr.  McHarg  secured  a 
clerkship  with  Lockwood  &  Co. ,  bankers  in  New  York  city  and  at  twenty-one  a  seat  in 
the  Stock  Exchange.  He  has  since  been  active  at  the  Exchange  and  a  member  of  the 
governing  committee  for  eight  years,  is  now  associated  with  railroad  and  mining  enter- 
prises in  the  West,  and  has  been,  since  1882,  a  director  and  since  1893,  vice  president 
of  The  Manhattan  Company  Bank  His  clubs  are  the  Union  League  and  New  York 
Yacht. 

THOFIAS  ALEXANDER  McINTYRE,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  19, 
1855,  is  a  son  of  Ewen  Mclntyre,  a  druggist.  The  family  are  of  Scottish  ancestry. 
First  a  clerk  in  the  employment  of  David  Bingham  and  later  with  David  Dows,  both 
prominent  grain  merchants,  young  Mr.  Mclntyre  made  his  first  venture  on  his  own 
account  in  1878,  in  the  firm  of  Mclntyre  &  Bingham.  May  i,  1879,  Henry  L.  Wardwell 
who  had  been  a  fellow  clerk  under  David  Dows  and  thoroughly  understood  the  grain 
and  flour  trade,  joined  forces  with  Mr.  Mclntyre.  They  were  able  to  muster 
about  $40,000  between  them.  With  this  capital,  Mclntyre  &  Wardwell  began  a  com- 
mission grain  business  at  the  Produce  Exchange,  which  they  have  carried  on  with 
great  success  down  to  the  present  time.  The  firm  have  long  purchased  all  the  grain 
for  The  Hecker-Jones-Jewell  Milling  Co  ,  the  largest  flour  millers  in  New  York,  and 
Mr.  Mclntyre  formed  and  is  treasurer  of  that  company.  Some  younger  men  have 
latterly  been  taken  into  the  firm  and  upon  them  is  now  placed  much  of  the  burden  of 
the  work.  Mr.  Mclntyre  is  a  director  of  The  Corn  Exchange  National  Bank  and  vice 
president  of  The  Hudson  River  Bank.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Colonial,  Reform, 
Manhattan,  New  York  Yacht  and  Down  Town  clubs  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

THOMAS  ricKlE,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  28,  1800,  died  at  No.  6 
West  37th  street,  March  27,  1875.  The  son  of  John  McKie,  a  native  of  Scotland,  and 
a  classmate  of  Mayor  Havemeyer,  he  began  life  as  clerk  for  his  worthy  father  in 
the  lumber  trade,  succeeded  to  the  business,  and  carried  it  on  with  success.  In  1840, 
he  retired  and  thenceforward  was  fully  occupied  with  the  management  of  a  considera- 
ble property  in  real  estate  and  with  investments.  He  never  held  public  office,  unless 
his  position  as  lieutenant  in  the  5ist  regiment  of  militia,  given  him  by  Gov.  Joseph  C. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. M  L.  421 

Yates  could  be  called  such.     Dec.  30,  1823,  he  married   Eliza  Brown,  had  seven  sons 
and  four  daughters,  and  found  his  greatest  happiness  in  the  home  circle. 

JOHN  flcLOUGHLIN,  publisher,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  was  born  Nov.  29, 
i&2-.  He  comes  from  Irish  stock.  With  an  education  gained  in  the  public  schools, 
he  chose  the  profession  of  a  wood  engraver  and  toiled  at  this  calling  for  years.  In  185  2, 
lie  began  the  publication  of  illustrated  books.  In  1857,  Edmund  McLoughlin  joined 
him,  under  the  name  of  McLoughlin  Bra's,  and  the  two  men  devoted  themselves  to  the 
manufacture  of  illustrated  and  toy  books  for  young  people.  In  the  sale  of  their  goods, 
they  have  met  with  excellent  success,  and  have  risen  to  the  head  of  this  trade  in  the 
United  States.  Edmund  retired  in  1886,  but  John  has  continued,  under  the  old  name, 
down  to  the  present  time.  The  factory  is  in  Brooklyn  and  the  office  on  Broadway  in 
this  city.  Mr.  McLoughlin  is  a  member  of  the  Harlem  and  Liederkranz  clubs. 

JOHN  WILLIATl  flACKAY,  president  of  The  Commercial  Cable  Co.,  was  born  in 
Dublin,  Ireland,  Nov.  28,  1831.  He  came  to  America  with  the  family  in  .1840  and 
settled  in  New  York  city.  Upon  leaving  school,  he  was  apprenticed  to  the  trade  of 
ship  building,  but  when  the  term  of  his  apprenticeship  had  expired  and  he  was  his  own 
master,  in  1851,  he  went  to  California,  and,  with  his  miner's  outfit,  hurried  to  the  gold- 
fields,  where  he  became  an  expert  in  mining. 

About  1 860,  Mr.  Mackay  went  with  the  tide  which  swelled  toward  the  new  State  of 
Nevada,  He  took  as  prominent  a  part  in  the  founding  of  the  commonwealth  of  Nevada 
as  did  the  Livingstons  in  the  establishment  of  New  York  or  the  Penns  in  the  creation 
of  Pennsylvania.  It  was  the  time  of  war.  The  Pacific  States  were  swept  by  the  fierce 
rivalry  of  sentiment,  which  echoed  the  strife  and  battle  of  the  East.  The  Union  and 
Secession  were  striving  for  mastery  on  the  Sierra  Nevadas  as  well  as  on  the  Blue 
Mountains.  Mr.  Mackay  had  a  passionate  love  for  the  Union,  and  in  all  that  movement 
for  the  preservation  of  the  Pacific  States  to  the  nation,  he  was  a  leading  spirit. 

While  doing  his  part  toward  building  Nevada  and  the  salvation  of  the  Pacific 
States  from  disunion,  Mr.  Mackay  continued  to  extend  his  mining  operations.  His  for- 
tunes advanced  and  he  became  a  member  of  what  was  to  have  historical  memory  as 
the  '•  Bonanza  firm."  This  was  composed  of  William  S.  O'Brien,  James  G.  Fair,  James 
C.  Flood  and  John  W.  Mackay,  the  latter  owning  a  two-fifths  share. 

In  1872,  the  financial  and  commercial  world  was  startled  with  the  discovery  of  what 
was  called  the  "Bonanza  Mines."  They  were  found  on  a  ledge  of  rock  in  the  Sierra 
Ntvadas  at  Yirginia  City.  The  burden  of  the  precious  quartz,  containing  silver  and 
gold  in  almost  equal  parts,  was  lodged  in  what  was  called  a  "  pocket,"  about  as  large  in 
area  as  the  City  Hall  Park  of  New  York,  which  was  Mr.  Mackay 's  playground  in  boy-, 
foood,  and  perhaps  300  feet  in  height.  From  the  principal  mine,  there  was  taken  out 
$150,000,000  in  gold  and  silver. 

This  discover}-  was  followed  by  the  establishment  of  The  Nevada  Bank,  owned  by 
Mr.  Mackay,  Mr.  Flood  and  Mr.  Fair.  It  remains  one  of  the  leading  financial  institu- 
tions of  the  Pacific  coast  to  this  day. 

His  mining  done,  Mr.  Mackay  looked  out  for  new  fields.     During  a  summer  on  the 

-  ra,  his  attention  was  drawn  to  the  cable  relations  between  the  United  States  and 

oe.     He  was  impressed  by  the  fact  that  the  cable  lines  were  in  foreign  ownership 

and  that  the  transmission  of  business  and  social  intelligence  was  in  the  hands  of  a  mo- 

•opaly .    While  reflecting  upon  the  situation,  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  James  Gordon 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MA.  423 

4 

Bennett.  That  gentleman  held  strong  views  as  to  telegraph  monopolies,  and  the  result 
of  many  conferences  between  the  two  gentlemen  was  a  resolution  to  build  an  independ- 
dent  American  cable,  landing  on  American  soil  and  under  American  control. 

The  Commercial  Cable  Co.  was  formed,  being  virtually  composed  of  Mr.  Mackay 
and  Mr.  Bennett.  Mr.  Mackay  gave  the  enterprise  personal  attention  and  went  into  it 
with  his  accustomed  caution,  intrepidity  and  enthusiasm.  It  was  a  grave  undertaking, 
and  he  made  his  way  slowly.  The  cables  should  be  of  the  best  materials ;  there  should 
be  no  imperfect  wires  or  doubtful  machinery.  Above  all,  there  should  be  no  watering 
of  stock,  no  issue  of  fancy  bonds,  no  financial  quagmires  to  ensnare  and  ruin  innocent 
investors.  By  reason  of  this  vigilance,  when  the  cable  was  finally  laid,  it  was  the  best 
of  the  kind  in  existence,  and  the  company's  finances  had  been  so  prudently  guarded 
that  it  began  operations  without  a  dollar  of  unnecessary  debt. 

The  laying  of  the  cable  involved  Mr.  Mackay  in  a  war  with  the  existing  com- 
panies. When  The  Commercial  Cable  Co.  began  operations,  the  late  Mr.  Gould,  as 
representing  the  older  companies,  proposed  that  fifty  cents  should  be  the  common  rate. 
Mr.  Mackay,  however,  had  given  an  assurance  to  the  public  of  cheaper  rates  as  well  as 
better  service.  He  therefore  proposed  forty  cents  per  word.  Mr.  Gould  declined  and 
at  once  reduced  to  twelve  cents.  He  would  lose  a  few  millions,  for  no  cable  could  pay 
under  such  conditions,  but  he  would  destroy  his  rival  and  name  his  own  rate  in  time. 
Mr.  Mackay  reduced  to  twenty-five  cents,  and  at  the  same  time  published  a  calm  state- 
ment of  the  situation.  Mr.  Gould  conducted  his  war  with  all  the  energy,  skill  and 
fertility  of  resource,  characteristic  of  that  extraordinary  man.  It  was  long  and  earnest 
and  cost  him  a  large  sum  of  money.  Mr.  Mackay  held  his  lines  with  no  hint  of  truce 
or  surrender.  He  watched  every  phase  of  the  business  with  the  earnestness  and 
tenacity  applied  to  his  former  enterprises.  There  was  no  conquering  such  a  man  and 
in  time  Mr.  Gould  proposed  a  truce.  He  would  accept  the  original  proposal  of  Mr. 
Mackay  and  make  the  rate  forty  cents  per  word.  Mr.  Mackay,  however,  had  won  the 
victory.  It  was  now  his  place  to  dictate  terms.  He  replied  that,  having  tested  the 
twenty-five  cent  rate,  he  was  satisfied  with  the  results  and  had  no  wish  to  advance  to 
forty.  The  war  ended  by  Mr.  Gould  accepting  the  twenty-five  cent  rate.  The  public 
now  save  twenty-five  cents  on  every  word  they  send  by  cable  and  The  Commercial 
Cable  Co.  has  become  a  good  paying  investment. 

To  ensure  the  success  of  the  cable  and  make  it  independent  of  rivals,  and,  further, 
to  secure  to  the  American  public  fair  rates  and  good  service  over  the  land  lines,  Mr. 
Mackay  resolved  to  construct  an  extensive  and  well  equipped  system  of  modern  lines 
and  operate  them  in  competition  with  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  The  Postal 
Telegraph -Cable  Co.,  with  its  200,000  miles  of  wire,  is  the  outcome,  thus  far,  of  Mr. 
Mackay's  resolution.  It  reaches  all  the  important  points  in  the  United  States  and 
Canada,  and  it  yields  a  good  revenue,  which,  however,  is  used  in  the  work  of  extension, 
which  yet  goes  on. 

In  May,  1894,  Mr.  Mackay  opened  to  the  public  a  new  building  on  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Murray  street,  New  York,  which  he  had  erected  for  the  accommodation  of 
his  telegraph  business.  This  building,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mr.  Mackay's  early  home, 
is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  country.  Mr.  Mackay  celebrated  its  opening  by  a  banquet 
to  the  officers  and  chiefs  of  departments  of  both  of  his  telegraph  systems,  on 
May  24,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  sending  of  the  first  telegraph  message  between 


424  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Baltimore  and  Washington.  The  spread  of  the  telegraph  during  those  fifty  years  is 
scarcely  more  marvelous  than  the  luck  that  attended  Mr.  Mackay  in  his  "Bonanza" 
venture,  enabling  him,  almost  at  once,  to  become  possessed  of  that  enormous  wealth 
and  power  which  he  is  using  so  wisely. 

But  Mr.  Mackay's  sudden  rise  to  vast  wealth,  by  which  the  thoughtless  are  apt  to 
measure  worth  and  true  greatness,  has  not,  as  it  apparently  has  in  many  similar  cases, 
resulted  in  a  corresponding  elevation  of  himself  and  lowering  of  others  in  his  own 
opinion.  Mr.  Mackay  is  not  only  a  gentleman  of  refinement  but  of  cultivated  tastes 
and  he  has  an  intimate  knowledge  of  art.  He  owns  specimens  from  some  of  the  best 
masters,  American  and  foreign.  He  is  an  earnest  Republican,  and  on  terms  of  inti- 
macy with  Republican  leaders.  His  relations  with  General  Grant  were  close  and 
affectionate  and  his  admiration  for  Grant  tinged  his  political  career.  While  active  in 
politics,  he  has  never  held  office.  When  the  Senatorship  of  Nevada  was  offered  him  in 
1888,  by  both  parties,  he  declined,  although  earnestly  urged  to  accept  by  Senator 
Conkling  and  others  with  whom  he  was  in  close  relations.  Mr.  Conkling  was  especially 
strenuous,  advising  his  acceptance  upon  the  ground  of  public  duty.  It  was  the  belief 
of  those  who  tendered  this  honor  to  Mr.  Mackay,  that  his  varied  experience,  his  char- 
acter, insight  and  courage  would  add  weight  to  the  deliberations  of  the  Senate.  Mr. 
Mackay  while  appreciating  the  high  and  delicate  compliment  paid  him  by  both  parties 
of  his  State,  believed  he  could  serve  her  better  by  following  the  bent  of  his  life,  in 
rounding  out  those  purposes,  whose  development  has  given  him  world-wide  reputa- 
tion and  in  whose  consummation  he  will  find  his  surest  title  to  fame. 

Mr.  Mackay  is  somewhat  slender,  compactly  built,  above  the  medium  height,  with 
a  fine,  strong  head,  keen,  earnest  eyes,  and  a  gentle,  cordial  manner.  His  splendid 
physique,  added  to  a  temperate  and  well-regulated  life,  enabled  him  to  recover  from 
the  wound  of  an  assassin  in  California,  who,  in  a  moment  of  insane  frenzy,  shot  him  in 
the  back  in  1893. 

ROBERT  flACLAY,  merchant,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  born  June  n,  1836,  is 
a  son  of  Robert  Haldane  Maclay,  M.D.,  and  grandson  of  the  Rev.  Archibald  Maclay, 
D.D. ,  the  latter  of  Glasgow,  Scotland.  After  graduation  from  Judson  College  in  Illi- 
nois, Mr.  Maclay  spent  six  years  on  a  farm  in  that  State  and  then  came  to  New  York  to 
engage  in  the  real  estate  business.  Having,  in  1865,  married  a  daughter  of  Alfred 
Barmore,  ice  merchant,  he  became  associated  with  his  father-in-law  in  the  business  of 
supplying  New  York  city  with  pure  ice,  rose  to  the  actual  management,  and  June  i, 
1875,  was  elected  president  of  The  Knickerbocker  Ice  Co.,  into  which  the  business  had 
be'en  merged.  He  is  yet  at  the  head  of  the  company.  For  many  years,  a  supply  of  ice 
was  obtained  from  the  Hudson  river  and  vicinity  but  in  recent  years  Mr.  Maclay  has 
extended  his  operations  to  the  State  of  Maine  and  now  has  several  ice  houses  on  prin- 
cipal rivers,  thus  ensuring  the  company  against  any  failure  of  supply.  Mr.  Maclay  has 
latterly  been  conspicuous  in  matters  not  connected  with  the  ice  business.  He  has  been 
a  Commissioner  of  Education,  and  a  Rapid  Transit  Commissioner,  and  is  president  of  The 
Knickerbocker  Trust  Co.,  vice-president  of  The  Bowery  Savings  Bank,  director  of 
The  People's  Bank,  treasurer  of  the  Manhattan  club,  and  member  of  the  Grolier, 
Metropolitan,  Down  Town  and  New  York  Athletic  clubs,  and  connected  with  various 
charities  and  societies.  July  \,  1895,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion with  a  view  to  entering  upon  a  campaign  of  reform. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MA.  425 

JOSIAH  flACY,  merchant,  born  in  Xantucket,  Mass.,  Feb.  25,  1785,  died  in  Rye, 
near  Xe\v  York  city,  May  20,  1872.  Thomas  Macy,  founder  of  the  family,  emigrated 
about  1635  from  Chilmark,  near  Salisbury,  England,  and  settled  at  Salisbury,  Mass. 
While  prominent  in  the  early  life  of  the  town,  he  was  a  Baptist.  When  religious  per- 
secution compelled  him  to  remove  to  another  locality,  he  bought  the  Island  of  Nan- 
tucket,  which  formed  the  home  of  the  family  for  many  generations.  Josiah  Macy  left 
school  at  fifteen  for  a  voyage  on  one  of  his  father's  ships.  He  followed  the  sea  for 
many  years,  at  first  on  his  father's  ships,  later  in  vessels  owned  partly  or  entirely  by 
himself,  including  various  splendid  Liverpool  packets,  and  encountered  the  troubled 
times  of  the  war  of  1812—15  with  courage  and  prudence.  After  leaving  the  sea,  he  set- 
tled in  New  York  city  in  1828,  and  embarked  in  a  shipping  and  commission  business 
with  his  son,  William  H.  Macy,  as  Josiah  Macy  &  Son.  In  1829,  Josiah  Macy,  jr.,  was 
taken  into  the  firm,  the  name  thereupon  changing  to  Josiah  Macy  &  Sons.  The  other 
sons  were  admitted  to  the  house  as  they  came  of  age.  In  1853,  Mr.  Macy  retired  from 
business  to  Rye,  N.  Y.,  where  his  house  occupied  a  pleasant  site  overlooking  the  waters 
of  Long  Island  Sound.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  from  1833  a  director  of  The 
City  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  and  a  director  of  The  Tradesmen's  Bank  for  many  years.  In 
religious  faith,  a  Quaker,  he  was  admired  by  his  generation  as  a  conscientious  and  up- 
right man.  Feb.  6,  1805,  he  married  Lydia  Hussey  of  Nantucket,  who  died  Sept. 
25,  1861.  He  left  four  sons,  William  H.,  Charles  A.,  Josiah  G.,  and  Francis  H.  Macy, 
and  two  daughters,  Lydia  H.  and  Ann  Eliza.— His  son,  WILLIAfl  HENRY  flACY, 
banker,  born  on  the  island  of  Nantucket,  Nov.  4,  1805,  died  in  this  city,  May 
19,  1887.  Educated  on  the  island,  he  entered  a  shipping  office  in  New  York  city 
in  1823  and,  in  1826,  had  the  courage  to  begin  business  on  his  own  account.  Shipping 
men  from  the  eastward  brought  their  commissions  to  the  Nantucket  boy  and  he 
made  his  way  rapidly.  In  1828,  his  father  joined  him  and  they  placed  over  their 
doors  the  sign  of  Josiah  Macy  &  Son.  Mr.  Mac}'  gained  a  very  high  reputation,  a 
fortune,  and  the  respect  of  his  fellow  merchants.  In  1834,  he  joined  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  and  was  afterward  its  vice  president.  In  1845,  he  became  a  director 
of  The  Leather  Manufacturers'  Bank,  and  on  March  5,  1855,  president.  Of  The 
Seamen's  Bank  for  Savings,  he  became  a  trustee  Jan.  12,  1848,  vice  president  in  1851, 
and  on  Ji.ne  3,  1863,  president,  and  so  remained  until  his  death.  He  was  also  vice 
president  of  The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  and  director  of  The  Bank  of  Commerce,  The 
City  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  National  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Atlantic  Mutual 
Insurance  Co. ,  and  owing  to  his  conspicuous  integrity  and  qualifications  as  a  manager, 
the  executor  of  several  estates  and  trustee  of  many  charities.  His  wife  was  Eliza  L., 
daughter  of  Sylvanus  F.  Jenkins.  Mrs.  Macy  and  four  children  survived  him,  the  lat- 
ter being  Mary  J  ,  wife  of  William  M.  Kingsland,  Cornelia  M.,  wife  of  Isaac  H. 
Walker,  Sylvanus  J.  Macy  of  Rochester  and  William  H.  Macy,  jr. 

GEORGE  CALVIN  HAGOUN,  banker,  born  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  Aug.  23,  1841, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Dec.  20,  1893.  He  prepared  for  Harvard  at  the  Cambridge 
High  School,  but  abandoned  a  college  course  in  favor  of  a  business  career,  and  began 
life  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  as  clerk  for  Lawson  Valentine  &  Co.,  varnish  manufacturers. 
In  1865,  he  secured  a  better  place  in  the  office  of  Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co  ,  bankers,  of 
Boston,  and  when,  in  1886,  Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co.  established  a  New  York  house,  Mr. 
Magoun  became  a  member  resident  here.  The  firms  in  New  York  and  Boston  were 


426  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

agents  of  Baring  Bro's,  of  London,  probably  the  largest  banking  house  for  merchants 
in  the  world.  May  i,  1891,  the  New  York  members  of  Kidder,  Peabody  &  Co.,  with- 
drew from  that  firm  in  order  to  enlarge  their  operations  and  organized  the  new  firm  of 
Baring,  Magoun  &  Co.  Mr.  Magoun  had  long  been  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  The 
Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  F<§  Railroad,  and  at  his  death  was  chairman  of  the  board  of 
directors,  having  especial  charge  of  the  company's  financial  affairs,  He  was  a  direc- 
tor of  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance 
Society,  The  Union  Trust  Co.,  The  Colorado  Midland  Railway,  The  American  Sugar 
Refining  Co.,  and  The  Don  Enrique  Mining  Co.  In  1862,  Mr.  Magoun  married  Miss 
Adelaide  Louisa  Tisdale  of  Taunton,  Mass.  To  them  were  born  three  sons.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Union  League,  City,  Tuxedo,  Lawyers',  Down  Town,  Riding,  New 
York  Yacht  and  South  Side  Sportsmen's  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society. 

JOHN  DOWS  MAIRS,  merchant,  who  died  in  Irvington-on-the-Hudson,  Oct.  3, 
1881,  in  his  54th  year,  was  a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y. ,  and  a  nephew  of  David  Dows. 
He  began  life  as  a  clerk  for  Mr.  Dows,  who  entertained  a  sincere  respect  for  his 
competent  young  nephew.  He  was  drawn  away  to  California  for  a  time  but  returned  to 
New  York  and  ,by  invitation  of  the  senior  partner  entered  the  firm  of  David  Dows  & 
Co.  in  1854.  In  the  affairs  of  this  house,  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life,  gaining  a  fortune 
and  the  esteem  of  the  whole  mercantile  community.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Prod- 
uce Exchange  from  its  organization. 

WILLIAM  H.  HAIRS,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  was  born  June  29, 
1834.  The  family  was  planted  in  America  by  his  grandfather,  a  Scottish  Presbyterian 
clergyman,  who  came  from  the  North  of  Ireland  about  1790  and  settled  in  Gahvay, 
Saratoga  county.  The  maternal  branch  of  his  family  is  an  older  one,  dating  back  to 
Jan  Franse  Van  Hussam,  a  Hollander,  a  resident  of  Fort  Orange,  now  Albany,  N.  Y., 
as  early  as  1645  and  a  large  landholder.  The  Claverack  lands,  on  which  the  city  of 
Hudson  now  stands,  were  bought  by  honest  Jan  from  the  Indians  for  500  guilders  in 
beavers.  The  family  of  Mr.  Mairs  came  to  New  York  city  in  1845.  William  was 
taught  at  the  Mechanics'  Institute  and  then  spent  seven  years  with  his  father  in  the 
fancy  goods  trade.  In  1857,  he  began  the  manufacture  of  wall  paper  on  a  small  scale 
and  promoted  his  business  so  well  that  he  is  now  the  proprietor  of  a  large  factory  at 
Sackett  and  Van  Brunt  streets  in  Brooklyn  and  of  a  trade  which  extends  to  every  part 
of  the  United  States.  The  business  was  finally  merged  in  that  of  The  National  Wall 
Paper  Co.,  but  not  until  it  had  brought  him  a  fortune,  which  is  now  largely  invested 
in  real  estate.  Mr.  Mairs  was  married,  June  13,  1866,  to  Ellen  A.,  daughter  of  Dan- 
forth  K.  Olney  of  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  and  they  have  several  children. 

THOMAS  nAITLAND,  merchant,  born  in  England  in  1848,  is  a  son  of  Stuart  and 
Margaret  Lynch  Maitland.  Educated  in  Europe  and  removing  to  New  York  city  in 
1865,  Mr.  Maitland  entered  business  life  and  rose  to  considerable  prominence  therein 
and  in  the  social  world.  About  1879,  he  became  connected  with  his  father's  firm  of 
Maitland,  Phelps  &  Co.,  an  old  mercantile  house,  founded  in  1795  by  William  Maitland. 
He  retired  in  1892  to  Wimbledon,  England.  He  was  a  director  of  several  corporations 
and  a  member  of  the  Century.  Manhattan,  Knickerbocker,  Tuxedo  and  other  clubs. 

CHARLES  H.  HALLORY,  shipping  merchant,  lived  until  his  ?2d  year  and  died  in 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  March  21,  1890.  In  early  life,  active  in  the  shipyard  of  his  father, 
Charles  Mallory  of  Mystic,  Conn.,  he  purchased  an  interest  in  various  vessels  as  he 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MA.  427 

gained  the  means  to  do  so,  and  slowly  acquired  large  interests  in  this  class  of  property. 
During  the  Civil  War,  the  family  sold  several  of  their  steamers  to  the  Government,  and 
Charles  H.  Mallory  served  his  State  in  the  Legislature.  At  the  close  of  the  War,  Mr. 
Mallory  removed  to  New  York  city  and  established  a  line  of  steamers  to  ply  between 
New  York  and  Galveston.  The  New  York  &  Texas  Steamship  Co.,  which  he  organ- 
ized, had  at  the  time  of  his  death  ten  fully  equipped  steamers  in  the  trade.  His  firm 
took  the  name  of  C.  H.  Mallory  &  Co.  Mr.  Mallory  was  always  a  man  of  overflowing 
patriotism,  pluck,  energy  and  activity.  Broad  in  his  views,  an  intense  American  and 
a  loyal  Republican,  his  life  proved  useful  to  his  countrymen  and  an  honor  to  his  native 
State.  He  was  charitable  without  ostentation,  a  member  of  Plymouth  church  in 
Brooklyn  and  a  Free  Mason.  His  fortune  descended  to  his  wife  Eunice  C.  and  five 
children,  Charles,  Henry  R.,  Kate  and  Robert  Mallory  and  Mrs.  Frances  W.  Williams. 
FREDERICK  MARQUAND,  merchant,  born  in  Fairfield,  Conn.,  April  6,  1799,  died 
at  his  home  in  Southport,  Conn.,  July  14,  1882.  When  a  young  man  he  came  to  New 
York  city,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  jeweler  and  in  time  engaged  in  business  on 
his  own  account.  His  firm  of  Marquand  &  Co.  ranked  for  a  long  period  among  the 
most  noted  jewelers  and  silversmiths  in  New  York  city.  In  1852,  Mr.  Marquand 
retired  from  business,  being  succeeded  by  Ball,  Black  &  Co.,  whose  members  had  been 
his  employes.  The  most  of  his  means  sought  investment  in  real  estate  in  New  York 
city.  After  his  retirement,  he  traveled  a  great  deal,  spending  his  winters  usually  in 
the  South  and  for  a  few  years  before  his  death  making  his  home  in  Southport,  Conn. 
He  was  a  man  of  exceedingly  fine  character  and  cultivated  tastes.  Philanthropic  move- 
ments alwa3Ts  awoke  his  interest  and  he  made  many  generous  gifts.  Chapels  were 
built  by  him  for  Union  Theological  Seminary  in  this  city  and  Yale  University,  while 
he  bequeathed  a  large  sum  to  philanthropic  objects. 

CHARLES  HENRY  MARSHALL,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  Easton,  Washington 
county,  N.  Y.,  April  8,  1792,  died  in  this  city,  Sept.  23,  1865.  His  ancestors  were  sea 
faring  people  in  Nantucket,  and  his  father,  Charles  Marshall,  a  well  known  sea  captain 
in  his  day,  retired  to  a  farm,  as  old  salts  are  fond  of  doing,  on  the  Saratoga  patent 
in  1785.  Charles  was  born  in  a  log  cabin,  spent  his  youth  on  the  farm,  and  then  be- 
came a  sailor  as  his  forbears  had  been  before  him  and  as  his  four  brothers  were  also.  A 
man  of  stern  common  sense  and  strong  mind,  he  rose  to  become  the  master  of  a  ship, 
made  many  famous  passages,  and  finally  became  one  of  the  most  trusted  captains  of 
the  Black  Ball  Line  of  packets  to  Liverpool.  He  left  that  line  in  1834  to  assume  the 
management  of  the  Old  Line  of  packets  and  later  became  its  proprietor.  He  managed 
this  fleet  with  success  for  thirty  years,  superintended  the  building  of  new  vessels,  and 
aided  materially  to  make  American  packet  ships  the  swiftest,  most  powerful  and  most 
successful  vessels  in  the  world  and  the  despair  of  their  English  rivals.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  one  of  the  organizers  and  third  president  of  the  Union 
League  club;  president  of  the  Marine  Society  for  twenty  years;  trustee  of  the  Sailors' 
Snug  Harbor;  in  1851-55,  a  Commissioner  of  Emigration;  and  from  1845  until  his 
death  a  Pilot  Commissioner.  He  lived  to  see  the  Union,  which  he  loved  so  well,  tri- 
umphant in  the  Civil  War.  He  was  married  in  1822,  to  Fidelia,  daughter  of  Dr.  Lem- 
uel Wellman,  and  left  a  large  fortune  to  his  children,  Charles  Henry  Marshall,  Elizabeth 
Robertson,  wife  of  Charles  Lawson,  Mrs.  Mar}-  Russell  Butler,  and  Malvina  W.  and 
Helen  Wyckoff  MarshalL 


428  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

JOHN  THOriAS  flARTIN,  capitalist,  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  Oct.  2,  1816,  is  a 
distinguished  representative  of  an  old  family.  Educated  in  St.  Mary's  School,  he 
entered  the  store  of  Birckett  &  Pearcc,  merchants  of  Baltimore,  while  yet  a  lad,  and 
there  gained  the  training  to  which  his  subsequent  life  did  so  much  honor.  At  the 
age  of  seventeen,  he  removed  to  St  Louis  and  engaged  in  the  clothing  trade,  a  venture 
beyond  the  powers  of  most  men  of  that  age,  but  Mr.  Martin  was  a  man  of  unirsual 
abilities,  and  when  he  retired  fifteen  years  later,  he  came  to  Brooklyn  with  large  means. 
During  the  Civil  War,  large  contracts  for  army  clothing  were  awarded  to  him  by  the 
Federal  Government,  which  he  filled  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  authorities.  He  then  be- 
came a  stockholder  in  financial  corporations  and  joined  a  few  large  syndicates  in  im- 
portant reorganizations  of  railroad  companies.  He  has  latterly  done  much  for  the 
improvement  of  the  water  front  of  Brooklyn  and  has  been  a  director  in  The  Home  Life 
Insurance  Co.,  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.,  The  Long  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co.  and  The 
Nassau  National  Bank  and  other  corporations.  A  man  of  noble  features,  large  nose, 
large  mouth,  his  side  whiskers  now  silvered  with  advancing  years,  and  with  shrewd, 
keen,  t  at  kindly  eyes  lighting  an  expressive  face,  Mr.  Martin's  nature  is  fully  in  keep- 
ing with  his  distinguished  personal  appearance.  He  is  fond  of  art  and  has  made  a 
notable  collection  of  paintings.  Of  the  Polytechnic  Institute,  he  was  a  founder  and 
first  treasurer. 

JOHN  W.  MASURY,  born  in  the  old  town  of  Salem,  Mass.,  Jan.  i,  1820,  died  in 
this  city,  May  15,  1895.  He  was  the  second  of  four  children,  the  progeny  of  John 
Masury  and  Priscilla  Carroll.  The  father  was  of  French  descent,  a  Huguenot  of  the 
Le  Mesuriers,  who  are  of  world-wide  celebrity  as  engineers  and  in  the  development  of 
the  useful  industries.  They  were,  moreover,  sturdy  advocates  of  civil  and  religious 
liberty  and  that  trait  to-day  is  prominent  in  the  character  of  every  surviving  member  of 
the  family  in  America.  The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  more  than  ordin- 
arily impressed  with  the  necessity  of  a  good  secular  education  and  placed  his  three  boys 
under  the  tuition  of  James  S.  Gerrish,  who  was  acknowledged  to  be  the  best  instructor 
of  boys  in  the  Old  Bay  State,  which  was  then  the  center  of  learning  in  the  new  world. 
Under  the  tuition  of  this  excellent  teacher,  the  second  son,  "  Masury  Secundus,"  as  his 
master  always  called  him,  developed  an  aptness  in  the  acquisition  of  book  knowledge 
which  was  almost  phenomenal.  Mr.  Gerrish  was  a  severe  man,  exacting,  rigorous  and 
a  great  disciplinarian,  never  given  to  exaggeration  or  hyperbole  in  writing  or  speech, 
and  he  ruled  by  fcc.r  rather  than  love. 

On  the  severance  of  this  relationship,  which  came  about  because  of  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  a  distant  city,  the  master  proffered  the  departing  pupil  a  letter,  addressed 
"to  whom  it  may  concern,"  which  read  as  follows: 

"This  may  certify  that  the  bearer,  John  W.  Masury,  has  been  under  my  tuition  for 
more  than  three  years.  He  is  a  lad  of  a  high  order  of  talents,  strict  honesty,  integrity 
and  uniformity.  He  carries  with  him  the  best  wishes  of  his  friend  and  instructor, 

JAS.  S.  GERRISH." 

After  this  parting,  the  grateful  and  loving  pupil  never  met  his  friend  and  instructor. 
The  certificate  mentioned  above  bore  date  of  1831. 

After  a  short  sojourn  in  their  new  abode,  the  family  returned  to  Salem  and  reoc- 
cupied  the  old  homestead,  where  the  good  mother  lived  to  the  ripe  age  of  eighty-four 
years.  Mr.  Masury  remained  at  home  until  he  was  twenty-two,  when  he,  like  many  or 


430  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

most  of  the  Salem  boys,  sought  abroad  the  honor  which  did  not  seem  to  be  within  easy 
reach  at  home.  The  metropolis  was  his  objective  point,  and  Brooklyn,  then  a  city  of 
about  45,000  people,  received  him  as  an  adopted  son.  The  residence  in  his  adopted 
city  continued  without  interruption  for  more  than  forty  years.  Early  in  his  Brooklyn 
life,  he  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the  then  only  paint  house  in  the  growing  city.  In  his 
position  as  clerk,  he  enjoyed  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  worthy,  good,  generous 
benevolent,  cheerful  and  happy  employer,  the  late  John  D.  Prince.  After  some  years 
of  this  most  delightful  relationship,  Mr.  Prince  listened  favorably  to  a  proposition  of 
his  clerk  to  establish  a  factory  for  the  making  of  ground  colors,  which  business  was 
then  in  its  infancy.  This  project  soon  became  a  real  fact  and  the  business  has  been 
continued  under  several  names  and  changes  up  to  date  with  ever-increasing  prosperity 
and  profitable  results.  The  business  was  started  under  the  firm  name  of  John  D.  Prince 
&  Co.  Later,  a  Mr.  Weeks,  a  very  clever  and  popular  salesman,  was  admitted  as  a 
partner  and  the  business  continued  under  the  name  of  Prince,  Masury  &  Weeks.  Later 
yet,  the  junior  partners  bought  the  interest  of  the  senior  and  the  firm  continued  as 
Masury  &  Weeks  up  to  the  time  of  the  decease  of  Mr.  Weeks,  which  occurred  about 
1857.  To  pay  for  the  interest  of  the  deceased  partner's  estate,  Mr.  Masury  found  it 
necessary  to  seek  another  partner  who  appeared  in  the  person  of  Frederick  L.  Whiton. 
With  the  money  thus  acqiiired,  the  Weeks  interest  was  settled  and  the  business  was, 
under  the  name  of  Masury  &  Whiton,  continued  until  1871,  when  Mr.  Whiton  died  of 
consumption  at  Aiken,  S.  C. 

Up  to  this  time,  the  business  had  been  carried  on  in  connection  with  the  sale  of  dry 
colors,  brushes  and  painters'  materials  of  every  name  and  description.  The  dissolution 
of  the  firm  consequent  upon  the  decease  of  the  junior  partner  left  Mr.  Masury  sole  pos- 
sessor, and  with  prescient  wisdom  he  made  up  his  mind  to  divorce  the  shop-keeping 
branch  from  the  manufacturing  department  and  devote  all  his  energies  and  talents  to 
the  development  of  the  latter.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Masury  had  given  his  almost 
undivided  time  and  attention  to  the  success  of  the  concern.  His  working  days,  almost 
without  cessation  or  intermission,  were  given  to  the  work.  Nor  did  his  labor's  cease 
with  the  close  of  the  day,  as  midnight  often  found  him  at  his  library  table  deeply  en- 
gaged in  study.  He  early  developed  a  taste  for  letters,  was  a  great  reader,  and  his 
wonderfully  retentive  memory  enabled  him  to  retain  not  only  the  sense  but  the  words 
of  all  his  extensive  readings.  His  perfect  familiarity  with  English  and  French  classical 
literature  was  the  marvel  of  all  who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  society.  The  late 
Edward  Van  Winkle,  a  prominent  member  of  the  New  York  bar  and  a  writer  on 
Shakespeare,  paid  him  the  high  compliment  of  saying,  that  Mr.  Masury  was  the  best 
Shakespearean  n  on -professional  scholar  he  had  ever  met. 

Unlike  most  men  deeply  devoted  to  business  pursuits,  Mr.  Masury  never  gave  up 
his  reading,  but  continually  kept  it  fresh  to  the  end  of  his  life.  In  or  about 
1870,  his  book  on  house  painting  was  issued  from  the  press  of  Messrs.  Appleton  &  Co., 
and  was  a  decided  success  from  the  time  of  its  appearance.  It  has  passed  through  four- 
teen or  fifteen  editions  and  is  in  constant  demand  at  this  date.  Other  works  of  similar 
nature  followed  this  and  were  received  with  favor  by  all  interested  in  such  matters. 

Mr.  Masury's  inventions,  most  of  which  were  patented,  were  all  in  the  interest  of 
his  business.  The  first  and  most  important  and  valuable  was  a  new  mode  of  putting 
up  paints  ground  in  oil.  No  one  better  than  he  appreciated  the  difficulty  of  arriving  at 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MA.  431 

the  contents  of  a  sealed  can  of  color  in  the  then  universally  adopted  mode  of  packing  or 
putting  up.  After  years  of  thought  given  to  this  very  important  question,  he  conceived 
the  idea  of  making  a  can,  one  end  of  which  should  be  composed  of  thinner  metal  than 
the  rest  of  the  vessel,  so  thin  that  it  could  be  easily  severed  with  an  ordinary  pocket 
knife  blade.  This  idea  at  once  took  tangible  shape  and  was  a  complete  success  from 
the  start.  The  house  enjoyed  a  monopoly,  with  lawsuits  for  infringements,  of  this  in- 
vention for  twenty-one  years. 

The  next  invention  of  importance  was"  a  mill  for  grinding  colors  in  quick  drying 
varnish  to  an  impalpable  fineness.  To  accomplish  this,  the  mill-stones  must  be  forced 
into  clos2St  contact  and  this  in  the  nature  of  things  would  produce  an  amount  of  heat 
sufficient  to  spoil  the  thinning  material.  This  was  overcome  or  obviated  in  the  inven- 
tion in  question,  by  the  introduction  of  a  stream  of  cold  water,  which  was  made  to  pass 
over  the  outer  surfaces  of  both  upper  and  lower  stones  thus  preventing  the  heating  of 
the  paint  in  the  process  of  grinding.  This  invention  was  also  an  entire  success  from 
the  moment  of  being  started.  Paints  and  colors  used  in  carriage  and  car  painting 
had  up  to  this  time  been  wholly  prepared  in  the  several  shops  by  the  use  of  a  slab  and 
muller  or  by  the  common  iron  hand-mill  and,  as  a  rule,  at  the  moment  of  consumption. 
The  invention  made  an  entire  revolution  in  the  trade  and  the  demand  for  paints  pro- 
duced by  the  new  mode  was  immense  and  unprecedented.  Two  years  after  the  goods 
were  fairly  in  the  market,  the  demand  for  Ivory  Black  ground  in  Japan  varnish  called 
for  more  than  300  tons,  and  this  article  alone  realized  a  profit  of  more  than  §100,000  in  a 
single  year,  and  at  this  the  consumer  got  twice  as  much  for  his  money  as  he  could  have 
received  in  any  other  way.  Other  inventions  followed,  less  important  yet  of  vast  benefit 
to  the  painters  and  conducive  to  economy,  cleanliness  and  saving  of  costly  material. 

A  few  years  after  the  dissolution  of  the  firm,  caused  by  the  decease  of  Mr.  Whiton, 
Mr.  Masury's  son-in-law,  Lieut.  F.  L.  Miller  of  the  United  States  Navy,  became  a 
partner  in  the  business  under  the  firm  name  of  John  W.  Masury  &  Son,  which  name  is 
continued  at  the  present,  although  Mr.  Miller  died  several  years  ago. 

JOHN  HATTHEWS,  patentee  of  soda  water  apparatus,  born  in  England  in  1808 
and  educated  in  London,  died  in  New  York  city  in  1870.  He  was  christened  John 
Henry  Matthews  but  never  used  the  middle  name  in  business  affairs  and  it  finally 
became  obsolete.  An  inventor  and  mechanical  genius  of  rare  ability,  he  emigrated  to 
America  in  1832  and  established  at  the  corner  of  Fulton  and  Gold  streets,  New  York 
city,  a  machine  shop  of  modest  proportions  for  practical  and  experimental  work. 
While  thus  occupied  with  mechanical  pursuits,  he  discovered  a  special  field  for  his  use- 
fulness in  repairing  and  manufacturing  machinery  for  making  soda  water.  Many 
inventions  and  patents  resulted  and  the  business  developed  to  a  wonderful  extent. 
Both  among  the  manufacturers  and  the  retail  purveyors  of  soda  and  mineral  waters 
throughout  the  United  States,  his  inventions  came  into  general  use,  and  he  can  unques- 
tionably be  regarded  as  the  originator  and  introducer  of  the  soda  water  trade  on  a  large 
scale  in  this  country.  Previous  to  his  removal  to  America,  he  was  married  to  Eliza 
beth  Chester  of  Bristol,  England.  To  them  were  born  John  Matthews,  2d;  Mary, 
wife  of  Karl  Muller,  the  sculptor;  George  Matthews,  ist;  Thomas,  Emma,  and 
Chester  Matthews.  Mrs.  Matthews  died  in  1889.  The  sons  carried  on  the  business 
established  by  their  father  with  energy,  ability  and  success.  John  Matthews,  2d,  died 
March  13,  1883,  leaving  his  one-third  interest  to  his  cousin  and  adopted  son  Frederick 


432  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and  two  nephews,  George  Matthews,  2d,  and  John  H.  Matthews,  sons  of  George,  ist,. 
the  business  being  conducted  under  the  name  of  The  Firm  of  John  Matthews.  Fred- 
erick died  in  July,  1883,  and  George,  ist,  died  Feb.  15,  1885.  His  sons  George,  ad, 
and  John  H.  Matthews,  who  are  the  only  living  descendants  of  the  line  are  now  sole 
proprietors  of  the  business.  The  men  of  this  house  have  always  borne  a  high  repu- 
tation both  for  ability  and  character,  and  by  their  energy  and  success  have  added  much 
to  the  happiness  and  health  of  the  people  of  the  country.  The  apparatus  branch  of 
their  industry  was,  in  1891,  transferred  to  The  American  Soda  Fountain  Co.,  in  which 
the  firm  are  stockholders. 

EUGENE  LASCELLES  MAXWELL,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  1854, 
died  in  that  city,  Feb.  9,  1895.  He  was  one  of  the  three  sons  of  John  Maxwell,  the 
banker.  Eugene  was  educated  as  an  engineer  at  the  Polytechnic  Institute  in  Brooklyn, 
became  associated  with  Henry  S.  Manning  &  Co.,  dealers  in  railroad  supplies,  and, 
being  taken  into  partnership  in  Manning,  Maxwell  &  Moore,  carried  on  for  fourteen 
years  a  large  and  profitable  wholesale  trade  in  railroad  and  machinists'  supplies.  He 
was  known  as  an  energetic,  upright  and  successful  merchant,  and  by  investment 
became  president  of  The  Pond  Machine  Tool  Co.,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  and  The  Ash- 
croft  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  vice  president  of  The  Shaw  Electric 
Co.  of  Muskegon,  Mich.,  and  an  officer  in  other  manufacturing  concerns.  He  made 
his  home  in  Brooklyn,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Engineers',  Rembrandt  and  Lawyers' 
clubs  of  this  city  and  the  Atlantic  Yacht,  Riding  and  Driving,  Montauk,  and  Hamilton 
clubs  of  Brooklyn.  His  wife  and  two  daughters  survived  him. 

HENRY  W.  flAXWELL,  banker,  a  native  of  Brooklyn,  and  born  Dec.  7,  1850,  is 
a  son  of  the  late  John  Maxwell,  a  banker.  Well  educated  and  fortunate  in  beginning 
life  in  a  family  of  means,  he  has  been  active  in  the  field  of  finance  which  centers  around 
Wall  street  and  wields  considerable  influence  therein.  A  member  of  the  Stock  Ex- 
change, he  is  also  junior  partner  in  the  banking  firm  of  Maxwell  &  Graves,  who  have 
gained  an  excellent  reputation  for  solidity  of  character  and  conservative  and  upright 
methods,  and  is  largely  identified  with  the  railroad  enterprises  of  Austin  Corbin.  The 
Brooklyn  Trust  Co.  has  elected  him  to  its  directorate.  Mr.  Maxwell  is  a  member  of 
the  Lawyers',  Atlantic  Yacht,  Excelsior  and  Hamilton  clubs  and  lives  in  Brooklyn, 
with  the  public  institutions  of  which  city  he  is  associated.  The  Memorial  Industrial 
School  has  been  built  by  him  in  honor  of  the  memory  of  his  mother  and  his  wife. 

EDWIN  HIRAM  MEAD,  coal  miner,  born  on  Broadway  in  this  city,  died  Feb.  3, 
1895,  in  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  in  his  seventy-third  year.  An  outbreak  of  yellow  fever 
drove  his  family  to  Berkshire  county,  Mass.,  while  he  was  an  infant,  and  there  he  was 
educated  and  brought  up.  In  early  life,  he  served  as  a  clerk  in  Harnden's  express 
office  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  in  a  coal  office  there,  leaving  a  year  or  two  afterward  to 
enter  the  employment  of  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.  in  New  York  city.  With  this  cor- 
poration, he  remained  for  the  rest  of  his  life.  In  1852,  he  was  elected  secretary  of  the 
company  and  served  as  such  and  as  treasurer  until  the  death  of  President  Hoyt,  when 
he  became  president  of  the  company,  thereafter  rising  to  prominence  as  one  of  the  best 
known  men  in  the  trade  in  the  United  States.  He  was  also  the  managing  director  of 
The  Erie  &  Wyoming  Valley  Railway,  a  director  of  The  Washington  Life  Insurance 
Co.,  and  a  member  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Mr.  Mead  was  always  a 
public  spirited  man,  and  greatly  promoted  the  interests  of  South  Orange  after  1868, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ME.  433 

when  he  made  that  locality  his  home.  A  well-read,  genial,  kindly  man,  he  made  friends 
everywhere  and  was  highly  esteemed.  His  wife  and  three  children  survive  him. 

FREDERICK  HEAD,  merchant,  was  born  Sept.  12,  1817,  in  Greenwich,  Conn.,  in 
the  old  Mead  homestead,  which  is  yet  in  possession  of  the  family,  on  the  brink  of  Put- 
nam Hill,  celebrated  as  the  scene  of  General  Israel  Putnam's  "break-neck  ride.".  He  is 
a  descendant  from  ancient  and  gentle  English  stock,  one  of  his  ancestors  having  been 
the  official  physician  of  Queen  Elizabeth.  Of  this  family  two  brothers,  Puritans,  emi- 
grated from  England  to  the  continent  of  America  in  1642,  one  of  them,  John  Mead,  set- 
tling in  Greenwich,  Conn.,  the  other  in  Virginia. 

Darius  Mead,  M.D.,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  biography,  was  born  in  Greenwich, 
July  9,  1787,  and  died  there  Jan.  28,  1864.  He  graduated  from  Yale  College  in  1807 
and  then  studied  medicine  in  Philadelphia  under  the  celebrated  Dr.  Rush.  In  1809,  he 
married  Lydia  K.,  daughter  of  Elisha  Belcher,  M.D.,  of  Round  Hill,  Conn.,  a  promi- 
nent physician  and  surgeon  in  the  army  of  the  American  Revolution.  Six  of  Mrs.  Mead's 
brothers  and  brothers  in  law  were  physicians,  all  Christian  men  and  of  high  standing  in 
their  profession.  Mrs.  Mead  died  Jan.  15,1848.  She  had  been  the  center  of  an  affec- 
tionate circle  at  home,  and  by  a  singularly  beautiful  and  useful  life  had  become  univer- 
sally respected  and  beloved.  Dr.  Mead  settled  in  Greenwich  in  1810,  and  there  spent 
the  rest  of  his  active  and  useful  professional  life.  He  was  blessed  with  remarkable 
health  and  was  never  absent  from  his  post  of  duty  until  his  death.  Owing  to  his  strong 
intellect,  clear  and  accurate  judgment,  and  power  of  endurance,  his  practice  became 
extensive  and  he  attained  a  high  reputation,  while,  through  strong  Christian  principle, 
he  became  a  leader  in  church  and  society  and  greatly  useful  in  promoting  every  good 
object.  He  was  ever  considerate  of  the  poor,  giving  them  faithful  and  laborious  attend- 
ance without  expectation  of  reward.  Among  the  people  of  Connecticut,  Dr.  Mead  was 
widely  kno'.vn  and  greatly  revered.  In  1845  and  1846,  he  represented  his  district  in  the 
State  Senate,  having  been  nominated  for  this  honorable  place  without  seeking  it  and 
even  without  any  knowledge  of  the  intention  of  his  fellow  citizens. 

Frederick  Mead,  son  of  Dr.  Mead,  enjoyed  the  almost  inestimable  advantage  of 
growing  to  young  manhood  under  the  careful  training  of  parents  of  noble  character  and 
strong  minds.  The  training  and  principles  he  received  from  them  have  proved  a  price- 
less heritage.  He  received  a  sound  education  at  the  Greenwich  academy  and  then,  at 
the  age  of  seventeen,  began  the  battle  of  life  for  himself.  At  that  time,  two  of  his 
brothers,  Zalmon  S.  and  Robert  W.  Mead,  were  established  in  New  York  as  wholesale 
grocery  merchants  at  No.  27  Water  street,  under  the  firm  name  of  Z.  and  R.  Mead,  and 
it  was  thought  advisable  that  Frederick  should  become  a  dry  goods  merchant.  He 
obtained  a  clerkship  therefore  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  house  of  Crosby,  Mead  & 
Candee.  By  earnest  and  faithful  attention  to  every  duty,  he  acquired  a  good,  practical 
knowledge  of  the  business  and  soon  occupied  a  responsible  position  with  the  firm.  The 
health  of  his  eldest  brother,  Zalmon,  senior  member  of  Z.  &  R.  Mead,  having  become 
impaired,  Frederick  was  induced  to  join  his  brother  in  the  grocery  business.  In  1842, 
Zalmon  died  and  in  the  same  year  Frederick  entered  into  partnership  with  his  brother 
Robert  under  the  firm  name  of  Mead  &  Co.  The  great  panic  of  1837  and  the  continu- 
ance of  very  depressed  times  had  seriously  affected  the  business  of  the  firm  and  the 
new  partner  found  himself  in  a  position,  which  involved  heavy  burdens  and  great  diffi- 
culties. He  grappled  with  them,  however,  with  grit  and  determination.  When,  owing 


THE     CITY  OF     NEW       YORK. ME.  435 

to  failing  health,  his  brother  Robert  retired,  the  whole  responsibility  and  management 
of  the  business  fell  upon  the  young  grocer  and  in  very  adverse  times.  He  proved  equal 
to  the  emergency  and  through  his  sound  judgment,  untiring  energy  and  perseverance, 
the  trade  gradually  increased  and  became  large  and  lucrative. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Mead  associated  with  him  in  partnership,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Mead,  Lacey  &  Co.,  Frederick  Lacey,  for  many  years  a  leading  and  much  respected 
grocer.  Their  business  continued  to  expand  and  their  operations  in  tea,  coffee  and  sugar 
grew  to  large  proportions,  often  widely  influencing  the  markets.  Mr.  Lacey  died  in 
1869.  Subsequently,  James  Voorhis,  a  valued  employe,  and  Frederick  Mead,  jr.,  son  of 
Mr.  Mead  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  were  taken  into  the  firm  under  the  name  of 
Frederick  Mead  &  Co.,  and  this  title  has  remained  unchanged  to  the  present  time.  The 
business  is  now  confined  to  tea  importing  and  commission  and  their  sign  on  Water  and 
Pearl  streets  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  older  part  of  New  York. 

A  strong  Republican  in  political  faith,  Mr.  Mead  has  nevertheless  always  refused 
to  enter  practical  politics  or  accept  political  honors.     As  was  his  father,  so  is  he,  a  man 
of  stern  integrity  and  unbending  uprightness,  despising  equivocation,  insincerity,  osten- 
tation and  cunning  policy.     Possessing  strong  will  and  earnest  convictions,  he  is  at  the 
same  time  modest  and  self  denying.     Through  spotless  purity  of  character,  vigorous 
enterprise,  and  an  honorable  and  successful  career,  he  is  an  excellent  type  of  the  old 
merchants  of  New  York  and  has  won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  this  community. 
He  has  been  a  director  in  The  Fourth  National  Bank  for  more  than  twenty  years  and  is 
now  senior  member  of  the  Board  and  was  a  director  in  The  Old  Dominion  Steamship 
Co.,  The  Corn  Exchange  and  International  Insurance  Go's  and  other  institutions. 
His  home  is  at  No.  i  West  56th  street,  and  his  country  residence  in  Greenwich. 
Mr.  Mead  was  married  in  1841  to  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Samuel  Scribner  of  Balti- 
more, Md.     They  have  three  children  living,  Frederick  and  Herman   R.  Mead,  and 
Mary   Gertrude,  wife   of    Edwin    A.   Abbey,  the   well-known    artist,  now   residing  in 
England. 

RALPH  MEAD,  merchant,  born  in  Greenwich,  Conn.,  April  24,  1789,  died  in  New 
York,  July  23,  1866.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  high  religious  principle,  and 
a  genial  social  nature  and  is  remembered  with  honor  and  a  respect  akin  to  love  by  all 
who  kno\v  him.  His  ancestors  were  prominent  among  the  early  English  settlers  of 
Connecticut,  and  Mr.  Mead  was  the  sixth  in  direct  descent  from  John  Mead,  one  of  the 
twenty-seven  original  proprietors  of  the  town  of  Greenwich.  During  the  American 
Revolution  his  father,  Edmund  Mead,  was  a  member  of  the  Greenwich  Committee  of 
Safety.  Edmund  Mead  married  Theodosia,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Mead,  2d,  Feb.  15, 
1776.  Of  the  eleven  children,  Ralph  was  the  seventh.  Until  his  fifteenth,  year,  he 
remained  at  home.  When  he  decided  to  start  in  life  for  himself,  he  spent  his  spare 
time  in  the  winter  in  trapping  game,  then  abundant  in  the  woods,  and  by  spring  had 
secured  the  means  for  his  new  venture.  Embarking  at  Saw  Pits,  now  Portchester,  on 
a  vessel  bound  for  New  York,  he  reached  this  city  after  a  week's  voyage.  He  was 
fortunate  in  securing  employment  with  Samuel  Tooker,  a  grocer,  to  whom  he  appren- 
ticed himself.  The  employer  and  clerk  became  life-long  friends.  While  a  mere  lad, 
Mr.  Mead  was  sent  as  a  supercargo  to  Passamaquoddy,  Maine.  Here,  he  not  only 
disposed  of  his  own  cargo  but  that  of  another  vessel  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  his 
employer.  In  1810,  Mr.  Mead  began  business  for  himself,  with  capital  consisting  of 


436  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

thorough  business  ability  and  small  savings.  The  gratifying  fact  was  soon  evident, 
that  the  leading  importing  houses  of  that  day  were  ready  to  trust  him  to  any  amount 
he  would  ask,  because  of  his  good  judgment,  integrity  and  uprightness.  Of  this,  there 
were  several  notable  instances. 

In  1813,  he  married  Sarah  Holmes,  of  Cranetown,  now  Montclair,  N.  J.,  who 
illustrated  in  her  life  the  virtues  of  the  wise  woman  of  the  book  of  Proverbs  and  whose 
sympathv  and  co-operation  in  her  husband's  plans  helped  to  ensure  their  success. 

During  the  War  of  1812,  Mr.  Mead  served  for  two  years  in  the  ad  N.  Y.  Art,  the 
7th  Regiment  of  that  day.  He  was  stationed  at  Castle  Garden,  then  called  Battery 
Fort,  and  was  permitted  to  make  daily  visits  to  his  home  and  store.  Late  in  life,  he 
received  from  the  Government  land  warrants  for  240  acres  as  compensation  for  his 
clothing  and  musket.  After  the  troublous  times  which  succeeded  the  War,  his  business 
career  was  a  wonderful  success.  It  was  a  matter  of  grateful  pride  to  him  that  during  a 
long  life  he  was  able  to  meet  every  business  obligation,  notwithstanding  financial 
revulsions,  and  to  help  others  less  fortunate  than  himself.  Just  before  the  panic  of 
1837,  Mr.  Mead  had  contracted  for  the  erection  of  a  row  of  fine  houses  on  Second 
avenue,  near  7th  street.  During  the  anxious  months  which  followed,  the  contractor 
came  to  him  in  fear,  expecting  that  his  contract  would  be  canceled  as  others  had  been. 
"Go  on,"  said  Mr.  Mead,  "I  will  do  my  part  and  pay,  if  you  will  do  your  part  and 
give  me  good  work."  The  result  was  more  than  satisfactory  to  all  concerned.  In  1846, 
he  made  a  long  journey  West  to  secure  a  debt,  which  except  for  his  energy  and  tact 
would  have  been  lost  to  the  firm.  He  found  the  debtor  to  be  owner  of  a  large  flouring 
mill,  which,  owing  to  pecuniary  difficulties,  could  not  be  worked  to  advantage.  Mr. 
Mead  bought  a  half  interest  for  the  amount  of  indebtedness,  gave  credit  for  the  pur- 
chase of  grain,  and  the  flour  was  consigned  to  Ralph  Mead  &  Co.  for  sale  in  New  York. 
The  profits  for  the  year  were  equally  divided  between  the  /irm  and  the  miller.  They 
were  so  large  that  the  original  owner  was  enabled  to  buy  back  the  half  interest  in  the 
mill  that  he  had  sold,  with  a  fair  margin  of  profit  on  the  transaction. 

Mr.  Mead's  firm  were  first  known  as  Mead  &  Holmes,  but  for  many  years  he  did 
business  under  the  name,  which  was  so  long  honored  in  nearly  every  State  of  the  Union, 
of  Ralph  Mead  &  Co.  He  first  rented  and  afterward  purchased  the  building  at  13 
Coenties  Slip,  and  finally  erected  the  large  stores  at  13  and  15  Coenties  Slip  which  for 
more  than  sixty  years  were  the  headquarters  of  the  house.  In  1859,  he  retired  from 
active  mercantile  life,  and  the  firm,  composed  of  his  nephews  whom  he  had  trained,  his 
son  and  his  son-in-law,  became  known  as  E.  &  R.  Mead,  jr.,  &  Co. 

Mr.  Mead  was  early  interested  in  promoting  railroad  connections  with  the  interior 
and  was  an  active  director  in  both  The  Erie  Railroad  and  Long  Dock  Companies  until 
his  death.  Over  the  Erie  Tunnel  through  Bergen  Hill,  his  name  is  inscribed  with 
those  of  his  associates  in  the  great  work  carried  to  completion  through  their  energy. 
He  was  among  the  first  to  recognize  the  necessity  of  securing  direct  and  cheap 
transportation  of  coal  from  the  Pennsylvania  mines  to  New  York  and  the  Eastern 
States.  With  characteristic  sagacity,  he  aided  in  the  organization  of  The  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  and  The  Warren  Railroads. 

Unlike  many  of  his  fellow  merchants,  Mr.  Mead  passed  through  the  great  fire  of 
1835  without  the  loss  of  buildings.  The  fire  was  checked  on  the  opposite  side  of 
Coenties  Slip.  So  widespread  was  the  conflagration  that  nearly  every  insurance  com- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ME.  437 

pany  of  the  city  was  swept  away.  The  City  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  of  which  he  was  a 
director,  voted  immediately  after  the  fire  to  make  the  capital  stock  $70  per  share  instead 
of  $100,  but  within  a  day  or  two  more  than  the  lost  30  per  cent,  was  made  up  in  new 
premiums.  Mr.  Mead  was  also  connected  with  The  Howard,  Hanover,  Phoenix  of 
Brooklyn,  The  Merchants',  The  Corn  Exchange  and  American  Exchange  Fire  Insur- 
ance Co's,  in  nearly  all  of  them  as  director.  Among  the  banks  he  helped  to  support  by 
his  efforts  and  influence  were  The  North  River,  The  Metropolitan,  The  Union,  and 
The  Mechanics'  Banking  Association.  He  would  never  accept  office  however  urgently 
desired,  unless  he  felt  he  could  give  the  time  for  efficient,  faithful  service  to  its  best 
interests.  A  Whig  in  politics  in  early  life,  his  last  Presidential  vote  was  cast  for 
Abraham  Lincoln.  In  the  early  days,  the  Washingtonian  movement  secured  his 
sympathy.  At  the  risk  and  with  the  apparent  certainty  of  loss,  he  and  his  partner, 
Edwin  Mead,  agreed  to  give  up  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors.  From  that  time  in  all 
the  history  of  the  house,  its  business  was  conducted  on  temperance  principles. 

Mr.  Mead  loved  New  York  and  made  its  interests  his  own,  liberally  supporting  its 
libraries  and  institutions  with  influence  and  money.  Only  a  small  part  of  his  charities 
and  benefactions  were  known  to  the  world.  He  was,  however,  one  of  the  managers  of 
The  American  Bible  Society,  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Missionary  Society  and  other 
organizations  for  Christian  work.  Although  brought  up  a  Congregationalist,  he  became 
one  of  the  most  prominent  laymen  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  was  one  of 
the  founders  and  trustees  of  the  Mulberry  Street  Church.  After  the  financial  troubles 
of  1837,  he  was  its  treasurer  and  for  nearly  twenty  years  made  good  enormous  deficits 
in  its  running  expenses  from  his  own  income.  He  bought  and  held  for  the  acceptance 
of  the  other  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  refusing  tempting  offers  to  sell  at  large 
advance  price,  the  lots  at  the  corner  of  zad  street  and  Fourth  avenue,  whereon  St. 
Paul's  M.  E.  Church  was  afterward  built.  He  was  a  pillar  of  strength  to  the 
church  until  his  death.  For  more  than  fifty-three  years,  he  filled  the  office  of  class 
leader  and  many  of  New  York's  prominent  merchants,  bankers,  lawyers  and  clergy- 
men were  enrolled  upon  his  record.  He  was  one  of  the  original  syndicate  who,  about 
1829,  bought  the  buildings  and  grounds  of  the  Partridge  Military  Academy,  at  Middle- 
town,  Conn.,  and  founded  the  Wesleyan  University. 

The  Greenwood  Cemetery  enlisted  his  interest.  He  was  one  of  the  original  plot 
owners,  and  in  1842  laid  to  rest  there  the  remains  of  his  beautiful  and  always  beloved 
wife.  In  1846,  he  married  Ann  E.  Van  Wyck,  daughter  of  Gen.  Abram  Van  Wyck 
o£  Fishkill,  N.  Y.  Mr.  Mead  left  five  children  and  a  goodly  number  of  grand- 
children. His  children  were  Samuel  Holmes  Mead,  of  Florida,  now  deceased; 
Melville  Emory  Mead,  of  Norwalk,  Conn.;  Elizabeth  A.,  wife  of  Edwin  Hyde  but 
now  deceased  ;  Lydia  A.,  who  married  Nathan  J.  Bailey;  Harriet  A.,  wife  of  Philip 
J.  A.  Harper,  Hempstead,  N.  Y. ,  a  son  of  James  Harper;  and  H.  Caroline,  wife  of 
the  Rev.  Archibald  C.  Foss,  of  Baltimore.  Two  other  children  died  in  infancy. 

ISRAEL  JOHN  HERRITT,  wrecker,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  23,  1829, 
of  ancient  stock,  his  grandfather  having  served  with  honor  in  the  War  for  Inde- 
pendence. With  a  limited  education,  young  Merritt  began  life  as  driver  on  a  canal, 
but  tried  various  other  vocations  as  opportunity  occurred  until  he  had  reached  the 
age  of  fifteen,  when  he  secured  employment  with  a  wrecking  captain.  At  the  age  of 
twenty,  he  had  command  of  a  fine  coasting  schooner.  In  1853,  he  was  appointed 


438  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

agent  for  the  Board  of  Marine  Underwriters  and  later  agent  for  The  Coast 
Wrecking  Co.  In  1865,  he  invented  a  pontoon  or  dry  dock  for  raising 
sunken  vessels.  By  his  perseverance,  pluck  and  peculiar  energy,  Captain  Mer- 
ritt  eventually  established  the  largest  organization  in  the  world  engaged  in  the 
wrecking  business.  In  the  process  of  time,  a  son,  Israel  J.  Merritt,  jr.,  grew  to  man- 
hood and  became  a  co-worker  in  the  business  and  a  partner  of  his  father.  The  firm 
is  known  as  Merritt' s  Wrecking  Organization,  not  incorporated.  Besides  the  main 
office  in  New  York  and  large  storehouses  and  wharves  on  Staten  Island,  they  have 
storehouses  and  wharves  in  Norfolk,  Va.,  and  own  a  fleet  of  steamers,  sailing  vessels 
and  pontoons,  specially  built,  rigged  and  fitted  for  their  work.  They  do  all  the  heavy 
wrecking  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  employing  from  150  to  200  men,  including  skilled 
divers  for  submarine  work  and  the  best  of  sailors  and  mechanics.  Captain  Merritt  has 
saved  hundreds  of  lives  and  millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  property.  One  of  his  prin- 
cipal achievements  was  the  rescue  of  the  French  steamer  L'Amerique,  which  had 
been  driven  high  and  dry  on  the  beach  near  Sea  Bright,  N.  J.,  in  January,  1877.  In 
1853,  he  married  Miss  Sarah  L.  Nicholson,  of  New  York,  who  died  June  n,  1879.  To 
them  were  born  two  sons  and  four  daughters. 

CHRISTOPHER  MEYER,  manufacturer,  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  Oct.  15,  1818, 
died  July  31,  1888,  at  617  Fifth  avenue  in  this  city.  He  was  a  self-made  man.  When 
a  lad  of  fourteen,  he  came  to  this  country  alone,  remaining  in  New  York  two  years, 
working  at  first  merely  for  board  and  shelter.  All  his  spare  time  was  devoted  to  study- 
ing the  language.  In  1836,  he  secured  employment  in  a  Newark  machine  shop  and  in 
two  years  had  charge  of  the  erection  of  the  Ramapo  Mills.  His  next  engagement  was 
to  put  up  some  machinery  for  Horace  Day,  then  the  leading  rubber  manufacturer  of  the 
country,  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.  Mr.  Day  liked  the  young  man,  took  him  into  his 
employment,  and  in  a  short  time  made  him  superintendent  of  the  factory.  Mr.  Meyer 
invented  several  processes,  which  added  largely  to  the  capacity  of  the  mills.  One  day, 
he  came  to  the  conclusion  that  if  he  could  make  money  for  others,  he  could  for  himself. 
He  designed  his  own  machinery,  borrowed  $300  from  James  Bishop,  and  set  up'a  mill, 
which  later  he  sold,  starting  then  another  mill  and  selling  that.  By  this  time,  he  had 
accumulated  a  little  capital.  Securing  a  good  site  with  water  power  at  Milltown,  three 
miles  from  New  Brunswick,  he  erected  a  factory  there.  It  was  successful  and  soon  gave 
employment  to  a  thousand  persons.  Mr.  Meyer  possessed  talent  of  a  high  order.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  was  president  of  The  Meyer  Rubber  Co. ;  general  manager  and  prin- 
cipal owner  of  The  New  Jersey  Rubber  Shoe  Co., which  employed  about  i,ooomen;  owner 
in  a  rubber  factory  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland;  president  of  The,  Nashawanick  Rubber 
Manufacturing  Co.,  and  of  The  Glendale  Elastic  Fabric  Co.,  of  East  Hampton,  Mass.; 
director  of  The  Old  State  Bank  of  New  Brunswick ;  owner  in  The  Painesville  &  Youngs- 
town  Railway,  and  director  of  The  New  York  &  Boston,  New  York  &  Northern,  and 
The  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroads,  The  German-American  Fire  Insurance 
Co.,  The  Municipal  Gas  Light  Co.  and  The  American  Bank  Note  Engraving  Co.  Mr. 
Meyer  was  a  Methodist.  He  was  first  married  in  1840,  to  Miss  Margaret  Evans,  of 
Belleville,  N.  J.,  who  died  in  1877.  He  then  married,  in  1886,  Erne,  daughter  of 
George  K.  Chase  of  New  York  city.  His  first  marriage  brought  him  seven  children,  of 
whom  six  survived  him,  Martha,  widow  of  William  A.  Gray  of  New  York;  John  C. 
Meyer,  who  was  connected  with  The  New  Jersey  Rubber  Shoe  Co.  and  died  Nov.  12, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. HI.  439 

1 888 ;  Catherine  Louise,  wife  of  George  Lowther,  of  this  city ;  Clara  A. ,  wife  of  Charles 
Greer  of  New  York  city;  Margaretta,  wife  of  Fulton  Paul  of  Hudson,  N.  Y. ,  and  How- 
ard Meyer,  his  father's  confidential  secretary  and  now  deceased.  The  Meyer  factories 
are  now  merged  in  The  United  States  Rubber  Co. 

SETH  FIELLEN  fllLLIKEN,  commission  merchant,  one  of  the  numerous  sons  of 
the  Pine  Tree  State,  who  have  risen  to  prominence  in  the  metropolis,  was  born  in 
Poland,  Me.,  Jan.  7,  1836.  He  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  Hugh  Milliken,  who  immi- 
grated to  America  from  Scotland  in  1650  and  settled  in  Massachusetts.  John  Milliken, 
grandson  of  the  pioneer,  born  Dec.  27,  1691,  carried  on  business  in  Boston  as  a  saddler 
for  a  number  of  years  "at  the  corner  going  down  Wentworth's  Wharf,"  and  married 
Sarah  Burnett,  of  Boston,  Jan.  i,  1718.  It  was  he,  who,  having  purchased  a  farm  in 
the  town  of  Scarborough,  Me.,  planted  his  branch  of  the  family  in  that  province.  He 
died  upon  his  farm,  Sept.  8,  1779,  during  the  stormy  period  of  the  American  Revolution. 
From  him,  the  line  of  the  subject  of  this  biography  comes  down  through  his  son,  John 
Milliken,  farmer  (born  Feb.  17,  1723,  in  Boston,  died  1766),  and  Eleanor  Libby  Sallis, 
his  wife,  the  latter  being  the  widow  of  Benjamin  Sallis;  Benjamin  Milliken,  son  of 
the  latter,  farmer  and  tanner  (born  in  Scarborough,  1764,  died  Sept.  20,  1818),  and 
Elizabeth  Babbridge,  his  wife;  to  his  son,  Josiah  Milliken  (born  Jan.  i,  1803,  died  in 
Portland,  Me.,  1866)  and  Elizabeth  Freeman,  his  wife,  the  latter  dying  in  Portland, 
1890,  at  the  age  of  eighty-seven.  Josiah  Milliken  lived  in  Mina,  Me.,  for  a  time  after 
his  marriage,  and  later  in  Poland,  where  he  carried  on  a  farm,  a  tannery  and  a  lumber 
business. 

Seth  M.  Milliken  is  the  fourth  of  the  five  sons  of  Josiah  Milliken,  being  fifth  of  his 
seven  children,  and  is  in  the  seventh  generation  of  descent  from  the  pioneer  of  the  fam- 
ily in  the  new  world.  The  sons  of  Josiah  Milliken  have  all  made  their  mark  in  affairs 
and  set  to  their  fellow  men  the  example  of  useful  and  successful  lives.  Weston  F.  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Maine  Legislature,  a  lumber  merchant,  a  banker  and  the  presi- 
dent of  a  line  of  coasting  steamers,  besides  being  active  in  promoting  other  interests  of 
the  State  of  Maine.  Charles  R.  is  president  of  The  Portland  Rolling  Mill  and  The  Po- 
land Paper  Co.  The  career  of  Seth  M.  Milliken,  will  be  related  in  fuller  detail. 

He  attended  the  public  schools  of  Poland  during  boyhood  and  then  enjoyed  a  three 
years'  course  at  the  academy  in  Hebron,  followed  by  two  years  in  the  academy  in  Yar- 
mouth, Me.  Since  leaving  his  books,  his  life  has  been  eventful  and  prosperous.  Des- 
tined to  a  practical  career,  he  obtained  his  first  experience  as  a  flour  miller  in  Minot, 
Me.,  beginning  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and,  after  a  few  months'  service,  took  charge 
of  the  mill.  In  the  fall  of  1855,  he  accepted  the  charge  of  a  winter  school  in  Poland 
and  taught  until  the  spring  of  1856,  when  he  displayed  his  versatility  and  enterprise 
and  fairly  began  life  as  a  merchant  on  his  own  account,  by  starting  a  general  country- 
store  in  Minot,  Me.  These  general  stores  are  capital  schools  for  the  education  of  a 
merchant  and  Mr.  Milliken  derived  from  his  five  years'  experience  there  not  only  a  lit- 
tle surplus  capital  but  a  valuable  training.  In  1861,  he  moved  to  the  city  of  Portland 
and  engaged  in  a  wholesale  trade  in  groceries  in  the  firm  of  True  &  Milliken,  in  com- 
pany with  his  brother  in  law,  Daniel  W.  True.  It  is  recollected  that  the  first  occasion 
upon  which  Mr.  Milliken  ever  saw  Xew  York  city  was  during  this  period,  when  he  vis- 
ited the  metropolis  to  sell  a  cargo  of  potatoes  from  his  native  State. 

In  July,  1865,  he  entered  the  firm  of  Deering,  Milliken  &  Co.,  wholesale  jobbers  of 


44°  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

dry  goods  in  Portland,  becoming  interested  later  in  various  factories  of  cotton  and  woolen 
goods  in  Maine.  The  prosecution  of  the  trade  of  this  firm  required  frequent  visits  to  New 
York  city,  and  in  1867,  Mr.  Milliken  established  here  the  commission  dry  goods  house  of 
Deering,  Milliken  &  Co.  After  1874,  he  became  a  permanent  resident  of  New  York  city, 
thereafter  giving  little  attention  to  the  business  in  Maine.  Exhibiting  his  active  and  in- 
dependent nature  at  the  very  threshhold  of  life  by  starting  in  business  alone,  and  making 
his  way  steadily  by  perseverance,  intelligence  and  thrift,  he  had  now  after  nearly  twenty 
years  of  courageous  endeavor  made  a  place  for  himself  among  the  wholesale  commission 
merchants  of  New  York  city.  His  progress  here  has  been  unchecked,  in  spite  of  the  trials 
which  beset  all  business  men,  and  he  now  conducts  on  Leonard  street  one  of  the  leading 
houses  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  district  of  the  city  and  is  a  man  of  wealth.  Largely  in- 
terested in  manufactures,  he  owns  The  Farnsworth  Co. ,  makers  of  flannels  in  Lisbon, 
Me.,  and  is  president  of  The  Pondicherry  Co.,  woolen  manufacturers  in  Bndgton,  Me., 
The  Cowan  Woolen  Manufacturing  Co.,  of  Lewiston,  Me.,  and  The  Dallas  Cotton  Man- 
ufacturing Co.,  of  Huntsville,  Ala.,  and  a  director  of  The  Forest  Mills  Co.  (woolens),  of 
Bridgton,  Me.,  The  Lockwood  Co.  (cotton  goods),  of  Waterville,  Me.,  and  The  Spartan 
Mills  (cottons),  of  Spartanburg,  S.  C.  Some  of  these  are  great  corporations. 

Mr.  Milliken  has  entered  heartily  into  the  affairs  of  the  metropolis  since  coming 
here  and  is  widely  known  among  the  progressive  elements  of  the  city  as  a  public  spirited, 
honest  and  competent  man.  He  is  a  director  and  large  stockholder  of  The  Mercantile 
National  Bank,  director  of  The  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  a  supporter  of  the  Metro- 
politan Museum  of  Art,  and  in  politics  every  one  knows  which  side  he  is  on.  He  is  a 
strong  Republican  and  was  honored  by  his. party  in  1892  with  a  place  upon  the  Elec- 
toral ticket  in  New  York  State.  Various  leading  clubs  have  elected  him  to  member- 
ship, including  the  Union  League,  Republican,  Driving,  Riding,  Suburban  and  Mer- 
chants', of  this  city,  the  Algonquin  of  Boston,  and  the  Cumberland  of  Portland,  Me. 
He  also  belongs  to  The  New  England  Society  of  this  city. 

Oct.  14,  1874,  Mr.  Milliken  was  united  in  marriage  in  Dover,  N.  H.,  to  Margaret 
L.,  daughter  of  Dr.  L.  G.  Hill.  Mrs.  Milliken  died  Jan.  14,  1880.  Their  three  children 
are  Seth  M.,  Gerrish  H.,  and  Margaret  L.  Milliken.  The  family  live  at  990  Madison 
avenue. 

DARIUS  OQDEN  MILLS,  banker,  born  in  North  Salem,  Westchester  county,  N.Y., 
Sept.  25,  1825,  descends  from  an  old  family  founded  in  America  by  a  pioneer,  who 
came  from  the  North  of  England  near  the  Scottish  border,  some  time  before  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution,  settling  first  on  Long  Island  and  then  in  Connecticut.  James  Mills, 
father  of  D.  O.  Mills,  was  a  Supervisor  from  North  Salem  and  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  held  various  other  local  offices.  He  was  a  man  of  influence,  owned  considerable 
land  and  was  successfully  engaged  in  various  forms  of  business,  but  by  unfortunate 
investments  finally  lost  the  most  of  his  property.  He  died  in  Sing  Sing  on  the  Hudson 
in  1841.  The  sons  of  James  Mills  were  thus  compelled  at  any  early  age  to  rely  upon 
their  own  energies  for  their  positions  in  the  world.  D.  O.  Mills  inherited  rugged 
health  and  from  boyhood  showed  himself  to  be  cool,  clear  headed,  capable,  self- 
reliant  and  spotless  in  character,  and  from  the  day  in  which  he  first  entered  practical 
affairs,  he  made  his  way  with  marked  success. 

He  received  his  education  at  the  North  Salem  academy  and  at  the  Mount  Pleasant 
academy  in  Sing  Sing,  leaving  the  last  named  instillation  at  the  age  of  seventeen  to 


442  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


begin  work  as  a  clerk  in  New  York.  A  few  years  later,  in  1847,  at  the  invitation  of 
his  cousin,  E.  J.  Townsend,  he  went  to  Buffalo  to  serve  as  cashier  in  The  Merchants' 
Bank  of  Erie  County  and  also  to  become  a  partner  with  Mr.  Townsend.  The  bank 
was  one  of  deposit  and  issue  under  a  special  charter,  and  when,  in  December,  1848, 
Mr.  Mills  went  to  California,  Mr.  Townsend  agreed  to  maintain  in  any  business  which 
Mr.  Mills  might  undertake  in  California,  the  same  relative  interest  as  that  which  they 
had  in  the  Bank  and  to  protect  all  drafts  Mr.  Mills  might  make.  Like  his  two  brothers 
who  had  preceded  him,  Mr.  Mills  was  attracted  to  California  by  the  gold  excitement. 

He  arrived  on  the  Pacific  coast  in  June,  1849,  and  buying  a  stock  of  merchandise 
laid  his  plans  for  a  trading  expedition  to  Stockton  in  the  San  Joaquin  valley.  In 
partnership  with  a  fellow  voyager,  he  bought  a  small  sailing  craft,  stocked  it  with 
merchandise  and  went  to  Stockton,  where  the  cargo  was  sold.  Mr.  Mills  and  his  part- 
ner then  separated,  and  the  former  finding  Sacramento  the  best  place  for  carrying  on  a 
trade  with  the  miners,  settled  there.  He  sold  general  merchandise,  buying  gold  dust 
and  dealing  in  exchange  on  New  York.  By  November,  1849,  he  had  saved  $40,000 
from  his  business  and  finding  his  work  so  congenial  and  profitable,  he  decided  to  go 
back  to  Buffalo,  close  out  his  interests  there  and  make  California  his  home.  This  he 
did,  and  in  1850,  he  was  again  at  work  at  Sacramento.  After  having  disposed  of  a  large 
cargo  of  merchandise,  which  he  brought  from  the  East,  he  had  enough  profit  to  start  a 
bank,  which  at  once  became  and  to  this  day  remains  the  leading  banking  institution  of 
Sacramento.  It  is  called  The  Bank  of  D.  O.  Mills  &  Co.  He  had  a  branch  bank 
agency  in  Columbia,  managed  by  his  brothers  James  and  Edgar. 

In  1857,  a  too  energetic  devotion  to  business  having  impaired  his  health,  Mr.  Mills 
visited  Europe  for  relaxation,  and  upon  his  return  resumed  business  with  renewed 
energy. 

It  was  owing  to  his  reputation  for  judgment,  rapid  decision,  boldness  and  absolute 
integrity,  that  in  1864,  when  The  Bank  of  California  was  organized,  Mr.  Mills  was 
naturally  turned  to  as  the  man  to  take  its  presidency.  The  institution  started  with  a 
capital  of  $2,000,000,  but,  under  the  stimulus  of  the  times  and  the  confidence  inspired 
by  its  management,  the  business  soon  assumed  such  proportions  that  its  capital  was 
raised  to  $5,000,000.  The  bank  became  one  of  the  best  known  in  the  country  and  in 
high  credit  in  all  the  cities  of  the  world.  It  was  one  of  the  leading  factors  in  the 
development  of  the  State,  furnishing  facilities  for  manufacturing  industries  and  com- 
mercial operations.  Mr.  Mills  had  taken  the  presidency  reluctantly,  and  although  he 
had  intended  to  serve  for  only  a  short  period,  he  continued  at  the  head  of  the  bank  for 
nine  years  and  then,  in  1873,  insisted  upon  retiring  from  active  business.  He  left  the 
bank  in  a  flourishing  condition  with  capital  secure  and  a  large  surplus,  but  in  two  years 
he  was  called  back  to  save  it  from  utter  ruin,  brought  on  by  his  successor's  bad  man- 
agement. William  C.  Ralston,  the  cashier,  had  been  made  president  when  Mr.  Mills 
resigned,  and,  shortly  before  the  bank  closed  its  doors,  he  asked  Mr.  Mills  to  save  him 
from  individual  failure.  Mr.  Mills  arranged  to  let  him  have  $900,000,  and  it  was  subse- 
quently learned  that  there  had  been  an  over-issue  of  about  12,000  shares  of  the  bank's 
stock,  which  were  taken  in  and  retired  with  Mr.  Mills's  money  just  before  Mr.  Ralston 
failed.  Two  days  after  this,  Mr.  Mills  discovered  that  the  bank  was  in  trouble  and  the 
next  day,  Aug.  26,  1875,  The  Bank  of  California  closed  its  doors.  A  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Directors  was  called  and  Mr.  Ralston  was  asked  to  resign.  His  resignation 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MI.  443 

\vas  handed  in  at  once,  and  before  the  directors  had  adjourned  Mr.  Ralston's  body  was 
found  floating  in  the  Bay.  Mr.  Mills  again  became  president,  serving  without  compen- 
sation. At  the  time  of  suspension,  the  Bank's  liabilities  were  $19,585,000,  including 
§5,000,000  capital  stock  and  $1,000,000  reserve,  while  it  had  on  hand  $100,000  in  cash 
in  addition  to  its  general  assets  Mr.  Ralston's  personal  indebtedness  was  fixed  at 
$4,500,000.  Mr.  Mills  and  other  directors  raised  by  subscription  a  fund  of  $7,895,000, 
of  which  Mr.  Mills  subscribed  $1,000,000.  The  Oriental  Bank  Corporation  of  London 
consented  to  protect  the  outstanding  drafts  and  credits  of  the  Bank  if  D.  O.  Mills, 
William  Sharon  and  Thomas  Bell  would  guarantee  the  payment  of  the  same.  This 
they  did,  and  on  Sept.  30,  one  month  and  five  days  after  the  suspension,  the  Bank 
resumed  business.  By  Mr.  Mills's  timely  and  skillful  management,  a  general  financial 
crash  on  the  Pacific  coast  was  averted.  After  having  re-established  the  institution  on  a 
firm  and  prosperous  basis,  Mr.  Mills  retired  in  1878. 

During  his  residence  in  California,  Mr.  Mills  identified  himself  quite  extensively 
with  the  business  affairs  of  the  coast,  and  is  yet  a  large  owner  in  gold,  silver  and  quick- 
silver mines,  land  ventures  and  industrial  enterprises.  But  practical  engagements 
never  so  absorbed  his  time  as  to  render  him  indifferent  to  the  higher  interests  of  the 
population  of  the  coast.  It  gave  him  great  pleasure  to  accept  the  positions  of  regent 
and  treasurer  of  the  University  of  California,  and  he  endowed  a  professorship  in  that 
institution.  He  also  became  one  of  the  first  trustees  of  the  Lick  estate  and  the  Lick 
Observatory  and  in  other  ways  promoted  the  growth  of  popular  taste  and  intelligence. 

A  good  idea  of  Mr.  Mills's  character  is  given  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote  to  the 
board  of  regents  of  the  University  of  California  at  the  time  of  the  endowment  of  his 
professorship.  This  letter  was  in  part  as  follows  : 

"My  interest  in  the  institution  over  which  you  preside,  and  a  desire  to  contribute 
to  the  benefit  and  support  of  good  learning,  prompt  me  to  propose  to  you  the  establish- 
ing of  a  permanent  foundation  in  the  nature  of  a  trust  fund,  of  which  the  income  shall 
be  applied  to  the  maintenance,  in  the  University  of  California,  of  a  professorship  of 
Intellectual  and  Moral  Philosophy  and  Civil  Polity.  While  I  propose  to  commit  the 
trust  to  the  keeping  of  the  regents  of  the  university  and  would  limit  it  by  no  narrow 
boundaries  of  transient  opinion,  I  desire  to  record  my  views  as  to  the  nature  of  this 
professorship  and  the  character  of  the  man  who  shoiild  be  called  upon  to  discharge  its 
duties.  The  studies  included  under  the  general  title  pertain  especially  to  man,  his  in- 
tellectual, moral  and  social  being,  and  can  never  cease  to  hold  a  high  place  in  human 
learning,  nor  to  have  a  great  influence  on  human  welfare.  In  the  widest  and  most 
liberal  meaning,  they  underlie  laws,  manners  and  religion,  and,  in  effect,  form  the 
public  opinion  of  the  world  ;  and  their  teacher  should  not  be  one  who  resorts  to  them, 
takes  them  up  or  incidentally  adopts  them,  but  one  of  philosophic  spirit,  who  shall 
devote  his  life  to  this  appropriate  field  of  influence  and  noble  labor." 

Mr.  Mills  gave  $75,000  to  establish  the  professorship  and  recently  the  regents  of 
the  university  announced  that  the  fund  had  increased  to  $100,000. 

In  1880,  he  transferred  his  home  and  part  of  his  capital  to  New  York  city  and  has 
ever  since  been  a  resident  of  the  metropolis.  One  of  his  first  investments  was  in  the 
construction  of  the  superb  building  in  Broad  street,  known  by  his  name,  which  is  now 
the  headquarters  of  the  greatest  aggregation  of  important  corporations  in  New  York 
city.  A  similar  building  has  since  been  erected  by  him  in  San  Francisco. 


444  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Mr.  Mills  was  married  Sept.  5,  1854,  to  Jane  T.,  daughter  of  James  Cunningham 
and  their  children  are  Ogden  Mills  and  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Whitelaw  Reid.  He  has 
joined  a  number  of  the  best  clubs  in  the  city,  including  the  Metropolitan,  Century, 
Union,  Union  League  and  Knickerbocker. 

His  benefactions  are  discriminating  and  unostentatious.  The  Training.  School  for 
Male  Nurses  near  Bellevue  Hospital  was  founded  by  him,  and  his  other  actions  for  the 
relief  of  the  poor  are  as  generous  as  they  are  gracious  and  creditable.  He  is  a  trustee 
of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  The  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  an  active 
and  public  spirited  worker  in  many  other  important  institutions. 

GEORGE  MILMINE,  grain  merchant,  a  native  of  Grimsby,  Canada,  and  born  Sept. 
13,  1828,  is  a  son  of  Alexander  Milmine,  a  farmer,  and  of  mingled  Scotch-Irish  and  New 
England  ancestry.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  and  left  the  farm  in  1856  to 
go  to  Wisconsin.  In  1859,  he  engaged  in  Illinois  in  the  grain  business,  for  which  ex- 
perience in  agriculture  and  a  natural  aptitude  for  trade  had  fitted  him.  In  1861,  he 
joined  with  Edward  C.  Bodman  in  establishing  the  firm  of  Milmine  &  Bodman,  grain 
commission  merchants  at  Bement,  111.  He  moved  to  Toledo,  O.,  in  1865,  and  to  New 
York  in  1885,  establishing  here  the  house  of  Milmine,  Bodman  &  Co.,  commission- 
merchants  in  the  grain  trade.  He  has  been  very  successful  and  the  house  is  one  of  the 
safest  and  most  important  at  the  Exchange.  Mr.  Milmine  is  a  director  of  The  Seaboard 
National  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  Ohio  Society.  In  1858, 
he  married  Emma  Goble  in  Canada. 

ROBERT  BOWNE  MINTURN,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  16,  1805, 
died  here  Jan.  9,  1866.  His  grandfather  William,  a  prominent  and  prosperous  mer- 
chant of  Newport  and  New  York,  died  in  the  latter  city  in  1799,  leaving  a  large  fortune, 
which  was  lost  by  William  Minturn,  the  younger,  in  the  disasters  to  American  shipping 
during  the  War  of  1812,  and  the  latter  died  in  1818,  leaving  the  family  in  straitened  cir- 
cumstances. Robert,  then  only  fourteen  years  of  age,  thereupon  left  school  and  gained 
a  business  training  as  clerk  for  Charles  Green,  meanwhile  spending  his  evening  hours  in 
stvidy.  Mr  Green  made  him  a  partner  in  1825.  In  1830,  Mr.  Minturn  joined  the  old  firm 
of  Fish  &  Grinnell,  shipping  merchants,  which,  founded  in  1815,  had  brought  fortunes  to 
the  original  proprietors,  who  now  retired,  leaving  the  business  to  younger  men.  The 
old  sign,  then  changed  to  Grinnell,  Minturn  &  Co.,  displays  the  latter  name  on  Broad 
street  to  this  day. 

Mr.  Minturn  possessed  all  the  qualities  which  make  a  successful  merchant. 
Upright,  enterprising  and  capable,  he  extended  the  operations  and  increased  the  pres- 
tige of  his  firm,  whose  ships  ploughed  the  sea  in  the  trade  to  Europe  and  China  and 
carried  the  American  flag  on  every  ocean  in  the  world.  Scores  of  clerks  graduated 
from  this  house  to  become  eminent  merchants,  and  the  name  of  Grinnell,  Minturn 
&  Co.  was  favorably  known  in  every  port  upon  the  globe,  to  which  a  deep  sea  ship 
traded.  Mr.  Minturn  was  proud  of  his  country  and  always  felt  gratified  that  it  fell  to 
his  lot  to  do  much  to  increase  its  reputation  abroad.  The  esteem  in  which  Mr. 
Minturn  was  held  and  his  public  spirit  are  illustrated  by  his  appointment  as  the  first 
Commissioner  of  Emigration  in  this  city,  his  large  share  in  founding  St.  Luke's 
Hospital,  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Communion,  The  Association  for  Improving  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor  and  other  institutions,  and  his  election  as  first  president  of  the 
Union  League  club. 


THE   CITY    or  "NEW    YORK. — MO.  445 

In  1835,  he  married  Anna  Mary,  daughter  of  Judge  John  Lansing  Wendell  of 
Albany,  and  the  children  born  to  them  were  Robert  B.  Minturn,  jr. ;  Susan  Carter,  wife 
of  Thomas  Charles  Baring  of  London ;  John  Wendell  Minturn ;  Edith,  wife  of  Mahlon 
Sands;  Anna  Mary,  wife  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Penrose  Quicke  of  Somerset,  England; 
Sarah,  Eliza  Theodora  and  William  Minturn.  Of  the  countless  loving  testimonials 
to  his  character  brought  out  by  his  death,  a  few  words  from  the  editorial  of  George 
William  Curtis  in  Harper's  ll'eekly  \\i\\  serve  as  a  type:  "Gentle,  just  and  generous; 
modest,  humane  and  sagacious;  honored  by- the  most  successful  and  prosperous,  beloved 
by  the  poorest  and  most  forgotten ;  his  sense  of  responsibility  growing  with  increasing 
fortune,  until  his  devoted  life  was  that  of  an  humble  almoner  of  the  Divine  bounty — 
this  was  the  New  York  merchant,  the  American  gentleman,  the  serene  Christian,  whose 
life  was  a  public  blessing  and  whose  death  is  a  universal  sorrow." 

JOHN  GODFREY  flOORE,  senior  member  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange  firm 
of  Moore  &  Schley,  who  gained  national  prominence  as  the  plaintiff  in  a  suit  contesting 
the  constitutionality  of  the  Income  Tax  law,  was  born  in  Steuben,  Washington  county, 
Maine,  July  7,  1847.  His  father  was  Capt.  Henry  D.  Moore,  a  shipmaster,  who  spent 
most  of  his  time  at  sea,  and  retired  from  active  service,  owing  to  severe  injuries  received 
during  a  storm. 

Mr.  Moore's  preparatory  education  was  that  of  the  majority  of  youths  born  in  the 
Pine  Tree  State,  the  district  schools,  but  a  few  years  later  he  enjoyed  a  winter 
at  the  Cherryfield  Academy  and  another  at  the  East  Maine  Conference  Seminary  at 
Bucksport  Thus  equipped,  he  came  to  New  York  when  eighteen  years  of  age. 
His  first  employment  in  the  city  was  as  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Mahew  and 
Wilson  Godfrey,  lumber  merchants,  at  No.  117  Wall  street.  There,  he  gathered  his 
first  experience  of  trade  in  New  York,  although  presumably  like  most  natives  of 
Maine  he  had  previously  acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  business.  Within  a  year, 
he  bettered  himself  by  accepting  a  position  with  Bell  Bro's,  lumber  dealers,  at  the  foot 
of  \Vest  23d  street,  and  with  this  firm  he  remained  until  the  summer  of  1868.  In  that 
year,  during  which  he  attained  his  majority,  he  started  in  business  on  his  own  account, 
at  Xo.  96  Wall  street,  in  the  occupation  in  which  he  had  served  an  apprenticeship.  He 
rapidly  extended  his  connections,  and  finally,  in  company  with  John  O.  Evans,  executed 
several  important  contracts  with  the  War  Department.  His  constructions  consisted  in 
part  of  piers  and  breakwaters  at  Buffalo  and  Cleveland  and  improvements  along  the 
Delaware  river  from  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  to  Wilmington,  Del.  To  carry  out  these 
projects,  he  and  his  associates  organized  The  National  Dredging  Co.  of  the  city  of 
Wilmington,  Del. 

In  1880,  when  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  had  apparently  absorbed  all  its 
rivals,  Messrs.  Evans  and  Moore  entertained  the  idea  of  constructing  lines  connecting 
the  principal  cities  and  of  leasing  wires  to  bankers  and  merchants  during  business  hours 
and  to  newspapers  at  night.  Abundant  capital  was  forthcoming  for  the  purpose 
and  the  projectors  had  soon  stretched  wires,  connecting  the  cities  of  New  York, 
Boston  and  Washington.  Later,  Cincinnati,  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Kansas  City  and 
other  important  points  in  the  West  and  Northwest  were  connected  and  the  competition 
thus  established  materially  reduced  rates.  Finally,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph 
Co.  purchased  the  lines  of  The  American  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  and  then  Mr.  Moore 
organized  The  Mutual  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  the  prospectus  of  which  announced  that 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  447 

it  would  stretch  wires  all  over  the  United  States.  From  the  inception  of  this  enter- 
prise, the  work  was  pushed  with  energy  and  perseverance.  Its  construction  was  of  the 
most  perfect  character  and  its  lines  were  rapidly  extended  through  all  parts  of  the 
country.  Mr.  Evans  as  president  of  the  company  attended  to  its  finances,  while  Mr. 
Moore  had  charge  of  the  work  of  construction  and  equipment. 

Before  all  the  lines  had  been  completed,  Mr.  Evans  died  and  Mr.  Moore  succeeded 
him  as  president.  Under  his  administration,  the  lines  of  The  Mutual  Union  Co.  were 
leased  to  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  for  ninety-nine  years.  Soon  after 
the  making  of  this  compact,  Mr.  Moore  became  one  of  the  directors  of  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.  His  management  of  The  Mutual  Union  brought  him  into 
prominence  as  a  financier,  and  when  he  returned  to  New  York  on  February  i,  1885, 
after  a  vacation  taken  to  recruit  his  health,  he  became  a  member  of  the  stock  brokerage 
firm  of  Moore  &  Schley,  which  at  once  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  on  the  Stock 
Exchange. 

In  recent  years,  Mr.  Moore  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  railroad  affairs,  especi- 
ally in  the  South.  In  1886,  he  acquired  a  large  interest  in  The  Chase  National  Bank 
on  Nassau  street  and  takes  an  active  part  in  its  management.  He  is  also  a  director 
in  The  Manhattan  Trust  Co. 

He  is  a  director  in  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  and  The  Missouri  Pacific. 
The  Texas  &  Pacific,  The  Lake  Erie  &  Western,  The  Louisville,  New  Albany  & 
Chicago.  The  New  York  &  New  England,  and  The  Norfolk  &  Southern  Railroads, 
and  The  Tennessee  Coal,  Iron  &  Railroad  Co. ,  and  is  interested  in  many  other  industrial 
and  manufacturing  concerns  and  companies. 

Mr.  Moore  owns  a  fine  private  library,  is  a  supporter  of  the  great  public  museums 
of  the  city,  and  extends  discriminating  aid  to  charity.  Among  his  clubs  are  the  Union 
League,  Manhattan,  Lotus,  New  York  and  Riding. 

The  courageous  and  determined  opposition  of  Mr.  Moore  to  what  he  considered  an 
unconstitutional  and  unjust  law  attracted  wide  attention.  Actuated  by  the  prin- 
ciples which  have  guided  his  business  career,  he  announced  soon  after  the  Income  Tax 
clause  had  been  added  to  the  tariff  bill  his  antagonism  to  the  measure,  and  declared  he 
would  exhaust  every  legal  means  to  defeat  the  act.  His  success  is  well  known  to  every 
citizen  of  the  United  States. 

JOHN  PHENIX  nOORE,  merchant,  born  Dec.  28,  1799,  in  New  York  city,  died 
Aug.  27,  1881.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Jonathan  Dayton,  Speaker  of  the  House 
of  Representatives,  1793-97,  and  after  that  United  States  Senator.  At  the  age  of  four- 
teen, the  subject  of  this  memoir  was  apprenticed  to  Benjamin  Cooper,  the  leading  gun 
merchant  of  New  York  city  and  learned  the  trade  thoroughly.  When  able  personally 
to  make  a  good  gun,  he  became  Mr.  Cooper's  partner,  then  being  twenty-three  years  of 
age.  and  began  a  prosperous  career.  After  a  few  years,  he  separated  from  Mr.  Cooper 
and  conducted  business  alone,  rising  through  his  practical  knowledge,  sterling  integrity 
and  close  attention  to  business,  and  leaving  as  successors  two  sons  and  a  son-in-law,  who 
continued  under  the  name  of  John  P.  Moore's  Sons  and  maintained  the  reputation 
established  by  the  founder  of  the  house.  Mr.  Moore  was  eminently  a  self-made  man, 
and  the  soundness  of  his  judgment  and  the  fact  that  under  no  circumstances  could  he  be 
influenced  to  depart  from  the  strict  line  of  integrity  and  impartiality  caused  his  advice 
to  be  sought  for  freely.  He  was  a  firm  Republican  but  would  never  take  political 


448  AMKRICA'S   SUCCKSSFUL    MEN. 

office.  Although  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  quite  willing  to  undergo  labor  for  the  public 
good,  he  disliked  any  great  notoriety.  Married  to  Eliza  Jane  Vanderpoel  in  1820,  he 
was  survived  by  his  wife  and  three  children,  Hannah  M.  Bowron,  Elizabeth  M.  West 
and  George  G.  Moore.  President  for  many  years  of  The  General  Society  of  Mechanics 
and  Tradesmen,  he  also  served  upon  the  School  Board  and  as  director  in  leading 
insurance  companies  and  banks. 

CHARLES  MORGAN,  founder  of  Morgan's  steamship  and  railroad  lines,  a  native 
of  Killingworth,  now  Clinton,  Conn.,  born  April  21,  1795,  died  in  New  York  city,  May 
8,  1878.  He  came  from  an  old  shipping  family  and  illustrated  by  his  career  what  may 
•  be  accomplished  in  America  with  no  other  aid  than  a  man's  own  perseverance  and  en- 
terprise. His  ancestor  was  James  Morgan,  a  native  of  Wales,  who  settled  in  Massachu- 
setts in  1636. 

The  subject  of  this  memoir  came  in  1809  to  the  city  of  New  York,  where  he  found 
employment  as  clerk  to  a  retail  grocer.  In  a  few  years,  having  saved  a  little  money  by 
strict  economy,  he  opened  a  ship  chandlery  and  grocery  store  in  Peck  Slip.  He  was 
practical,  determined  and  diligent,  and  his  rise  was  rapid,  one  enterprise  growing 
naturally  out  of  that  which  had  preceded  it  and  all  being  successful.  While  a  ship 
chandler,  he  ^began  importing  fruit  from  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  and 
became  part  owner  in  a  brig  in  this  trade  and  later  sole  owner  of  a  line  of  swift  sailing 
craft,  plying  between  New  York  and  the  West  Indies.  This  led  him  into  shipping 
enterprises  and  he  sent  to  Charleston  harbor  the  first  steamer,  which  ever  entered  that 
port  from  New  York.  Under  his  energetic  management,  this  ship  was  succeeded  by 
others,  forming  a  regular  line  in  the  Charleston  trade.  In  1836,  he  sent  the  first 
steamer  from  New  Orleans  to  Texas.  His  interests  were  then  centered  in  steamships 
and  he  added  to  his  fleet  almost  yearly,  establishing  a  service  from  New  Orleans  to 
several  Gulf  ports.  As  an  adjunct  to  his  shipping  interests,  he  founded  and  later 
became  principal  owner  of  the  large  machine  shops,  known  as  The  Morgan  Iron  Works 
on  the  East  River  front  at  pth  street,  for  casting  and  making  the  machinery  of  steam 
vessels.  During  the  Civil  War,  most  of  Mr.  Morgan's  steamers  were  chartered  by  the 
United  States  Government. 

After  the  War,  he  established  a  line  of  steamers  from  New  York  to  New  Orleans  and 
other  ports  on  the  Gulf  and  enjoyed  almost  a  monopoly  of  that  trade.  Later,  he  became 
sole  owner  of  The  Opelousas  Railroad,  which  he  renamed  as  Morgan's  Louisiana  & 
Texas  Railroad,  and  of  a  road  from  Indianola  to  Cuero,  Texas.  He  dredged  a  ship 
channel  in  Atchafalaya  Bay;  built  a  wharf  2,500  feet  long  at  Indianola;  traded  with 
steamers  to  Panama  and  Nicaragua ;  and  engaged  in  many  other  enterprises  subor- 
dinate to  these  schemes.  Morgan  City,  La.,  was  named  in  his  honor.  Mr.  Morgan 
managed  all  these  enterprises  himself  and  gained  a  fortune  of  $13, 000,000  by  brave  and 
honest  enterprise.  A  few  weeks  before  his  death,  all  his  interests  were  merged  into  a 
corporation,  named  The  Morgan  Louisiana  &  Texas  Steamship  Co.,  part  of  the  stock 
being  distributed  among  his  family. 

While  taking  great  enjoyment  in  business  pursuits,  his  noble  nature  made  him 
generous  in  his  charities,  and  he  gave  liberally  to  worthy  objects.  He  was  twice 
married,  first  Dec.  20,  1817,  to  Emily  Reeves,  who  died  April  9,  1850,  and  then,  June 
24,  1852,  to  Mary  Jane  Sexton.  His  children  were  Charles  W.  and  Henry  Morgan, 
both  now  deceased;  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Whitney  and  Mrs.  George  W.  Quintard. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  449 

DAVID  PIERCE  HORGAN,  stockbroker,  born  in  Tecumseh,  Mich.,  Aug.  4,  1831, 
died  in  Washington,  D.  C. ,  Jan.  24,  1886.  The  son  of  Amos  and  Betsey  Morgan,  he 
•was  descended  from  James  Morgan,  the  pioneer,  who  came  from  Wales  in  the  early 
days  of  New  England.  His  first  occupation  in  life  was  school  teaching.  At  length, 
finding  his  way  to  the  metropolis,  he  entered  the  employment  of  James  Hewitt  &  Co., 
merchants,  in  the  provisions  and  tobacco  commission  trade,  and,  at  the  end  of  the 
Crimean  War,  made  a  successful  trip  abroad  to  purchase  from  the  allied  armies  a  large 
stock  of  supplies  which  had  been  left  upon  their  hands.  It  was  in  Wall  street,  how- 
ever, that  Mr.  Morgan  made  his  fortune  and  reputation.  About  1857,  he  joined  the 
firm  of  William  Fellowes  &  Co.,  prospered  in  this  relation,  retired  in  1869,  and  about 
1873,  resumed  business  with  his  wife's  brother  as  a  partner,  and  established  the  stock 
brokerage  house  of  D.  P.  Morgan  &  Co.  In  1878,  failing  health  forced  him  to  abandon 
the  excitements  of  Wall  street.  He  was  noted  for  generosity,  especially  to  brokers, 
always  being  ready  to  give  them  orders  in  the  market,  the  result  being  that  his  deal- 
ings were  enormous  and  always  promoted  active  trading.  A  large  operator,  it  was 
he  who,  with  C.  J.  Woerishofer  and  Charles  J.  Osborn,  managed  the  famous  corner  in 
Chicago  Northwestern,  in  which  they  caught  Jay  Gould  short  and  forced  him  to  settle. 
To  prolong  his  life,  he  went,  in  1879,  to  Paris.  The  spirit  of  enterprise  gave  him  no 
rest,  however,  and  he  became  a  prominent  operator  on  the  Paris  Bourse,  where,  it  is 
said,  he  was  extremely  successful.  Mr.  Morgan  was  adroit,  active,  cool  and  courageous, 
and  generally  labored  for  an  advance  in  prices.  Returning  to  this  country  in  1883,  he 
passed  his  summers  thereafter  in  Newport  and  his  winters  in  Washington.  He  was  at 
•one  time  a  director  of  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad  and  long  a  member  of 
the  Union  club.  In  1858,  upon  Staten  Island,  he  married  Caroline,  daughter  of  William 
Fellowes.  Of  their  seven  children,  six  are  living,  William  Fellowes  and  David  Percy 
Morgan;  Mrs.  Ina  Morgan  Kissel,  Mrs.  Alice  Morgan  Carter,  and  Lewis  Henry  and 
James  Hewitt  Morgan. 

EDWIN  DENISON  HORQAN,  War  Governor  of  the  State  and  a  distinguished 
merchant,  originated  among  the  Berkshire  hills  in  Washington  township  and  was  born 
on  a  farm,  Feb.  8,  1811.  He  died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  14,  1883.  In  the  eighth  gen- 
eration of  descent  from  James  Morgan,  a  native  of  Wales,  who  emigrated  to  Boston  in 
1636  and  finally  settled  in  Connecticut,  Governor  Morgan  was  a  son  of  Jasper  Morgan, 
a  farmer.  A  bright  and  capable  boy,  he  began  life  with  a  limited  education.  The  lack 
of  formal  schooling  never  hampered  Governor  Morgan,  however,  in  making  his  way. 
His  strong  mind  craved  knowledge  and  he  gained  it  by  observation  and  reading,  while 
a  tenacious  memory  and  marked  intellectual  readiness  placed  his  resources  instantly -at 
command  in  all  situations  in  life.  Apprenticed  at  the  age  of  seventeen  to  his  uncle, 
Nathan  Morgan,  a  merchant  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  as  errand  boy  and  clerk  at  a  salary  of 
$50  a  year,  he  showed  energy,  boldness  and  ability  from  the  start.  His  salary  was 
raised  more  than  once  and  in  1831  he  was  admitted  to  partnership.  In  1836,  he  came 
to  New  York  city,  served  a  short  time  as  a  clerk,  and  then  with  Morris  Earle,  en- 
gaged in  a  wholesale  trade  in  groceries  on  Front  street  on  his  own  account.  For 
the  first  six  years,  he  lived  in  Brooklyn.  His  firm  dealt  mainly  with  houses  in  Connec- 
ticut. Mr.  Earle  retiring  a  year  later,  Mr.  Morgan  went  on  alone.  In  1843,  with  his 
cousin,  George  D.  Morgan,  and  another  partner,  he  founded  the  firm  of  E.  D.  Morgan 
&  Co.  While  continuing  the  importation  of  general  groceries  for  many  years,  he  extended 


450  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

his  operations  beyond  the  routine  of  trade,  made  tea,  coffee  and  sugar  a  specialty,  and 
speculated  boldly  but  prudently  in  those  products.  Much  of  his  time  was  passed  in 
the  tropics,  especially  in  Louisiana,  where  he  often  bought  the  whole  of  the  crop  of  a 
large  plantation.  He  was  successful  in  all  his  operations  and  made  money  rapidly. 
Cool,  deliberate,  patient,  and  energetic,  of  stern  integrity  and  a  man  of  courtly 
presence,  he  took  his  place  among  the  great  merchants  of  the  city.  In  the  latter  part 
of  his  life,  E.  D.  Morgan  &  Co.  confined  their  operations  mainly  to  banking.  Mr. 
Morgan's  fidelity  to  every  trust  led  his  fellow  citizens  to  select  him  for  various  public 
offices.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  became  a  member  of  the  City  Council  of 
Hartford.  In  New  York  city,  he  was  in  1849  elected  Assistant  Alderman,  and 
in  the  same  year  State  Senator,  serving  two  terms,  a  part  of  the  time  as 
president  pro  tern.  The  bill  establishing  Central  Park  was  carried  through  by  him. 
Identifying  himself  with  the  Republican  party  upon  its  formation,  he  attended  the 
Pittsburgh  convention  in  1856  as  a  delegate  and  was  president  of  the  Philadelphia 
convention  the  same  year  and  chairman  of  the  Republican  National  Committee.  He 
was  Commissioner  of  Emigration,  1855-58;  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York, 
1859-62;  and, United  States  Senator,  1863-69.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  organized  the 
forces  of  New  York  State  and  was  appointed  a  Major  General  of  Volunteers,  Sept.  30, 
1 86 1,  serving  without  compensation.  Twice  he  refused  a  place  in  the  cabinet  of  Presi- 
dent Lincoln  as  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  although  upon  President  Arthur's 
nomination  he  was  confirmed  unanimously  by  the  Senate  for  the  same  position, 
he  felt  obliged  again  to  decline.  Governor  Morgan  always  prided  himself  upon  not 
having  made  money  out  of  the  War.  He  sat  in  the  directorate  of  The  United  States 
Trust  Co.,  The  New  York  &  Erie  Railroad,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The 
National  Bank  of  Commerce,  and  numerous  other  institutions.  In  the  Union  League 
club,  of  which  he  was  a  prominent  member,  he  exerted  an  important  influence.  A 
Presbyterian  in  religious  faith  and  exceedingly  philanthropic,  his  time  and  means  were 
employed  to  promote  the  leading  institutions  of  his  church.  He  served  for  eight  years 
as  vice  president  of  The  American  Tract  Society  and  as  an  incorporator,  governor  and, 
after  1877,  president  of  The  Woman's  Hospital.  Among  the  institutions  which  grate- 
fully acknowledged  the  receipt  of  large  gifts  from  him  were  the  two  named,  The  Ameri- 
can Tract  Society,  The  Union  Theological  Seminary,  Williams  College,  The  New  York 
City  Mission,  The  Presbyterian  Hospital,  of  which  he  was  president,  and  The  Manhat- 
tan Eye  &  Ear  Hospital,  but  there  were  many  others  to  which  he  contributed  from  time 
to  time.  For  Williams  College,  he  built  a  dormitory  and  in  his  will  gave  about  $750,000 
to  public  objects  and  charities.  Governor  Morgan  married,  Aug.  19,  1833,  Eliza 
Matilda,  daughter  of  Capt.  Henry  Waterman  of  Hartford,  and  was  the  father  of  Dr. 
Edwin  D.  Morgan,  born  Sept.  8,  1834,  who  died  in  October,  1881,  leaving  an  only  son, 
Edwin  D.  Morgan,  jr.;  Frederick  Avery,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three;  and  Gilbert 
Henry,  Caroline  Matilda,  and  Alfred  Waterman  Morgan,  all  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
GEORGE  DENISON  MORGAN,  merchant,  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  March  3,  1818, 
died  in  Irvington-on-the-Hudson,  June  13,  1891.  He  was  a  son  of  Denison  Morgan, 
brother  of  Jasper  and  Nathan  Morgan  elsewhere  mentioned  in  these  pages.  George 
joined  his  cousin  in  business  in  New  York  city  and  gained  prominence  as  a  partner  in 
E.  D.  Morgan  &  Co.  After  accumulating  a  fortune,  he  gave  his  attention  to  charita- 
ble and  missionary  work.  In  the  Civil  War,  he  represented  Gideon  Welles,  Secretary 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW    YORK. MO.  451 

of  the  Navy,  in  the  purchase  of  vessels  for  the  government,  and  by  his  sound  judgment 
and  abilities  saved  millions  of  dollars  to  the  National  Treasury.  On  Sept.  3,  1838,  he 
married  Caroline  A.  Hale.  The  children  born  to  them  were  George  Hale  and  the  Rev. 
John  Brainard  Morgan;  and  Mary  Caroline,  wife  of  Gen.  J.  S.  Fullerton  of  St.  Louis. 
He  was  at  one  time  a  director  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  besides  hold- 
ing a  similar  place  in  several  banks,  life  insurance  companies  and  public  institutions. 
A  Christian,  a  princely  merchant,  philanthropic  and  just,  he  spent  the  last  years  of  his 
life,  happy  in  the  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

HENRY  TITUS  MORGAN,  stock  broker,  born  in  Lee,  Mass.,  Oct.  18,  1816,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Jan.  27,  1883.  Coming  to  this  city  in  1836  while  a  young  man,  he 
engaged  in  business  as  a  stock  broker  in  Wall  street,  purchasing  a  seat  in  the  Stock 
Exchange,  of  which  he  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  members.  He  dealt  largely 
in  in  vestment  securities  and  retired  from  active  business  in  1881  with  a  fortune.  He 
expired  suddenly  from  heart  disease  while  in  the  carriage  on  his  way  home  from  Del- 
monico's.  His  wife  passed  away  before  him.  Homer  Morgan  was  his  brother  and  his 
nearest  surviving  relative.  A  part  of  his  fortune  was  left  to  charity. 

HOF1ER  nORQAN,  real  estate  broker,  born  in  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  Nov.  14, 
1807,  the  third  son  of  Archippus  Morgan,  died  in  New  York  city,  April  16,  1887.  His 
ancestor  Miles  Morgan  was  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Springfield  under  Gov. 
Pynchon.  He  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  house  of  John  Olmstead 
in  Hartford,  and  in  1830  came  to  New  York  city,  continuing  in  the  dry  goods  business 
until  1834,  when  he  engaged  in  banking  with  his  brother  E.  M.  Morgan  and  Morris 
Ketchum,  the  firm  being  known  as  Morgan,  Ketchum  &  Co.  After  a  hard  struggle, 
the  firm  finally  failed  in  1837.  In  1842,  Mr  Morgan  engaged  in  real  estate  operations 
and  became  one  of  the  most  prominent  agents  and  brokers  in  the  city.  He  was  a 
Christian  gentleman,  whose  practical  philanthropy  brought  happiness  to  a  great  many 
people.  Several  families  of  superannuated  clergymen  received  their  support  from  him. 
He  was  twice  married,  first  in  1836  to  Frances,  daughter  of  Thomas  C.  Morton,  by 
whom  he  had  three  children,  none  of  whom  survived  him.  Mrs.  Morgan  died  in  1841. 
In  1850,  he  married  Caroline  Louise,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Ferris.  Their  two  daugh- 
ters are  Alma  Louise,  wife  of  James  W.  Fellows  and  Annie  Taylor  Morgan. 

JUNIUS  SPENCER  HORGAN,  banker,  a  native  of  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  born 
April  14,  1813,  died  in  Monte  Carlo,  April  8,  1890.  He  was  a  son  of  Joseph  Morgan, 
farmer  and  early  settler  of  Springfield  and  a  descendant  of  Miles  Morgan,  a  native  of 
Wales,  who  removed  to  Massachusetts  in  1636  and  was  a  brother  of  James  Morgan, 
from  whom  were  descended  Edwin  D. ,  Edwin  B.  and  Charles  Morgan,  all  conspicuous 
men.  Educated  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  Junius  S.  Morgan  learned  banking  with  Alfred 
Welles  in  Boston.  In  July,  1834,  he  removed  to  New  York  and  joined  the  banking 
house  of  Morgan,  Ketchum  &  Co.  Returning  to  Hartford,  eighteen  months  later,  he 
spent  seventeen  prosperous  years,  first  as  a  dry  goods  merchant  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  in 
Howe,  Mather  &  Co.,  and  Mather,  Morgan  &  Co.,  and  next  in  Boston  as  a  partner  of 
J.  M.  Beebe,  in  Beebe,  Morgan  &  Co.,  which  became  one  ot  the  largest  houses  in  the 
Lnited  States.  While  in  England,  in  1853,  Mr.  Morgan  accepted  an  invitation  to  join 
George  Peabody  in  banking  and  became  his  partner  in  October,  1854.  Ten  years  later, 
he  succeeded  Mr.  Peabody  in  business,  as  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  and  created  one  of  the 
largest  banking  houses  in  the  world.  He  married  May  2,  1836,  Juliet,  a  woman  of 


452  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

unusual  force  of  character  and  daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Pierpont  of  Boston.  His 
children  were  John  Pierpont  Morgan;  Sarah  Spencer,  wife  of  George  H.  Morgan; 
Mary  Lyman,  wife  of  Walter  H.  Burns;  Junius  Spencer,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
and  Juliet  Pierpont.  He  was  a  generous  donor  to  Trinity  College  and  numerous  other 
public  institutions.  Mr.  Morgan  was  a  man  of  distinguished  appearance  and  broad 
mind,  who  loved  the  country  of  his  birth  and  rendered  it  substantial  service  during  the 
Civil  War.— His  son,  JOHN  PIERPONT  MORGAN,  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  April  17, 
1837,  inherited  from  his  parents  both  their  purity  of  character  and  exceptional  abilities 
and  from  early  boyhood  showed  great  promise.  After  graduating  from  the  English  High 
School  in  Boston,  he  took  a  complete  course  in  the  University  of  Goettingen.  Return- 
ing to  America  at  the  age  of  twenty,  he  entered  the  bank  of  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co., 
in  New  York  city,  in  order  to  obtain  a  thorough  knowledge  of  banking.  This  house 
was  at  the  time  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  New  York.  In  1860,  he  was  appointed 
American  agent  and  attorney  of  George  Peabody  &  Co.,  of  London,  a  relation  which  he 
has  since  maintained  with  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.  In  1864,  Mr.  Morgan  engaged  in  bank- 
ing on  his  own  account  in  the  firm  of  Dabney,  Morgan  &  Co.,  who,  confining  their 
attention  to  legitimate  investment  securities,  soon  became  known  for  conservatism, 
ability  and  success.  In  1871,  Mr.  Morgan  became  junior  partner  in  Drexel,  Morgan  & 
Co.  By  the  death  of  the  older  members,  he  has  now  risen  to  the  head  of  the  greatest 
private  bank  in  America.  Located  upon  Wall  street  within  sight  of  the  Stock  Exchange, 
this  bank  has  been  regarded  for  over  twenty  years  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  influences 
for  good  in  the  street.  Important  reorganizations  of  railroad  properties  and  negotiations 
of  loans  have  been  entrusted  to  the  house.  Mr.  Morgan  received  a  large  property  from 
his  father,  but  his  fortune  had  been  safely  established  long  before  that  time  by  his 
own  exertions.  He  is  a  large  investor  in  important  enterprises  and  a  valued  director 
in  many,  inchiding  The  Manhattan  Railway,  The  Mexican  Telegraph  Co.,  The  New 
York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad,  The  New  York,  Providence  &  Boston  Railroad, 
The  West  Shore  Railroad,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co. ,  The  Central  &  South 
American  Telegraph  Co. ,  The  Madison  Square  Garden  Co.  and  The  Manufacturing 
Investment  Co.  He  has  been  twice  married,  is  a  man  of  fine  presence,  courteous  and 
refined,  and  occupies  a  high  position  in  the  social  world.  Grand  opera  and  every 
movement  which  will  promote  popular  education  and  the  fine  arts  are  cordially  sup- 
ported by  him  and  he  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  Century, 
Union,  Knickerbocker,  Tuxedo,  Riding,  Racquet,  Lawyers',  Whist,  Players',  Sea- 
wanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  and  the  New  York  Yacht  clubs. 

GIOVANNI  P.  HOROSINI,  stock  broker  and  operator,  is  a  native  of  the  beautiful 
city  of  Venice,  Italy,  where  he  was  born  June  24.  1834.  His  father,  Paul  P.  Morosini, 
came  from  old  Venetian  stock,  while  his  mother  was  born  in  Cadore  in  the  Carnic  Alps 
on  the  extreme  northeastern  boundary  of  Italy.  The  young  man  received  an  education 
in  the  best  civil  and  military  training  schools  of  the  queen  city  of  the  Adriatic,  gradu- 
ating as  a  military  cadet.  He  then  became  a  soldier  of  the  Italian  army  in  Venice. 

Aug.  28,  1849,  after  the  capitulation  of  Venice  to  the  Austrians,  he  sailed  from  his 
native  city  to  seek  his  fortune  in  the  world  at  large.  After  traveling  to  Greece  and 
Turkey,  he  shipped  at  Smyrna  before  the  mast  on  an  American  vessel,  homeward 
bound  across  the  Atlantic  ocean,  and  landed  in  the  city  of  Boston  in  1850.  The  navi- 
gation of  the  sea  engaged  his  time  for  several  years,  but  Mr.  Morosini  was  fitted  to 


454  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

play  a  more  important  part  in  affairs  than  he  found  scope  for  in  the  merchant  marine. 

In  the  spring  of  1855,  while  his  ship  lay  in  the  harbor  of  New  York,  Mr.  Morosini 
dwelt  during  the  stay  in  port  in  a  sailor's  boarding  house.  He  was  a  youth  of  splendid 
build,  great  muscular  strength,  and  a  courage  corresponding  with  both.  One  day, 
while  walking  along  a  road  on  Staten  Island  his  attention  was  drawn  to  a  group  of  boys 
near  the  curbstone,  in  which  there  were  signs  of  an  exciting  struggle.  He  hastened 
to  the  scene  and  there  saw  a  dozen  or  more  boys  beating  one  smaller  than  any  of  them, 
although  the  latter  was  making  a  gallant  struggle  against  the  crowd.  Mr.  Morosini 
forced  his  way  into  the  melee  and  took  the  part  of  the  victim  of  the  assault,  who  was 
then  lying  on  the  ground.  Immediately,  the  entire  pack  attacked  the  sailor,  but  the 
latter  drew  his  sailor's  knife,  shook  it  menacingly,  and  using  it  as  a  bayonet,  made  a 
charge,  which  scattered  the  hoodlums  like  chaff.  Mr.  Morosini  then  helped  the  injured 
boy  to  his  feet  and  accompanied  him  to  his  home.  It  happened  that  the  lad  was  the 
son  of  Nathaniel  Marsh,  then  secretary  of  The  Erie  Railroad.  Mr.  Marsh  promptly 
sought  the  rescuer  of  his  boy  and  offered  him  a  sum  of  money  in  gratitude.  This  Mr. 
Morosini  refused.  Mr.  Marsh  then  asked  if  he  could  be  of  service  in  any  way,  and  Mr. 
Morosini  replied  that  he  was  tired  of  the  sea  and  would  like  employment  in  New  York. 

As  a  result,  May  29,  1855,  he  entered  the  employ  of  The  Erie  railroad,  Mr.  Marsh 
having  recommended  him  for  a  position  as  office  boy.  Eager  to  make  himself  useful, 
the  handsome,  dark  featured  young  man  soon  endeared  himself  to  everybody  by  his 
industry  and  winning  manners.  He  was  placed  in  the  auditor's  office  and  by  strict 
attention  to  work  made  his  way  by  his  own  efforts  through  the  various  grades,  until 
he  became  chief  clerk  to  the  auditor.  In  1869,  the  directors  elected  him  General  Au- 
ditor of  the  company. 

While  an  official  of  the  railroad  company,  Mr.  Morosini  came  under  the  observa- 
tion of  Jay  Gould.  The  keen  eye  of  the  financier  noted  the  diligence,  application  and 
activity  of  Mr.  Morosini,  and  inquiries  were  made  concerning  him  ;  and  in  the  end 
Mr.  Gould  gained  a  strong  liking  for  him.  Sept.  30,  1872,  Mr.  Morosini  became  the 
private  secretary  of  Mr.  Gould.  Here  he  began  to  gain  an  insight  into  the  gigantic 
operations,  in  which  Mr.  Gould  was  then  engaged.  In  1879,  he  was  admitted  to  part- 
nership by  Mr.  Gould  and  remained  in  that  relation  until  they  both  retired  from  active 
operations,  Jan.  i,  1886.  In  the  tremendous  stock  transactions  of  that  period,  Mr.  Moro- 
sini was  in  some  respects  more  intimately  identified  with  Mr.  Gould  than  any  other  man. 

It  was  after  the  big  deal  in  Erie,  the  Black  Friday  panic  and  the  corner  in  Chicago 
&  Northwestern  stock,  that  Mr.  Morosini  began  to  develop  the  remarkable  business 
qualities  which  fitted  him  for  the  part  Mr.  Gould  wished  him  to  play  in  his  trans- 
actions. It  is  a  notable  fact  that,  prior  to  this  time,  Mr.  Gould  had  largely  gained  his 
strong  position  by  aiding  to  depreciate  securities  he  wished  to  buy.  He  now  began  to 
develop  values.  Mr.  Morosini  was  actively  connected  with  the  transaction,  which  put 
Mr.  Gould  into  control  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  in  1879,  when,  with  the 
assistance  of  The  American  Telegraph  Co.,  of  which  Mr.  Morosini  was  treasurer,  The 
Western  Union  saw  itself  forced  to  consolidate  with  The  American  Union  and  The  At- 
lantic &  Pacific  companies.  In  the  combination  between  Mr.  Gould  and  Cyrus  Field 
in  1879,  when  the  Kansas  City  and  Wabash  roads  were  consolidated,  Mr.  Morosini 
played  an  active  part,  as  well  as  in  the  campaign  which  placed  Mr  Gould  in  control  of 
The  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  455 

The  records  of  the  Stock  Exchange  tell  how  Mr.  Gould  came  into  control  of  the 
Manhattan  Elevated  Railroad  Company,  but  they  do  not  mention  the  fact  thas  Mr. 
Morosini  was  the  man  who  carried  on  Mr.  Gould's  speculations  and  brought  them  to  a 
successful  close.  To-day,  Mr.  Morosini  is  a  director  in  The  Manhattan  Elevated  Rail- 
road, and  he  never  tires  of  talking  of  the  advantages  of  that  system  over  all  others  for 
solving  the  rapid  transit  problem. 

After  Dec.  31,  1885,  Mr.  Morosini  devoted  himself  to  private  affairs  and  invest- 
ments, having  his  office  at  No.  71  Broadway  with  Washington  E.  Connor. 

To-day,  Mr.  Morosini,  while  his  locks  are  whitened  with  advancing  years,  shows 
the  same  sparkle  in  his  eyes  and  the  same  flush  of  health  on  his  cheek,  which  were  there 
in  his  early  days  and  the  same  aptitude  for  business  and  keen  knowledge  of  the  future 
of  opportunities,  which  have  been  factors  in  his  successful  life.  He  is  not  tired  of  the 
busy  work-day  life  of  the  metropolis,  although  he  no  longer  engages  in  outside  enter- 
prises. He  is  at  his  desk  early  in  the  morning  and  gives  his  affairs  the  careful  consider- 
ation, which  characterized  his  work  when  he  was  poring  over  figures  in  the  auditor's 
office  of  the  Erie. 

The  possessor  of  large  means,  he  has  used  them  with  liberality  and  judgment  in 
works  of  philanthropy.  In  the  fall  of  1893,  he  endowed  a  free  bed  in  the  Seton  Hos- 
pital at  Spuyten  Duyvil  at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  in  memory  of  his  wife;  and  his  daughter 
Julia  Morosini  has  presented  an  altar  at  a  cost  of  $2,000  to  the  Seton  Hospital  chapel  in 
memory  of  her  mother.  Although  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  and  an 
attendant  at  the  chapel  in  Spuyten  Duyvil,  he  is  liberal  in  his  views  and  gives  gener- 
ously to  the  charities  of  both  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  churches.  His  idea  of  happi- 
ness is  to  be  congenially  and  actively  employed  and  to  be  temperate  in  habits  and  enjoy- 
ments. He  is  a  member  of  the  American  Yacht  and  Manhattan  Athletic  clubs.  June 
6,  1857,  he  was  married  at  the  Jesuit  church  in  i6th  street,  to  Julia  Chaussee.  Mrs. 
Morosini  passed  away  Dec.  3,  1893.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  two  boys 
and  two  girls. 

JOHN  A.  flORRIS,  capitalist,  a  native  of  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  born  July  29, 
1836,  died  at  his  ranche,  near  Kerrville,  Texas,  May  26,  1895.  He  was  a  son 
of  Francis  Morris,  treasurer  of  The  American  Telegraph  Co.  and  the  largest  owner 
of  the  patent  of  The  House  Printing  Telegraph  Co.,  through  which  corporation 
he  made  a  large  fortune,  spending  a  great  part  of  it  afterward  in  an  effort  to 
develop  the  Nicaragua  canal.  Graduating  from  Harvard  College,  John  A.  Morris 
began  life  as  a  chemist  and  in  1857  went  to  Texas  with  a  fellow  worker  with  the 
expectation  of  delivering  fresh  beef  to  the  markets  of  the  world.  At  one  time,  a 
resident  of  New  Orleans,  during  the  last  thirty  years  or  more  he  had  been  a  resident 
of  Westchester  county.  He  spent  a  portion  of  nearly  every  winter  in  New  Orleans  and 
was  one  of  the  largest  owners  of  the  Louisiana  State  Lottery,  during  the  existence  of 
the  charter.  He  was  at  one  time  interested  in  The  Caffrey  Central  Refinery  at  Frank- 
lin, La.,  costing  more  than  $500,000,  and  in  The  Ashton  Plantation  &  Manufacturing 
Co.  Mr.  Morris  was  a  lover  of  fine  horses  and  the  great  racetrack  at  Morris  Park,  just 
north  of  New  York  city,  costing  about  $2,000,000,  was  originally  his  enterprise.  Ai 
one  time  he  had  other  investments  in  the  interest  of  the  American  turf.  He  joined 
various  important  clubs  in  New  York  city,  including  the  Manhattan,  Vaudeville, 
Country,  American  Yacht  and  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  and  The  Southern  Society. 


456  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Sept.  9,  1857,  he  was  married  in  London,  England,  to  Cora  Hennen  of  New  Orleans. 
His  children  are  Alfred  Hennen,  Frances  Isabel  and  David  Hennen  Morris. 

RICHARD  nORTIflER,  owner  of  realty,  born  in  Cleckheaton,  Yorkshire,  England, 
in  1791,  died  in  New  York,  May  30,  1882.  His  father  was  William  Mortimer,  a 
prominent  citizen  of  Cleckheaton  and  a  man  of  independent  means.  Richard  Mortimer 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1816  as  the  agent  of  his  brother-in-law,  William  Yates, 
who  was  a  manufacturer  of  woolen  cloths,  the  firm  being  one  hundred  years  old.  In 
1821,  he  married  Miss  Harriette,  daughter  of  William  A.  Thompson  of  New  Haven, 
Conn.  Retiring  from  business  in  1834  on  account  of  ill-health,  he  went  to  Europe,  and 
on  his  return  did  not  re-enter  business  life  but  made  a  fortune  by  judicious  investments 
in  real  estate.  Among  the  many  structures  owned  by  him  are  the  Mortimer  Building, 
No  1 1  Wall  street,  which  is  the  third  house  on  this  lot  since  it  was  bought  by  Mr.  Mor- 
timer; No.  935  Broadway,  corner  of  22d  street  and  Fifth  avenue;  and  No.  825  Broad- 
way, a  large  granite  building  which  for  many  years  was  his  residence.  He  was  a 
director  of  The  Standard  Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  The  Sixth  Avenue  Railroad.  One 
son,  William  Yates  Mortimer,  two  grandsons,  Richard  and  Stanley  Mortimer,  and 
one  granddaughter,  Marie,  who  married  Count  von  Oriola  of  Berlin,  Germany,  sur- 
vived him.  William  Yates  Mortimer,  who  was  educated  in  Europe,  married  Elisabeth 
Thorpe,  daughter  of  Aaron  Thorpe  of  Albany.  He  inherited  the  bulk  of  his  father's 
estate  and  by  clever  management  greatly  increased  his  property.  He  died  in  1891, 
leaving  a  large  sum  to  charity,  and  survived  by  his  widow  and  two  sons,  Richard 
Mortimer,  who  married  Miss  Eleanor  Jay  Chapman,  grand-daughter  of  the  late  Hon. 
John  Jay,  and  Stanley  Mortimer,  who  married  Miss  Tissie  Hall,  daughter  of  the  late 
Valentine  Hall. 

LEVI  PARSONS  MORTON,  LL.  D.,  banker  and  statesman,  Vice  President  of  the 
United  States,  1889-93,  and  since  Jan.  i,  1895,  Governor  of  New  York,  a  representa- 
tive of  the  flower  of  New  England  manhood,  was  born  in  Shoreham,  Vt. ,  May  16,  1824, 
and  springs  from  old  Puritan  and  Green  Mountain  stock.  The  Rev.  Daniel  O.  Morton, 
his  worthy  father,  a  Congregational  clergyman,  traced  his  ancestral  line  to 'George 
Morton,  who  came  to  this  country  in  the  good  ship  Ann,  of  famous  memory,  in  1623. 
The  mother  of  Levi  P.  Morton  was  Lucretia  Parsons,  whose  brother,  the  Rev.  Lev{ 
Parsons,  was  well  known  as  the  first  American  missionary  to  Palestine. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  grew  to  man's  estate  in  a  family  of  loving,  high- 
minded,  and  intellectual  people  and  received  from  his  parents  the  careful  training, 
which  constitutes  the  best  equipment  for  life  a  human  being  can  receive.  The  lad  left 
school  early  to  learn  an  occupation,  the  modest  income  of  his  father  making  it  incum- 
bent upon  the  boy  to  lessen  the  burden  of  the  family's  expenses.  At  the  age  of 
fourteen,  when  other  lads  are  usually  thinking  of  college,  the  lad  began  life  in  the 
village  store,  the  preparatory  school  in  which  many  of  the  greatest  merchants  not  only 
of  New  York  but  the  country  at  large  have  received  their  primary  training.  His 
employments  led  him  to  Enfield,  Mass.,  and  for  a  time  to  Hanover,  N.  H.,  in  which  is 
located  Dartmouth  College,  and  finally  having  gained  an  experience,  which  his  active 
mind  had  promptly  utilized,  he  took  the  first  stride  forward  in  his  successful  career, 
by  securing  a  place  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Concord,  N.  H.  Here,  by  concentration  of 
his  attention,  he  soon  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  every  essential  detail  of  the  dry 
goods  trade.  At  twenty-one,  he  became  a  merchant  on  his  own  account  in  the  same 


458  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

city.  It  was  a  proud  moment  for  the  young  man  when  the  sign  placed  over  the  door 
announced  to  his  fellow  citizens  that  Levi  P.  Morton  had  taken  his  place  among  the 
merchants  of  Concord.  The  progress  of  an  honest,  hard-working,  prudent  and 
ambitious  man  resembles  that  of  a  victorious  army.  There  is  no  stopping  anywhere 
along  the  route,  except  for  time  sufficient  to  gain  all  the  advantages  of  a  lately  acquired 
outpost.  Mr.  Morton's  purchases  led  him  to  Boston,  and  in  1849,  there  grew  out  of 
this  an  opportunity  to  enter  the  employment  of  James  M.  Beebe  &  Co.,  one  of  the 
leading  dry  goods  houses  of  the  metropolis  of  New  England.  Mr.  Morton  accepted 
and  became  so  valuable  at  once, .that,  to  secure  his  permanence  with  the  firm,  he  was 
admitted  to  partnership  in  1852,  together  with  Junius  S.  Morgan,  who  subsequently 
joined  the  banking  house  of  George  Peabody  &  Co. ,  London,  and  succeeded  that  firm. 

From  the  day  he  started  for  himself,  something  within  himself  constantly  impelled 
Mr.  Morton  onwards  ;  and,  in  1854,  he  moved  to  New  York  city  and  founded  the 
wholesale  dry  goods  commission  house  of  Morton  &  Grinnell  on  lower  Broadway.  He 
soon  managed  to  make  his  establishment  well  known.  It  was  thronged  with  buyers 
from  all  parts  of  the  country  and  for  nearly  ten  years  transacted  a  large  business. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Morton  established  an  office  in  the  financial  center  of  the  city,  as 
L.  P.  Morton  &  Co.,  and  engaged  in  banking  and  negotiation  of  investment  securities. 
His  partner  was  W.  H.  Burns  and  his  honorable  conduct  soon  brought  around  him 
many  of  the  substantial  men  of  the  town,  and  his  business  gradually  grew  to  large 
proportions.  In  1868,  George  Bliss,  a  successful  merchant  in  the  dry  goods  district, 
entered  the  firm,  which  then  assumed  the  name  of  Morton,  Bliss  &  Co.  The  same 
year,  a  branch  bank  was  opened  in  London,  under  the  style  of  Morton,  Rose  &  Co., 
the  junior  partner  being  Sir  John  Rose'  previously  Finance  Minister  of  Canada. 

From  1873  to  1884,  the  London  house  was  the  fiscal  agent  of  the  United  States  and 
took  part  in  some  of  the  largest  negotiations  in  the  history  of  American  finance.  It 
headed  the  syndicate,  formed  in  1871,  to  float  a  five  per  cent,  loan  of  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment and  aid  in  the  resumption  of  specie  payments,  and,  with  Drexel,  Morgan  & 
Co.,  J.  S.  Morgan  &  Co.,  N.  M.  Rothschild  &  Sons  and  Jay  Cooke,  McCulloch  &  Co., 
successfully  placed  the  loan,  saved  the  Government  $70,000,000  in  interest  and  pro- 
moted the  resumption  of  specie  payments.  One  transaction  in  which  Morton,  Rose  & 
Co.  joined,  was  the  payment  of  the  Geneva  award  of  $15,500,000.  With  another  check, 
Morton,  Rose  &  Co.  paid  $5,500,000  for  the  Fishery  award. 

While  in  Wall  street,  Mr.  Morton  has  never  been  of  it,  in  the  sense  of  engaging  in 
general  speculation  in  stocks  and  placing  the  savings  of  one  day  at  the  mercy  of  the 
fluctuations  of  the  market  on  the  next.  A  calm,  far  seeing,  conservative  banker,  he  has 
confined  his  attention  to  legitimate  banking,  the  negotiation  of  investment  securities, 
and  those  other  operations  in  finance,  which  are  useful  to  the  public  and  tend  to  pro- 
mote stability  in  affairs  and  the  progress  of  the  country.  His  success  is  due  to  a  thor- 
ough knowledge  of  the  principles  of  finance,  an  intrepid  and  spotless  character,  and  a 
clear  and  sagacious  mind. 

In  political  faith,  Mr.  Morton  has  always  been  a  Republican.  His  entrance  to  prac- 
tical politics  was  involuntary.  Late  in  1876,  the  Republicans  of  the  nth  District,  a 
noted  Democratic  stronghold,  nominated  him  without  consultation  for  a  seat  in  Con- 
gress. The  time  was  then  too  short  for  a  proper  canvass  of  the  district,  and  Mr.  Morton 
was  defeated,  although  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  reducing  the  Democratic  majority  by 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  459 

400  votes.  In  1878,  his  fellow  citizens  of  the  district  paid  him  the  compliment  of  a 
renomination.  This  time,  his  popularity  and  an  energetic  canvass  led  to  his  election  by 
a  majority,  which  was  virtually  equal  to  the  whole  vote  of  his  opponent.  While  Mr. 
Willis  received  7,060  votes,  14,078  were  cast  for  Mr.  Morton;  plurality,  7,018.  Sent  to 
Congress  by  an  overwhelming  vote,  his  record  there  fully  justified  the  compliment  paid 
him.  Familiar  with  financial  questions,  sound  in  judgment,  and  terse  in  the  expression 
of  his  views,  he  made  an  excellent  record.  His  opinions  were  always  listened  to  with 
respect,  even  by  those  who  were  arrayed  against  him  politically.  In  the  contest  over  the 
unlimited  free  coinage  of  silver  in  1879,  he  made  two  speeches  so  sound,  straightforward 
and  clear,  that,  backed  as  they  were  by  an  unblemished  personal  character  and  sturdy 
patriotism,  they  established  his  position  as  a  commanding  authority  on  finance.  His 
whole  course  in  Congress  was  characterized  with  so  much  independence  of  judgment, 
moderation  and  tact,  that  he  won  the  confidence  and  attachment  of  both  sides  of  the 
House.  In  the  social  life  of  the  capital,  Mr.  Morton  was  no  less  successful  than  in  the 
House.  He  purchased  the  house  of  Samuel  Hooper  of  Massachusetts  and  there  spent 
two  seasons,  surrounded  by  the  most  brilliant  men  in  public  life  and  bestowing  even 
greater  pleasure  by  his  cordiality  and  hospitality  than  he  received. 

In  1880,  when  the  Republican  national  convention  had  nominated  General  Garfield 
for  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Ohio  delegation  urged  Mr.  Morton  to  accept  a 
nomination  for  the  Vice  Presidency.  This  offer,  although  equivalent  to  an  election, 
was,  however,  declined.  In  1881,  President  Garfield  cordially  tendered  him  a  seat  in 
the  Cabinet  as  Secretary  of  the  Navy.  This  offer  he  also  declined.  He  did  accept  an 
appointment  as  Minister  to  France,  however,  and  in  this  position  certainly  conferred 
especial  honor  upon  his  country.  He  removed  the  offices  of  the  Legation  of  the 
greatest  republic  on  earth  from  their  old  place  and  located  them  in  a  mansion,  which 
he  rented  at  his  own  expense  for  the  purpose.  Situated  in  a  good  neighborhood  and 
presided  over  by  a  man  deeply  in  sympathy  with  the  French  people,  the  Legation 
soon  became  the  one  place  in  Paris  where  the  leaders  of  French  politics  and  social  life 
could  meet  upon  friendly  terms. 

A  devoted  friend  of  the  French  republic,  his  cordial  counsel  to  Ferry,  Gambetta, 
De  Freycinet,  and  others,  secured  their  earnest  attachment,  while  his  hospitality,  tact 
and  purity  of  life  secured  the  good  will  of  the  royalists.  Mr.  Morton  desired  that  his 
official  term  might  not  only  add  to  the  prestige  of  his  country  but  be  productive  of  prac- 
tical good.  His  efforts  to  secure  a  repeal  of  the  prohibitory  edict  against  the  American 
hog  were  unceasing.  He  succeeded,  but  the  House  of  Deputies  subsequently  insisted 
on  a  renewal  of  the  old  law.  The  Minister  of  the  United  States  in  France,  if  popular 
with  the  people,  is  in  demand  for  a  conspicuous  place  in  patriotic  and  social  functions. 
Mr.  Morton  was  continually  sought  for,  for  services  of  this  class.  He  hammered  home 
the  first  nail  driven  in  the  construction  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty  Enlightening  the  World, 
which  was  the  gift  of  the  people  of  France  to  the  United  States;  and,  June  15,  1884,  he 
publicly  accepted  the  statue  in  behalf  of  the  United  States.  Until  the  advent  of  Mr. 
Morton  in  Paris,  the  tomb  of  Lafayette  had  never  been  honored  with  a  statue  of  that 
gallant  friend  of  American  Independence.  Mr.  Morton  took  a  public  part  in  the  cere- 
monies at  the  unveiling  of  a  statue  at  Le  Puy,  the  birthplace  of  the  French  soldier. 
He  was  a  commissioner  to  the  Paris  Electrical  Exposition  as  well  as  a  representative 
of  the  United  States  at  the  Submarine  Cable  Convention.  As  a  Minister,  Mr.  Morton 


460  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

certainly  won  golden  opinions.  He  was  extremely  obliging  both  to  Frenchmen  and 
Americans,  was  graceful,  dignified  and  cordial  in  social  intercourse,  and  by  his  truly 
American  faculty  of  adapting  himself  quickly  to  his  new  environment,  was  able  to  retire 
at  the  end  of  his  term  with  the  hearty  good  will  of  every  important  element  in  French 
society  and  politics.  Such  was  the  prestige  which  Mr.  Morton  attained  and  so  grate- 
ful were  the  French  for  his  sympathy  with  the  struggling  republic,  that  the  municipality 
of  Paris  formally  named  the  square  upon  which  he  had  established  the  hotel  of  Lega- 
tion, "Place  des  Etats  Unis." 

During  this  period,  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  conferred  upon  Mr.  Morton 
by  Dartmouth  College  in  1881,  and  by  Middlebury  College  in  1882. 

Upon  his  return  to  the  United  States  in  1884,  Mr.  Morton  resumed  his  desk  in  his 
banking  house ;  but  his  friends  continually  insisted  upon  his  return  to  public  life  and 
twice  they  made  him  a  candidate  for  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  In  January, 
1885,  he  was  strongly  supported  in  the  Republican  caucus  in  the  State  Legislative,  the 
vote  being  William  M  Evarts  51,  Levi  P.  Morton  28,  Chauncey  M.  Depew  3.  In  1887, 
the  vote  on  the  first  ballot  was  Warner  Miller  43,  Levi  P.  Morton  33,  Frank  Hiscock 
ii.  In  1888,  on  June  25th,  Mr.  Morton  was  nominated  for  Vice  President  of 
the  United  States  on  the  ticket  with  General  Harrison.  Upon  the  first  ballot,  he 
received  591  of  the  825  votes  cast,  or  178  more  than  a  majority.  He  was  a  quiet 
source  of  strength  to  the  campaign;  and  New  York,  which  had  been  carried  by  Presi- 
dent Cleveland  four  years  before,  now  gave  a  Republican  majority  of  about  15,000. 
Other  States  were  redeemed  by  the  Republican  candidates;  and  Harrison  and  Morton 
were  triumphantly  elected.  As  Vice  President  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Morton 
scored  an  unmistakable  success.  His  rulings  in  the  Senate,  his  absolute  fairness 
toward  the  Democratic  side  of  the  Chamber,  his  calmness,  poise,  and  moderation,  not 
only  left  absolutely  no  ground  for  complaint  but  gained  the  cordial  and  outspoken 
praise  of  his  political  opponents.  His  retirement  elicited  a  non-partisan  expres- 
sion of  friendship.  Feb.  16,  1893,  a  complimentary  letter  was  addressed  to  him  by  the 
eighty-eight  members  of  the  Senate  and  the  Sergeant-at-Arms,  tendering  to  him  a 
banquet  at  the  Arlington  Hotel,  on  the  evening  of  Monday,  Feb.  27.  Mr.  Morton 
accepted  and  was  made  the  subject  of  much  cordial  and  deserved  eulogy  at  the  banquet. 
The  book,  entitled  "Testimonials  of  the  United  States  Senators  to  Vice  President 
Morton,"  is  no  doubt  one  .of  the  most  highly  prized  in  his  library.  As  if  resolved  to- 
show  that  a  politician  may  be  a  gentleman  and  an  American  above  all,  Mr.  Morton  gave 
a  reception  in  honor  of  Vice  President  Stevenson  upon  the  latter's  arrival  in  Washington. 

Mr.  Morton's  greatest  political  success,  however,  was  his  election  as  Governor  of 
New  York  State,  in  1894.  While  he  was  in  Europe,  the  suggestion  was  made  that  Mr. 
Morton  should  be  selected  to  lead  his  party  in  the  coming  campaign,  which  was 
regarded  as  of  the  utmost  importance  not  only  to  the  State  but  the  country.  This 
magnificent  commonwealth  had  been,  since  1882,  under  the  control  of  an  unscrupulous 
body  of  political  adventurers,  who  had  debauched  its  politics,  mismanaged  its  finances, 
and  robbed  the  Republican  party  and  the  people  of  a  Legislature  by  political  crimes 
meriting  the  righteous  judgment  of  the  State.  So  firmly  were  the  Democratic  authori- 
ties entrenched,  however,  that  it  was  the  unanimous  sentiment  of  the  Republicans  in 
New  York,  that  success  in  1894  would  depend  to  some  extent  upon  the  nomination 
for  Governor.  The  suggestion  that  Mr.  Morton  should  lead  the  party  in  1894  met 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  461 

with  acquiescence.  The  ex-Vice  President  arrived  from  Europe  Aug.  26th,  and 
upon  Aug.  3ist  gave  to  the  United  Press  a  letter,  in  which  he  announced  that 
while  not  seeking  the  nomination  he  was  ' '  a  soldier  in  the  Republican  army,  ready 
to  receive  the  commands  of  his  fellow-citizens  of  like  persuasion  in  public  policy, 
whether  those  commands  involve  leadership  or  services  in  the  ranks,"  and  while 
desiring  to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  retirement,  yet  should  he  be  called 
to  fill  the  office  of  chief  executive  of  the  State,  he  would  strive  "earnestly  to  serve  the 
people  with  steadfastness  of  purpose  and  to  faithfully  administer  a  public  trust."  He 
pledged  to  the  successful  candidate  in  case  some  one  else  should  be  nominated  his 
"hearty  and  unwavering  support."  This  letter  made  his  nomination  a  foregone 
conclusion,  although  other  most  brilliant  and  conspicuous  Republicans  of  the  State  had 
been  to  some  extent  considered  for  the  office.  The  convention  was  held  and  Mr.  Mor- 
ton nominated  on  the  first  ballot.  His  letter  of  acceptance,  dated  Oct.  9,  1894, 
revealed  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  affairs  of  both  the  Nation  and  the  State.  He 
discussed  the  spoliation  of  cities,  the  imperative  need  of  honest  elections,  the  im- 
portance of  preservation  of  the  canal  system,  the  condition  of  the  highways  and  farming 
interests,  freedom  of  worship  and  other  cardinal  Republican  principles.  The  campaign 
was  conducted  with  energy.  Mr.  Morton  spoke  on  a  few  public  occasions,  did  not  make 
a  single  mistake,  and  on  Nov.  6th  was  elected  by  the  phenomenal  plurality  of  156,000, 
reversing  a  Democratic  plurality  of  45,518  in  1892.  Mr.  Morton  began  his  service  as 
Governor  under  the  happiest  auspices. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Morton  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  Kimball,  daughter  of  Elijah  H. 
Kimball  and  a  member  of  an  old  Long  Island  family.  Her  death  in  1871  was  a  severe 
blow  and  Mr.  Morton  was  for  a  time  disposed  to  abandon  social  life  altogether  and  seek 
distraction  in  the  cares  of  business.  In  1873,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Annie,  daughter 
of  William  I.  Street,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old  families  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan. 
This  union  has  brought  them  five  daughters — Edith,  Laura,  Helen,  Alice  and  Mary. 
The  estate  of  Fairlawn,  at  Newport,  which  had  been  bought  in  1870,  was  sold,  and 
when  the  William  Kelly  place  at  Rhinebeck  came  into  the  market,  Mr.  Morton  bought 
"  Ellerslie,"  and  established  there  his  home  This  is  a  beautiful  spot.  The  farm  com- 
mands a  fine  view  of  the  river  and  the  valley  and  the  blue  summits  of  the  mountains 
beyond.  In  the  neighborhood,  are  located  a  number  of  the  ancient  manors,  famous  in 
the  history  of  the  State.  Claremont,  from  which  Chancellor  Livingston  first  saw  the 
pioneer  steamboat  of  the  Hudson  River,  slowly  making  its  way  up  the  stream,  lies  a 
few  miles  away,  and  other  noted  homes  occupy  eligible  sites  in  the  vicinity.  The  old 
house  was  removed  and  replaced  with  a  modern  country  house  built  in  the  English 
renaissance  style.  A  part  of  the  estate  is  devoted  to  a  park,  surrounding  the  mansion, 
the  rest  is  cultivated  as  a  farm.  Mr.  Morton  is  fond  of  fine  cattle  and  his  Guernseys 
are  noted  throughout  the  country.  They  pasture  in  the  meadows  in  the  summer  time 
and  in  winter  are  housed  in  a  huge  barn,  three  hundred  feet  in  length.  Their  pedigrees 
are  carefully  kept  and  hang  over  their  stalls  in  the  barn.  There  is  a  flock,  also,  of  about 
four  thousand  of  feathered  inhabitants  of  buildings  devoted  to  their  protection. 

Mr.  Morton  has  always  made  a  worthy  use  of  the  means  which  have  been  placed 
at  his  disposal.  His  charities  are  manifold.  Some  of  them  have  been  conspicuous. 
In  1880,  Congress,  moved  by  the  suffering  in  Ireland,  placed  the  ship  Constellation  at 
the  disposal  of  any  one  willing  to  send  relief  to  that  afflicted  land.  A  few  weeks  after- 


462  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ward,  Mr.  Morton  learned  that  no  offer  had  been  made  to  load  the  vessel.  Thereupon, 
he  addressed  a  letter  to  The  New  York  Herald,  in  which  he  said:  "  You  are  authorized 
to  announce  that  a  gentleman  known  to  you,  who  declines  to  have  his  name  made 
public,  offers  to  pay  for  one  quarter  of  the  cargo  of  the  Constellation  if  other  parties 
will  make  up  the  balance. "  At  the  same  time,  he  had  determined  to  furnish  the  entire 
cargo  if  there  were  any  delay  in  securing  other  aid.  The  proprietor  of  The  Herald  and 
W.  R.  Grace  contributed  each  one  quarter  and  others  furnished  the  remainder. 

The  people  of  this  city  will  probably  recall  the  Rockaway  Beach  Improvement 
troubles  in  the  summer  of  1880,  when  500  workmen  were  unable  to  obtain  their  wages 
because  of  the  financial  ruin  in  which  the  gigantic  hotel  enterprise  had  been  involved. 
Certificates  of  indebtedness  were  issued  to  the  workmen,  but  they  were  useless  to  the 
men,  who  needed  food  for  their  wives  and  children.  At  this  juncture  Morton,  Bliss  & 
Co.  joined  the  house  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.  and  each  contributed  $50,000  for  the 
relief  of  the  workingmen.  They  paid  the  full  amount  of  the  certificates  and  declined 
to  accept  any  discount. 

In  1885  Mr.  Morton  gave  to  Dartmouth  College  a  house  and  lot  near  Rollins 
Chapel  to  enable  the  college  to  erect  an  art  gallery  and  museum. 

How  thoroughly  American  he  is  in  sentiment  may  be  ascertained  by  a  visit  to  Mr. 
Morton's  home  in  this  city.  Portraits  of  Washington,  Lafayette,  Count  de  Rocham- 
beau,  President  Arthur,  and  others  prominently  identified  with  American  affairs  hang 
from  his  walls,  and  his  books,  among  which  he  spends  much  of  his  time,  are  very  strong 
in  American  history.  His  clubs  include  the  Union  League,  Union,  Metropolitan, 
Century,  Lawyers',  Republican  and  Press.  He  is  a  member  of  The  New  England 
Society  and  by  virtue  of  lineal  descent  from  a  soldier  of  Independence,  of  The  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution. 

HOPPER  STRIKER  flOTT,  realty  owner,  born  in  New  York  city,  April  19,  1854, 
and  a  son  of  the  late  M.  Hopper  Mott,  an  owner  of  realty,  springs  from  one  of  the  oldest 
families  in  America  and  is,  by  the  inter-marriage  of  his  ancestors  with  old  Knickerbocker 
stock,  allied  to  the  Hoppers,  Strikers,  Schuylers,  Von  Slingerlandts,  Van  Rensselaers 
and  Van  Dorns.  The  pioneer  of  his  paternal  line,  Adam  Mott,  arrived  in  Boston  har- 
bor in  1630,  settled  later  in  Rhode  Island  and  in  1640  was  a  resident  of  Long  Island, 
N.  Y. ,  where  he  became  a  Dutch  citizen  through  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  and  ac- 
quiring real  property.  He  founded  an  important  family,  which  has  been  conspicuous 
in  the  history  of  New  York  city  for  many  generations.  The  late  Dr.  Valentine  Mott 
was  one  of  his  direct  descendants. 

Hopper  S.  Mott  was  carefully  educated,  first  in  General  Lockwood's  private  school 
in  Tarrytown,  the  military  academy  in  Peekskill,  and  Charlier's  French  school  in  New 
York  and  finally  in  Columbia  College  and  the  Law  School,  which  he  left  on  the  advice 
of  Professor  Dwight,  prior  to  graduation,  on  account  of  the  death  of  the  last  previous 
male  heir  of  the  Mott  estate  and  the  amount  of  business  suddenly  thrown  on  his  hands. 
In  1873,  therefore,  he  entered  practical  affairs  as  manager  of  the  family  estates,  having 
succeeded  in  that  year,  together  with  his  brother,  Alexander  Hosack  Mott  (named  for 
Dr.  Hosack,  after  whom  Hosack  Hall  is  calledjn  the  New  York  Academy  of  Medicine) 
as  tenants  in  common,  through  their  uncle,  Jordan  Mott,  to  the  ownership  of  a  large 
part  of  the  old  Hopper  farm  on  the  northwestern  part  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan. 
The  original  owner  of  this  famous  tract,  John  Hopper,  the  elder,  was  a  Hollander,  who 


~?::f-:- 


464  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

spelled  his  name  Hoppe  and  was  the  great-great-grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this 
biography.  The  Hopper  farm  extended  from  near  Fifth  avenue  across  the  island  to 
the  Hudson  River  and  beyond  to  the  uplands  on  the  New  Jersey  side.  The  property 
was  acquired  by  grant  from  the  Dutch  in  1642,  and  confirmed  by  the  English  in  1667. 
Portions  of  the  farm,  dotted  here  and  there  from  Sixth  avenue  to  the  river,  are  yet  in 
possession  of  the  family.  This  tract  is  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  city  and  has  been  in 
litigation  so  continuously  that  almost  every  lawyer  is  familiar  with  its  title.  The  extreme 
western  confines  comprised  Slaugh's  Meadows  on  the  New  Jersey  side  of  the  river,  so 
called  from  the  authenticated  circumstance  of  the  hanging  of  a  man  of  that  name 
thereon  in  early  times.  Part  of  these  lands  were  sold  to  The  New  York,  Ontario  & 
Western  Railroad  in  1884. 

The  burial  plot  of  the  Hopper  family  occupied  a  part  of  this  farm  near  soth  street 
and  Ninth  avenue  and,  as  late  as  1883,  a  heavy  stone  wall  surrounded  a  small  portion 
of  the  lot  at  the  southwestern  corner  of  these  streets,  about  six  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  highway.  The  lower  side  of  the  lot  was  reserved  for  the  burial  of  the  negro  slaves 
of  the  family.  Slaves  nursed  all  the  children  of  the  last  generation,  and  the  remaining 
ones  were  given  their  freedom  by  Mr.  Mott's  grandfather,  Jordan  Mott,  in  his  will. 
Lately,  the  family  remains  have  been  removed  to  Trinity  cemetery  and  the  plot  is  now 
the  site  of  an  apartment  house.  The  vaults  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  at  Bloom- 
ingdale,  which  the  family  attended,  were  used  later.  This  church,  built  in  1816,  stood 
on  the  corner  of  68th  street  and  Bloomingdale  road  and  was  demolished  in  1868  to  make 
room  for  the  widening  of  Broadway  into  a  boulevard.  James  Striker,  one  of  the 
founders  of  this  church,  was  Mr.  Mott's  great-grandfather,  the  father  of  Gen.  Garrit 
H.  Striker  and  Winifred  Mott  and  his  homestead  was  at  Striker's  Bay,  a  portion  of  the 
mansion  yet  standing  at  g6th  street  and  Riverside  Drive. 

The  Mott  homestead,  built  in  1796,  on  the  site  of  private  fishing  and  bathing 
houses,  stands  on  a  spot  which  has  always  been  known  as  Mott's  Point,  a  rocky 
promontory  jutting  out  into  the  Hudson  River,  the  upland  covered  with  old  forest  trees. 
The  mansion  is  large,  rambling  and  low  studded.  A  beam  runs  in  the  old-fashioned 
way  below  the  ceiling  across  the  drawing-rooms  from  the  main  hallway,  almost  low 
enough  to  touch  one's  head.  The  west  wall  of  the  cellar  is  hewn  from  the  solid  rock 
.and  forms  the  foundation  for  that  portion  of  the  house  above.  The  mansion  is  reached 
from  Eleventh  avenue  by  means  of  Mott's  lane,  once  a  shaded  and  graveled  way,  lead- 
ing through  a  wide  gate  to  the  grounds.  The  season  of  1895  is  expected  to  witness  the 
destruction  of  this  old  landmark,  the  city  authorities  having  ordered  that  West  54th 
street,  in  the  centre  of  which  it  is  located,  shall  be  opened,  assessments  having 
already  been  levied  therefor.  Mr.  Mott's  ancestors  occupied  the  homestead  continu- 
ously till  1884,  when  the  growth  and  character  of  the  neighborhood  suggested  the 
desirability  of  a  change.  The  possessors  of  this  old  mansion  and  grounds  kept  them  in 
the  finest  condition  known  to  the  art  of  the  times  down  to  within  fifteen  years  of  the 
present  date.  Scores  of  antique  pieces  of  porcelain,  furniture  and  silver,  and  a  multi- 
tude of  family  portraits,  books,  and  parchments,  adorned  this  old  mansion,  and  the 
hospitable  Dutch  customs  of  the  olden  time  were  observed  as  late  as  the  last  generation. 
The  family  always  kept  open  house  for  the  tenantry  on  New  Year's  Day.  In  later 
years,  and  until  the  homestead  was  abandoned,  Christmas  was  substituted  for  the 
.annual  celebiation  and  a  tree  provided  for  the  entertainment  of  the  tenants'  chil- 


mm, 


'HiltonStN.Y. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  465 

dren.  The  family  treasured,  among  other  things,  a  tablecloth,  which  was  reserved 
for  honored  guests  and  was  a  gift  of  gratitude  to  Mrs.  Anne  Mott,  great-grandmother 
of  Hopper  S.  Mott,  from  British  soldiers  confined  in  the  old  sugarhouse,  lately  de- 
stroyed, in  return  for  food  and  care  bestowed  upon  them  during  imprisonment.  Mrs. 
Mott  was  in  the  habit  of  calling  upon  the  prisoners  with  Mrs.  Brevoort  and  other 
women  charitably  inclined.  In  the  grounds,  stood  hundreds  of  fruit  trees  selected  by 
Mrs.  Winifred  Mott  at  Ward's  Island  and  planted  under  her  supervision. 

In  the  thirties,  55th  street  was  opened  through  the  Hopper  farm  and  in  1848,  a  dock, 
called  Mott's  Dock,  was  built  to  the  northeast  of  the  homestead.  On  account  of  the 
rocky  approach  thereto,  a  bulkhead  with  some  two  hundred  feet  front  was  constructed 
by  Garrit  S.  Mott,  an  uncle,  in  1852,  and  the  land  filled  in  up  to  high  water  mark.  The 
ownership  of  riparian  rights  in  front  of  the  mansion  formed  the  subject  of  a  controversy 
for  four  years,  begun  by  the  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Commonalty  of  the  city  of  New 
York,  who  brought  an  action  in  1888  against  Mr.  Mott  and  others  to  eject  them  there- 
from. This  proved  one  of  the  hardest  fought  cases  in  the  experience  of  the  city  in  its 
efforts  to  acquire  the  water  front  of  the  island  and  was  eventually  compromised. 

Mr.  Mott  gives  his  attention  to  the  management  and  improvement  of  a  large 
property,  which  he  directs  from  an  office  on  Eleventh  avenue,  situated  on  a  portion  of 
the  original  farm.  His  time  has  been  fully  occupied  to  the  exclusion  of  outside  busi- 
ness matters,  and  he  has  never  felt  like  assuming  other  responsibilities,  although  often 
importuned  to  do  so.  He  is  a  competent,  clear-headed  and  progressive  business  man 
and  cultivated  gentleman,  and  his  personal  qualities  and  social  nature  have  gained  for 
him  admission  to  the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  St.  Nicholas,  Country,  Lawyers' 
and  Psi  Upsilon  clubs  and  The  Holland  Society.  In  1875,  he  was  married  to  May,  the 
only  child  of  Dr.  Edwin  S.  Lenox,  of  this  city.  Dr.  Lenox  died  Jan.  7,  1895.  They 
have  one  son  living,  Hopper  Lenox  Mott,  who  was  born  April  28,  1876,  and  represents 
the  eighth  generation  of  the  name  in  this  country. 

JORDAN  LAWRENCE  MOTT,  first  of  the  name,  manufacturer,  born  in  Man- 
hasset  on  Long  Island,  Oct.  12,  1798,  died  in  the  city  of  New  York,  May  8,  1866.  The 
family  of  which  he  was  a  distinguished  member  is  now  a  large  one  in  America  and  has 
given  birth  to  many  men,  who  have  played  their  part  with  ability  in  affairs.  The 
founder  was  Adam  Mott,  a  native  of  England,  who,  born  in  1580,  emigrated  to  the  new 
world,  settling  in  Boston  in  1636.  He  qualified  as  a  freeman  in  Hingham  in  1637, 
and  thence  moved  to  Newtown  on  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  and  later  to  Hempstead,  which 
became  the  seat  of  the  family.  At  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  New  Amsterdam  by  the 
English  in  1664,  he  had  attained  consequence  and  served  as  a  member  of  the  commis- 
sion which  arranged  for  the  transfer  of  the  Dutch  possessions  to  the  English  govern- 
ment. At  his  death  in  1686,  he  left  a  wife,  Sarah,  and  six  children,  John,  Adam, 
Joseph,  Elizabeth,  Nathaniel  and  Mary,  who  established  several  branches  of  the  family. 

Adam,  son  of  the  foregoing,  was  born  in  England  in  1629,  and  came  to  America 
with  his  father.  He  was  twice  married,  first  to  Phebe,  whose  maiden  name  is  unknown, 
and  then  to  Elizabeth  Richbell.  He  was  blessed  with  fourteen  children :  Adam,  James, 
Charles,  John,  Joseph,  Gershom;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  Coder;  Henry,  Grace, 
Richbell,  Ann,  William,  Mary,  and  Hannah,  wife  of  John  Seaman.  The  third  son, 
Charles,  founded  the  Rockland  county  family  of  Motts,  while  William  was  the  ancestor 
of  Dr.  Valentine  Mott,  famous  in  after  years  as  a  surgeon  in  New  York  city.  James 


466  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

has  many  descendants  in  Westchester  county.  Joseph  was  probably  the  father  of 
Joseph  Mott  of  Dutchess  county,  who  owned  a  farm  on  the  patent  of  Nine  Partners,  a 
village  famous  as  the  site  of  a  school  conducted  by  the  Society  of  Friends  and  for  in- 
habitants who  ardently  sustained  the  cause  of  Independence  in  the  Revolution. 

Jacob  Mott,  son  of  Joseph,  son  of  the  second  Adam,  named  above,  was  born  Aug. 
9,  1714,  and  died  Oct.  6,  1805.  He  remained  upon  Long  Island,  married  Abigail  Jack- 
son, and  was  the  parent  of  eleven  children,  Joseph,  Samuel,  Jackson,  Isaac,  Miriam, 
who  died  in  childhood;  Ruth,  wife  of  Jordan  Lawrence  and  after  his  death  of  Stephen 
Coles;  Samuel  I.,  Jacob,  Miriam,  wife  of  Benjamin  Birdsall;  Richard  and  Joseph. 

The  eighth  child  of  the  family  last  named  was  Jacob  Mott,  born  June  30,  1756, 
who  died  Aug.  16,  1823.  A  resident  of  Long  Island  during  his  early  life,  he  married 
Deborah,  daughter  of  Dr.  William  Lawrence,  whose  ancestor,  John  Lawrence,  was  one 
of  the  commissioners  to  arrange  the  boundaries  of  New  Amsterdam  in  1664.  By  this 
union,  Mr.  Mott  became  connected  with  a  family,  who  have  always  been  conspicuous  as 
land  proprietors  on  Long  Island  and  have  given  to  New  York  city  many  successful 
merchants  and  members  of  the  legal  profession.  Removing  from  his  native  village  of 
Hempstead  to  New  York  city  in  early  life,  Mr.  Mott  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade  here 
and  for  a  long  period  was  prominent  and  highly  respected  as  a  merchant  and  citizen. 
An  interest  in  municipal  politics  led  to  his  election  as  Alderman  of  the  7th  Ward,  1804- 
1810.  He  served  as  president  of  the  Board  when  De  Witt  Clinton  was  Mayor  and  at 
one  time  was  Deputy  Mayor  of  New  York.  The  city  authorities  paid  him  the  honor  of 
giving  his  name  to  Mott  street.  He  rose  to  affluence  by  his  own  honest  efforts  but 
toward  the  end  of  his  life  met  with  heavy  .losses.  Five  children  were  born  to  him : 
William  L.  Mott,  born  Jan.  16,  1777,  who  married  Dorothy  Scudder;  Richard  L.  Mott, 
born  June  6,  1782,  who  married  Elizabeth  Deal;  Jacob  L.  Mott,  born  Sept.  13,  1784, 
who  married  Hannah  Riker  and  settled  in  Tarrytown,  rising  to  prominence  as  a 
preacher  of  the  Society  of  Friends;  Jordan  L.  Mott;  and  Mary,  wife  of  Ezekiel  G.  Smith. 

Jordan  L.  Mott,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born  during  a  temporary  residence 
of  the  family  at  Manhasset  on  Long  Island,  whither  they  had  repaired  in  consequence 
of  a  prevalence  of  yellow  fever  in  the  city  of  New  York.  During  his  youth,  the  pros- 
perity of  the  family  enabled  him  to  receive  an  excellent  education  and  to  indulge  in  a 
gratification  of  the  constructive  temperament  with  which  nature  had  endowed  him.  He 
made  many  experiments  with  mechanical  apparatus,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen  he  had 
already  invented  a  machine  for  weaving  tape,  which  was  successfully  introduced  into 
operation.  His  father's  affairs  having  been  thrown  into  confusion  by  business  losses, 
Jordan  was  confronted  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  with  the  necessity  of  contributing 
not  only  to  his  own  support  but  that  of  the  family.  He  began  his  business  career  in 
New  York  city,  in  1820,  as  a  grocer,  but  after  1829,  for  the  remainder  of  his  life,  he  de- 
voted his  attention  to  iron  founding  and  invention.  At  that  period,  the  old-fashioned 
baking  ovens  attached  to  open  fire  places  were  being  supplanted  by  iron  cooking  and 
heating  stoves,  in  which  wood  was  used  for  fuel.  Upon  the  discovery  of  anthracite 
coal  in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Mott  foresaw  the  adaptability  of  the  new  fuel  to  household 
purposes  and  invented  the  first  cooking  stove  ever  known,  in  which  coal  could  be 
burned  for  cooking  purposes,  and  thereupon  began  to  manufacture  them  in  this  city. 
While  this  invention  was  followed  by  important  financial  advantages  to  the  enterprising 
inventor,  yet  the  blessings  bestowed  by  it  upon  the  community  at  large  in  promoting 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — MO.  467 

the  comfort  and  convenience  of  households  were  inestimable  and  entitled  Mr.  Mott  to 
rank  as  one  of  the  benefactors  of  his  age. 

Stove  castings  were  at  that  time  made  at  blast  furnaces  in  Pennsylvania.  They 
were  rough  to  the  touch  and  clumsy  in  appearance.  Mr.  Mott's  highly  refined  mind 
rebelled  at  the  crudeness  of  the  early  cooking  stoves  and  bent  itself  to  the  task  of  im- 
provement. A  cupola  furnace  was  built  in  the  rear  of  his  store  on  Water  street  and 
here  special  attention  was  paid  to  the  smoothness  of  the  castings  and  the  beauty  of  the 
designs.  The  furnace  was  a  small  one,  capable  of  melting  a  ton  or  two  at  a  blast,  and 
while  absurdly  small  in  comparison  with  the  later  works,  this  little  old  foundry  was  the 
foundation  of  the  extensive  industry  and  world  wide  trade,  to  which  Mr.  Mott  subse- 
quently gave  his  name. 

The  success  of  the  Mott  cooking  stoves  finally  compelled  a  radical  step  for  the  en- 
largement of  manufacturing  facilities,  and  Mr.  Mott  purchased  a  tract  of  land  in  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  old  manor  of  Morrisania  on  the  Harlem  River,  adjoining  the 
Harlem  Bridge  at  Third  avenue.  At  this  place,  then  far  north  of  the  city,  he  built  a 
new  and  larger  foundry.  The  buildings  were  at  first  of  wood  and  were  twice  burned  to 
the  ground.  Each  time  they  were  rebuilt  on  a  larger  scale.  Mr.  Mott's  promptness 
and  energy  were  illustrated  at  the  time  of  the  second  fire.  While  the  firemen  were  yet 
fighting  the  flames  at  one  end  of  the  building,  Mr.  Mott,  whose  determined  mind 
moved  rapidly  and  who  would  not  quietly  submit  to  a  serious  interruption  of  his  busi- 
ness, organized  a  party  of  workmen,  and  before  the  flames  had  been  subdued  he  set 
them  to  work  laying  the  foundation  of  a  new  building  at  the  other  end  of  the  old 
structure.  Business  was  resumed  within  nine  days.  Ill  later  years,  all  the  edifices  at 
the  works  were  reconstructed  in  the  most  substantial  manner.  Mott  Haven,  his  ship- 
ping point  on  the  Harlem  River,  received  its  name  from  him. 

The  village  of  Morrisania,  while  in  part  the  outgrowth  of  Mr.  Mott's  foundries,  was 
also  the  product  of  his  own  foresight  and  specific  efforts.  Perceiving  the  fact  that  New 
York  city  would  eventually  extend  as  far  as  the  Harlem  river  and  beyond,  Mr.  Mott 
formed  an  association  with  Col.  Nicholas  McGraw  and  Charles  W.  Houghton.  who  en- 
tered into  an  agreement  with  Gouverneur  Morris  for  the  purchase  of  a  tract  of  200  acres 
of  land,  situated  on  the  ancestral  domain  of  the  Morris  family,  the  price  being  fixed  at 
$175  per  acre.  The  tract  comprised  lots  No.  1 6  to  No.  23,  both  inclusive,  "as  laid 
down  on  a  map  of  Morrisania  made  by  John  Randall  in  1816."  This  property  was  laid 
out  in  streets  and  city  lots,  and  the  latter  were  transferred  to  settlers  and  workmen  by 
deed  direct  from  Gouverneur  Morris.  The  village  of  Morrisania  thus  established  is 
now  almost  indistinguishable  from  the  thickly  settled  section  of  the  city,  comprising  the 
23d  Ward,  which  surrounds  it. 

Mr.  Mott  had  the  good  fortune  to  live  to  witness  the  entire  success  of  the  industry 
created  by  him.  The  foundries  rose  to  be  among  the  largest  of  their  class  in  the  United 
States.  His  cooking  stoves  found  their  way  into  hundreds  of  thousands  of  American 
homes  and  freighted  ships  to  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world.  From  first  to  last,  he  took 
out  more  than  fifty  patents  for  his  own  inventions,  and  his  familiarity  with  the  law  re- 
lating to  new  inventions  led  President  Buchanan  to  tender  him  the  position  of  Commis- 
sioner of  Patents.  This  honorable  office  he  declined  in  order  to  devote  his  time  to  his 
own  affairs.  He  was,  however,  a  man  of  public  spirit.  Among  his  acts  was  the  build, 
ing  and  presentation  to  the  congregation  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  in  Mott  Haven. 


468  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Mr.  Mott's  wife,  Mary  W.  Smith,  was  born  Sept.  6,  1801,  and  died  Dec.  24,  1838. 
She  was  a  woman  of  superior  mind  and  great  nobility  of  character.  They  had  two 
children,  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Matthew  Dyckman  Van  Doran,  and  Jordan  L.  Mott.  His 
old  homestead,  built  in  the  early  days  in  Mott  Haven  at  the  corner  of  Third  avenue  and 
1 34th  street,  is  yet  in  possession  of  his  son. 

JORDAN  LAWRENCE  MOTT,  jr.,  as  he  long  called  himself,  was  born  in  New 
York  city,  Nov.  10,  1829.  Owing  to  the  death  of  his  mother,  while  he  was  nine  years 
old,  the  lad  was  sent  away  to  school,  first  at  Irving  Institute  in  Tarrytown  and  later 
in  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  He  knew  little  of  a  mother's  care  and  per- 
haps on  this  account  gained  early  in  life  the  self  reliance  which  has  always  been  a 
marked  trait  of  his  character.  While  greatly  interested  in  his  studies,  a  distraction 
occurred  in  1849,  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California. 

Mr.  Mott,  then  not  twenty  years  of  age,  wrote  to  his  father,  who  was  in  Washing- 
ton, asking  permission  to  seek  his  fortune  on  the  Pacific  coast,  whither  so  many  other 
young  men  were  flocking  with  high  hopes.  The  senior  Mott  did  not  lose  his  charac- 
ter as  a  kind  and  indulgent  father  by  being  practical  and  shrewd  in  his  judgments,  and 
he  sent  to  his  son  a  pithy  reply,  which  made  a  strong  impression  on  his  mind.  He  said: 
"You  can  have  the  privations  and  profits  of  a  miner's  life  without  going  to  California. 
You  shall  live  in  a  tent  in  my  garden,  without  seeing  any  of  your  friends  or  rela- 
tives and  holding  no  communications  with  them  except  by  mail  and  at  long  inter- 
vals ;  you  shall  do  your  own  cooking  and  washing  and  mending.  You  will  be  deprived 
of  all  that  makes  your  life  now  enjoyable,  and  in  return  I  will  pay  you  the  average 
wages  of  a  miner,  about  fifteen  dollars  a  day;  or,  you  can  remain  at  home  in  posses- 
sion of  the  comforts  you  enjoy,  with  the  prospect  of  succeeding  to  the  business  I 
have  established." 

The  argument  proved  unanswerable  and  the  recipient  of  the  letter  then  tran- 
quilly finished  his  education.  In  1849,  when  he  left  college,  Mr.  Mott  entered  the  office 
of  his  father  and  applied  himself  there  to  preparation  for  the  responsibilities,  which 
were  in  time  to  be  placed  upon  him.  For  four  years,  he  served  as  a  clerk  and  in 
1853,  when  The  J.  L.  Mott  Iron  Works  were  incorporated,  he  was  taken  into  the 
business  and  has  remained  identified  with  it  to  the  present  day.  In  1866,  he  suc- 
ceeded to  the  management.  Long  and  faithful  attention  to  every  detail  and  a  progress- 
ive and  inventive  mind  have  enabled  Mr.  Mott  to  expand  the  business  enormously.  He 
has  added  to  the  works  a  brass  foundry,  which  operates  many  lathes,  consumes  large 
amounts  of  copper  and  other  metals  and  now  occupies  as  large  an  area  as  that  devoted 
to  iron  founding.  The  enameling  of  ironware  is  also  a  new  branch,  added  since  Mr. 
Mott  came  into  control,  having  been  introduced  about  1870.  A  large  factory  employ- 
ing several  hundred  men  is  now  engaged  in  this  especial  enterprise.  In  addition  to 
stoves,  the  works  produce  a  large  variety  of  ornamental  fixtures  for  fireplaces  and  use 
in  houses,  and  the  trade  has  extended  to  every  part  of  the  United  States  and  almost  to 
every  land  under  the  sun  occupied  by  civilized  man.  Mr.  Mott  is  now  the  proprietor 
of  the  largest  manufactory  of  its  class  in  the  United  States,  which  gives  honest  employ- 
ment to  a  large  force  of  skilled  workmen  and  disburses  enormous  sums  of  money  for 
supplies.  The  two  tons  of  iron  per  day,  which  were  melted  in  1853,  have  grown  to 
seventy  tons  a  day.  Besides  being  president  of  The  J.  L.  Mott  Iron  Works,  Mr. 
Mott  is  now  president  of  The  Stax  Foundry  Co. ,  The  North  American  Iron  Works,  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. MO.  469 

The  North  River  Bridge  Co.,  the  latter  organized  to  bridge  the  Hudson  river,  and 
vice  president  of  The  New  River  Mining  Co.,  in  Virginia.  He  is  also  director  of  The 
Central  Gas  Co  ,  and  The  Forty-second  Street  &  Grand  Street  Railroad. 

In  politics  a  Democrat,  he  was  honored  with  an  election  as  Presidential  Elector 
on  the  Democratic  ticket  in  1876,  and  cast  a  direct  vote  for  Samuel  J.  Tilden  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  He  served  as  Elector  also  for  his  party  in  1888.  While  too 
much  occupied  with  the  management  of  the  works  to  spare  much  time  for  municipal 
affairs,  he  nevertheless  accepted  an  election-  as  Alderman  for  the  23d  and  24th  Wards 
in  1879,  and  served  as  president  of  the  Board,  acting  Mayor  during  the  illness  of 
Mayor  Cooper,  and  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Apportionment.  He  retired  from  the 
Board  of  Aldermen  amid  the  regrets  of  his  associates  and  bearing  a  nattering  testimo- 
nial signed  by  even'  member  of  the  Board.  He  also  served  as  one  of  the  trustees  of 
the  village  of  Morrisania  before  annexation  to  the  city  and  as  president  of  the  Board  of 
Survey,  appointed  by  the  State  Legislature  to  survey  and  map  the  territory  now  em- 
braced in  what  is  called  the  annexed  district  in  the  northern  part  of  the  municipality. 
Having  been  appointed  a  member  of  the  Rapid  Transit  Commission  by  Mayor 
Wickham,  he  took  an  active  part  in  the  proceedings  under  which  the  present  rapid 
transit  roads  were  chartered  and  built. 

An  upright,  sterling  and  vigorous  man,  he  is  greatly  respected  in  this  city  and  is 
prominent  in  social  life  and  a  member  of  the  New  York,  New  York  Yacht,  Ameri- 
can Yacht,  Engineers'  and  Fulton  clubs.  Of  the  latter,  composed  mainly  of  men  in 
the  metal  and  kindred  trades  in  New  York,  he  has  been  president. 

In  1853,  he  married  Marianna,  daughter  of  James  V.  Seaman  of  Westchester. 
Their  children  are  Marie  M.,  wife  of  Charles  F.  MacLean;  Jordan  L.  Mott,  jr.,  who 
married  Katharine  Jerome,  daughter  of  Fay  Purdy  of  Sodus  Point,  N.  Y.,  whose  son 
Jordan  L.,  is  fourth  of  the  name;  and  Augustus  W.  Mott.  The  family  dwell  on  upper 
Fifth  avenue,  near  the  Harlem  river. 

VALENTINE  MOTT,  M.  D.,  surgeon,  bora  at  Glen  Cove,  L.  L,  Aug.  20,  1785,  died 
at  his  home  in  New  York  city,  April  26,  1865.  His  father,  Dr.  Henry  Mott,  was  for 
many  years  a  practicing  physician  in  New  York  city.  The  son  graduated  from  Colum- 
bia College  in  1806,  and  then  spent  some  time  in  Europe  increasing  his  knowledge.  In 
1809,  when  twenty-four  years  of  age,  he  was  called  to  the  chair  of  surgery  at  Columbia 
College  and  remained  there  until  1813.  In  1826,  with  several  others,  he  established 
Rutgers  Medical  College  and  about  1830  began  to  give  most  of  his  time  to  lectures  and 
instruction.  His  position  as  a  surgeon  was  second  to  none  of  his  day  and  earned  from 
the  renowned  Sir  Astley  Cooper  this  eulogium:  ''  He  has  performed  more  of  the  great 
operations  than  any  man  living  or  that  ever  did  live."  Dr.  Mott  was  the  author  of 
several  works  of  great  value  to  science  and  his  profession,  and  his  investments  in  real 
estate  brought  him  a  fortune. 

WILLIAM  HENRY  MUNN,  lawyer,  born  in  New  York  city,  June  2,  1802,  died 
here  June  25,  1878.  He  came  from  Connecticut  stock  and  his  father,  Stephen  Bull 
Munn,  who  removed  to  this  city  early  in  life,  rose  to  prominence  as  a  merchant  and 
real  estate  speculator  and  left  to  his  family  a  fortune  large  for  the  times.  Part  of  the 
Loubat  property,  south  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  was  one  of  the  Munn  farms.  William 
H.  Munn  studied  law  with  John  Jay,  engaged  in  practice,  and  cared  for  his  father's 
large  estate  at  the  office,  503  Broadway,  for  many  years.  After  the  death  of  his  father, 


47°  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

he  retired  from  practice  to  manage  his  own  property.  He  was  a  stockholder  in  The 
Chemical  Bank  and  lived  at  24  West  26th  street.  By  his  marriage  with  Mary  Wells  in 
this  city,  he  became  the  father  of  William  and  Russell  Munn,  both  deceased,  William 
H.  Munn,  M.  D.,  James  Tredwell,  Mary,  Effie,  Emily,  Alice  and  Cora  Munn. — His 
son,  WILLIAM  HENRY  MUNN,  M.  D.,  a  well-known  physician  of  this  city,  was  born 
Feb.  22,  1843.  While  attending  school  and  college,  he  spent  the  hours  not  devoted  to 
study  in  his  father's  real  estate  office.  Having  graduated  in  1868  with  a  diploma,  he 
entered  upon  the  practice  of  medicine  and  has  followed  his  profession  to  the  present 
time.  He  is  a  diligent  student  and  investigator  and  by  his  experiments  and  success  in 
practice  has  made  for  himself  an  excellent  position.  Dr.  Munn  has  never  taken  any 
part  in  politics  and  is  not  a  club  man,  but  is  absorbed  in  his  profession  and  is  only  seen 
in  public  in  the  County  Medical  Society.  He  has  one  child,  Rebecca. 

JOSE  MARIA  MUNOZ,  merchant,  born  in  Panama,  Nov.  i,  1833,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Oct.  4,  1893.  His  father  was  a  Spanish  general,  serving  in  South  and  Cen- 
tral America,  and  his  mother  a  woman  prominent  in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  in 
Panama.  Educated  in  Kingston,  Jamaica,  Mr.  Munoz  began  life  as  clerk  in  a  dry 
goods  house  in  Panama.  When  the  gold  fever  broke  out  in  1849,  ne  repaired  to  the 
California  mines  and  prospected  with  success.  In  1860,  he  removed  to  New  York  city, 
and  with  Jose  J.  Ribon  established  at  157  Water  street,  the  South  American  cammission 
firm  of  Ribon  &  Munoz.  Later,  they  occupied  premises  on  Pine  street.  When  the 
senior  partner  retired  in  1875,  Mr.  Munoz  admitted  his  confidential  clerk,  Mr.  delaEspri- 
ella  to  partnership,  and  the  house  has  borne  the  name  of  Munoz  &  Espriella  since  that 
date.  They  handled  large  quantities  of  coffee,  hides,  rubber,  cochineal,  and  cocoa  nuts, 
and  exported  hardware,  provisions,  machinery  and  flour.  Both  partners  ranked  as  excel- 
lent merchants  and  courteous  gentlemen,  and  were  highly  esteemed.  Since  1878,  the 
office  has  been  at  59-61  Liberty  street.  Mr.  Munoz  was  Consul  General  of  Costa  Rica  and 
Bolivia  for  a  time,  and  a  member  of  the  Union,  Down  Town  and  Coney  Island  Jockey 
clubs.  Oct  15,  1 86 1,  he  married  Leontine  Celeste,  daughter  of  Ferdinand  Thieriot, 
importer  of  watches  in  Maiden  Lane.  He  had  no  children.  Since  the  death-of  both 
partners,  the  house  has  been  continued  by  their  respective  wives  under  the  old  name. 
NORMAN  LESLIE  MUNRO,  publisher,  a  native  of  Millbrook,  Pictou  county, 
N.  S. ,  born  in  April,  1842,  died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  24,  1894.  The  son  of  a  farmer, 
he  aspired  to  a  more  ambitious  life  than  agriculture  afforded,  and  came  to  New  York 
city  in  1864,  a  strong,  rugged,  clear  headed  young  man,  with  a  few  hundred  dollars  in 
money,  to  fight  the  battle  of  life  alone.  Employed  by  a  publishing  house  in  this  city  in 
a  small  capacity,  he  learned  the  business  with  wonderful  rapidity,  mastered  every 
essential  detail,  and  in  1873,  had  the  courage  to  embark  at  his  own  risk,  on  William 
street,  in  the  publication  of  The  New  York  Family  Story  Paper,  inspired  by  the  success 
of  Robert  Bonner  and  Street  &  Smith.  The  paper  was  bright  and  attractive  and,  be- 
ing placed  upon  the  newstands,  gained  buyers  from  the  start,  and  in  less  than  two 
years  was  a  financial  success.  Mr.  Munro  then  moved  to  a  building  on  Beekman 
street,  and  started  other  story  papers,  lost  his  plant  by  fire  in  1876,  resumed  business 
with  characteristic  energy,  and  in  a  new  location  on  Vandewater  street  soon  had  new 
presses  busily  at  work  striking  off  hundreds  of  thousands  of  copies  of  his  various  papers. 
The  Family  Story  Paper  was  undoubtedly  his  greatest  success,  gaining  a  sale  of  325,000 
copies  a  week.  He  had  other  publications,  however,  including  Boys  of  New  York,  Our 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ML".  47 1 

Bovs,  Golden  Hours,  and  Munro's  Library.  He  was  an  immense  advertiser,  spending  often 
about  §350,000  a  year.  Prosperity  enabled  him  to  construct  a  large  building,  devoted 
mainly  to  a  great  publishing  business.  He  also  owned  the  Boston  flats  on  West  59th 
street,  the  Xorma  apartment  houses  at  8zd  street  and  Park  avenue,  and,  in  Brooklyn, 
the  Berkeley  and  Grosvenor  flats,  109-117  Montague  street,  the  Clermont  avenue  rink 
and  a  large  livery  and  boarding  stable.  Mr.  Munro  loved  the  salt  sea,  and  grew  dur- 
ing his  later  years  enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  yachting.  It  was  his  ambition  to  own 
the  swiftest  boat  in  the  world.  The  Xorma,  a  150  foot  steam  yacht,  notable  in  her  day, 
was  his  first.  Then  followed  successively  those  famous  productions  of  the  Herreshoffs, 
the  Now  Then,  the  Henrietta,  the  Say  When,  the  Norwood,  the  Vamoose,  and  the 
launch  So  So.  Mr.  Munro  was  married  in  July,  1879,  to  Henrietta  E.,  daughter  of 
Henry  Hume.  Their  children  are  Henry  and  Xorma  L.  Munro. 

COL.  KENNETH  MACKENZIE  flURCHISON,  merchant,  born  Feb.  18,  1831,  was 
educated  at  the  University  of  Xorth  Carolina  in  the  class  of  1853.  The  early  part  of  his 
life  was  spent  near  Fayetteville  and  business  pursuits  did  not  claim  his  attention  until 
just  before  the  Civil  War.  After  the  secession  of  the  South,  Mr.  Murchison  joined  the 
8th  X.  C.  Inf.  as  second  lieutenant.  He  happened  to  be  absent  when  his  regiment  was 
captured  by  the  Federal  forces  during  the  early  part  of  the  War,  and  he  then  raised  a 
company  in  Cumberland  county  for  the  54th  X.  C.  With  this  regiment,  he  saw  a  great 
deal  of  active  duty  in  the  Virginia  campaign  and  took  part  in  many  hard  fought  battles, 
rising  to  the  rank  of  Colonel  and  the  command  of  the  regiment.  After  the  War,  he 
came  to  Xew  York  city  and  here  engaged  in  business,  founding,  in  1866,  the  present 
firm  of  Murchison  &  Co.,  merchants  of  cotton  and  naval  stores,  and  carrying  on  at  the 
same  time  a  large  business  in  Wilmington,  X.  C. ,  under  the  name  of  Williams  &  Mur- 
chison. Although  a  resident  of  Xew  York,  Colonel  Murchison  has  many  interests  in 
Wilmington,  among  other  things  having  recently  erected  a  large  hotel,  the  Orton,  a 
model  of  beauty  and  convenience.  He  also  owns  the  Orton  rice  plantation,  of  9,000 
acres,  near  Wilmington,  an  historic  spot,  the  plantation  having  been  the  site  of  St_ 
Phillip's  church,  built  in  1735  and  the  first  ever  erected  by  the  English  in  Xorth  Caro- 
lina. The  place  has  been  improved  to  such  an  extent  that  to-day  it  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  spots  in  the  State  and  is  a  typical  Southern  homestead.  Colonel  Murchison 's 
hunting  preserve  of  20,000  acres  near  Asheville,  X.  C. ,  embraces  Mt.  Mitchell,  the 
highest  point  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  is  celebrated  for  the  excellence 
and  abundance  of  its  deer  and  trout.  The  Colonel  is  a  member  of  The  Southern 
Society. 

THEODORE  WALTER  FIVERS,  for  six  years  Comptroller  of  the  city  and  county 
of  Xew  York,  has  spent  his  whole  business  life  in  the  field  of  finance.  A  banker  and 
broker  in  Wall  street,  keen,  shrewd,  the  possessor  of  business  talent  of  a  high  order, 
he  has  had  the  good  fortune  to  win  the  respect  of  the  community  as  much  by  probity 
of  character  and  the  value  of  his  public  services  as  by  his  success  in  business. 

He  was  born  in  this  city  Jan.  n,  1844,  the  son  of  Lawrence  Myers,  a  successful 
merchant,  who  previous  to  his  death  in  1874,  had  long  been  recognized  as  a  leading 
spirit  in  commercial  circles.  Theodore  prepared  for  college  in  private  schools  in  this 
city  and  in  France  and  Germany,  but  was  prevented  by  ill  health  from  taking  a  college 
course.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  War,  although  a  Democrat,  he  espoused  the  cause  of 
the  Union.  He  became  a  captain  in  the  3d  Regiment  of  the  Sickles  brigade  and  was 


472  -AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

connected  with  the  City  Guard  for  many  years.  Later,  he  oecame  a  captain  in  the  9th 
Regiment,  one  of  the  crack  military  organizations  of  the  city. 

In  1864,  Mr.  Myers  secured  a  position  in  the  house  of  Polhemus  &  Jackson, 
bankers  and  brokers.  He  made  himself  acquainted  with  all  the  details  of  business 
in  Wall  street,  and  then  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account  in  Camblos  &  Myers. 
The  firm  were  quite  successful,  but  several  years  later,  Mr.  Myers  carried  on  the 
business  in  his  own  name.  He  was  also  for  several  years  a  special  partner  in  the 
firm  of  M.  E.  De  Rivas  &  Co. 

To  secure  needed  recreation,  Mr.  Myers  traveled  in  Europe,  for  a  year  or  two, 
and  then,  in  1884,  organized  the  bank  of  Theodore  W.  Myers  &  Co.,  of  which  he 
has  ever  since  been  the  head.  This  firm  has  met  with  a  remarkable  success.  It 
has  always  transacted  a  large  commission  business,  with  branches  in  Philadelphia 
and  Chicago.  It  became  known  early  in  its  career  as  a  conservative,  trustworthy 
and  honorable  house. 

Mr.  Myers  first  took  an  active  part  in  politics  in  1884.  In  that  year,  he  organ- 
ized a  Cleveland  campaign  club  among  the  Democrats  of  the  Stock  Exchange  and 
was  the  leader  in  arranging  for  a  great  open-air  rally  in  Wall  street  at  the  steps  of 
the  Sub-Treasury.  He  aided  to  secure  the  interest  of  the  business  men  of  New 
York  city  in  Mr.  Cleveland's  candidacy  for  President  and  the  great  parade  of  busi- 
ness men  and  political  clubs  of  that  year  which,  in  part,  grew  out  of  his  work,  was 
the  master  stroke  of  an  exciting  and  hotly  contested  campaign. 

In  May,  1887,  Mr.  Myers  was  appointed  a  Park  Commissioner  of  this  city  and 
was  elected  by  his  associates  treasurer  of  the  board.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year, 
he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  the  city  by  45,000  plurality,  receiving  the  largest  vote 
of  any  man  on  the  ticket  of  the  United  Democracy.  He  was  re-elected  in  1890, 
having  been  nominated  by  all  the  leading  parties  on  account  of  his  honest  record 
and  personal  popularity,  and  he  received  207,011  votes  out  of  a  total  of  213,199  cast. 
The  services  of  Mr.  Myers  to  the  city  in  this  important  position  were  great.  He 
faithfully  guarded  the  interests  of  the  taxpayers  and  his  excellent  judgment  and 
scrupulous  honor  won  the  general  commendation.  It  may  be  said  to  his  credit,  that 
his  political  opponents  have  been  as  frank  in  recognizing  his  entire  fidelity  to  the 
interests  of  the  city  as  have  his  own  party  associates.  A  notable  incident  was  his 
negotiation  of  a  loan  of  $14,000,000  for  the  city  at  2  1-2  per  cent,  interest.  This  was 
the  first  loan  ever  made  by  any  municipal  government  at  that  low  rate. 

He  was  married  in  1870,  to  Miss  Hart,  a  grand-daughter  of  Bernard  Hart,  a  promi- 
nent merchant  of  fifty  years  ago,  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Stock  Exchange  and  an 
original  member  of  The  Tontine  Society.  They  have  one  son,  George  Lawrence 
Myers,  a  graduate  of  Columbia  College. 

Mr.  Myers  is  a  man  of  refinement,  a  lover  of  the  fine  arts,  social  in  nature  and 
exceedingly  well  liked.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan,  Reform,  Democratic,  New 
York,  Rockaway  Hunting,  New  York  Athletic  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs  and  of  many 
musical  societies,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the  Geographical  and  Historical  societies. 


N. 

BENJAMIN  NATHAN,  stock  broker,  who  died  by  the  hands  of  an  unknown  assas- 
sin, July  29,  1870,  at  the  age  of  fifty-seven,  was  of  Hebrew  descent  and  well  known  in 
business  circles.  Entering  Wall  street  early  in  life  and  transacting  business  for  many 
clients,  he  began  later  to  operate  on  his  o_wn  account,  and,  although  seldom,  if  ever,  a 
leader  in  the  market,  managed  gradually  to  accumulate  a  fortune.  One  of  the  founders 
of  the  Stock  Exchange,  a  large,  fine  looking  man,  keen  in  judgment,  honest  and 
shrewd,  he  was  the  center  of  a  large  circle  of  very  warm  friends.  Through  investment 
and  executive  ability,  he  became  a  director  of  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad 
and  several  insurance  companies  and  was  also  the  holder  of  many  shares  in  The  Ninth 
Avenue  Railroad  Co.  About  1860,  he  practically  retired  from  active  business,  although 
retaining  an  office  in  Wall  street.  Mr.  Nathan  was  connected  with  several  of  the  lead- 
ing Jewish  families  of  the  city  and  noted  for  his  generosity  toward  the  institutions  of 
his  race.  He  made  a  large  contribution  toward  the  erection  of  the  new  Mount  Sinai 
Hospital  and  presided  over  its  board  of  directors.  The  death  of  Mr.  Nathan  remains 
one  of  the  imsolved  mysteries  of  the  metropolis.  The  tragedy  occurred  at  night  at  his 
house  in  West  23d  street,  where  he  was  living  alone  temporarily,  his  family  being  at 
their  summer  home  in  Morristown,  N.  J. 

ELKAN  NAUMBURQ,  banker  and  broker,  born  in  Treuchtlinger,  Germany,  Jan. 
i,  1835,  is  a  son  of  Wolf  Naumburg,  a  well  known  Hebrew  clergyman  of  that  place. 
Educated  in  the  common  schools  at  home,  Elkan  began  active  business  life  as  a 
clerk  in  Baltimore,  Md  ,  in  1850,  having  come  to  this  country  at  the  age  of  fifteen. 
In  1856,  on  his  twenty- first  birthday,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  the  highly 
respectable  firm  of  his  employers,  Simon  Frank  &  Co.  In  1863,  he  removed  to  New 
York  to  become  resident  buyer  for  the  firm  and  in  1868  aided  to  organize  the  firm  of 
Stadler  &  Co.,  clothing  merchants.  Here  he  soon  made  his  mark  as  a  cool,  keen  and 
successful  business  man.  In  1876,  the  firm  of  Naumburg,  Kraus,  Lauer  &  Co.  suc- 
ceeded to  the  business,  Mr.  Naumburg  remaining  the  senior  partner  and  an  active 
member  until  1893,  when  Mr.  Lauer  and  he  retired  from  the  firm,  forming  a  new  part- 
nership, Jan.  i,  1893,  for  a  banking  and  brokerage  business,  making  commercial  paper 
a  specialty.  He  is  part  owner  of  the  old  store  at  657-659  Broadway  and  of  other 
realty,  senior  director  in  The  National  Citizens'  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce.  In  1866,  he  married  Bertha,  daughter  of  Gottlieb  WTehle,  and  their  chil- 
dren are  Walter  W.  and  George  Washington  Naumburg,  the  latter  having  been  born 
July  4,  1876.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Reform,  Harmonic  and  Insurance  clubs  and  of 
various  charities  and  originated,  in  1890,  by  a  handsome  subscription,  the  pension  fund 
for  retired  musicians  of  the  Philharmonic  Society,  of  which  he  is  honorary  member. 

DAVID  LEOPOLD  NEWBORQ,  clothing  manufacturer,  born  Feb.  19,  1834,  in 
Oberndorf,  Wurtemburg,  is  of  Hebrew  descent.  First  a  clerk  for  his  father  at  home,  he 
came  to  America  in  1851,  made  his  pioneer  venture  as  a  merchant  in  the  West,  and 
in  1862,  sold  his  Western  trade  and  removed  to  New  York  to  engage  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  clothing.  In  1874,  he  admitted  his  brother  Joseph  to  partnership  under  the 
name  of  D.  L.  Newborg  &  Bro.  Their  management  being  characterized  by  prudence 


474  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

and  sagacity,  the  firm  prospered  to  a  remarkable  degree.  In  1882,  Joseph  L.  New- 
borg,  a  son  of  the  senior  partner,  became  a  partner,  the  firm  then  adopting  the  title 
of  David  L.  Newborg  &  Son.  A  close,  shrewd,  careful  merchant,  Mr.  Newborg  has 
continued  to  increase  his  property  both  from  current  profits  and  wise  investment.  He 
is  identified  with  Temple  Emanu- El  and  various  charities.  In  1861,  he  married  Caro- 
line, daughter  of  Samuel  Cole.  The  children  born  to  them  have  been  Bertha,  wife 
of  Ansell  B.  Falk;  Matilda,  wife  of  Henry  Leerburger;  Addie,  wife  of  Samuel  G. 
Hess;  Joseph  L.  Newborg;  Rosalie,  wife  of  Charles  Schwartz;  Hilda,  Leo  and  Sidney 
Newborg. 

HORATIO  VICTOR  NEWCOMB,  railroad  president  and  banker,  is  one  of  the 
group  of  vigorous  spirits  who  have  come  to  the  metropolis  from  the  Southern  States 
during  the  last  fifteen  years  and  identified  themselves  prominently  with  financial 
affairs.  Born  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  July  26,  1844,  he  springs  from  New  England  ances- 
try, being,  through  the  line  of  his  father,  Horatio  D.  Newcomb,  a  descendant  of  Hez- 
ekiah  Newcomb  and  Jerusha  Bradford,  who  were  married  Nov.  4,  1716,  the  latter 
being  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Bradford  and  great-granddaughter  of  Major  William 
Bradford,  who  came  to  America  in  the  good  ship  Mayflower  in  1620  and  for  many 
years  ruled  the  Plymouth  colony  as  its  governor.  Through  the  line  of  his  mother, 
Cornelia  Washington  Read,  Mr.  Newcomb  is  collaterally  descended  from  George  Wash- 
ington, the  father  of  his  country.  The  Newcomb  family  traces  its  line  back  through 
the  history  of  America  and  England  as  far  as  1189.  In  Kentucky,  it  has  always 
belonged  to  the  ruling  class  in  the  South,  being  conspicuous  both  in  public  affairs 
and  business  enterprises. 

Victor  received  an  excellent  education,  beginning  in  schools  at  home  and  con- 
tinued in  England  and  France.  From  his  books,  he  brought  an  active  mind  and 
earnest  nature  into  the  counting  room  of  the  firm  of  H.  D.  Newcomb  &  Bro.,  commis- 
sion merchants  in  Louisville,  Ky. ,  and,  when  fitted  for  the  responsibilities  of  a  career, 
became  a  partner  in  Warren,  Newcomb  &  Co.  in  New  York  city.  He  proved  a 
bright,  competent  and  active  business  man,  and  his  firm,  which  subsequently  took  the 
name  of  Newcomb,  Buchanan  &  Co.,  at  Louisville,  enjoyed  a  large  trade  and  a  pros- 
perous career  while  he  was  at  the  head  of  it. 

Horatio  D.  Newcomb,  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  remembered  as 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  of  the  residents  of  Louisville,  being  largely  engaged  in 
Southern  trade,  the  operation  of  steamboats  on  the  rivers,  the  management  of  a  large 
possession  in  land  and,  as  president  of  the  corporation,  in  the  direction  of  The  Louis- 
villj  &  Nashville  Railroad.  Upon  the  death  of  the  senior  Newcomb,  Aug.  24,  1874, 
Victor  entered  upon  a  short  but  extremely  successful  career  as  a  railroad  man.  Hav- 
ing been  elected  a  director  of  the  railroad  company,  a  little  later  he  became  vice  presi- 
dent and  then  president.  To  the  development  of  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad 
as  a  property,  the  new  officer  devoted  a  vast  amount  of  labor  and  untiring  energy  and 
contributed  largely  to  make  the  system  the  great  property  it  is  to-day. 

Upon  his  resignation  in  1880,  a  series  of  extremely  complimentary  resolutions  were 
adopted  by  the  directors  of  the  corporation,  some  of  whom  were  older  railroad  men  than 
he,  who  attributed  to  his  foresight,  energy  and  progressive  spirit,  the  great  growth  and 
prosperity  of  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  system.  Mr.  Newcomb  was  the  youngest  ex- 
ecutive officer  of  a  railroad  during  his  time  and  bore  the  title  of  the  "boy  president.'1 


476  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

The  best  evidence  of  the  estimation  in  which  he  was  held  and  the  great  services  which 
he  rendered  to  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  may  be  found  in  a  series  of  reso- 
lutions passed  by  the  board  of  directors  upon  his  retirement  in  1880,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing are  extracts : 

"  Mr.  H.  Victor  Newcomb  having,  for  reasons  relating  to  his  personal  health,  ten- 
dered his  resignation  as  president  of  this  Board,  the  Directors  cannot  permit  the  occasion 
to  pass  without  an  expression  of  regret  at  the  loss  of  his  valuable  services  as  the  head 
of  this  company.  The  name  of  Mr.  Newcomb  is  intimately  associated  with  the  origin, 
the  subsequent  growth  and  the  rapid  development  of  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Rail- 
road. His  father,  H.  D.  Newcomb,  was  one  of  its  founders.  From  the  organization 
of  the  company  to  the  day  of  his  death  in  1874,  he  was  continuously  in  its  services  in  the 
capacities,  successively,  of  director,  vice-president  and  president. 

"  In'i874,  upon  the  death  of  his  father,  H.  Victor  Newcomb  was  elected  a  director 
to  succeed  his  father,  later  vice-president  of  the  company  and  then  president.  When 
Dr.  Standiford  became  president,  he  was  an  active  member  of  the  board  of  directors 
and  an  efficient  adviser  and  coadjutor  of  the  president.  During  the  incumbency  of  Dr. 
Standiford,  the  services  and  exertions  of  Mr.  Newcomb  were  invaluable  to  the  company 
toward  the  acquisition  of  the  additional  lines  of  road,  which  have  supplemented  and  com- 
pleted the  great  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad  system.  The  continuation  of  the  line 
by  the  way  of  Montgomery  and  Mobile  to  New  Orleans  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Southern  terminal  stations  of  the  road  upon  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  at  Mobile  and  upon 
the  Mississippi  levee  in  New  Orleans,  was  his  special  project,  and  its  successful  accom- 
plishment was  substantially  the  result  of  his  sagacity  and  energy. 

"  The  accomplishment  upon  a  solid  and  substantial  basis  of  close  and  friendly  rela- 
tion with  The  Nashville  &  Chattanooga  Railroad  company,  was  also  specially  the 
result  of  his  intelligent  exertions,  resulting  in  great  mutual  advantage  to  both  com- 
panies. His  short  career  as  president  has  been  a  triumph  probably  without  precedent 
in  the  railroad's  history.  Whereupon, 

'•'•Resolved,  That  we  accept  with  regret  the  resignation  of  H.  Victor  Newc'omb  as 
president  of  this  Board ;  and  upon  his  termination  of  our  official  relations  with  him, 
made  necessary  by  causes  beyond  his  or  our  control,  we  most  cheerfully  bear  testimony 
to  his  ability  and  fidelity  in  the  discharge  of  his  laborious  duties  and  responsibilities  as 
chief  officer  of  this  company.  To  his  acknowledged  wisdom  and  foresight  and  to  the 
courage  of  his  convictions,  the  stockholders  of  the  company  are  substantially  indebted 
for  the  late  valuable  additions  to  the  property  of  the  company,  resulting  in  the  perfec- 
tion of  the  present  great  railway  system  of  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad  Com- 
pany ;  and  he  is  entitled  to  and  receives  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  stockholders  and  of 
this  Board  for  his  kindness  and  manly  bearing  toward  us,  his  associates,  officially  and 
personally.  We  render  to  him  our  kindest  wishes  for  all  the  future." 

In  1880,  Mr.  Newcomb  removed  to  New  York  city  and  organized  The  United 
States  National  Bank,  of  which  the  stockholders  elected  him  president.  In  this  insti- 
tution, he  was  associated  with  Gen.  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  Morris  K.  Jesup,  William  R. 
Travers,  Col.  John  J.  McCook,  and  other  well-known  men.  Within  fourteen  months 
from  the  time  this  bank  had  opened  its  doors,  the  deposits  had  grown  to  $7,000,000,  an 
achievement  the  like  of  which  had  never  been  heard  of  before.  He  was,  it  is  believed, 
the  youngest  bank  president  in  the  United  States;  and  whatever  may  be  said  of  the 


THE     CITY     OF     XEW     YORK. XO.  477 

subsequent  history  of  the  institution,  it  is  a  fact  that  while  Mr.  Xewcomb  held  the  posi- 
tion of  president,  the  bank  never  sustained  a  single  loss. 

Mr.  Xewcomb  has  been  at  times  a  large  and  active  operator  in  Wall  street.  He 
began  dealing  in  stocks  before  he  left  Louisville  and  became  conspicuous  for  the  brill- 
iancy of  his  manoeuvres.  He  thought  quickly,  acted  without  hesitation,  and  generally 
succeeded  in  his  ventures.  The  manner  in  which  he  developed  the  value  of  the  stock 
of  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad  was  the  subject  of  much  flattering  comment. 

As  a  director  in  The  New  York  &  "West  Shore  Railroad  at  its  organization,  Mr. 
Xewcomb  was  an  active  factor  in  the  construction  of  that  line. 

Dec.  26,  1866,  he  was  married  in  Louisville  to  Florence  Ward  Danforth.  Two 
children  have  been  born  to  them,  Herman  Danforth  Newcomb,  and  Edith,  wife  of 
Reginald  Henshaw  Ward,  formerly  of  Boston.  The  family  dwell  in  a  handsome  house 
at  683  Fifth  avenue  and  have  figured  prominently  in  the  social  life  of  the  city.  The 
introduction  of  their  daughter  Edith  to  society  was  the  occasion  of  a  brilliant  function. 
Mr.  Newcomb  is  a  member  of  the  Union,  Tuxedo,  New  York  Athletic.  Suburban, 
Driving,  .Riding  and  other  clubs,  and  an  active  supporter  of  every  public  spirited 
and  philanthropic  enterprise  which  commends  itself  to  his  judgment. 

ADAH  NORRIE,  merchant,  one  of  the  oldest,  best  known  and  most  thoroughly 
esteemed  of  New  York's  citizens,  born  in  Aberdeen,  Scotland,  died  in  this  city,  June 
6.  1882,  in  his  eighty-seventh  year.  Beginning  life  in  the  manufacture  of  iron  in 
Sweden,  he  came  to  New  York  in  1820  to  investigate  the  iron  trade  of  this  country. 
The  visit  decided  him  to  remain  and  he  entered  the  firm  of  Boorman,  Johnson  &  Co., 
large  merchants  of  Swedish  iron.  The  firm  carried  on  the  business  with  great  success. 
Mr.  Xorrie  retired  in  1875.  After  the  year  named,  corporations  and  lands  occupied  his 
principal  attention.  He  was  one  of  the  original  stockholders  in  the  canal  between 
Lakes  Michigan  and  Superior  and  a  promoter  and  large  stockholder  of  The  Milwaukee, 
Lake  Shore  &  Western  Railroad.  He  was  also  vice  president  of  The  Bank  for  Savings 
in  Bleecker  street,  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  Commerce  from  its  organization,  a  director 
of  The  Royal  Insurance  Co. ,  one  of  the  founders  of  St.  Luke's  Hospital  and  for  ten 
years  president  of  St.  Andrew's  Society.  In  1872,  he  succeeded  John  David  Wolfe  as 
senior  warden  of  Grace  Church,  having  previously  succeeded  George  Barclay  as  junior 
warden.  Mr.  Norrie  presented  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  examples  of  commercial 
integrity  of  his  day.  An  even-tempered,  pleasant  and  considerate  man,  liberal  but  not 
ostentatious  in  his  charities,  in  every  wray  a  Christian  gentleman,  he  left  a  host  of 
friends  and  no  enemies.  His  wife  died  about  1872.  Four  children  survived  him, 
Gordon.  Ann  Margaret  Van  Home,  Mary  Van  Home  and  Julia  Clarkson  Norrie. 

ECKSTEIN  NORTON,  banker,  born  in  Russellville,  Ky.,  Dec.  16,  1831,  died  in 
New  Brighton,  S.  I.,  Jan.  12,  1893.  When  twenty  years  of  age,  Mr.  Norton  had 
charge  of  a  store  in  his  native  place.  Four  years  later,  he  went  to  Cairo,  Ills. ,  and 
engaged  in  the  forwarding  of  freight  for  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  along  the 
Mississippi  and  Ohio  Rivers,  under  contract,  and  in  1857,  formed,  with  his  brother, 
W.  F.  Norton,  the  banking  firm  of  Xorton  &  Bro's  in  Paducah,  Ky.  He  arrived  in 
Xe\v  York  in  1864  and  established  the  bank  of  Norton,  Slaughter  &  Co.,  making  a 
specialty  of  attention  to  railroad  enterprises.  He  reorganized  The  New  Orleans  &  Ohio 
Railroad  in  1870,  and  consolidated  it  with  The  Mississippi  Railroad  under  the  name  of 
The  Paducah  &  Memphis  Railroad,  his  connection  with  the  line  continuing  until  1881. 


478  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

In  1884,  he  interested  himself  in  The  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad  and  infused  so 
much  energy  into  its  affairs  that  he  was  elected  president.  When  he  resigned  in  1891, 
he  formed  the  firm  of  Eckstein  Norton  &  Co. ,  for  the  benefit  of  his  oldest  son,  who 
took  the  active  management.  He  always  signed  his  name  "  Ex.  Norton."  In  his  later 
years,  his  time  was  divided  between  his  New  York  house,  8 1 1  Fifth  avenue  and  his 
country  home  on  Staten  Island.  Mr.  Norton  felt  a  great  interest  in  the  prosperity  of 
Staten  Island  and  was  one  of  the  group  of  prominent  New  Yorkers,  who  maintained 
handsome  residences  there  before  Lenox  and  Newport  had  risen  to  their  present 
popularity.  He  was  a  member  of  The  Southern  Society  and  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce ;  and  a  director  of  The  Mexican  National  Railroad,  The  Louisville  &  Nashville 
Railroad,  The  Chesapeake  &  Ohio  Railroad,  The  Kentucky  Central  Railroad,  The 
Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York,  The  Mechanics'  National  Bank,  The  Manhattan 
Trust  Co.  and  The  First  National  Bank  of  New  Brighton,  S.  I.  While  a  young  man, 
Mr.  Norton  attended  the  Baptist  Church  but  later  in  life  joined  the  Brighton  Heights 
Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  on  Staten  Island.  He  succeeded  George  William 
Curtis  as  president  of  the  Smith  Infirmary  on  Staten  Island  and  gave  larg-ely  to  its 
support.  In  ^864,  he  married  Miss  Lucy  Peyten  Moore  at  Hopkinsville,  Ky. ,  who 
survived  him  with  six  children,  William  P.,  Eckstein  and  George  F.  Norton,  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  A.  J.  Outerbridge,  Lucy  M.  and  Mary  H.  Norton. 

JOHN  NORTON,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  Eastport,  Me.,  died  in  Brooklyn, 
Oct.  30,  1890,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three.  Eastport  is  an  ancient  shipping  town  and 
Mr.  Norton  grew  up  in  the  field  of  maritime  enterprise.  He  came  to  New  York  about 
1840,  and  after  thirty-years  with  Russell  &  Norton,  merchants  in  the  West  India  trade, 
took  his  sons  into  partnership  under  the  name  of  John  Norton  &  Sons.  During  the  next 
twenty  years,  they  ranked  as  one  of  the  largest  and  best  known  houses  in  the  shipping 
trade  to  southern  and  tropical  ports.  Mr.  Norton  was  twice  married,  and  left  a  son 
and  four  daughters. 

JULIUS  MILO  NOYES,  banker,  born  in  Morrisville,  Vt.,  March  25,  1827,.  died  in 
this  city,  May  22,  1889.  He  was  a  direct  descendant  of  the  Rev.  James  Noyes,  who 
emigrated  from  Wiltshire,  England,  to  New  England,  in  1634.  Receiving  a  good 
education  and  graduating  from  the  University  of  Vermont,  Mr.  Noyes  began  business 
life  as  a  clerk  in  a  country  store  in  Burlington.  He  next  obtained  a  situation  in  Platts- 
burgh,  New  York,  and  rose  to  be  cashier  and  president  of  The  Mercantile  Bank  of  that 
city.  In  1866,  he  came  to  New  York  and  entered  the  banking  firm  of  Harriot,  Parker 
&  Co.,  at  No.  19  New  street,  who  in  1870,  were  succeeded  by  Harriot  &  Noyes.  In 
1872,  Mr.  Noyes  joined  the  Stock  Exchange.  In  1884,  the  house  was  reorganized  as 
J.  M.  Noyes  &  Co.,  and  retains  the  name  to  the  present  time.  May  23,  1849,  Mr.  Noyes 
was  married  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  to  Cornelia,  daughter  of  Nathan  B.  Haswell.  Of  his 
five  children,  the  two  now  living  are  Charles  P.  Noyes,  at  present  sole  partner  in  J.  M. 
Noyes  &  Co.,  and  Mrs.  Harriet  N.  Andrews.  Mr.  Noyes  was  fond  of  business  life, 
abstained  entirely  from  the  strife  of  politics,  and  joined  few  if  any  clubs,  and  in  his 
chosen  occupation  was  a  successful  man. 


o. 

THOMAS  FLETCHER  OAKES,  railroad  president,  born  in  Boston,  July  16, 
1843,  came  from  old  New  England  stock,  his  father,  Francis  Garaux  Oakes,  being  a 
shipmaster,  and  his  grandfather,  Daniel  Oakes,  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution. 
Educated  in  Boston,  and  well  trained  for  an  active  career,  he  secured  a  position  as 
clerk  to  the  contractors  engaged  in  the  construction  of  The  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad, 
and  in  June,  1863,  entered  the  service  of  this  corporation  as  purchasing  agent  in  St. 
Louis.  Having  won  the  confidence  of  the  officers  of  the  road  by  conspicuous  energy 
and  ability,  they  advanced  him  through  the  positions  of  assistant  treasurer,  general 
freight  agent  and  vice  president  to  that  of  general  superintendent.  During  this  period, 
his  home  was  in  St.  Louis  and  Kansas  City.  In  April,  1879,  ne  became  general 
superintendent  of  The  Kansas  City,  Fort  Scott  &  Gulf  and  The  Kansas  City,  Lawrence 
&  Southern  Railroads,  but  was  called  in  May,  1880,  to  the  responsible  post  of  vice-presi- 
dent and  general  manager  of  The  Oregon  Railway  &  Navigation  Co.,  with  head- 
quarters in  Portland,  Ore.  A  year  later,  he  identified  himself  with  The  Northern  Paci- 
fic Railroad,  was  elected  vice-president,  and  in  November,  1883,  general  manager  in 
addition.  In  1888,  Mr.  Oakes  became  president  of  The  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  and 
continued  as  such  until  October,  1893,  when  having  been  made  one  of  the  receivers  of 
the  corporation,  he  retired  from  the  presidency.  His  executive  ability  has  been 
of  great  service  to  this  important  system.  Mr.  Oakes  is  a  hard  worker  and  a  thoroughly 
trained  and  competent  railroad  man.  He  is  a  trustee  of  The  Manhattan  Life  Insur- 
ance Co.  of  this  city.  In  1864,  he  married  Abby  R.,  daughter  of  Henry  Haskell,  and 
their  children  are  Grace,  Zillah,  Georgiana  and  Prescott  Oakes.  Mr.  Oakes  resides  at 
Mamaroneck,  but  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  New  York  Yacht 
and  Riding  clubs,  and  a  life  member  of  The  American  Geographical  Society. 

JOHN  O'BRIEN,  banker,  now,  in  1895.  seventy-nine  years  old,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  city  and  a  son  of  William  O'Brien,  insurance  adjuster,  who,  born  in  Dublin,  was 
a  direct  descendant  of  the  Earl  of  Inchiquin,  known  in  history  as  a  lieutenant  in  the 
Irish  Rebellion,  his  estate  being  confiscated  in  consequence  of  his  services  and  ^Tioo 
offered  for  his  head.  John  O'Brien  being  placed  at  the  outset  of  his  career  in  The 
Manhattan  Go's  Bank,  as  a  clerk,  rose  through  intermediate  grades  to  be  assistant 
cashier.  In  1844,  he  purchased  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange  and  after  that,  with  his 
brother,  William  O'Brien,  was  exceedingly  successful  in  a  brokerage  and  investment 
business.  The  brothers  conducted  their  business  affairs  with  the  same  affectionate 
unity  which  always  characterized  their  other  relations,  and  were  long  known  in 
Wall  street  as  "  The  Twins."  After  the  death  of  William  in  1885,  John  continued  the 
business  under  the  old  name  of  W.  &  J.  O'Brien.  For  many  years,  the  inseparable 
brothers  lived  together  on  the  north  side  of  Madison  Square  in  New  York,  their  house 
being  their  only  club,  but  after  the  death  of  William,  John  O'Brien  married  and  now 
spends  most  of  his  time  in  Newport  at  his  villa,  Inchiquin,  named  after  the  family 
estate.  He  has  been  treasurer  of  The  Second  Avenue  Railroad  and  has  always  taken 
an  active  interest  in  charitable  undertakings.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  New 
\  ork  Catholic  Protector}-  in  Westchester  and  is  treasurer  of  the  Foundling  and  St. 
Vincent  Hospitals. 


480 

WILLIAH  O'BRIEN,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  died  at  his  home  in  town 
Jan.  2,  1885,  in  his  seventy-fourth  year.  Trained  to  the  field  of  finance  in  The 
Mechanics'  Bank,  which  he  entered  about  1835,  as  clerk,  then  as  teller  and  assistant 
cashier,  he  then,  in  1842,  with  his  brothers,  John,  Robert,  Charles  and  Joseph,  started 
in  banking  on  his  own  account.  After  the  death  of  Charles  in  1855,  the  other  brothers 
continued  together  until  1864,  when  Robert  and  Joseph  withdrew  to  start  a  separate 
banking  house.  The  old  firm  then  took  the  name  of  William  &  John  O'Brien  and  is  so 
known  to-day.  The  firm  transacted  a  large  business,  particularly  among  Roman 
Catholics.  William  O'Brien  was  esteemed  as  a  man  of  good  judgment,  strict  honesty 
and  undoubted  ability.  He  was  a  chosen  friend  of  Cardinal  McCloskey  and  a  member 
of  St.  Ann's  Roman  Catholic  Church,  besides  being  interested  in  a  number  of  other 
churches.  For  many  years,  his  office  was  a  favorite  headquarters  for  financial  news 
and  many  writers  for  the  daily  press  looked  to  this  firm  for  information.  Mr.  O'Brien 
never  married  and  left  the  bulk  of  his  possessions  to  his  brother  John. 

DANIEL  O'DAY,  manufacturer,  born  Feb.  6,  1844,  is  a  native  of  Ireland  and  came 
to  this  country  when  an  infant.  His  father,  Michael  O'Day,  came  to  this  country  in 
1845.  Daniel-secured  an  education  at  the  public  schools  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and,  when 
twenty  years  of  age,  went  to  the  oil  regions  in  Pennsylvania  and  obtained  a  position  in 
the  oil  transportation  business.  In  1873-74,  Mr.  O'Day  began  constructing  pipe  lines 
in  the  producing  regions.  The  first  one  was  from  Emlenton,  Venango  county,  Pa.,  to 
the  producing  fields  of  Clarion  county  and  was  known  as  the  American  Transfer  line. 
After  that,  he  built  other  lines.  By  consolidation  with  other  interests,  the  American 
Transfer  lines  became  merged  into  the  United  Pipe  lines  system,  and  the  latter  is  in 
operation  to-day  as  the  gathering  system  of  The  National  Transit  Co.  The  latter  cor- 
poration was  organized  about  1883  and  now  owns  a  network  of  trunk  and  local  lines, 
extending  over  a  large  part  of  the  country.  Of  this  company,  Mr.  O'Day  has  been 
vice-president  since  1888.  As  the  projector  and  senior  partner  in  The  Oil  City  Boiler 
Works,  an  exceedingly  successful  enterprise  in  Oil  City,  Mr.  O'Day  has  added  largely 
to  his  property.  In  1888,  he  organized  and  became  president  of  The  Northwestern 
Ohio  National  Gas  Co  ,  having  a  capital  of  $6,000,000,  and  owning  oil  wells,  gas  lands 
and  gas  lines.  He  is  also  president  of  The  People's  Bank  of  Buffalo  and  director  of  a 
number  of  other  banks,  including  The  Seaboard  National  of  this  city  and  several  in 
Buffalo  and  Oil  City.  Mr.  O'Day  is  respected  for  his  ability  as  an  executive  officer 
and  as  a  safe  and  sagacious  business  man.  He  lives  at  No.  128  West  72d  street  in  this 
city  and  is  a  member  of  the  Engineers',  Manhattan  and  Lotus  clubs  here,  the  Buffalo 
club  of  Buffalo,  the  Duquesne  club  of  Pittsburgh  and  other  social  organizations. 

JOSEPH  JOHN  O'DONOHUE,  merchant,  and  Chamberlain  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
was  born  at  No.  40  Peck  Slip  in  this  city,  Jan.  8,  1834.  He  is  the  son  of  John  O'Don- 
ohue,  an  Irish  gentleman,  who,  well  educated  and  a  man  of  strong  mind,  resolved 
during  his  young  manhood  to  leave  his  native  land  and  seek  his  fortune  in  the  free 
republic  across  the  sea,  whither  so  large  a  number  of  his  countrymen  had  gone  before 
him  and  where  many  of  them  were  doing  well.  John  O'Donohue  located  in  New  York 
city,  established  a  grocery  and  ship  chandlery  store  on  Peck  Slip,  and,  after  the  fashion 
of  the  old-time  merchants,  lived  over  the  store.  Enterprise  and  native  force  of  charac- 
ter made  him  successful.  He  finally  gave  up  the  retail  branch  of  his  business,  con- 
fined himself  to  the  wholesale  trade,  and  rose  to  prominence  and  the  general  good-will 


"•:•"' 


482  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

as  a  merchant.  In  1858,  with  his  son  Joseph  and  other  associates  he  organized  The 
Long  Island  Ferry  Co.,  whose  boats  plied  between  Williamsburgh  and  New  York  city 
and  became  so  effective  in  their  rivalry  with  The  Brooklyn  Ferry  Co.,  owned  by  the 
late  George  Law,  that  in  1864,  the  two  companies  consolidated  as  The  New  York  & 
Brooklyn  Ferry  Co  ,  Mr.  O'Donohue  retaining  a  large  interest  in  the  new  corpora- 
tion. By  his  marriage,  he  gained  the  companionship  cf  a  gracious  woman  of  superior 
mind.  Her  kindness  to  the  poor  in  the  Eastern  District  of  Brooklyn  is  yet  remem- 
bered affectionately.  To  this  worthy  couple  were  born  several  children. 

Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  the  third  son,  entered  upon  an  active  career  at  the 
unusually  early  age  of  ten,  as  boy  and  clerk  in  his  father's  store.  He  did  not,  how- 
ever, suspend  his  studies  entirely,  an  arrangement  being  made  whereby  his  brother 
James  and  he  should  attend  the  store  on  alternate  days  and  go  to  school  in  the  inter- 
vals. The  senior  O'Donohue  gave  his  boys  a  thorough  training  in  business  and  made 
them  understand  the  paramount  value  of  time  both  in  work  and  study.  As  a  result, 
they  all  became  competent  merchants.  Joseph  and  James  were  admitted  to  partner- 
ship before  they  were  twenty-one  years  of  age,  their  father  then  adopting  the  firm  name 
of  John  O'Dojiohue  &  Sons.  Another  son,  Peter,  became  a  partner  in  1861  and  John 
and  Thomas  were  admitted  in  1868.  After  their  father's  death  in  1868,  a  reverent 
respect  for  their  father's  memory  impelled  the  survivors  to  adopt  the  firm  name  of 
John  O'Donohue's  Sons.  The  store,  originally  on  Peck  Slip,  had  meanwhile  been 
transferred  to  No.  239  Front  street.  Nov.  i,  1889,  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue  withdrew 
and,  with  Atherton  Foster  as  a  partner,  resumed  the  importation  of  coffee  and  tea  at 
No.  101  Front  street.  After  1882,  his  firm  was  known  as  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue  &  Son. 
They  conducted  numerous  branch  houses  in  different  parts  of  the  country  and  a  large 
trade.  In  1889,  Mr.  O'Donohue  retired,  leaving  the  practical  management  in  the 
hands  of  his  sons,  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  jr.,  and  Thomas  J.  O'Donohue.  His 
commercial  record,  extending  now  over  a  full  half  century  of  incessant  activity,  has 
never  been  marred  by  failure  or  dishonor.  On  the  contrary,  his  story  is  that  of  a 
progressive,  judicious,  upright  and  successful  merchant. 

Reared  in  Williamsburgh,  across  the  East  river,  Mr.  O'Donohue  identified  himself 
closely  at  an  early  day  with  the  affairs  of  that  part  of  the  present  city  of  Brooklyn,  and 
although  he  has  made  his  home  in  New  York  city  since  1869,  he  has  retained  his  inter- 
est in  Brooklyn  down  to  the  present  time.  When  he  became  president  of  The  New 
York  &  Brooklyn  Ferry  Co.,  he  conferred  great  benefits  on  the  public  of  the  two  cities 
by  the  energy  and  intelligence  of  his  management.  He  has  built  eleven  new  and 
handsome  boats,  enlarged  the  ferry  houses  and  other  facilities,  reduced  the  fares  and 
taken  many  other  steps  of  an  equally  progressive  character.  The  23d  street  line  is 
Mr.  O'Donohue's  especial  pride.  His  labors  have  given  a  great  impulse  to  the  growth 
of  Williamsburgh.  He  was  a  member  of  the  old  fire  department  of  that  community 
and  interested  in  every  movement  for  the  welfare  of  the  city. 

When  a  successful  merchant  enters  politics,  he  is  always  warmly  welcomed,  his 
character  and  abilities  giving  to  his  neighbors  the  assurance  that,  so  far  as  he  can  affect 
the  administration  of  affairs,  it  will  be  in  the  direction  of  good  government.  Mr. 
O'Donohue  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  while  yet  a  resident  of  Brooklyn  displayed 
considerable  activity  in  the  politics  of  the  city  and  State.  He  was  honored  for  eleven 
years  in  succession  with  election  as  delegate  to  the  Democratic  State  convention  from 


THE     CITY     OF      NEW     YORK. O?D.  483 

Kings  county.  At  one  time,  he  served  as  vice  president  of  the  Democratic  General  Com- 
mittee of  that  county.  During  the  War,  he  espoused  the  cause  of  the  Union.  Although 
fitted  by  character  and  abilities  for  public  place,  he  has  refused  various  tenders  of  office. 
Upon  his  removal  to  New  York  city  in  1869,  the  Democrats  of  the  city  gained  a 
valued  accession  to  their  ranks  and  they  promptly  made  him  a  member  of  the  Tammany 
General  Committee  and  in  1871  tendered  him  the  Mayorality  of  the  city,  which,  how- 
ever, he  declined.  The  iniquities  of  the  Tweed  ring  offended  Mr.  O'Donohue  seriously, 
and  he  not  only  resigned  from  the  General  Committee  but  joined  the  Committee  of 
Seventy,  appointed  at  a  mass  meeting  in  Cooper  Union,  and  took  an  active  part  in  the 
overthrow  of  the  corrupt  ring,  which  had  plundered  the  metropolis  and  dominated  the 
Democratic  party  for  several  years  to  its  great  injury.  After  Tweed  and  his  associates 
had  been  swept  out  of  Tammany  Hall,  Mr.  O'Donohue  again  became,  in  1874,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  General  Committee  from  his  district,  the  i  gth.  He  is  a  liberal  contributor 
to  the  legitimate  campaign  expenses  of  his  party  and  his  influence  has  always  been 
thrown  in  favor  of  clean  government.  In  1874,  Mayor  Wickham  appointed  him  one  of 
the  Park  Commissioners  of  the  city,  and  he  served  with  credit  for  two  years  but 
resigned  in  1876,  to  become  a  Presidential  elector.  He  was  an  especially  earnest  sup- 
porter of  President  Cleveland  in  the  campaigns  of  1884  and  1888,  and,  during  the  famous 
parade  of  merchants  of  the  Democratic  faith  in  1884,  which  revealed  that  New  York 
city  would  probably  go  heavily  Democratic  in  the  following  election,  as  it  did,  Mr. 
O'Donohue  displayed  his  loyalty  by  marching  at  the  head  of  the  column  for  several 
hours  in  a  pouring  rain  without  even  the  protection  of  an  umbrella.  Even  his  sturdy 
constitution  was  not  proof  against  the  exposures  of  that  famous  day,  and  he  was 
obliged  to  spend  some  time  in  foreign  travel  for  the  sake  of  his  health.  President 
Cleveland  felt  under  obligations  to  Mr.  O'Donohue  for  his  services  in  these  campaigns 
and,  after  reinauguration  in  1893,  tendered  to  him  the  position  of  Assistant  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States  in  New  York  city,  but  the  offer  was  courteously  declined. 

It  was  through  Mr.  O'Donohue's  instrumentality,  that  the  hospitals  and  orphan 
asylums  of  New  York  city  were  exempted  from  water  taxation  by  legislative  enactment. 
For  this  measure,  he  contended  for  six  years.  At  his  request,  the  exemption  was  first 
provided  for  by  the  Aldermen  of  the  city,  who  passed  a  resolution  to  that  effect,  but 
Mayor  Cooper  vetoed  the  measure.  Mr.  O'Donohue  then  appealed  to  the  Legislat- 
ure, and  after  prolonged  effort  secured  the  law  which  was  signed  by  Governor  Hill. 
In  April,  1893,  he  was  appointed  Chamberlain  of  the  city  by  Mayor  Gilroy. 

Mr.  O'Donohue  has  numerous  interests  not  connected  with  the  import  trade.  In 
1883,  he  joined  a  syndicate  which  bought  the  stock  of  Daniel  Drew  in  The  People's 
Line  of  steamboats  to  Albany,  and  has  since  been  a  large  stockholder  and  director  in 
that  concern.  He  is  one  of  the  founders  and  ex-vice  president  of  the  new  Coffee  Ex- 
change, a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Board  of  Trade  &  Transportation, 
a  director  of  The  Twenty-third  Street  Ferry,  The  New  Jersey  Steamboat  Co. ,  The 
W  illiamsburgh  City  Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  the  Evergreen  and  Calvary  cemeteries,  and 
president  of  The  Monmouth  County,  N.  J.,  Horse  Association. 

The  cause  of  charity  has  always  enlisted  his  interest  and  his  contributions  to 
worthy  objects  and  individuals  are  creditable.  For  many,  years  he  has  been  a  trustee 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum,  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral,  The  Little  Sisters  of 
the  Poor,  The  Foundling  Asylum  and  other  institutions. 


484  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

Sept  7,  1858,  he  married  Teresa  M.  J.  Riley,  daughter  of  Peter  Riley.  Of  their 
seven  children,  the  survivors  are  Joseph  J.  O'Donohue,  jr.,  and  Thomas  J.  O'Donohue, 
who  now  carry  on  their  father's  business. 

Mr.  O'Donohue  has  been  a  member  of  over  sixty  clubs,  including  the  Manhattan, 
Reform,  Down  Town,  New  York  Yacht,  Democratic,  Travelers',  Catholic,  New  York 
Athletic,  Hardware,  New  York  Jockey  and  Brooklyn  Jockey. 

HERMANN  OELRICHS,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  June  8,  1850, 
is  a  son  of  Henry  Oelrichs,  a  merchant  of  German  descent,  long  prominent  in  Balti- 
more, who  removed  with  his  family  to  New  York  while  Hermann  was  a  boy.  The 
elder  Oelrichs  was  a  shipping  merchant  and  agent  for  the  North  German  Lloyd  steam- 
ships. Under  his  careful  guidance,  his  son  received  a  thorough  education,  which  he 
completed  in  Germany.  In  1871,  the  son  took  his  place  in  Oelrichs  &  Go's  office,  being 
admitted  as  a  partner  in  1875.  The  young  man  was  conspicuous  for  athletic  strength 
and  superb  physique,  which  in  his  case  were  accompanied  by  a  mind  of  equally  virile 
power.  Since  1887,  when  Gustav  Schwab  retired,  Mr.  Oelrichs  has  been  the  head  of 
the  house,  the  firm  remaining  American  agents  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  line.  Mr. 
Oelrichs  is  a  stockholder  in  The  Madison  Square  Garden  Co.  and  a  man  of  untiring  en- 
ergy and  resource.  He  retains  a  fondness  for  athletic  exercises  and  is  conspicuous  as  a 
boxer,  fencer,  polo  player  and  swimmer,  in  which  latter  pastime  he  probably  has  few 
rivals  in  America  among  either  amateurs  or  professionals.  In  1890,  he  married 
Theresa  Alice,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Senator  James  G.  Fair,  of  Nevada,  one  of  the 
"bonanza  kings  "  of  the  Pacific  coast.  They  have  had  one  child,  Hermann.  Mr. 
Oelrichs  was  for  a  time  prominent  in  politics,  being  a  member  of  the  Democratic  Na- 
tional Committee  for  New  York  but  resigning  for  personal  and  independent  reasons. 
He  has  been  pressed  repeatedly  to  accept  a  nomination  for  the  Mayoralty  of  the  city 
and  was  obliged  in  1888  to  publish  a  card  enforcing  his  refusal.  Much  of  his  time  is 
spent  at  Newport  or  on  the  Pacific  coast,  but  his  name  appears  as  an  active  member  on 
the  rolls  of  about  twenty  New  York  clubs,  including  the  Metropolitan,  Manhattan,  New 
York,  Players',  Lawyers',  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  Racquet,  Union,  and 
Liederkranz. 

WILLIAM  BUTLER  OQDEN,  railroad  president,  born  in  Walton,  Delaware 
county,  N.  Y.,  June  15,  1805,  died  at  the  Villa  Boscobel,  near  High  Bridge,  New  York 
city,  Aug.  3,  1877.  He  was  a  descendant  of  the  Ogdens  of  New  Jersey,  conspicuous  in 
the  early  history  of  the  State.  Intended  for  the  law,  his  father's  sudden  death,  when 
William  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  threw  upon  him  the  management  of  his  father's  estate 
and  he  became  a  business  man.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  entered  a  mercan- 
tile firm,  became  prominent  in  Delaware  county,  and  iA  1834  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature,  where  he  helped  pass  a  bill  for  the  construction  of  The  New  York  &  Eric 
Railroad.  Shortly  after  this,  he  removed  to  Chicago  and  in  1835  established  a  land  and 
trust  agency  there.  In  that  city,  his  energetic  influence  was  so  widely  felt  that,  in 
1837,  he  was  elected  its  first  Mayor.  Although,  in  1860,  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  Illinois 
State  Senate,  he  never  took  much  pleasure  in  politics  and  frequently  declined  sugges- 
tions of  office.  Mr.  Ogden  permeated  the  West  with  his  activity.  He  owned  at 
Peshtigo,  Wis.,  the  largest  lumber  mills  in  the  world  at  that  time.  His  real  estate 
transactions  were  also  extensive.  He  aided  to  bring  mowing  and  reaping  machinery 
into  general  use  and  it  was  at  his  suggestion  that  the  first  reaper  was  sent  to  the 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. OL.  485 

London  exhibition  in  1851.  He  was  president  of  the  national  railroad  convention  held 
in  Philadelphia  in  1850,  with  reference  to  a  transcontinental  line  and  and  served  as  first 
president  of  The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and'  president  of  The  Galena  &  Chicago 
Union,  The  Chicago  &  Fond  du  Lac,  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  The  Illinois  & 
Wisconsin  and  The  Buffalo  &  Mississippi  Railroads,  besides  being  connected  with 
numerous  other  enterprises  and  taking  part  in  the  organization  of  The  Northern 
Pacific  Railroad  Co.  He  was  first  president  of  the  trustees  of  Rush  Medical  College 
and  a  member  or  trustee  of  the  Theological  Seminary  of  the  Northwest,  The  Histor- 
ical Society  of  Chicago,  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  the  Astronomical  Society,  the  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago  and  the  Chicago  Women's  Home.  In  1854-55,  he  visited  Europe 
and  his  observation  of  the  canals  of  Holland  led  him  to  become  an  advocate  of  the 
Sturgeon  Bay  and  Lake  Michigan  Ship  Canal.  He  had  large  interests  in  real  estate  in 
Chicago,  and  in  the  great  fire  of  1871,  his  capacious  house,  in  which  many  great  public 
works  had  been  planned,  with  much  other  property,  was  destroyed.  At  this  same 
time,  his  lumber  mills  at  Peshtigo  were  destroyed  by  fire,  involving  a  loss  of  $1,500,000. 
He  immediately  rebuilt  the  mills.  Mr.  Ogden  was  a  Democrat  of  the  Madisonian 
school,  but  never  a  partisan.  During  the  wrar,  his  sympathies  were  on  the  side  of  the 
Union.  For  many  years,  he  traveled  between  New  York  and  Chicago,  making  the 
former  city  his  home  in  1866.  He  was  a  personal  friend  of  Governors  Dix  and  Tilden 
and  associated  in  business  enterprises  with  ex-Comptroller  Andrew  H.  Green,  who  is  an 
executor  of  his  estate,  and  was  one  of  the  first  to  advocate  and  at  a  large  expenditure 
promote  an  underground  system  of  rapid  transit  for  this  city.  In  1875,  he  married 
Marianna,  daughter  of  John  Arnot,  of  Elmira,  N.  Y.  They  had  no  children.  Mr. 
Ogden 's  great  fortune  was  left  to  his  wife,  the  members  of  his  family,  and  charitable 
organizations. 

FREDERIC  P.  OLCOTT,  banker  and  broker,  born  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  in  1841,  is  a 
son  of  Thomas  H.  Olcott,  a  prominent  citizen  and  president  of  The  Mechanics'  & 
Fanners'  Bank  of  Albany  for  many  years.  His  mother  was  Caroline  Pepoon.  Fred- 
eric's early  education  was  secured  at  the  Albany  Academy.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he 
entered  his  father's  bank  as  a  clerk,  later  carried  on  a  lumber  business  in  Albany,  and 
then  became  connected  with  the  house  of  Blake  Bro's  &  Co.  in  New  York  city,  and 
Phelps,  Stokes  &  Co. ,  at  one  time  serving  the  State  of  New  York  as  Comptroller  at 
Albany.  In  1884,  he  became  president  of  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  of  this  city. 
In  this  position,  he  has  displayed  excellent  ability.  Mr.  Olcott  is  highly  esteemed  and 
is  a  man  of  many  interests,  being  a  director  of  The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis 
Railroad,  The  Bank  of  America,  The  Sixth  Avenue  Street  Railroad,  and  The  Union 
Bank.  He  was  married  in  1862  and  has  two  children.  Among  his  clubs  are  the 
Union  League,  Riding,  New  York  Yacht,  Down  Town  and  Metropolitan. 

HUGH  O'NEILL,  merchant,  proprietor  of  a  large  and  successful  dry  goods  and 
millinery  emporium,  was  born  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  in  Newtownards,  County  Down, 
July  15,  1844.  His  family  moved  to  America  when  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age. 
Here  he  attended  the  old  Grove  street  school  at  night  and  spent  his  days  in  the  em- 
ployment of  his  brother  Henry,  who  had  founded  a  dry  goods  business  in  1837.  Faith- 
ful to  every  duty  and  attentive  to  details,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership  by  his 
brother  in  H.  O'Neill  &  Co.  in  1867.  The  senior  partner  retired  in  1879  and  Mr. 
O'Neill  went  on  under  the  old  name  as  head  of  the  house.  Every  buyer  who  entered 


486  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

his  doors  was  treated  with  courtesy  and  attention,  and  in  a  short  time,  Mr.  O'Neill 
found  himself  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  growing  trade,  which  in  three  years'  time  was  too 
large  for  the  original  store  at  905  Broadway.  In  1870,  he  selected  an  eligible  site  at 
No.  325  Sixth  avenue  and  removed  to  the  new  location.  Originally  limited  to  the 
sale  of  millinery,  his  trade  was  soon  extended  by  the  addition  of  lace  and  other  depart- 
ments, one  after  another,  until,  after  repeated  enlargements,  the  original  store  had 
grown  to  an  enormous  mercantile  establishment,  occupying  several  buildings  and  em- 
ploying a  force  of  2,500  people.  Mr.  O'Neill  is  at  the  store  early  every  day  and  is  one 
of  the  last  to  leave  at  night.  The  system  of  collecting  for  goods  on  delivery  originated 
with  Mr.  O'Neill.  His  trade  is  no  longer  confined  to  the  metropolis  alone  but  now 
extends  to  all  the  suburbs  and  beyond.  He  is  the  father  of  three  children,  Hugh 
O'Neill,  jr.,  now  at  school,  and  two  daughters,  and  is  a  man  of  handsome  presence, 
with  a  strong  physique,  heavy  iron  gray  hair  and  beard,  blue  eyes,  and  cordial  manner. 
QEORQE  OPDYKE,  banker,  a  native  of  Kingwood,  Hunterdon  county,  N.  J.,  born 
Dec.  7,  1805,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  12,  1880.  He  was  descended  from  one  of 
the  old  Dutch  families  of  New  York,  his  ancestor,  Louris  Jansen  op  Dyke,  having 
owned  residences  in  Albany,  Flatbush  and  New  York  under  the  Dutch  Government  of 
New  Netherlands.  The  family  settled  in  New  Jersey  later.  George  began  life  on  a 
farm  and  taught  district  school  for  a  while.  At  the  age  of  twenty,  he  went  to  Cleve- 
land, O.,  then  a  frontier  trading  post,  to  open  a  general  store  and  thence  removed  to 
New  Orleans  to  engage  in  the  wholesale  clothing  business.  In  1832,  he  transferred 
his  enterprise  to  New  York  and,  in  1850,  began  the  importation  of  dry  goods,  in  which 
he  continued  until  1867,  when  he  withdrew.  In  company  with  his  sons  and  others,  he 
then  started  the  banking  house  of  George  Opdyke  &  Co.  The  business  prospered  rap- 
idly and  was  in  the  full  tide  of  success  when  the  panic  of  1873  came  on.  At  this  time, 
they  were  fiscal  agents  of  The  New  York  &  Oswego  Midland  and  St.  Louis  &  South- 
eastern Railroads,  and  had  placed  most  of  the  bonds  of  these  and  other  railroad  lines, 
aggregating  more  than  1,000  miles  in  length.  Owing  to  depreciation  of  values,  later, 
Mr.  Opdyke  voluntarily  sacrificed,  for  the  sake  of  the  bondholders,  $2,000,000  in  addi- 
tional advances  to  these  companies.  Yet  such  was  his  ability  that  he  weathered  the 
storm  as  he  had  the  panics  of  1837  and  1857.  His  later  business  was  very  successful. 
Mr.  Opdyke  retired  a  few  months  before  his  death  with  a  large  fortune.  For  nearly 
twenty  years,  he  took  an  active  part  in  politics.  In  his  younger  days,  he  was  a  Democrat 
but  opposed  to  slavery  and  became  a  candidate  of  the  Free  Soil  party  for  Congress  and 
later  for  United  States  Senator,  but  was  defeated.  In  1858,  he  was  elected  to  the  As- 
sembly from  New  York  city.  In  1859,  he  ran  for  Mayor  on  the  Republican  ticket  but 
was  defeated  by  Fernando  Wood.  As  a  delegate  to  the  national  Republican  conven- 
tion at  Chicago  in  1860,  he  became  instrumental  in  securing  the  nomination  of  Abraham 
Lincoln  and  was  active  in  the  ensuing  campaign.  After  election,  President  Lincoln 
offered  him  the  Collectorship  of  the  Port  of  New  York,  which,  however,  he  declined. 
He  was  elected  Mayor  of  New  York  the  following  year  and  did  much  to  aid  the  re- 
cruiting of  troops.  While  he  was  Mayor,  the  city  became  alarmed  at  a  report  that  the 
Confederate  ram  Merrimac  was  about  to  raid  the  harbor  of  New  York.  Mayor  Opdyke 
promptly  called  a  meeting  of  prominent  men  at  his  house,  where  it  was  resolved  to  load 
a  large  vessel  with  stone  and,  on  the  appearance  of  the  ram,  to  sink  it  in  the  narrowest 
part  of  the  ship  channel.  The  vessel  was  prepared  and  towed  to  the  spot  chosen,  while 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — OR.  487 

a  steamer  cruised  off  Sandy  Hook  to  give  notice  of  the  approach  of  the  Merrimac. 
Fortunately,  the  emergency  never  came.  Mr.  Opdyke  was  Mayor  at  the  time  of  the 
draft  riots  in  1863,  and  was  in  danger  of  violence  or  assassination.  He  was  urged  to 
leave  the  city  but  firmly  refused  to  do  so  and  remained  to  preserve  order.  In  1 868, 
he  served  as  delegate  at  large  to  the  Constitutional  Convention  and  was  a  Constitutional 
Commissioner,  1872-73.  A  great  student  of  national  finance  and  political  economy, 
Mr.  Opdyke  wrote  numerous  excellent  essays  and  articles  on  these  subjects.  In  1829, 
he  married  Elizabeth  H.  Stryker,  a  descendant  of  the  old  Knickerbockers.  Six  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  Emeline  O. ,  wife  of  Edward  C.  Strobell ;  Mary  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  George  W.  Farlee ;  William  S. ,  Charles  W. ,  George  F.  and  Henry  B.  Opdyke. 
ALEXANDER  ECTOR  ORR,  merchant,  is  a  native  of  Strabane,  County  Tyrone, 
Ireland,  and  a  descendant  of  the  clan  McGregor.  Born  March  2,  1831,  and  at  first 
intended  for  the  service  of  The  East  India  Co.,  an  injury  to  his  foot  disabled  him 
for  several  years  and  changed  his  plans.  A  visit  to  the  United  States  by  way  of  Wil- 
mington, N.  C.,  in  1850,  so  captivated  him,  that  in  1851,  he  removed  to  this  country, 
settled  in  Xew  York  city  and  obtained  a  clerkship  with  William  Ralph  Post,  shipping 
and  commission  merchant.  Later,  he  served  in  the  office  of  Wallace  &  Wicks,  and  in 
1858,  entered  that  of  David  Dows  &  Co.  His  success  then  became  merely  a  question 
of  time.  In  1861,  the  firm  made  him  a  partner  and  in  the  enormous  commision  trade 
of  David  Dows  &  Co. ,  in  cereals  and  other  products,  he  soon  rose  to  fortune.  He  has 
always  been  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Produce  Exchange,  several  times  both  director 
and  president,  and  one  of  those  whose  zealous  labors  resulted  in  building  the  present 
magnificent  home  of  the  Exchange.  It  was  he,  who,  with  H.  O.  Armour,  Franklin 
Edson  and  others,  perfected  the  Produce  Exchange  Gratuity  system  and  he  has  been 
for  years  chairman  of  the  Arbitration  Committee.  He  is  a  director  of  numerous  banks, 
insurance  companies,  railroads,  etc. ,  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Down 
Town,  City,  Hamilton,  Atlantic  Yacht  and  other  clubs,  and  the  promoter  of  almost  every 
important  public  institution  in  Brooklyn,  where  he  lives.  In  1856,  he  married  Juliet 
Buckingham,  daughter  of  Ammi  Dows,  and  in  1872,  after  her  death,  Margaret  Shippen, 
daughter  of  Nicholas  Luquer.  His  three  children  are  Jane  Dows,  Mary  Moore  and 
Juliet  Ector  Orr. 

CHARLES  J.  OSBORN,  stock  broker,  originated  in  Quogue,  L.  I.,  and  died  in 
Xc-w  York  city,  Nov.  n,  1885,  less  than  fifty  years  of  age.  His  first  experience  was 
in  the  leather  trade  as  clerk  and  later  as  partner  of  Israel  Corse  in  the  "  Swamp."  He 
entered  Wall  street  about  1865,  and,  as  member  of  the  Gold  Board,  made  his  fortune 
in  the  great  speculations  of  that  time.  In  1869,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Addison 
Cammack,  as  Osborn  &  Cammack,  and  operated  on  an  enormous  scale  in  gold  for  Jay 
Gould.  The  firm  were  Mr.  Gould's  most  trusted  brokers,  their  transactions  amounting 
to  hundreds  of  millions.  This  partnership  terminated  in  1872.  Mr.  Osborn  then 
formed  the  firm  of  C.  J.  Osborn  &  Co.,  of  which  John  W.  George  and  Edwin  S.  Chapin 
were  general  and  Jay  Gould  special  partners.  They  passed  through  the  panic  of  1873 
successfully.  In  1 883  Mr.  Osborn  retired,  and  was  at  the  time  of  his  death  a  special 
partner  in  the  firm  of  E.  S.  Chapin  &  Co.  Thereafter,  he  devoted  some  time  to  the 
settlement  of  the  affairs  of  the  broken  Wall  Street  Bank,  as  receiver,  saving  enough 
from  the  wreck  to  pay  the  depositors  in  full  and  giving  his  services  without  recompense. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange  1869-83,  serving  on  the  governing  committee 


488  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

at  one  time,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the  New  York,  American  Yacht  and  Coney 
Island  Jockey  clubs.  He  owned  the  famous  yacht  Dreadnaught  and  the  steam  yacht 
Corsair.  He  married  Miss  Miriam  A.  Trowbridge,  who  with  his  son,  Howell  Osborn, 
survived  him.  The  latter  died  Feb.  5,  1895. 

GEORGE  ARCHER  OSQOOD,  stock  broker,  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  died  in  New 
York  city,  Nov.  13,  1882,  at  the  age  of  62.  His  father,  Robert  H.  Osgood,  a  native  of 
Salem,  Mass.,  was  descended  from  the  original  English  colonists  of  New  England. 
George  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  1811,  came  to  New  York,  and  established  a 
coal  yard  on  Staten  Island,  near  the  quarantine  station,  and  carried  on  a  profitable 
business  in  supplying  steamboat  and  steamship  lines.  Through  intimate  relations  with 
Commodore  Vanderbilt,  he  furnished  coal  to  the  steamboat  lines  which  the  Commodore 
controlled.  About  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War,  he  entered  Wall  street  and  was  at 
different  times  a  partner  in  several  important  firms.  Fowler,  Osgood  &  Co.  were  well 
known,  as  were  Osgood  &  Co.,  in  which  one  of  his  brothers  and  he  were  engaged. 
During  the  panic  of  1873,  Mr.  Osgood  became  seriously  involved,  but,  later,  paid  all 
his  debts  in  full.  He  was  never  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange  but  was  a  bold  oper- 
ator although  prudent  in  his  speculations.  In  the  last  years  of  his  life,  he  was  one  of 
the  largest  stockholders  of  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad  and  a 
trustee  of  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co.  Extremely  fond  of  yachting  and  one  of 
the  oldest  members  of  the  New  York  Yacht  club,  he  built  the  Fleetwing,  a  famous 
vessel,  and  later  the  steam  yacht  Stranger.  He  married  Eliza,  daughter  of  Commo- 
dore Vanderbilt,  but  left  no  children. 

NORTON  PRENTISS  OTIS,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Halifax,  Vt.,  and  born 
March  18,  1840,  comes  from  New  England  stock  and  is  a  son  of  Elisha  Graves  Otis 
and  a  descendant  of  John  Otis,  who  came  from  Hingham,  England,  to  Massachusetts 
in  1635.  Owing  to  various  removals  of  the  family,  his  education  was  gained  in  the 
schools  of  his  native  town,  and  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Hudson  City,  N.  J.,  and  Yonkers, 
N.  Y.  Then,  a  promising,  earnest  youth  of  eighteen,  he  found  work  in  a  small 
elevator  factory  established  by  his  father,  learned  the  trade,  and,  with  his  brother 
Charles,  assumed  the  responsibility  of  management  after  his  father's  death  in  1861. 
Their  capital  was  small,  not  exceeding  $2,000,  which  they  had  saved  by  dint  of  hard 
labor.  The  Civil  War  discouraged  them  at  first,  but  they  had  conceived  the  principle 
of  applying  to  passenger  elevators  certain  devices  for  insuring  safety  and,  with  the  aid 
of  various  patents,  they  finally  began  to  make  some  progress.  In  1862,  they  transacted 
a  business  of  only  $15,000  but  thereafter  they  made  rapid  progress  and  have  since  made 
the  name  of  Otis  known  throughout  the  world.  For  ten  years,  Mr.  Otis  spent  his  time 
mainly  in  visiting  the  large  cities  of  the  United  States,  introducing  his  safety  elevators 
to  the  notice  of  proprietors  of  large  buildings.  In  1864,  Otis  Bro's  &  Co.  incorporated 
their  business,  with  a  capital  of  $225,000,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  becoming  treasurer 
of  the  concern.  In  1882,  the  capital  was  increased  to  $500,000.  Since  1890,  when 
Charles  R.  Otis  retired,  Norton  P.  Otis  has  been  president.  The  factory  is  in 
Yonkers  and  covers  several  acres  of  ground,  employing  about  600  men.  The  beauty 
and  convenience  of  the  elevators  now  produced  by  the  Otis  concern  are  remarkable. 
Artistic  taste  has  been  employed  in  shaping  the  iron  work  of  the  cages  and  safety  de- 
vices are  employed  which  render  them  almost  proof  against  accident.  Some  of  the 
largest  elevators  in  the  world  are  the  product  of  these  works,  including  the  one  in  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. OT.  489 

Washington  monument;  the  one  in  Weehawken,  used  by  The  North  Hudson  County 
Railroad,  which  lifts  135  persons  at  a  time;  the  one  employed  by  The  Otis  Elevating 
Railroad  in  the  Catskill  mountains,  which  draws  a  train  up  an  incline  of  7,000  feet  in 
ten  minutes;  and  the  famous  elevator  in  the  Eiffel  Tower  in  Paris.  Mr.  Otis  was 
elected  Mayor  of  Yonkers  in  1880  and  State  Assemblyman  in  1883.  By  Iris  marriage 
in  1877,  to  Lizzie  A.  Fahs  of  York,  Pa.,  he  has  six  children,  Charles  Edwin,  Sidney, 
Arthur  Houghton,  Norton  P.,  Katherine  Lois,  Ruth  Adelaide  and  James  Russell 
Lowell  Otis.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Engineers'  and  Fulton  clubs,  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  and  The  Westchester  County  Historical  Society,  and  lives  in  Yonkers. 

OSWALD  OTTENDORFER,  journalist,  public  leader  and  philanthropist,  is  one  of 
those  progressive  and  high  minded  sons  of  old  German}',  who  have  attained  in  the  life 
of  this  metropolis  during  a  long  professional  career  not  only  the  affection  of  large 
masses  of  their  own  countrymen  now  resident  here  but  the  respect  of  the  native  born 
population.  He  is  a  native  of  Zwittau  in  Austria,  a  village  on  the  border  of  Bohemia, 
where  he  was  born,  Feb.  26,  1826.  His  father,  Vinzenz  Ottendorfer,  was  a  manufac- 
turer of  woolen  goods  in  excellent  circumstances. 

Having  received  a  sound  preliminary  training,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  became  a  student 
in  the  University  of  Vienna  for  a  year,  during  which  time,  being  destined  for  a  public 
career,  he  paid  especial  attention  to  jurisprudence.  After  a  short  stay  in  Prague, 
where  he  learned  the  Czech  language  and  studied  law,  he  returned  in  1 848  to  Vienna 
and  at  once  espoused  with  all  the  energy  of  an  ardent  nature  the  movement  among 
the  patriotic  youth  of  Austria  to  secure  by  agitation,  and  force  if  necessary,  the  lib- 
erties of  the  people.  An  uprising  in  March,  1848,  in  which  Mr.  Ottendorfer  was  prom- 
inent, led  to  the  downfall  of  the  Metternich  government.  Thus  launched  upon  a  pub- 
lic career  and  baptized  in  the  struggle  against  despotic  power,  and  now  desiring 
military  experience,  he  soon  became  a  volunteer  in  the  Von  der  Tann  corps  and  took 
part  in  the  Schleswig-Holstein  war  against  the  army  of  Denmark.  Oct.  5,  1848,  the  stu- 
dents of  Vienna  rose  in  arms  against  the  detachments  of  the  Austrian  army  then  in  the 
city,  the  local  force  having  been  weakened  by  the  departure  of  several  regiments  to 
Pesth  to  take  the  field  against  Kossuth.  Upon  that  occasion,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  served  as 
first  lieutenant  in  the  battalion  of  the  late  Robert  Blum.  The  students  drove  out  the 
troops,  to  be  in  turn,  a  few  weeks  later,  themselves  overpowered  by  the  Austrian 
forces,  who,  after  a  severe  battle,  regained  the  city.  Of  the  few  students  who  escaped 
in  safety  from  the  Austrian  capital,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  was  one.  After  three  days  and  nights 
of  hiding  in  the  chimney  of  an  old  book  store,  the  young  man  made  his  way  to  Saxony, 
only  to  return,  under  an  assumed  name,  with  others,  to  the  capital  of  Bohemia  to  concert 
another  uprising  The  movement  was  discovered,  however,  and  the  students  fled  to 
Dresden,  where,  in  May,  1849,  they  took  part  in  another  revolution  and  held  possession 
of  the  city  for  nearly  a  week.  This  was'  a  serious  affair  and  ended  in  the  recapture  of 
the  city  by  Prussian  troops,  hastily  summoned  by  the  King  of  Saxony.  The  students 
sought  to  escape  to  Thuringia,  but  those  who  left  the  city  were  all  taken.  Like  their  com- 
patriots in  Vienna,  many  were  put  to  death  and  others  sentenced  to  long  imprisonment. 
Mr.  Ottendorfer  escaped  by  an  accident.  He  had  spent  several  days  and  nights  with- 
out rest  and,  owing  to  physical  exhaustion,  did  not  awaken  until  noon,  when  he  found 
Dresden  full  of  Prussian  soldiers.  After  a  few  days  of  concealment,  he  managed  to 
reach  Frankfort  unobserved.  But  agitation  continued  and  Mr.  Ottendorfer  would  have 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. OT.  491 

taken  part  in  the  battle  of  Waghaeusel  had  he  not  been  stricken  down  with  typhoid 
fever  in  Heidelberg.  His  last  exploit,  undertaken  after  three  months  of  hiding,  was 
the  rescue  of  Steck,  who  had  been  sentenced  for  life  and  incarcerated  in  the  castle  of 
Bruchsal.  With  his  comrades  and  Steck,  he  escaped  safely  to  Switzerland. 

At  twenty -four,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  had  passed  through  scenes  of  tragic  adventure, 
such  as  fall  to  the  lot  of  few  men  of  his  age.  His  hopes  had  been  frustrated  and  he 
then  resolved  to  begin  life  anew  in  Vienna.  From  this  he  was  dissuaded  by  friends, 
who  predicted  certain  death  should  he  return  to  the  scene  of  his  revolutionary  labors. 
In  this  emergency,  he  finally  decided  to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  With  the  aid  of 
friends,  he  passed  through  Poland  and  in  1850,  landed  in  New  York  city.  His  means 
were  small  but  he  found  a  large,  liberty-loving,  German  element  in  the  city,  who  wel- 
comed the  young  agitator  with  great  cordiality.  Promptly  securing  employment  in  the 
business  office  of  the  Stoats  Zeitung,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  now  found  a  field  for  the  exercise 
of  his  undoubted  abilities,  which  promised  success;  and  he  applied  himself  to  second- 
ing the  efforts  of  the  proprietor,  Jacob  Uhl,  in  the  management  of  the  newspaper. 
Founded  Dec.  24,  1834,  as  a  weekly  on  Nassau  street,  and  printed  in  the  German  language, 
the  Staats  Zeitung  had  been  bought  in  1844  by  Mr.  Uhl,  who,  with  the  aid  of  his  wife,  a 
woman  of  superior  mind,  had  made  it  a  daily  and  already  given  it  the  position  of  the  lead- 
ing German  journal  of  the  city.  Mr.  Uhl  died  in  1851  and  Mrs.  Uhl  then  assumed  the 
management.  She  was  a  woman  not  only  of  unusual  sweetness  and  beauty  of  character 
but  intellectual,  energetic  and  sagacious.  She  foresaw  a  great  future  for  the  Staats  Zei- 
tung, refused  various  offers  to  sell,  and,  aided  by  Mr.  Ottendorfer,  conducted  the  paper 
for  eight  years  with  constantly  increasing  success.  In  1859,  Mr.  Ottendorfer  was  hap- 
pily married  to  Mrs.  Uhl  and  thereafter  became  the  leading  spirit  in  the  management, 
although  for  many  years  he  enjoyed  the  co-operation  of  his  competent  and  distin- 
guished wife.  Failing  health  finally,  in  1881,  compelled  Mrs.  Ottendorfer  to  relinquish 
her  share  of  the  duties  of  management.  She  died  April  i,  1884,  making  many  public 
gifts  and  leaving  $30,000  to  be  distributed  among  the  employes  of  the  Staats  Zeitung. 

During  the  nearly  half  a  century  of  his  connection  with  the  Staats  Zeitung,  Mr. 
Ottendorfer  has  contributed  materially  toward  making  his  paper  a  successful  property, 
a  strong  influence  for  pure  government  and  the  leader  of  the  German  element  in  the 
population  of  the  city  against  inefficient  and  demoralizing  local  rule.  A  Democrat  in 
political  faith,  although  now  independent  in  local  affairs,  he  has  been  a  supporter  of 
Samuel  J.  Tilden  and  Grover  Cleveland  and  an  advocate  of  sound  currency,  civil  ser- 
vice reform,  a  moderate  tariff  and  the  improvement  of  the  public  schools.  As  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Committee  of  Seventy,  he  joined  in  the  successful  effort  to  crush  the  Tweed 
ring.  During  one  year,  he  served  as  an  Alderman  of  the  city,  but  refused  the  salary  of 
$4,000  a  year,  considering  it  out  of  proportion  to  the  services  expected,  and  has  since 
refused  a  nomination  for  Mayor  more  than  once.  The  large  stone  office  building  at  the 
corner  of  Park  Row  and  Centre  street,  which  is  the  home  of  the  Staats  Zeitung,  at  one 
time  included  among  its  tenants  the  Tax  Department  of  the  city  government.  The 
hostility  of  Tammany,  which  Mr.  Ottendorfer  had  the  honor  to  incur,  in  consequence 
of  his  attacks  upon  corrupt  municipal  rule,  finally  led  that  organization  to  remove  the 
department  to  another  location.  This  puerile  effort  to  injure  a  public  spirited  and 
courageous  man  has  met  with  the  public  ridicule  which  it  deserves  and  proved  abso- 
lutely powerless  as  a  punishment. 


492  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

Mrs.  Ottendorfer  during  her  lifetime,  and  Mr.  Ottendorfer  since,  both  became  con- 
spicuous for  their  generous  use  of  the  wealth  brought  them  by  their  very  successful 
newspaper.  Among  their  gifts  have  been  more  than  $500,000  to  the  Isabella  Home  for 
aged  men  and  women  and  chronic  invalids  at  Fort  George  in  this  city,  founded  in 
memory  of  a  daughter  of  Mrs.  Ottendorfer;  $500,000  from  Mr.  Ottendorfer  to  build  and 
endow  a  school,  orphan  asylum  and  other  institutions  in  his  native  town ;  $50,000  for  the 
Ottendorfer  Free  Library  on  Second  avenue;  $100,000  to  the  German  Dispensary; 
$75,000  to  a  pavilion  in  the  German  Hospital  and  a  large  sum  for  other  institutions. 
For  her  generosity,  the  Empress  of  Germany  conferred  upon  Mrs.  Ottendorfer  a  gold 
medal  in  1883. 

Few  if  any  other  of  the  adopted  citizens  of  the  United  States  have  made  such  a 
remarkable  record  for  success  and  good  citizenship  as  the  subject  of  this  biography. 
Mr.  Ottendorfer  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan,  Reform,  Century,  City  and  Common- 
wealth clubs,  and  now  spends  several  weeks  every  summer  in  visiting  Europe. 

THOMAS  OWEN,  merchant,  born  in  New  London,  Conn.,  in  1800,  died  Aug.  13, 
1881,  in  New  York  city.  When  eleven  years  old,  this  enterprising  youth  went  to 
Cuba,  gained  a, valuable  experience  in  business  and  upon  his  return  to  New  York 
engaged  in  the  sugar  trade  when  twenty-three  years  old  and  soon  formed  the  partner- 
ship of  Holt  &  Owen.  This  house  rose  to  great  prosperity  and  soon  acquired  good 
standing  and  the  respect  of  the  community,  doing  a  very  large  business  up  to  the 
beginning  of  the  Cuban  rebellion.  Meantime,  the  firm  had  been  changed  to  Thomas 
Owen  &  Son.  In  1866,  Mr.  Owen  retired,  whereupon  the  name  was  changed  to 
Thomas  J.  Owen  &  Son.  Both  his  son  and  his  grandson,  however,  died  before  Mr. 
Owen.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  thrice  married.  His  first  wife,  Elizabeth 
King,  dying  at  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  married  Maria  Power  Dyas  and  after  her 
death,  Elizabeth  Magee,  who  survived  him.  Mr.  Owen  was  an  attendant  at  the 
Broadway  Tabernacle,  and  was  also  connected  with  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children,  The  Society  for  Ameliorating  the  Condition  of  the  Poor  and  The 
Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  He  made  many  gifts  in  a  quiet  way  to  the  charitable 
societies  of  the  city.  His  children  were  Thomas  J.  Owen,  Mrs.  Adelaide  Thompson, 
Angelina  T.,  wife  of  O.  B.  Smith,  and  Charles  B.  Owen.—  THOHAS  JEFFERSON 
OWEN,  merchant,  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth  King  Owen,  born  in  New  York 
city,  Dec.  31,  1825,  died  at  his  home,  No.  37  West  34th  street,  May  15,  1881. 
Beginning  as  clerk  for  his  father,  doing  business  at  No.  65  South  street,  under 
the  name  of  Holt  &  Owen,  he  revealed  so  much  energy  and  capacity  that  at 
the  age  of  twenty-three  the  entire  charge  of  the  business  was  entrusted  to  him. 
He  became  a  splendid  merchant  and  made  a  fortune  in  the  importation  of  sugar 
from  Cuba.  The  senior  Owen  often  said  that  he  owed  his  own  good  fortune  to 
the  ability  of  his  son  "Tom."  One  of  the  founders  of  the  Union  League  club  and  a 
member  of  The  New  England  Society,  Mr.  Owen  was  also  a  director  of  The  Market 
National  Bank,  The  Mechanics'  &  Traders'  Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  The  Pacific  Mail 
Steamship  Co.  March  i,  1849,  he  married  Emilie  Ketchum  Platt  and  his  children 
were  Allen  Miner,  Thomas  J.,  Francis  Thompson,  Anita,  Thomas  J.,  3d,  and  Emilie 
Owen.  The  serenity  of  his  life  was  disturbed  by  the  feverish  atmosphere  of  Wall 
street  and  he  lost  his  health,  dying  at  fifty-six.  His  character  was  beyond  reproach. 


p. 

COURTLANDT  PALHER,  merchant,  born  in  Stonington,  Conn.,  Nov.  n,  1800. 
died  at  his  home  in  New  York' city,  May  10,  1874.  A  son  of  Amos  Palmer,  a  promi- 
nent citizen  and  at  his  death  Mayor  of  Stonington,  he  was  a  descendant  of  Walter 
Palmer,  one  of  the  two  founders  of  the  town.  Courtlandt  gave  to  his  sisters  his  share 
of  their  father's  moderate  property,  and  with  $100  of  capital  came  to  New  York  at  the 
age  of  eighteen  to  seek  his  fortune.  Securing  employment  in  a  hardware  store 
belonging  to  an  older  brother  on  Maiden  Lane  and  Pearl  street,  he  continued  there  until 
he  was  about  twenty-one  years  of  age  when,  determined  to  start  for  himself,  he 
obtained  a  small  credit  from  each  of  three  auctioneers  with  whom  he  had  become 
acquainted,  bought  a  stock  of  hardware,  and  established  a  store  for  himself.  His 
energy  and  capacity  won  speedy  success.  Several  flattering  offers  of  partnership  were 
made  to  him,  and  he  finally  allied  himself  with  Stark  &  Whiting  and  established  a 
branch  house  in  New  Orleans.  This  firm  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  houses  in 
the  United  States.  The  panic  of  1837  proved  disastrous  to  them,  however,  and  they 
met  with  heavy  losses,  but  Mr.  Palmer  emerged  with  a  small  amount  of  capital,  which 
he  invested  in  real  estate.  By  judicious  purchases  thereafter,  he  became  a  wealthy 
man,  holding  much  valuable  city  real  estate  as  well  as  Western  land.  His  property 
included  the  Manhattan  Market  on  the  West  side,  between  34th  and  35th  streets. 
Many  positions  of  trust  were  bestowed  on  Mr.  Palmer,  including  the  first  presidency 
of  The  Stonington  &  Providence  Railroad,  which  he  held  1844-1848.  He  was  a  director 
and  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Safe  Deposit  Co.  and  a  director  of  a  prominent  savings 
bank  and  The  Mutual  Benefit  Trust  Co.  About  1872,  he  was  appointed  commissioner 
to  appraise  the  real  estate  owned  by  the  city,  and  all  disputes  were  referred  to  him  for 
settlement  by  his  associates.  In  1824,  Mr.  Palmer  married  Eliza,  daughter  of  Gov- 
ernor Thurston  of  Connecticut.  She  died  in  1828  without  issue.  In  1832,  he  married 
a  daughter  of  .Richard  Suydam.  Mrs.  Palmer  died  in  1867.  Four  children  were  born 
to  them,  Courtlandt  and  Charles  Phelps  Palmer,  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Henry  Draper, 
and  Richard  S.  Palmer,  the  latter  dying  before  his  father. — His  son,  COURTLANDT 
PALMER,  lawyer  and  author,  born  in  New  York  city,  March  25,  1843,  died  at  Lake  Dun- 
more,  Vt.,  July  23,  1888.  Mr.  Palmer  attended  Mount  Washington  Institute  for  a  time, 
entered  Columbia  College,  and  left  in  his  junior  year  to  enter  Williams  College. 
He  studied  law  at  the  Columbia  College  Law  School,  and  graduated,  May  19,  1869,  a 
LL.B.  While  the  law  interested  him  greatly,  he  found  abundant  occupation  in  the 
management  of  his  father's  estate.  Mr  Palmer's  tastes  were  strongly  literary.  He 
was  an  advocate  of  technical  education  and  liberal  ideas,  an  earnest  student  and 
thinker,  becoming  advanced  and  radical  in  his  beliefs  and  a  positivist  of  the  school  of 
Auguste  Comte.  He  established  the  Nineteenth  Century  club  in  1880,  and  as  the 
president  of  that  organization  delivered  many  addresses  and  contributed  largely  to  the 
literature  of  free  thought.  In  1865,  he  married  Catharine  Amory  Bennett,  daughter 
of  Joseph  Bennett,  and  their  children  were  Robert  Amory,  Mary  Ann  Suydam,  Court- 
landt and  Evelina  Palmer. 


494  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

HENRY  PARISH,  banker,  born  at  No.  12  Beekman  street,  New  York  city,  March 
3,  1830,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Daniel  Parish,  a  conspicuous  dry  goods  merchant  during 
the  first  part  of  the  present  century,  who  carried  on  a  large  trade  with  the  South  in  the 
firm  of  H.  &  D.  Parish,  with  branch  houses  under  other  names  in  Charleston,  Mobile, 
New  Orleans  and  Columbus.  From  his  excellent  stock,  Mr.  Parish  inherited  health, 
honesty  and  good  judgment.  After  completing  his  education  at  Columbia  College  and 
the  Ecole  Centrale  des  Arts  et  Manufactures  in  Paris,  France,  he  took  charge  of  The 
New  Jersey  Zinc  Works  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  as  superintendent  of  the  concern.  In  March, 
1871,  he  became  president  of  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co.,  and  has 
managed  the  affairs  of  this  well-known  and  prominent  institution  until  the  present 
time.  Mr.  Parish  is  a  man  of  public  spirit  and  especially  fitted  for  social  life  and  is 
a  valued  member  of  several  well-known  organizations,  among  them  the  Metropolitan 
club,  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  The  National  Academy  of  Design,  The 
American  Geographical  Society  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

JOSEPH  PARK,  merchant,  born  in  Rye,  N.  Y.,  May  24,  1823,  has  long  been 
known  in  New  York  as  an  active  spirit  in  the  old  firm  of  Park  &  Tilford,  who  con- 
duct the  leading  stores  for  the  supply  of  high  class  groceries  in  this  city.  Beginning 
his  career  modestly,  Mr.  Park,  aided  by  his  original  partner  and  those  who  have  been 
in  more  recent  years  admitted  to  the  firm,  gradually  made  his  store  the  headquarters 
of  a  large  and  exceedingly  desirable  business.  Branch  stores  were  established  at  38th 
street  and  Sixth  avenue  in  1873  and  sgth  street  and  Fifth  aVenue  in  1885.  In  1890,  the 
firm  incorporated  with  a  nominal  capital  of  $500,000,  and  Mr.  Park  has  been  president 
until  the  present  time. 

TRENOR  WILLIAfl  PARK,  lawyer  and  railroad  president,  born  in  Woodford,  Vt., 
Dec.  8,  1823,  died  at  sea,  Dec.  13,  1882.  He  sprang  from  substantial  New  England 
stock,  the  family  deriving  descent  from  Richard  Park,  who  emigated  from  Hadleigh, 
Suffolk  county,  England,  about  1630.  Taken  to  Bennington,  Vt. ,  in  early  childhood, 
given  a  meagre  schooling,  and  compelled  to  earn  a  part  of  his  own  support  from  his 
earliest  years,  the  lad  grew  up  to  a  capable  manhood.  After  five  years  in  a  law  office, 
he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1844.  Having  married  Laura  V.,  a  daughter  of  ex-Gov. 
Hiland  Hall  of  Vermont,  who  became  chairman  of  the  United  States  Land  Com- 
mission in  California,  Mr.  Park  removed  to  the  Pacific  coast  in  1852,  became  a  partner 
of  General  Halleck  in  the  law  firm  of  Halleck,  Peachy,  Billings  &  Park,  and  rose  to 
eminence  in  his  profession.  Through  making  a  specialty  of  land  titles,  the  firm  were 
drawn  into  investments  in  lands  and  mines,  which  yielded  fortunes  to  them  all. 
With  John  C.  Fremont,  Mr.  Park  was  especially  interested  in  the  Mariposa  estate 
and  s:old  mines.  At  one  time,  his  name  was  presented  to  the  California  Legislature 
as  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate,  but  he  was  not  elected.  In  1863,  he  retired 
and  returned  to  Bennington,  Vt.,  but  after  a  short  period  of  inactivity,  engaged  in 
banking  and  railroad  undertakings.  With  Russell  Sage,  he  obtained  control  of  The 
Western  Vermont  Railroad  about  1860,  by  buying  its  first  mortgage  bonds,  and  after- 
ward bought  Mr.  Sage's  interest  and  reorganized  the  company  as  The  Bennington 
&  Rutland  Railroad.  He  was  one  of  the  projectors  of  the  famous  Emma  silver  mine 
and  foremost  in  effecting  its  sale  to  an  English  syndicate,  winning,  in  1872,  the  legal 
proceedings,  which  had  grown  out  of  his  management.  For  several  years,  Mr.  Park 
was  a  director  in  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  He  bought  a  controlling  interest  in 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. PA.  495 

The  Panama  Railroad,  was  president  from  1874  until  his  death,  and  sold  the  road  for  a 
large  sum,  in  1889,  to  The  Panama  Canal  Co.,  obtaining  $4.000,000  for  15,000  shares. 
Mrs.  Park  died  in  1875,  and  in  1882,  Mr.  Park  married  Ella,  daughter  of  A.  C.  Nichols 
of  San  Francisco.  Three  children  were  born  to  him,  Trenor  L.  Park,  Eliza,  wife  of 
Gen.  John  G.  McCullough  and  Laura  Hall,  wife  of  F.  B.  Jennings  of  Jersey  City.  Mr. 
Park  was  a  public  spirited  citizen.  He  founded  an  art  gallery  at  the  University  of 
Vermont  and  presented  Bennington  with  a  free  library  and  a  home  for  destitute  children. 
JAflES  HENRY  PARKER,  H.  D.,  born  in  Johnston  count}*,  N.  C  ,  Jan.  4,  1843,  is 
a  son  of  Matthew  Parker,  a  planter.  He  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  army  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  and  resigned  a  commission  as  lieutenant,  in  1864,  to  become  a  county  clerk. 
After  a  short  experience  in  business  in  Beulah  and  Fremont,  he  studied  medicine  and 
practiced  for  two  years,  but  the  profession  did  not  satisfy  him  and,  in  1870,  he  removed 
to  Charleston,  S.  C.,  where  he  soon  took  a  prominent  place  as  cotton  factor  and  mer- 
chant of  naval  stores.  In  1882,  he  came  to  New  York  and  carried  on  a  cotton  and 
commission  business  with  success,  serving  for  two  years  as  president  of  the  Cotton 
Exchange.  In  1890,  Dr.  Parker  was  elected  vice-president  of  The  National  Park  Bank 
and  brought  the  institution  a  large  Southern  business.  In  1891,  The  United  States 
National  Bank  called  him  to  its  presidency  and  he  is  yet  at  its  head.  Dr.  Parker  is  a 
gentleman  of  high  standing  and  integrity,  popular  and  public-spirited.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Manhattan,  Tuxedo,  New  York,  and  New  York  Athletic  clubs  and  The 
Southern  Society,  and  has  been  president  of  the  latter  as  well  as  president  of  the  Con- 
federate Veterans'  Camp  for  one  year. 

ELEAZAR  PARMLY,  dentist,  often  called  "the  father  of  American  dentistry," 
born  in  Braintree,  Vt.,  March  13,  1797,  died  in  New  York,  Dec.  13,  1874.  He  was  the 
son  of  Eleazar  Parmly,  a  farmer  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  of  considerable 
mechanical  skill,  who  presented  each  of  his  daughters  at  their  marriage  with  a  set  of 
furniture  made  by  his  own  hands.  Like  his  neighbors  in  the  quiet  town  of  his  birth, 
Dr.  Parmly  was  of  English  Puritan  descent.  Educated  in  the  district  schools,  an  apt 
student  and  mature  for  his  years,  he  was  himself  at  the  age  of  sixteen  a  candidate  for 
the  position  of  district  school  teacher  and  passed  the  examination  so  successfully  that 
the  School  Board  voted  him  extra  compensation,  in  spite  of  his  youth.  After  one  year 
of  teaching,  an  experience  which  he  always  regarded  as  the  crisis  of  his  career  because 
it  convinced  him  that  w-hatever  he  did  must  be  done  thoroughly,  he  went  to  Montreal 
and  served  in  a  newspaper  office  as  a  compositor  and  general  assistant. 

Soon  afterward,  he  joined  his  brother,  Levi  S.  Parmly,  a  young  dentist  living  in 
Boston,  and  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  profession.  Later,  the  two  brothers 
practiced  successfully  in  the  South,  traveling  from  city  to  city,  from  Louisville  to  New 
Orleans.  During  this  tour,  Dr.  Parmly  met  with  many  interesting  experiences,  one  of 
which  indicated  his  character  and  determination.  After  attending  a  ball,  one  evening, 
he  was  escorting  a  lady  to  her  home,  when  he  was  jostled  on  the  staircase  by  a  young 
man  prominent  in  local  society.  Dr.  Parmly  did  not  submit  tamely  to  this  insult.  He 
was  tall,  athletic,  and  finely  proportioned,  and  the  aggressor  received  a  severe  blow  in 
punishment.  The  following  day,  Dr.  Parmly  received  a  challenge.  Turning  to  the 
gentlemen  who  had  brought  the  challenge,  he  said:  "You  are  as  well  aware  as  I  am 
that  your  friend's  conduct  was  unwarranted  and  unjustifiable.  B}-  bringing  me  this 
note,  you  have  made  yourself  a  participator  in  his  insolence.  I  propose  to  thrash  you 


496  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

with  your  own  cane,  and  if  your  friend  will  call  I'll  thrash  him  also,  after  which  I  am 
entirely  willing  to  fight  a  duel  with  him."  Whereupon,  the  young  Vermonter  seized 
his  visitor's  cane,  administered  a  sound  drubbing  and  put  him  out  of  the  house,  after 
which  he  sought  the  nearest  magistrate  to  report  what  he  had  done  Instead  of  placing 
him  under  arrest,  the  judge  looked  admiringly  at  him,  patted  him  on  the  shoulder  and 
said:  "  Young  man,  you  did  right.  You  are  perfectly  safe  in  this  city  from  this  time." 

In  1821,  the  two  brothers  went  to  Europe,  studying  in  Paris  and  London  under 
the  most  famous  dental  surgeons.  After  a  year  or  .two  in  London,  where  he  quickly 
attained  prominence,  continued  poor  health  led  Mr.  Parmly  back  to  America.  He 
settled  permanently  in  New  York  city,  and  for  half  a  century  stood  at  the  head  of  his 
profession  in  the  metropolis.  During  his  later  years,  Dr.  Parmly  gratified  his  literary 
tastes  by  addresses  and  essays  on  professional  and  other  subjects.  He  possessed  from 
his  earliest  years  a  maturity  of  thought  and  an  earnestness  of  purpose  which  contributed 
in  large  measure  to  his  success,  and  he  never  regarded  work  as  complete  unless 
perfectly  done.  His  large  income  was  shrewdly  invested  in  real  estate  in  New  York 
during  the  period  of  greatest  municipal  growth  and  his  property  became  very  valuable. 
He  married  Ann  Maria  V.  Smith  of  Charleston,  S.  C.,  Aug.  22,  1827.  The  children 
living  to  maturity  were :  Anna  Ehrick,  wife  of  Theodore  P.  Rossiter  and  now  deceased ; 
Ehrick  Parmly;  Mary  Montagu,  wife  of  Charles  H.  Ward;  Julia,  wife  of  Frederick 
Billings,  and  Louisa  C.,  who  died  in  1845. 

WILLIAfl  HENRY  PARSONS,  manufacturer,  was  born  July  7,  1831,  on  Staten 
Island,  N.  Y.  His  father,  Edward  Lamb  Parsons,  member  of  an  old  family  of  War- 
wickshire, England,  came  to  America,  when  about  twenty-one  years  of  age.  His 
mother  was  of  New  England  descent  on  the  paternal  side  and  Dutch  through  the 
maternal  line.  Educated  in  Rye,  N.  Y.,  and  prevented  by  ill  health  from  taking  a 
collegiate  course,  Mr.  Parsons  began  life  at  the  age  of  twenty -four  in  the  office  of  the 
agents  of  an  English  shipping  house.  About  two  years  later,  he  secured  a  clerkship  in 
a  paper  warehouse  and  became  a  partner  a  year  afterward,  establishing  his  own  inde- 
pendent business  two  years  after  that.  During  his  first  few  years  in  business,  he  was 
compelled  to  work  very  hard,  often  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hours  per  day,  and  was  not 
especially  successful.  Feeling  that  the  paper  business  was  one  of  the  staple  industries 
of  the  country,  however,  he  determined,  if  it  were  possible,  to  secure  success.  During 
1857,  with  other  merchants,  he  experienced  great  difficulty  in  meeting  his  obligations, 
but  was  able  to  do  so  as  they  matured  and  has  done  so  up  to  the  present  time.  Up  to 
about  1880,  Mr.  Parsons  sold  paper  on  commission,  and  then  became  satisfied  that 
business  tended  in  the  direction  of  bringing  the  consumer  into  closest  alliance  with  the 
producer,  whereupon  he  became  interested  in  the  manufacture  of  paper.  In  1891,  the 
firm  of  W.  H.  Parsons  &  Co.  was  changed  into  a  corporation  of  the  same  name,  the 
stockholders  being  mainly  members  of  Mr.  Parsons's  family.  He  is  now  president  of 
The  Lisbon  Falls  Fibre  Co. ,  Lisbon  Falls,  Me.;  The  Bowdoin  Paper  Manufacturing 
Co.,  Brunswick,  Me.,  and  of  W.  H.  Parsons  &  Co.,  Maine  and  New  York;  director  of 
The  Pejepscot  Paper  Co. ,  Pejepscot,  Me.,  and  trustee  of  The  Bowery  Savings  Bank 
of  New  York  city.  A  man  of  enterprising  and  active  spirit,  he  is  also  associated  with 
other  institutions,  and  is  president  of  The  National  League  for  the  Protection  of  Ameri- 
can Institutions,  vice  president  of  the  Board  of  Trade  and  Transportation,  member  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  and  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PE.  497 

Publication  and  Sabbath  School  Work  of  Philadelphia,  president  of  The  Westchester 
County  Bible  Society  and  the  Apawamis  club  of  Rye ;  trustee  of  the  American  Yacht 
club,  and  member  of  the  Atlantic  Yacht,  Metropolitan  and  City  clubs  of  New  York. 
In  October,  1857,  Mr.  Parsons  married  Laura  C.,  daughter  of  John  Palmer,  who  was 
the  son  of  Judge  Palmer  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania.  His  wife  was  a 
lineal  descendant  of  Gov.  Bradford,  first  Governor  of  Connecticut,  and  of  Miles  Stand- 
ish  She  died  in  April,  1893.  He  has  had  five  children:  W.  H.  Parsons,  jr.,  Matilda, 
wife  of  Davis  S.  Cowles,  Marselis  Clark,  John  Palmer  and  Margaret  Rainsford  Parsons. 
DENTON  PEARSALL,  banker,  born  at  Hempstead,  L.  I.,  about  1810,  died  in 
Westchester,  N.  Y.,  April  6,  1879.  He  was  a  son  of  Benjamin  Pearsall,  a  carpenter  of 
Rockaway,  L.  I.  The  young  man  came  to  New  York  in  1812  and  engaged  himself  as 
apprentice  to  Henry  Astor,  brother  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  in  a  butcher's  stall  in  the  old 
Fly  Market  at  the  foot  of  Maiden  Lane.  Mr.  Astor  moved  to  more  commodious 
quarters  in  Fulton  Market  when  it  was  first  opened.  Mr.  Pearsall  remained  with  him 
until  1833,  when,  having  attained  his  majority,  he  started  in  the  same  business  for 
himself.  He  soon  created  an  excellent  trade  and  supplied  large  quantities  of  meat  and 
provisions  to  the  best  families  in  the  city  and  the  packet  and  steamship  lines,  sailing 
from  the  port.  One  of  his  principal  patrons  was  the  famous  Collins  line  of  steamships, 
the  American  rival  of  the  Cunard  line.  His  trade  finally  extended  to  the  wholesale 
business.  About  1855,  Mr.  Pearsall  retired  from  mercantile  life  to  devote  himself  to 
other  affairs.  In  1847,  with  Jesse  Marshall  and  others  he  had  started  The  Bowery 
Bank,  and  in  1857,  he  became  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Manhattan  Life  Insurance 
Co.  In  1852,  he  helped  organize  The  Second  Avenue  Railroad  Co.,  serving  as  its 
president  1852-56,  and  securing  the  charter  for  the  first  bridge  over  the  Harlem  at 
Second  avenue.  He  also  bore  a  part  in  the  foundation  of  The  Stuyvesant  Fire  Insur- 
ance Co.,  of  which  he  was  a  director  until  his  death.  About  1852,  he  took  a  prominent 
part  in  organizing  The  Manhattan  Savings  Institution,  becoming  a  director,  and  he  also 
sat  in  the  directorate  of  The  Bowery  Fire  Insurance  Co.  He  was  best  known  as  presi- 
dent of  The  Butchers'  &  Drovers'  Bank  on  the  Bowery,  of  which,  becoming  a  director 
in  1864,  he  succeeded  Mr.  Perrin  in  the  presidency  in  1876,  holding  the  office  until  his 
death.  He  was  a  large  owner  of  stock  in  his  different  organizations  and  of  valuable 
real  estate  in  this  city.  He  also  owned  a  tract  of  land  in  Westchester  county,  adjacent 
to  what  is  now  Morris  Park,  which  has  attained  high  value  in  consequence  of  the 
growth  of  New  York  city.  In  1834,  he  married  Elizabeth  Underbill  of  Westchester, 
and  lived  first  on  2d  street,  fronting  toward  the  Marble  Cemetery.  About  1850,  he 
bought  a  large  property  in  Westchester  and  removed  thereto.  His  children  now  living 
are  Denton,  Charles  Benjamin,  D'Anjou  and  George  H.  Pearsall,  Mrs.  Mary  Louise 
Baisley,  Mrs.  Esther  E.  Sparks,  Mrs.  Margaret  A.  Humphreys,  Sarah  A.,  wife  of 
Patrick  H.  Fay,  and  Nora  E.  Pearsall.  Mrs.  Pearsall  died  Nov.  28,  1889. 

GEORGE  L.  PEASE,  manufacturer,  born  in  June,  1835,  in  Painesville,  O.,  died 
Feb  25,  1895,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  When  he  was  about  nine  years  old,  the  family 
moved  to  Detroit,  Mich.  First  a  teacher  in  New  York  State,  and  then  a  civil  engineer, 
he  saved  about  $500,  and  inherited  $300  more,  and  lost  it  all  in  a  speculation,  thereby 
gaining  a  lesson  which  he  never  forgot.  Returning  to  Detroit,  he  entered  the  station- 
ery business  as  clerk  for  his  father,  became  a  partner,  bought  his  father's  interest,  and 
organizing  the  business  as  The  Detroit  Paper  Co.,  carried  it  on  with  success  for  a  num- 


498  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ber  of  years.  In  1868,  he  came  to  New  York  and  entered  into  partnership  with  Wil- 
liam B.  Boorum,  for  the  manufacture  of  blank  books  and  stationery,  disposing  of  his 
interests  in  Detroit  about  two  years  later.  The  New  York  venture  was  successful  and 
for  years  the  house  has  been  prosperous  and  widely  known.  In  January,  1892,  the 
business  was  incorporated  as  The  Boorum  &  Pease  Co.,  with  a  capital  of  $750,000, 
although  so  far  as  ownership  is  concerned  it  remained  practically  a  partnership.  Mr. 
Pease  was  president  of  the  company.  The  large  factory  is  in  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Pease 
was  a  director  of  The  Washington  Trust  Co. ,  The  Shoe  &  Leather  National  Bank, 
The  People's  Trust  Co.,  The  Wallabout  Bank  and  The  Keith  Paper  Co.,  and  a  member 
of  The  Ohio  Society,  and  of  several  charities,  as  well  as  president  of  The  Stationers' 
Board  of  Trade.  His  wife  and  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Allan  McNaughtan  survived  him. 

WILLIAfl  A.  PEHBROOK,  merchant,  was  a  man  of  large  build  and  fine  personal 
appearance.  Composed  in  manner,  shrewd,  kindly  and  judicious  in  speech,  he  pos- 
sessed great  energy  of  mind,  and  was  the  soul  of  honor  in  business  transactions  and 
distinguished  through  life  by  a  loyalty  to  principle,  which  won  the  unqualified  regard 
of  every  associate  and  friend. 

He  was  born  in  the  township  of  Shrewsbury,  N.  J.,  Dec.  9,  1833.  After  receiving 
a  fair  education  in  the  local  schools  in  the  neighboring  villages  of  Keyport  and  Shrews- 
bury, he  found  himself  compelled  to  begin  the  battle  of  life,  and  having  a  small  capital, 
he  started  in  business  for  himself  at  the  age  of  twenty,  with  a  dry  goods  store  in  Key- 
port.  There,  early  in  life,  he  not  only  acquired  an  excellent  acquaintance  with  the 
retail  branch  of  the  dry  goods  business,  but  developed  a  character  in  which  shrewdness, 
tact,  absolute  integrity  and  untiring  energy  were  the  leading  traits.  Five  years  later, 
he  accepted  the  position  of  salesman  in  the  dry  goods  house  of  Turbell,  Jennings  & 
Co. ,  of  New  York  city.  His  duties  to  this  firm  compelled  him  for  a  while  to  live  in 
the  city.  He  soon  became  a  trusted  employe"  of  the  firm  and  was  selected  by  them  for 
the  work  of  disposing  of  the  stock  of  a  retail  dry  goods  store  in  Raritan,  N.  J.,  in  which 
the  firm  had  an  interest.  To  Raritan,  therefore,  he  repaired  to  discharge  this  duty. 

It  was  while  in  Raritan  that  Mr.  Pembrook  met  Miss  Sarah  Crane  Kenyon.  Their 
acquaintance  led  to  a  deep  attachment,  and  the  couple  were  married  at  the  residence 
of  David  P.  Kenyon,  father  of  the  bride,  in  Raritan,  Dec.  i,  1858.  This  union  brought 
to  his  side  a  most  excellent  woman,  who  proved  a  strong  inspiration  to  him  to  do  his 
best  in  life.  They  have  had  two  children,  both  sons.  One,  William  Augustus,  was 
born  April  14,  1860,  and  died  in  the  fourth  year  of  his  age.  The  other,  Theodore  K. 
Pembrook,  born  in  1863,  now  succeeds  his  father  in  business. 

In  the  spring  of  1860,  Mr.  Pembrook  established  his  residence  in  the  city  of  Eliza- 
beth. He  was  fond  of  his  native  State,  and  while  he  often  spent  a  winter  in  New  York 
city  at  some  one  of  the  better  hotels,  yet  even  in  the  days  of  his  subsequent  great  pros- 
perity, he  was  never  tempted  to  establish  his  permanent  home  among  the  fascinations 
of  the  metropolis. 

In  1863,  he  entered  the  dry  goods  house  of  George  A.  Weeks  &  Co.,  as  one  of  their 
leading  salesmen.  Understanding  the  principles  of  success,  and  moved  by  natural  im- 
pulse to  be  thorough  in  his  work,  he  showed  himself  remarkably  attentive  to  the  busi- 
ness and  familiarized  himself  as  speedily  as  possible  with  the  methods  of  the  wholesale 
trade,  becoming  a  successful  salesman.  His  high  qualities  both  as  a  merchant  and  a 
man  finally  attracted  the  attention  of  John  H.  and  George  D.  Sweetser,  and  they  invited 


500  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

him  into  a  partnership  with  them  in  the  same  business.  This  offer  he  accepted,  and, 
in  1868,  Sweetser,  Pembrook  &  Co.  began  their  career.  Now  established  in  business 
on  his  own  account,  Mr.  Pembrook  threw  his  whole  energy  into  the  development  of 
the  trade  of  his  firm.  He  was  thoroughly  practical  and  an  excellent  judge  of  the  needs 
of  the  times,  proved  a  most  valuable  partner,  and  his  active  life  of  twenty-five  years 
resulted  in  his  firm  becoming  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  successful  in  the  city. 
The  beginning  was  small,  but  progress  was  rapid,  sales  increased,  a  larger  store  became 
an  imperative  necessity,  and  finally,  moving  to  374-8  Broadway,  the  firm  took  possession 
of  the  large  building,  which  has  ever  since  been  their  home.  Each  one  of  the  partners 
has  since  then  amassed  a  fortune. 

A  man  of  active  nature  must  always  be  interested  in  public  affairs,  and  this  was 
true  of  Mr.  Pembrook,  although  he  cared  nothing  for  office.  His  advice  was  constantly 
sought  in  the  local  affairs  of  Elizabeth,  and  he  consented  once,  much  against  his  own 
wish,  to  serve  as  Alderman  in  the  Common  Council  of  the  city  and  was  handsomely 
elected.  At  the  end  of  his  term,  he  firmly  declined  any  further  political  honors,  and 
although  strongly  urged  at  different  times  to  accept  the  nominations  of  Mayor  and 
State  Senator,  he  was  unable  to  oblige  his  constituents  in  the  matter.  He  was  never- 
theless greatly  interested  in  the  municipal  affairs  of  Elizabeth  and  did  much  to  pro- 
mote the  prosperity  of  the  city.  Local  charities  and  philanthropic  institutions  received 
marked  benefits  from  his  liberality,  and  he  became  one  of  the  especial  supporters  of 
The  Elizabeth  Hospital  and  The  Elizabeth  Orphan  Asplum.  He  joined  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Elizabeth  as  a  member  at  an  early  period  in  his  residence 
and  served  as  a  Bible  teacher  in  its  Sabbath  School. 

Much  of  his  leisure  time  was  devoted  to  the  order  of  Free  Masons,  of  which  he  was 
an  enthusiastic  member.  He  was  admitted  to  Solomon's  Lodge,  of  Somerville,  N.  J., 
Feb.  i,  1859.  Dec.  17,  1862,  he  transferred  his  membership  by  demission  to  Washing- 
ton Lodge,  of  Elizabeth.  In  this  body,  he  was  elected  successively  to  Junior  Warden, 
Senior  Warden,  and  in  1867  and  1868  Master  of  the  Lodge.  His  reputation  as  a 
worker  and  his  impressive  manner  as  a  speaker  and  officer  led  to  his  selection  as 
Grand  Master  of  New  Jersey  in  1874  and  1875.  He  first  entered  the  Grand  Lodge 
in  1867,  and  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  most  energetic  and  devoted  workers  in 
that  field.  He  served  his  order  in  many  ways.  In  1874,  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Vir- 
ginia appointed  him  its  representative  near  the  Grand  Lodge  of  New  Jersey,  and  in 
1876  he  received  a  similar  appointment  from  Dakota.  In  1877,  the  trustees  of  the 
Grand  Lodge  elected  him  their  chairman  and  he  served  in  that  capacity  for  five 
years.  From  1883  until  his  death,  he  was  a  member  of  the  important  Committee  on 
Jurisprudence  and  Charity  of  the  Grand  Lodge  and  chairman  of  the  committee  from 
1885  In  1887,  he  reported  a  manual  for  ceremonies  in  both  the  local  and  Grand 
Lodges,  which  had  been,  by  appointment,  laboriously  prepared  by  him,  and  which 
has  been  considered  for  its  beauty,  simplicity  and  force  second  to  none  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Pembrook  joined  the  Merchants'  club  in  New  York  city  but  was  not  attracted 
by  club  life,  and  joined  no  other  organizations  of  this  class.  He  was  a  supporter  of 
The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  in  this  city. 

He  died  Sept.  5,  1893,  widely  regretted. 

FOSTER  PETTIT,  -capitalist,  born  in  Hempstead,  Long  Island,  April  n,  1812, 
died  in  Brooklyn,  Jan.  8,  1894.  He  was  a  modest  but  meritorious  citizen  of  Brooklyn 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PH  501 

and  owed  his  marked  prosperity  to  his  own  honest  and  judicious  endeavors.  His  formal 
education,  obtained  at  the  village  school,  was  widened  later  by  two  years  of  teaching  in 
the  school  in  which  he  had  been  a  student.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  became  a 
night  watchman  at  Fulton  Market  in  New  York  city.  Prompt,  energetic  and  honest, 
he  won  the  regard  and  confidence  of  the  market  men,  and  his  ambition  was  clearly 
shown  by  the  admirable  use  of  his  time  between  the  hours  of  wTork.  Study  of  the  best 
books  and  determined  labor  qualified  him  soon  to  rise  to  a  higher  plane.  By  denying 
himself  luxuries,  he  saved  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and,  in  1845,  engaged  in  business  for 
himself  in  a  modest  restaurant  at  the  corner  of  Wall  and  Water  streets.  The  market 
men  came  to  him  and  by  1854,  he  was  enabled  to  erect  a  building  of  his  own  at  No.  136 
Water  street,  and  here  for  thirty-seven  years  he  conducted  a  successful  business,  from 
which  he  retired  in  1890.  He  invested  his  means  mainly  in  securities  and  real  estate  in 
Brooklyn.  In  1834,  Mr.  Pettit  married  Clarissa,  daughter  of  Stephen  C.  Bedell,  of 
Hempstead,  Long  Island,  a  farmer,  and  their  children  are  Stephen  B. ,  Carolina  A.,  and 
Winfield  Pettit,  all  of  whom  are  living.  He  was  vice  president  of  The  Fulton  Bank;  a 
director  in  several  insurance  companies ;  at  one  time  supervisor  from  the  Fifth  Ward  of 
Brooklyn,  being  defeated  for  re-election  because  the  local  ring  could  not  use  him ;  a  life 
member  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  a  member  of  The  Long  Island  His- 
torical Society  and  The  Brooklyn  Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences,  a  stockholder  in  The 
Academy  of  Music,  and  a  member  of  the  Washington  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  The  Pettit  Memorial  Mission  on  Park  avenue  was  improved  and  entirely 
freed  from  debt  by  him.  Mr.  Pettit  was  in  many  ways  a  remarkable  character,  earnest, 
ceaseless  in  activity,  an  early  riser,  persevering,  and  an  excellent  judge  of  men. 

ISAAC  NEWTON  PHELPS,  a  distinguished  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  Wind- 
sor. Conn.,  Feb.  22,  1802,  died  in  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  i,  1888.  He  was  a 
son  of  Joseph  Phelps,  a  farmer.  The  young  man  attended  Dr.  McClure's  school  in 
early  boyhood  and  entered  a  general  country  store  in  Suffield,  Conn. ,  as  a  clerk.  Dili- 
gence, application  and  good  character  commended  him  from  the  start  to  his  employer, 
who,  however,  in  accordance  with  the  practice  of  the  times,  paid  him  no  salary  at  first, 
upon  the  ground  that  a  thorough  education  in  business  principles  was  sufficient  com- 
pensation. This  experience  taught  Mr.  Phelps  the  habit  of  careful  economy  and  de- 
veloped his  manliness  and  self  reliance.  At  the  end  of  eight  years,  he  received  $120  for 
his  services  and  the  offer  of  partnership,  which  he  accepted. 

Nov.  10,  1828,  Mr.  Phelps  was  united  in  marriage  to  Sarah  Maria,  daughter  of 
Sylvester  Lusk,  of  Enfield,  Conn. ,  and  then,  removing  to  New  York  city,  he  entered 
upon  a  career  of  phenomenal  success,  which  soon  lifted  him  into  the  front  rank  among 
the  business  men  of  the  city.  Having  established  himself  in  the  hardware  business,  he 
prosecuted  this  occupation  with  great  energy  for  a  number  of  years,  first  with  Mr. 
Pickering  as  a  partner,  later  with  William  Sheldon,  and  finally  alone.  For  a  time,  he 
lived  in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  but  finally  transferred  his  home  to  New  York  city. 

Retiring  from  mercantile  pursuits  in  1853,  he  then  established  a  banking  and 
brokerage  office  at  No.  45  Wall  street  in  partnership  with  John  J.  Phelps,  a  merchant 
of  reputation.  Well  known  among  the  substantial  business  men  of  the  city,  they  trans- 
acted a  large  and  profitable  business.  In  1858,  his  partner  withdrew  but  Mr.  Phelps 
continued  alone  until  1879,  when  the  famous  banking  firm  of  Phelps,  Stokes  &  Co.  was 
formed  by  him.  At  that  time,  James  Stokes  and  Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  the  latter  Mr. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PH.  503 

Phelps'  son-in-law,  were  his  associates.  Six  years  later,  James  Stokes  died  and  this  led 
to  a  dissolution  of  the  firm.  Thereafter,  Mr.  Phelps  gave  his  attention  to  private  in- 
terests. One  of  his  favorite  investments  was  real  estate,  of  which  he  was  a  large  owner. 
The  reputation  of  Mr.  Phelps  as  a  business  man  came  from  his  spotless  character, 
persistent  application,  tireless  energy,  and  excellent  judgment.  He  was  noted  as  one 
of  the  best  judges  of  financial  standing  and  the  soundness  of  a  business  enterprise  in 
Wall  street.  Strong  in  his  convictions,  quiet,  firm  and  decisive  in  negotiation,  pos- 
sessing a  clear  mind  and  excellent  memory,  regular  in  his  habits  and  liberal  in  his 
charities,  he  was  an  excellent  type  of  the  men  who  have  made  New  York  the  metropolis 
of  the  nation.  A  man  of  this  stamp  is  always  greatly  sought  after  for  positionsof  trust 
and  it  fell  to  his  lot  to  be  an  active  spirit  and  the  largest  stockholder  in  The  United 
States  Trust  Co.;  a  founder  of  The  Mercantile  and  The  Second  National  Banks;  and 
a  director  of  The  Central,  The  United  States,  and  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co's,  The 
United  States  Life  Insurance  Co. ,  The  Mercantile  Fire  Insurance  Co. ,  and  The  Second 
National  and  Mercantile  National  Banks.  He  had  in  addition  large  interests  in  rail- 
roads and  manufactures,  and  at  one  time  sat  in  the  directorate  of  The  New  York  & 
Erie  Railroad.  In  politics,  he  espoused  the  Republican  faith  and  joined  the  Union 
League  club  early  in  the  history  of  that  historic  organization.  An  affable  man  and 
fond  of  the  society  of  a  small  circle  of  chosen  friends,  he  took  delight  in  his  later  years 
in  discussing  reminiscences  of  the  early  days  of  the  city.  With  his  family,  he  attended 
the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church. 

By  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Phelps  was  the  father  of  Helen  Louisa,  the  wife  of  Anson  Phelps 
Stokes,  who  survived  him,  and  of  Sarah,  now  deceased,  who  married  the  late  Henry  L. 
Ring,  of  Albany.  His  second  wife,  whom  he  married  in  1874,  was  Mrs.  Anna  Frances 
Maullin,  of  Troy,  N.  Y. 

ROYAL  PHELPS,  merchant,  born  in  Sempronious,  Cayuga  county,  N.  Y.,  March 
30,  1809,  died  in  this  city,  July  30,  1884.  He  was  descended  from  English  ancestors, 
who  settled  at  Westfield,  Mass  ,  about  1670.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  Col.  John 
Spofford  of  Tinmouth,  Vt.,  and  his  father  a  Presbyterian  clergyman  of  Lowville,  N.  Y., 
and  greatly  respected  there.  Misfortune  befell  the  parents  when  the  lad  was  fourteen, 
and  he  was  sent  to  the  house  of  his  grandfather  at  Lowville.  Shortly  afterward,  he 
was  placed  under  the  care  of  General  Northrup  with  the  intention  of  making  him  a 
tanner,  but  he  did  not  like  the  business  and  ran  away,  when  fifteen,  coming  to  New 
York.  Aided  by  an  old  friend  of  his  father,  he  attended  commercial  school  for  a  few 
months  and  then  went  to  Santa  Cruz  in  the  West  Indies,  where  he  remained  for  a  year 
or  two,  going  thence  to  the  republic  of  Colombia.  At  Puerto  Cabello,  after  a  long 
apprenticeship  as  clerk,  he  finally  engaged  in  business  on  his  own  account.  By  1840,  a 
large  trade  had  been  created  with  connections  in  the  United  States  and  Europe,  and 
Mr.  Phelps  finally  became  a  partner  in  an  old  house  in  La  Guayra.  His  correspondents 
in  New  York,  the  merchants  Maitland,  established  about  1796,  invited  him  in  1847  to 
come  to  this  city  and  undertake  the  management  of  their  business.  He  accepted, 
whereupon  the  name  of  the  firm  was  changed  to  Maitland,  Phelps  &  Co.  The  rest  of 
his  life  was  spent  in  New  York  city  in  the  management  of  this  house.  A  capable 
merchant,  he  rose  to  a  very  high  position.  Mr.  Phelps  held  many  positions  of  trust, 
but  always  under  protest  because  he  wished  to  give  his  entire  time  to  his  own  business. 
In  1849,  he  was  elected  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  in  1855  he  became  first  vice 


504  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

president  for  seven  years,  refusing  re-election.  He  was  also  a  trustee  of  The  Royal 
Insurance  Co.  from  1857,  and  of  The  Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.  from  1858;  presi- 
dent of  The  New  York  Eye  &  Ear  Infirmary,  1866-84;  president  of  The  New  York 
Association  for  the  Protection  of  Game,  1867-77;  trustee  of  The  Roosevelt  Hospital 
after  1866  and  vice  president  from  1875;  member  of  the  executive  committee  of  The 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals,  from  1872,  and  a  trustee  of  Greenwood 
Cemetery  from  1878.  A  Union  Democrat,  he  accepted  a  seat  in  the  Legislature  by 
election  in  1862  but  refused  renomination  to  any  other  political  office.  To  his 
energy,  this  city  owes  the  erection  of  the  statue  of  Washington  on  the  steps  of  the  Sub- 
Treasury  in  Wall  street.  In  1835,  he  married  a  lady  of  Spanish  descent  in  Puerto 
Cabello  by  whom  he  had  one  daughter,  who,  in  1856,  married  John  Lee  Carroll  of 
Maryland,  Governor  of  that  State,  1876-80.  In  1872,  Mrs.  Phelps  died  in  New  York. 

WILLIAM  PICKHARDT,  a  merchant  in  this  city  for  nearly  thirty  years,  originated 
in  Burghausen,  Germany,  Oct.  22,  1834,  and  died  in  the  city  of  Cologne,  June  23, 
1895.  He  studied  architecture  in  youth  and  might  have  followed  a  profession,  had  not 
the  death  of  his  father  led  him  to  change  his  mind.  When  of  age,  he  made  a  visit  to 
New  York  city  and  remained  here  in  association  with  Frederick  Brett  &  Co. ,  importers 
of  dye  stuffs,  colors  and  chemicals.  In  1867,  he  returned  to  Germany  for  a  time,  but 
soon  returned  to  New  York  and  in  1871,  formed  a  partnership  with  Adolph  Kuttroff, 
under  the  name  of  Wm.  Pickhardt  &  Kuttroff,  to  import  foreign  colors  and  dyes. 
Although  neither  of  the  associates  had  much  capital  at  the  beginning  of  their  career, 
they  were  men  of  sterling  character  and  good  ability  and  experienced  little  difficulty 
in  creating  a  profitable  trade,  About  1878,  a  highly  advantageous  arrangement  was 
made,  whereby  the  firm  became  the  American  agents  of  the  Badische  Aniline  &  Soda 
Fabrik,  a  German  corporation  and  the  largest  producer  of  aniline  dyes  in  Europe. 
This  relation  is  yet  maintained.  Mr.  Pickhardt  had  the  faculty  of  making  friends  and 
was  greatly  respected.  He  belonged  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Manhattan 
club,  the  Liederkranz  and  other  societies,  and  was  married  to  Miss  Beresford  Strong  of 
County  Wicklow,  Ireland,  by  whom  he  had  several  children.  He  was  fond  of 'a  good 
horse  and  bred  fine  animals  at  a  farm  at  Schroon  Lake,  N.  Y.  Several  of  the  horses 
of  his  stud,  which  he  called  the  Walbrook,  have  excellent  records.  Mr.  Pickhardt's 
experience  in  building  a  house  on  Fifth  avenue  at  74th  street  attracted  attention  for 
twenty  years.  Resolved  to  surpass  the  marble  mansion  of  the  late  A.  T.  Stewart,  he 
selected  a  plan  after  an  international  competition  among  architects,  caused  a  foundation 
to  be  excavated  forty  feet  deep  and  a  well  to  be  dug  designed  to  operate  a  $50,000 
organ,  which  he  imported,  and  brought  brownstone  and  other  materials  for  the  house 
from  Germany,  the  cornerstone  coming  from  his  native  town  of  Burghausen.  Many 
changes  were  made  in  the  plans  and  at  one  time  two  stories  were  torn  down  to  be  re- 
placed in  accordance  with  a  different  design.  The  great  mansion  was  finally  com- 
pleted, but  Mr.  Pickhardt  did  not  like  it  and  never  lived  in  it.  although  it  had  cost  him 
over  $1,000,000,  and,  by  his  orders,  it  was  sold  in  February,  1895,  for  $472,500. 

HENRY  EVELYN  PIERREPONT,  realty  owner  and  a  public  spirited  citizen,  was 
born  Aug.  8,  1808,  in  Brooklyn,  in  a  house  famous  as  the  headquarters  of  Washington 
and  from  which  the  order  of  retreat  from  Long  Island  was  given.  It  was  then  known 
as  the  Cornell  mansion  but  was  bought  by  Mr.  Pierrepont's  father  in  1803.  He  was  the 
second  son  and  one  of  the  large  family  of  Hezekiah  Beers  and  Anna  M.  Constable 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PI.  505 

Pierrepont  and  was  educated  in  New  York  at  the  school  of  Louis  Bancel,  a  French 
emigre.  While  traveling  abroad  in  1837,  knowing  that  Brooklyn  was  soon  to  be 
mapped  as  a  city,  he  visited  several  places  to  study  the  best  arrangement  and,  on  his 
return,  acted  as  one  of  the  committee  to  lay  out  the  streets  and  squares  of  the  city. 
His  plan  included  a  park  on  the  heights  near  the  river  and  a  cemetery  on  Gowanus 
Hills.  Being  unable  to  carry  out  his  plans  for  the  cemetery  at  that  time,  he  continued 
them  as  a  private  enterprise  and  succeeded  at  last  with  the  help  of  his  friends  in  found- 
ing Greenwood,  of  which  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  president.  Devoting  his 
time  to  the  settlement  of  his  father's  estate  and  to  the  improvement  of  his  native  city, 
he  built  a  home  on  nearly  the  site  of  the  old  mansion,  in  which  he  lived  until  his  death, 
March  28,  1888.  He  filled  in  and  opened  Furman  street  and  then  built  the  warehouses 
known  as  the  Pierrepont  Stores.  In  order  that  Brooklyn  might  have  proper  ferry  facil- 
ities, he  labored  long  and  brought  about  the  incorporation  of  The  Union  Ferry  Co. ,  of 
which  he  became  vice  president.  It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  he  was  a  direct  descend- 
ant of  Cornelis  Dircksen  of  Peck  Slip,  who  in  1638,  established  with  row  boats  the  first 
regular  ferry  between  New  York  and  Brooklyn.  Mr.  Pierrepont  inherited  means  from 
his  father,  who  was  a  successful  merchant  in  the  foreign  trade  and  the  owner  of  a  large 
amount  of  realty  in  Brooklyn  and  of  wild  lands  in  the  northern  part  of  this  State.  This 
patrimony  was  greatly  increased  by  his  own  judicious  endeavors.  As  director  and 
stockholder,  he  was  interested  in  all  the  important  local  corporations  of  Brooklyn,  in- 
cluding The  Brooklyn  Savings  Bank,  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co  ,  The  Long  Island  His- 
torical Society,  The  Brooklyn  Library,  The  Brooklyn  Hospital,  The  Church  Charity 
Foundation,  The  Academy  of  Music,  the  Brooklyn  club,  The  Art  Association,  etc.  He 
was  a  member  and  senior  warden  of  Grace  Church  (Episcopal)  in  Brooklyn  and  treas- 
urer for  over  twenty  years  of  the  General  Theological  Seminar}-  in  New  York  city. 
He  married  in  1841,  Anna  M.,  daughter  of  Peter  A.  Jay  of  New  York,  son  of  Chief 
Justice  John  Jay,  and  had  a  family  of  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  including  Henry 
E.  and  John  Jay  Pierrepont. 

JAiiES  ROBERTSON  PITCHER,  insurance  manager,  the  son  of  Dorlon  H. 
Pitcher,  tanner  of  sole  leather,  and  Philira  Robertson,  his  wife,  was  born  in  Windham, 
X.  Y..  near  the  Catskill  Mountains,  March  5,  1845.  His  paternal  ancestors  came  from 
England,  the  maternal  line  originating  in  Glasgow,  Scotland.  Educated  in  Whitestone 
Seminary  and  deprived  of  his  father  by  death  in  1857,  the  young  man  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  entered  the  office  of  the  firm  in  which  his  father  had  been  interested  and 
became  a  clerk,  bookkeeper  and  manager.  In  1866,  he  sold  his  interest  and  came  to 
Xt-\v  York  city.  He  found  occupation  for  two  years  as  salesman  for  H.  B.  Claflin  & 
Co.,  and  later  junior  partner  for  thirteen  years  in  a  wholesale  clothing  house.  In 
.  he  originated  and  founded  The  United  States  Mutual  Accident  Association. 
During  the  early  stages  of  this  enterprise,  Mr.  Pitcher  performed  all  the  clerical  work 
himself.  He  promoted  with  energy'  the  novel  idea  upon  which  the  form  of  accident 
insurance  was  based,  which,  by  the  way,  originated  with  himself,  and  the  company 
finally  took  its  place  as  a  prosperous  and  important  concern.  Large  quarters  are  now 
occupied  and  a  large  force  of  clerks  employed.  He  finally  sold  his  interest  for 
upward  of  $1,000,000  cash.  He  was  one  of  the  first  incorporators  and  directors  of  The 
Lawyers'  Surety  Co.  and  The  Merchants'  Credit  &  Guarantee  Co.,  and  has  made  his 
way  from  a  modest  beginning  with  energy.  He  is  now  president  of  The  Cachiri  Co. 


506  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  a  large  investor  in  real  estate  also.  At  Short  Hills,  N.  J.,  where  he  lives,  he  owns 
about  seven  hundred  acres  of  land,  a  nursery  and  fifty  greenhouses.  The  latter  grew 
out  of~Mr.  Pitcher's  love  of  orchids  and  other  flowers  but  are  now  conducted  as  a 
commercial  enterprise  by  Pitcher  &  Manda.  In  1870,  Mr.  Pitcher  married  Helen  K. . 
Sweet,  and  their  five  children  are  Bessie  K.,  Julia  K.,  Georgiana,  Philira  Robertson 
and  James  Robertson  Pitcher.  Though  residing  out  of  town,  Mr.  Pitcher  is  a  loyal 
citizen  of  New  York  in  all  essentials  and  is  a  popular  member  of  the  Players',  Man- 
hattan, Merchants',  and  Tuxedo  clubs,  as  well  as  of  the  Essex  County  Country  club. 

HENRY  BRADLEY  PLANT,  president  of  the  Plant  System  of  railway  and  steam- 
ship lines  and  of  The  Southern  and  The  Texas  Express  Go's,  was  born  in  the  pleasant 
village  of  Branford,  Conn.,  Oct.  27,  1819.  His  ancestors,  who  were  among  the  early 
settlers  of  Connecticut,  came  from  England  about  1636.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
is  a  direct  descendant  of  John  Plant,  the  pioneer,  and  that  branch  of  the  family  has, 
lived  continuously  in  the  town  of  Branford,  Conn.,  the  Plants  being  intelligent,  indus- 
trious farmers,  orthodox  in  faith,  upright  in  character,  and  useful  citizens  in  their 
respective  days  and  generations.  Mr.  Plant's  great  grandfather  on  his  father's  side  was. 
attached  to  Washington's  army  as  a  private  when  that  general  was  stationed  at  New- 
burgh,  and  was  one  of  the  guard  of  the  unfortunate  Major  Andre  at  the  time  of  his. 
execution.  His  great  grandfather  on  his  grandmother's  side  was  a  major  in  Washing- 
ton's army  at  the  same  time. 

Mr.  Plant's  education  was  a  limited  one,  confined  largely  to  the  common  schools, 
and  to  private  instructions  from  the  late  Rev.  Timothy  P.  Gillette,  Congregational 
clergyman,  and  was  finished  at  the  Lancasterian  school  of  New  Haven  under  the- 
tuition  of  the  late  John  E.  Lovell.  In  1837,  he  entered  the  service  of  The  New 
Haven  Steamboat  Co.,  and  was  shortly  afterward  placed  in  charge  of  the  express, 
business  upon  the  steamboats  between  New  York  and  New  Haven  and  upon  The  New 
York  &  New  Haven  Railroad  after  its  completion  between  these  two  places.  Mr. 
Plant  liked  the  freedom  of  this  life  and  imbibed  therefrom  the  spirit  of  adventure 
which  has  since  tinged  all  his  life.  He  remained  in  charge  of  the  business  until  the 
formation  of  The  Adams  Express  Co.,  when  he  went  South.  In  the  autumn  of  1854,  he 
was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  Southern  division  of  The  Adams  Express  Co.,  with 
headquarters  at  Augusta,  Ga. ,  and  was  also  made  superintendent  of  Harnden's  Express. 

In  1842,  Mr.  Plant  married  Ellen  Elizabeth  Blackstone,  daughter  of  the  Hon. 
James  Blackstone,  and  has  only  one  child  living,  Morton  F.  Plant, -who  is  associated 
with  his  father  as  his  assistant,  vice  president  of  The  Southern  Express  Co.  and  vice 
president  and  manager  of  The  Canada  Atlantic  &  Plant  Steamship  Co.  Mr.  Plant's 
first  wife  died  in  1861,  and  he  was  remarried  in  1873  to  Margaret  Josephine  Loughman, 
only  daughter  of  Martin  Loughman  of  New  York  city. 

Until  1 86 1,  Mr.  Plant  had  charge  of  the  Southern  division  of  The  Adams  Express. 
Co.,  and  in  that  year  organized  The  Southern  Express  Co.,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
president  continuously.  In  the  autumn  of  1863,  in  consequence  of  failing  health,  he 
received  from  the  President  of  the  Confederate  States  a  passport  and  permission  to 
leave  the  South  by  whatever  route  he  might  select.  Sailing  from  Wilmington,  N.  C., 
the  same  year,  in  the  ship  Hansa,  he  went  to  the  Bermudas,  thence  to  Europe,  where 
he  passed  a  year,  and  in  the  autumn  of  1864,  with  health  restored,  he  returned  and  re- 
sumed charge  of  the  express  business  in  the  South. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — PL.  507 

In  1867,  he  became  president  of  The  Texas  Express  Co.  and  has  held  the  position 
up  to  the  present  time.  When  in  1854  Mr  Plant  first  visited  Florida  for  the  sake  of 
his  invalid  wife,  access  to  Jacksonville  could  be  had  only  by  steamboat  up  St.  John's 
river.  The  mild  climate  of  that  city  prolonged  Mrs.  Plant's  life  for  years  and  Mr. 
Plant  made  many  yearly  visits  thereafter  to  the  place.  He  saw  the  need  of  railroads 
in  the  State,  but,  although  buying  stock  in  various  Florida  and  Georgia  companies  from 
time  to  time,  he  could  not  engage  in  railroad  enterprise  actively  until  1879. 

In  1879,  with  others,  Mr.  Plant  purchased  The  Atlantic  &  Gulf  Railroad  of  Georgia, 
and  subsequently  reorganized  the  company  as  The  Savannah,  Florida  &  Western  Rail- 
way, of  which  he  has  since  been  president.  After  this  reorganization,  he  shortened  the 
line  to  Florida  by  constructing  the  road  from  Waycross  to  Jacksonville,  which  was  fol- 
lowed by  an  extension  of  the  line  by  way  of  Live  Oak  to  Gainesville,  and  from  Bain- 
bridge  to  Chattahoochee  in  Florida,  connecting  with  The  Pensacola  &  Atlantic  Railroad. 
Later  on,  the  road  between  Thomasville  and  Monticello  was  constructed. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Plant  purchased  with  associates  and  rebuilt  The  Savannah  &  Charles- 
ton Railroad,  which  had  been  in  the  courts  for  many  years  and  as  a  property  had  dete- 
riorated. He  improved  the  rolling  stock  and  made  it  a  solvent  concern.  It  is  now 
known  as  The  Charleston  &  Savannah  Railway. 

In  these  enterprises,  it  was  the  purpose  of  Mr.  Plant  and  his  associates  to  extend 
and  add  to  the  various  properties,  and  they  believed  this  could  best  be  accomplished 
under  a  single  organization  with  ample  powers.  With  this  object  in  view,  several  of  his 
associates  being  residents  of  Connecticut,  the  birth  place  of  Mr.  Plant,  a  charter  was 
obtained  in  1882  from  the  Legislature  of  that  State  and  The  Plant  Investment  Co.  or- 
ganized. Mr.  Plant  became  president  and  remains  such  to  the  present  time.  Among 
his  associates  were  W.  T.  Walters  and  B.  F.  Newcomer  of  Baltimore,  E.  B.  Haskell  of 
Boston,  Henry  M.  Flagler  and  Morris  K.  Jesup  of  New  York,  and  Lorenzo  Blackstone, 
Henry  Sanford,  Lynde  Harrison,  H.  P.  Hoadley  and  G.  H.  Tilley  of  Connecticut. 
Since  the  formation  of  The  Plant  Investment  Co.,  several  properties  have  been  acquired 
by  purchase.  In  1885,  they  bought  The  South  Florida  Railroad,  at  the  time  running 
only  between  Tampa  and  Kissimmee,  which  was  changed  from  narrow  to  broad  gauge 
with  an  extension  of  the  line  to  Port  Tampa,  Fla. ,  which  is  the  port  of  entry  for  the 
West  India  fast  mail  steamers  (Plant  Steamship  line)  between  Port  Tampa  and  Havana, 
Cuba.  Subsequently,  the  line  was  extended  north  from  Lakeland  to  a  connection  with 
the  Gainesville  division  of  The  Savannah,  Florida  &  Western  Raihvay  at  High  Springs, 
thus  completing  the  line  from  Charleston,  S.  C.,  to  Port  Tampa,  Fla.  Thereafter,  the 
company  acquired,  in  1887,  The  Brunswick  &  Western  Railroad  between  Brunswick 
and  Albany,  Ga.,via  Waycross,  which  road  was  rebuilt;  in  1889,  The  Alabama  Midland 
Railway  from  Montgomery,  Ala.,  to  Bainbridge,  Ga. ;  and  in  1892,  The  Silver  Springs, 
Ocala  &  Gulf  Railroad,  extending  from  Ocala  to  Homosassa  and  Inverness,  Fla.  In 
1893,  The  Tampa  &  Thonotosassa  Railroad  was  constructed  from  Tampa  to  Thonoto- 
sassa,  and  The  Winston  &  Bone  Valley  Railroad  purchased  to  accommodate  the  people 
of  the  phosphate  mining  districts.  In  1894,  The  Abbeville  Southern  Railway  from 
Abbeville,  Ala.,  to  a  junction  of  the  line  of  the  Alabama  Midland  Railway  was  built. 
The  system  has  been  extended  in  1895  by  purchase  of  The  Florida  Southern  Railway 
and  The  Sanford  &  St.  Petersburg  Railroad,  both  narrow  gauge  roads.  Preparations 
are  being  made  to  change  them  to  standard  gauge. 


508  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

In  addition  to  the  railway  properties  enumerated,  Mr.  Plant  established  t\vo  lines 
of  steamboats,  one  in  1880  to  run  between  Jacksonville  and  Sanford,  which  was  discon- 
tinued upon  the  completion  of  the  railway  between  these  two  points;  the  other  on  the 
Chattahoochee  river,  known  as  the  People's  line,  plying  between  Columbus  and  Bain- 
bridge,  Ga. ,  and  Apalachicola,  Fla.  In  1886,  he  established  The  Plant  Steamship  Line 
for  regular  service  between  Port  Tampa  and  Key  West,  Fla.,  and  Havana,  Cuba,  under 
contract  with  the  United  States  Post  Office  Department  for  carriage  of  the  Key  West 
and  Havana  mails  and  for  occasional  service  between  Port  Tampa  and  the  Island  of 
Jamaica,  with  regular  service  between  Port  Tampa  and  Mobile,  and  Port  Tampa  and 
points  on  Manatee  river. 

Subsequently,  the  line  of  The  Canada  Atlantic  Steamship  Co.,  Ltd..  running 
between  Boston  and  Halifax,  was  acquired  by  purchase  and  chartered  under  the  Dominion 
Government  as  The  Canada  Atlantic  &  Plant  Steamship  Co.,  Ltd.  In  1893,  the  North 
Atlantic  line  of  steamers  was  added  to  the  line  through  purchase,  and  the  route  be- 
tween Boston,  Cape  Breton  and  Prince  Edward  Island  is  now  operated  by  the  company 
referred  to. 

Finding  it  to  be  desirable  to  furnish  good  accommodations  to  tourists  and  travelers 
in  Florida  and  en  route  to  points  beyond,  the  Inn  was  constructed  at  Port  Tampa  and 
is  kept  open  all  the  year,  while  the  Tampa  Bay  palace  at  Tampa,  known  far  and  wide 
as  a  modern  wonder,  and  the  Seminole  at  Winter  Park,  Fla. ,  are  open  for  guests  during 
the  winter  season. 

Mr.  Plant's  career  is  a  remarkable  example  of  what  can  be  accomplished  by  untir- 
ing industry  and  indomitable  will.  His  enterprises  have  contributed  largely  to  the 
growth  of  the  South  and  are  a  monument  to  his  genius,  energy  and  perseverance.  The 
people  of  Florida  cheerfully  acknowledge  the  great  obligations  under  which  they  have 
been  placed  by  the  labors  of  this  energetic  and  capable  man.  In  recent  years,  he  has 
made  his  home  in  New  York  city,  spending  each  summer  in  Branford,  Conn.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  The  New  England  Society  here,  a  man  of 
commanding  appearance,  genial  nature,  dignified  and  courteous  manner,  and  as  modest 
as  he  is  competent. 

JOHN  RUTHVEN  PLATT,  merchant,  born  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  18,  1820,  is  a 
son  of  Isaac  L.  Platt,  one  of  two  brothers,  twins,  the  other  being  Jacob  S.,  born  in 
Freehold,  Greene  county,  N.  Y. ,  April  5,  1793,  who  came  to  New  York  city  about 
1806-7,  rose  to  success  as  business  men,  and,  among  their  other  ventures,  opened 
Platt  street  and  built  the  stores  there.  Isaac  L.  Platt  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
The  Chemical  Bank  and  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.  The  family  is  an  old  one, 
the  name  of  Isaac  L.  Platt  appearing  in  the  original  charter  granted  by  Governor 
Nichol  to  the  town  of  Huntington,  L.  I.  The  line  descends  to  the  present  generation 
through  Epenetus;  Major  Epenetus;  Dr.  Zophar  (Jan.  30,  1705-Sept.  1792);  Ebenezer; 
Israel,  a  captain  in  the  American  Revolution;  Stephen,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Revolution, 
and  Isaac  L.  Platt.  The  latter  married  Marion  E.  Ruthven,  and  had  three  sons,  John 
R  ,  Samuel  R.  and  Isaac  S.  Platt.  John  R.  Platt  spent  two  or  three  years  in  Prime's 
school  in  Sing  Sing  and  finished  his  education  under  the  tuition  of  Forrest  &  Wyckoff 
in  Warren  street  in  this  city.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  took  his  place  in  the  store  of 
Stephen  Conover,  327  Broadway,  as  a  clerk,  and  toiled  from  7  A.  M.  to  9  p.  M.  for  $100 
a  year.  About  1836,  he  found  a  better  position  with  Latourette,  the  fur  merchant, 


THE     CITY     OF      NEW     YORK. PL.        .  509 

corner  of  Pine  and  Pearl  streets,  but  when,  in  the  crash  of  1837,  every  one  in  Pearl 
street  failed,  Mr.  Latourette  went  with  the  rest  and  Mr.  Platt  lost  his  employment. 
Joining  his  father  then  in  the  importation  of  plate  and  looking  glass  and  bolting 
cloths  for  flour  mills,  Mr.  Platt  stayed  with  him,  succeeded  to  the  business,  and 
carried  it  on  until  1873,  when  he  retired.  After  his  father's  death,  Oct.  22,  1875,  he 
succeeded  that  exceedingly  competent  man  as  a  director  of  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co. , 
and  is  no\v  senior  in  term  of  service  in  the  board.  He  is  also  a  director  of  several 
insurance  companies.  June  15,  1850,  Mr.  Platt  married  Mary  E.,  daughter  of  Lemuel 
Pomeroy,  owner  of  the  Copake  Iron  Works  in  Columbia  county.  Their  two  children 
are  Aurelia  P.,  wife  of  William  J.  Cassard,  and  Mary  A.,  wife  of  E.  V.  S.  Pomeroy, 
no\v  resident  in  Nebraska.  Early  in  life,  1838-39,  Mr.  Platt  joined  the  5th  company  of 
the  27th  N.  Y.  Art.,  now  the  7th  Inf.,  signing  the  roll  in  the  office  of  Carpenter  & 
Vermilye,  opposite  the  present  Custom  House.  This  regiment  had  seven  companies  of 
foot,  a  troop  of  horse  and  park  of  artillery.  Mr.  Platt  carried  a  flintlock  musket  in  this 
organization  for  seven  years  and  was  discharged  in  1846.  He  was  also  active  in  the  old 
fire  department,  being  a  volunteer  in  No.  5  Engine  Co.,  before  he  came  of  age,  and, 
in  January,  1847,  No.  36  Hose  Co.,  composed  of  merchantsand  merchants'  clerks.  He 
was  one  of  the  originators  of  No.  28  Engine  Co.,  and  its  foreman  for  several  years,  and 
afterward  foreman  of  Hose  Co.  No.  29,  first  at  Fifth  avenue  and  2ist  street  and  later 
on  1 8th  street.  When  the  old  companies  were  legislated  out  of  existence  in  1865,  he 
was  president  of  the  organization,  which  was  continued  as  a  beneficiary  institution 
and  yet  exists.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  Yacht  club,  and  for  twenty  years 
was  treasurer  of  the  Olympic  club,  the  oldest  in  existence  as  a  country  club. 

SAMUEL  REYNOLDS  PLATT,  manufacturer,  born  in  New  York  city,  July  4. 
1828,  died  here  Dec.  2,  1884.  He  was  a  son  of  Isaac  L.  Platt.  With  a  fair  education, 
he  entered  the  employment  of  Walsh  &  Mallory,  dealers  in  hardware  in  Pearl  street, 
while  yet  a  young  man,  and  later  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  P.  Adriance,  formed 
the  firm  of  Adriance  &  Platt,  for  the  importation  of  hardware.  Having  become  inter- 
ested in  the  patent  for  the  Buckeye  mo\ving  machine,  this  branch  of  their  business 
proved  so  important  that  they  devoted  themselves  entirely  to  the  manufacture  of 
the  machine,  building  large  works  at  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  for  the  purpose.  Follow- 
ing his  father's  death,  about  1875,  Mr.  Platt  became  largely  interested  in  The  Penn- 
sylvania Coal  Co.  and  was  also  a  director  in  The  Chemical  National  Bank.  He  was 
an  enthusiastic  yachtsman,  served  at  one  time  as  rear  commodore  of  the  New  York 
Yacht  club,  owned  the  famous  schooner  Montauk,  which  was  built  for  him,  and  made 
several  extended  cruises  with  this  boat.  Mr.  Platt  never  forgot  the  obligations  of  wealth 
and  was  liberal  and  discriminating  in  his  charities.  He  and  his  brother,  John,  joined  the 
Union  League  club  when  first  organized,  and  were  liberal  in  contributions  to  equip 
troops  raised  in  the  city.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  New  York  club.  June  23, 
1852,  he  married  Susan  A.,  daughter  of  Peter  Neefus,  an  old  merchant,  and  was 
survived  by  one  son,  Furman  Neefus  Platt. 

HENRY  D.  POLHEMUS,  banker,  who  died  at  No.  88  Remsen  street,  Brooklyn, 
Feb.  14,  1895,  in  his  sixty-fifth  year,  enjoyed  the  honor  of  descent  from  the  Rev. 
Johannes  Theodoras  Polhemus,  minister  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  of  Flatbush, 
L.  I.,  in  1654.  For  generations,  the  family  lived  at  Flatbush  upon  a  farm  which  is 
now  thickly  covered  with  homes.  Mr  Polhemus  was  born  in  the  old  homestead  in 


510  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Gowanus  Lane,  the  son  of  Theodoras  and  Rebecca  B.  Polhemus,  and  was  the  last  of 
his  line,  his  brothers,  Theodore  and  Ditmas,  having  died  before  him.  He  grew  up  a 
handsome,  athletic  young  man  and  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  base  ball  and  woodland 
sports.  He  was  at  one  time  a  volunteer  fireman.  At  the  usual  age,  Mr.  Polhemus 
entered  business  life  in  New  York  city  in  the  employment  of  Fox  &  Polhemus,  manu- 
facturers of  cotton  duck.  When  he  became  a  partner,  and,  later  succeeded  to  the 
business,  he  infused  great  spirit  into  the  trade  and  carried  it  on  with  marked  success. 
As  his  means  increased,  he  became  by  investment  a  director  of  The  Long  Island 
Bank,  The  Brooklyn  Gas  Light  Co.,  The  Brooklyn  Heights  Railroad,  The  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  and  other  corporations.  A  sound,  sensible,  busy 
man,  loyal  to  the  city  of  Brooklyn  in  which  he  dwelt,  and  active  in  promoting  the 
public  welfare,  he  won  the  cordial  regard  of  every  one  who  knew  him.  He  was  a 
director  of  the  Brooklyn  club  twenty-seven  years,  vice  president  for  three  years  and  at 
his  death  its  president,  as  well  as  president  of  The  St.  Nicholas  Society  of  Brooklyn, 
the  Cuttyhunk  Fish  club,  vice  president  of  the  Robbins  Island  club,  a  member  of 
the  Montauk,  Hamilton,  Germania,  Riding  and  Driving,  New  York,  New  York  Yacht 
and  Larchmont  Yacht  clubs,  and  honorary  member  of  the  Excelsior  club,  organized  by 
members  of  the  Excelsior  ball  team,  to  which  he  once  belonged,  and  trustee  of  the 
Long  Island  College  Hospital,  The  Brooklyn  Academy  of  Music,  the  Eye  and  Ear 
Hospital  and  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society.  His  wife,  Caroline  D. ,  daughter  of 
William  S.  Herriman,  alone  survived  him. 

EDWARD  ERIE  POOR,  merchant  and  banker,  is  an  excellent  type  of  that  class  of 
sound,  prudent  and  progressive  men,  who  have  come  to  the  metropolis  from  New  Eng- 
land, and  filled  so  large  a  place  in  the  affairs  of  this  city.  He  is  a  native  of  Boston, 
Mass.,  and  was  born  Feb.  5,  1837.  His  father's  family  derives  its  origin  in  this  country 
from  John  Poor  of  Wiltshire,  England,  who  in  1635  settled  in  Newbury,  Mass.  An 
excellent  genealogy  of  this  family  has  been  published  by  Alfred  Poor  of  Salem,  Mass. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  in  the  seventh  generation  of  descent  in  the  direct  line  from 
John  Poor.  His  maternal  ancestor,  Lieut.  Francis  Peabody,  also  an  Englishman, 
moved  to  the  new  world  from  Hertfordshire  in  1635,  settling  in  Ipswich,  Mass.,  and 
founding  another  important  family.  From  him  descended  George  Peabody,  banker  and 
philanthropist,  whose  cousin,  Jeremiah  Peabody,  was  the  grandfather  of  Mr.  Poor.  The 
history  of  the  Peabody  family  was  published  by  David  Clapp  &  Son  of  Boston,  in  1867. 

Graduating  from  the  public  schools  of  Boston,  Mr.  Poor  entered  in  1851  the  dry 
goods  commission  house  of  Read,  Chadwick  &  Dexter  on  Milk  street  in  Boston.  In 
1864,  he  removed  to  New  York  city  and  at  No.  32  Barclay  street  opened  a  commission 
dry  goods  house,  having  made  such  connections  as  insured  him  a  trade  from  the  start. 
The  sign  over  his  store  bore  his  own  name  only  until  1865,  when  it  was  changed  to 
Denny,  Jones  &  Poor,  later  to  Denny,  Poor  &  Co.  Time  has  wrought  the  usual 
changes  in  the  personnel  of  the  firm,  but  the  name  of  Denny,  Poor  &  Co  is  yet  re- 
tained at  their  location  114-116  Worth  street,  in  the  heart  of  the  present  wholesale  dry 
goods  district,  but  Mr.  Poor  is  the  senior  partner.  A  large  business  is  transacted,  re- 
quiring the  maintenance  of  branch  stores  in  Boston  and  Chicago.  The  firm  are  agents 
for  various  important  manufactories  in  New  England  and  The  Passaic  Print  Works  of 
Passaic,  N.  J.,  of  which  latter  corporation  Mr.  Poor  is  a  director. 

An  unwritten  law,  based  on  personal  character,  makes  the  merchant  who  is  sue- 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PO.  51! 

cessful  in  the  best  sense  a  desirable  accession  to  the  governing  boards  of  banking 
institutions,  and  Mr.  Poor  has  been  drawn  into  finance,  as  have  been  so  many  of  his 
colleagues  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  trade.  He  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  The 
Dry  Goods  Bank,  and  a  director  until  its  voluntary  liquidation.  In  1888,  the  stockhold- 
ers of  The  National  Park  Bank  elected  him  a  director  of  that  famous  institution.  Experi- 
ence proved  him  a  valuable  coadjutor  in  the  board,  and  in  1893,  he  was  chosen  one  of  the 
vice  presidents  of  the  bank.  The  duties  of  this  position  are  by  no  means  nominal. 
They  exact  from  Mr.  Poor  constant  attention,  and  his  best  thought  and  his  time  are 
equally  divided  between  his  financial  and  commercial  interests. 

Always  a  Republican  in  politics,  Mr.  Poor  votes  for  the  candidates  of  the  party 
when  they  meet  with  his  approval,  but  has  refused  every  suggestion  looking  to  a  nom- 
ination for  public  office.  He  is  pre-eminently  a  man  of  practical  affairs  and  finds 
enjoyment  and  ample  scope  for  his  ambition  in  their  management.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  since  1872,  and  of  the  Union  League  club  since 
1870.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Manhattan  and  Merchants'  clubs  and  a  life  member 
of  The  New  England  Society. 

In  1859,  he  was  married  to  Mary  Wellington,  daughter  of  Washington  J.  Lane  of 
West  Cambridge,  Mass.  This  union  has  brought  them  seven  children :  Edward  E. 
Poor,  jr.,  and  James  Harper  Poor,  who  are  partners  in  their  father's  firm;  Dr.  Charles 
Lane  Poor,  who,  after  taking  the  degree  of  Ph.  D.  in  Johns  Hopkins  University,  has 
been  appointed  associate  professor  in  astronomy  in  that  institution,  and  has  won 
distinction  by  lectures  and  papers  upon  this  science;  Frank  Ballou  Poor,  a  banker; 
Horace  F.  Poor;  Helen,  wife  of  William  C.  Thomas  of  South  Carolina,  and  Emily 
Clark  Poor.  The  family  make  their  home  in  town  in  the  winter  but  spend  the  sum- 
mers in  the  country  or  in  travel. 

HENRY  WILLIAH  POOR,  banker,  stock  broker  and  author,  a  man  thoroughly 
American  in  sentiment,  an  authority  of  world  wide  reputation  in  railway  matters 
and  statistics,  and  for  character  and  accomplishments  highly  regarded,  was  born  in 
Bangor,  Me.,  June  16,  1844.  All  of  his  ancestors  on  both  sides  of  the  family  originated 
in  England  and  established  themselves  in  Massachusetts  in  the  earliest  colonial  times, 
where  they  shared  in  all  the  activities  of  their  day  for  subduing  the  wilderness  and  the 
Indian  tribes,  planting  a  commonwealth,  and  creating  in  the  new  world  a  representative 
form  of  government  Ezekiel  Merrill,  great-grandfather  of  Mr.  Poor  on  his  father's 
side,  held  a  commission  as  an  officer  and  wielded  a  sword  bravely  in  the  American  Rev- 
olution. He  served  in  Colonel  Gerrish's  regiment,  April  19,  1775,  when  the  Minute 
Men  in  New  England  were  summoned,  at  the  time  of  the  Lexington  alarm,  to  with- 
stand the  aggressions  of  the  British  troops,  and  had  the  honor  to  be  present  in  the  Ameri- 
can army  at  the  time  of  Burgoyne's  surrender  at  Saratoga,  Oct.  17,  1777.  In  1785,  this 
old  Revolutioner  moved  to  Andover,  Me.,  situated  among  the  mountains  of  Oxford 
county  near  the  Rangeley  Lakes  and  there,  in  1791,  built  the  Merrill  House,  an  old 
homestead  of  the  colonial  style,  wrhich  is  now  owned  by  the  subject  of  this  biography 
and  occupied  by  him  as  one  of  his  country  seats. 

Benjamin  Franklin,  great  great  uncle  of  Mr.  Poor  on  his  mother's  side,  performed 
sen-ices  in  the  period  of  the  struggle  for  independence,  which  are  historic  and  require 
no  further  mention.  On  his  mother's  side,  also,  Mr.  Poor  is  a  grandson  of  the  Rev. 
John  Pierce,  who  presided  over  the  first  parish  church  in  Brookline,  Mass.,  for  over 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PO.  513 

fifty  years  and  was  a.  prominent  figure  in  the  annals  of  Harvard  University,  his  picture 
occupying  a  conspicuous  position  in  Memorial  Hall  at  Cambridge,  Mass. 

His  father,  Henry  V.  Poor,  a  graduate,  in  1835,  of  Bowdoin  College,  Maine,  was  a 
lawyer  in  Bangor,  Me.,  until  1849,  when  he  moved  with  his  family  to  New  York  and 
was  well  known  in  this  city  in  railway  affairs  and  as  editor  of  The  American  Railroad 
Journal,  which  he  conducted  until  1863.  In  1865,  he  retired  from  active  life  and  moved 
to  Brookline,  Mass.  Since  then,  he  has  become  the  author  of  various  financial  and  sta- 
tistical works  of  great  value  and  is  yet  living  in  a  hale,  hearty  old  age,  greatly  respected 
by  all  who  know  him. 

Mr.  Poor  received  a  preliminary  education  in  New  York  city,  to  which  place  he  was 
brought  when  five  years  old,  and  graduated  from  Harvard  College  in  the  class  of  1865. 
He  entered  upon  the  serious  work  of  his  career  immediately  on  graduating,  returning 
to  Xew  York  city  in  August  of  1865,  and  has  ever  since  made  the  metropolis  his  home. 
Finding  occupation  at  once  as  clerk  in  the  then  stock  brokerage  firm  of  Henry  Fitch  & 
Co.,  he  learned  in  that  house  all  the  technicalities  of  the  brokerage  business  and  soon 
gained  sufficient   confidence  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account.     Any  man  of 
receptive  and  tenacious  mind,   who  is  inspired  with  the  least  particle  of  determina- 
tion not  to  remain  in  a  rut  but  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world,  will  in  due  time  leave 
a  subordinate  position  and  display  to  the  world  the  sign,  which  announces  that  he  is  in 
business  for  himself.     Mr.  Poor's  period  of  probation  was  an  unusually  short  one,  and 
in  1868,  he  established  himself  in  business  under  the  firm  name  H.  V.  &  H.  W.  Poor 
in  this  city  as  a  dealer  in  railroad  securities.    He  then  associated  with  himself  the  Hon. 
C.  E.  Habicht,  Consul  General  of  Norway  and  Sweden,  in  the  importation  of  railroad 
iron  as  correspondent  of  the  firm  of  Tiden,  Nordenfelt  &  Co.,  of  London.    Mr.  Norden- 
felt  became  the  maker  of  the  heavy  ordnance  known  as  the  "  Nordenfelt  gun  "  for 
the  British  Government.     Mr.    Poor's  connection   with   this   branch  of  the  business, 
through  the  necessity  of  keeping  a  record  of  all  railway  companies  and  new  construc- 
tion undertaken  by  them  so  that  he  might  be  the  first  in  the  field  in  negotiation  for  the 
rails  needed  by  them,  led  to  the  establishment  by  him,  in   1868,  of  the  now  famous 
annual  publication  known  as  "Poor's  Railroad  Manual,"  which  has  ever  since  filled  an 
important  place  in  the  railroad  world.     Embodying  as  it  does,  exhaustive  financial  in- 
formation concerning  every  railway  company  on  the  continent,  it  is  an  absolute  neces- 
sity to  every  manager  of  an  American  railroad,  every  operator  in  railroad  shares  and 
even-  statistician  and  writer  on  economic  questions  and  is  as  well  known  in  Europe  as 
in  this  country.    Mr.  Poor  gave  extremely  close  study  to  the  subject  to  which  the  Manual 
was  devoted,  and  soon  rose  to  the  position  of  an  authority  upon  railroad  statistics.     The 
firm  of  H.  V.  &  H.  W.  Poor  is  yet  in  existence  at  No.  44  Broad  street,  as  publishers  of 
the  "Railroad  Manual"  and  other  statistical  works,  Henry  W.  Poor  having  been   the 
sole  partner,  however,  since  1883.     The  period  in  which  Mr.  Poor  made  his  entrance 
into  affairs  was  one  of  great  activity  in  financial  circles.     The  Civil  War  had  come  to 
an  end,  railroad  building  was  the  order  of  the  day,  the  country  was  animated  with  a 
spirit  of  restless  enterprise  and  Wall  street  became  the  centre  of  exciting  operations. 
The  firm  of  H.   V.  &   H.    W.    Poor  prospered  from  year  to  year  and  undertook  the 
construction  of  several  lines  of  railway,  and  the  junior  partner  gradually  gained   the 
capital  to  engage  in  a  regular  banking  business. 

The  now  well  known  banking  firm,  of  which  Mr.  Poor  is  the  senior  partner,  was 


514  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

organized  in  1880,  under  the  name  of  Anthony,  Poor  &  Oliphant.  They  located  their 
office  at  No.  19  Broad  street  and  attracted  important  clients  from  the  start.  Various 
transmutations  have  since  occurred  in  the  personnel  of  the  firm.  In  1881,  they  organ- 
ized as  Poor,  Oliphant  &  Co.,  changed  to  Poor  &  Oliphant  in  1882,  and  taking  the  name 
of  Poor,  White  &  Co.,  in  1883,  upon  the  addition  to  it  of  B.  Ogden  White,  who  had  been 
for  twenty  years  the  secretary  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange.  In  1884,  the  name 
was  again  changed  to  Poor,  White  &  Greenough  by  accession  of  John  Greenough,  a 
classmate  of  Mr.  Poor  in  Harvard  College,  and  who  formerly  had  been  a  leading 
merchant  in  the  South  American  business,  in  which  he  had  accumulated  a  fortune. 

In  1886,  the  name  was  changed  to  Poor  &  Greenough,  the  title  of  the  present  firm. 
The  house  has  always  managed  its  affairs  with  prudence,  energy  and  ability  and  is  now 
prominent  in  Wall  street,  both  partners  being  rated  as  millionaires.  It  represents  a 
number  of  important  foreign  interests  and  corporations,  has  extensive  English  and  con- 
tinental connections,  deals  largely  in  railway  and  other  securities,  having  issued  upward 
of  $100,000,000  of  railway  loans,  has  borne  a  part  in  important  railroad  reorganizations, 
and  has  acted  as  financial  agents  of  The  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago  Railway, 
The  New  York,  Ontario  &  Western  Railway,  The  Missouri,  Kansas  &  Texas  Railway 
and  many  other  corporations. 

Mr.  Poor  purchased  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange,  Oct.  2,  1890,  and  individually 
has  made  investments  in  and  been  active  in  the  management  of  a  large  number  of 
corporations,  in  which  his  counsel  has  been  desired.  He  is  at  the  present  time  presi- 
dent of  The  Kansas  City  &  Pacific  Railway;  an  active  director  of  The  Missouri,  Kansa 
&  Texas  Railway;  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  chairman  of 
The  Sherman,  Shreveport  &  Southern  Railway;  and  a  director  of  The  United  States 
Casualty  Co.,  and  the  Consolidated  Ice  Co.  He  has  also  been  connected  at  various 
times  with  many  other  corporations  in  an  official  capacity. 

Mr.  Poor  is  a  man  of  refined  and  scholarly  tastes  and  prominent  in  the  social  life  of 
the  city.  He  is  an  ardent  student  and  a  great  lover  of  books  and  has,  by  careful  and 
gradual  accumulation,  collected  one  of  the  finest  private  libraries  in  the  city  of  New- 
York  ;  and  he  maintains  his  vigor  for  business  pursuits  by  recreation  in  the  open  air, 
having  been  distinguished  in  youth  for  prominence  in  athletic  sports  and  great  physical 
strength.  Among  the  clubs  of  which  he  is,  or  has  been,  a  member  are  the  Union 
League,  Harvard,  University,  Players',  Tuxedo,  Country,  Lawyers',  Down  Town,  Rid- 
ing, Racquet  &  Tennis,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  American  Yacht,  Rockaway 
Hunting,  Oval,  Aldine,  Grolier,  Barnard,  Lotos,  City,  Vaudeville,  Arkwright,  Law- 
rence, New  York  Athletic  and  Mendelssohn  Glee  of  this  city,  and  the  Algonquin  of  Bos- 
ton. He  was  the  first  president  (1894)  of  Good  Government  Club  F,  and  is  treasurer 
of  the  Parmachenee  club,  a  sporting  club  in  Maine.  By  virtue  of  lineal  descent  from 
Ezekial  Merrill  above  referred  to,  he  is  also  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the  American 
Revolution  in  this  State,  and  from  public  spirit  and  interest  in  their  objects  he  became 
a  member  of  The  New  York  Historical  Society,  life  member  of  The  New  England  So- 
ciety and  The  American  Institute  of  Fine  Arts,  a  member  of  The  New  York  Geograph- 
ical &  Statistical  Society,  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  The  American  Museum 
of  Natural  History  and  The  Hakluyt  Society  of  London.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The 
Symphony  and  Oratorio  Societies  and  a  member  of  The  Musical  Art  Society.  He 
was  married  Feb.  4,  1880,  to  Constance  Brandon,  and  is  the  father  of  four  children, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PO.  515 

Henry  V.,  born  1880;  Edith,  born  1882;  Roger,  born   1883,  and  Sylvia,  born  1892. 

GEN.  HORACE  PORTER,  orator  and  man  of  affairs,  was  born  in  Huntingdon,  Pa., 
April  15,  1837.  His  ancestors  were  long  identified  with  the  early  history  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  grandfather,  Andrew  Porter,  born  in  Worcester,  Pa.,  Sept.  24,  1743,  and 
the  proprietor  of  a  scientific  school  in  Philadelphia,  left  the  arts  of  peace  in  1775  to  Jom 
the  forces  of  the  American  Revolution,  as  captain  of  marines  and  then  of  artillery, 
served  entirely  through  the  War,  and  was  promoted  from  rank  to  rank  until  he  became 
Colonel  of  the  4th  Continental  Art.,  and  later  Brigadier  General.  After  the  War,  he 
was  commissioned  Major  General  of  militia  and,  after  service  as  Commissioner  for  sur- 
veying the  boundary  lines  between  Pennsylvania  and  Virginia,  declined  the  positions 
of  Brigadier  General  in  the  regular  army  and  Secretary  of  War,  tendered  by  President 
Madison.  David  R.  Porter,  son  of  the  latter,  an  iron  master,  located  in  Huntingdon, 
served  for  a  number  of  years  in  the  Senate  of  Pennsylvania  and  was  twice  Governor  of 
the  State.  Horace,  youngest  son  of  David  R  Porter,  was  educated  at  the  scientific 
school  of  Harvard  University  and  graduated  from  the  West  Point  Military  Academy 
in  1860  He  served  in  the  field  during  the  Civil  War  and  during  the  four  years  of  that 
struggle  rose  through  every  grade  of  the  regular  army  up  to  that  of  brevet  Brigadier 
General.  Promotion  by  brevet  was  accorded  to  him  on  six  different  occasions  for 
"gallant  and  meritorious  services."  He  served  during  the  latter  part  of  the  War  upon 
General  Grant's  staff  and  as  private  secretary  to  General  Grant  when  the  latter  was 
President.  Since  the  War,  he  has  become  conspicuous  in  civil  life  by  his  management 
of  important  and  successful  business  enterprises  and  by  the  display  of  ability  in  the  field 
of  oratory  and  literature.  He  has  been  president  of  several  railroad  companies,  vice- 
president  of  The  Pullman  Car  Co.,  and  a  director  in  a  number  of  prominent  financial 
institutions.  He  is  president  of  the  Union  League  club,  The  Grant  Monument  Associ- 
ation The  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  The  National  Society  of  the  Sons  of 
the  American  Revolution,  commander  of  the  New  York  Commandery  of  the  Loyal  Le- 
gion and  of  the  Washington  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, and  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  University,  Lotos,  Grolier,  Century,  Play- 
ers', Lawyers',  and  Authors'  clubs  of  New  York  city,  and  many  other  organizations, 
including  geographical  and  historical  societies.  In  1894,  he  received  the  degree  of 
LL.  D.  from  Union  College.  In  1864,  he  married  Miss  McHarg  of  Albany,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  Horace  M.,  Clarence,  William  and  Elsie  Porter.  General  Porter  has 
in  recent  years  become  one  of  the  favorite  after  dinner  and  public  orators  of  New  York 
city.  He  is  greatly  in  demand  and  has  delivered  orations  on  many  occasions  of  public 
moment  as  well  as  innumerable  speeches  and  lectures  upon  other  occasions,  social,  lit- 
erary, patriotic  and  commercial.  He  speaks  several  of  the  modern  languages,  and 
among  his  literary  works  are  a  number  of  books  and  magazine  articles,  which  have 
commanded  public  attention. 

CLARKSON  NOTT  POTTER,  LL.D.,  lawyer,  born  in  Schenectady,  N.  Y.,  April 
25,  1824,  died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  23,  1882.  He  was  the  oldest  son  of  Alonzo 
Potter,  Bishop  of  Pennsylvania,  and  a  descendant  of  colonists  who  settled  at  Warwick 
Neck,  R.  I.,  in  1640.  His  grandfather,  Joseph  Potter,  removed  from  Warwick  to 
Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  soon  after  the  American  Revolution  and  represented  that 
county  in  the  Colonial  Legislative  Mr.  Potter  graduated  in  1842  from  Union  College, 
.  and  in  1843,  from  the  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute.  For  some  time,  he  followed 


516  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

surveying  in  Wisconsin.  He  studied  law  in  that  State  and  after  his  admission  to  the 
bar  came  to  New  York  in  1848  to  practice.  He  soon  rose  to  great  prominence  and 
during  his  last  ten  years  practiced  exclusively  before  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  the 
United  States  Supreme  Court.  In  1848,  Mr.  Potter  entered  politics  as  a  Free  Soil 
Democrat,  and  although  he  held  extreme  State's  rights  views,  was  active  in  raising 
troops  during  the  War  and  aiding  the  soldiers.  He  was  elected  to  Congress  from  the 
Westchester  district  in  1868,  1870,  1872  and  1876.  Qualities  both  brilliant  and  sound 
made  him  easily  a  leader  and  he  promoted  with  success  all  reform  measures  and 
opposed  legislation  which  had  for  its  object  the  favoring  of  private  or  personal  inter- 
ests, including  Southern  war  claims.  Although  re-nominated  for  Congress  in  1878,  he 
declined.  In  1879,  he  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  Governor,  but  was  nominated  for 
Lieutenant  Governor  and  defeated  by  only  230  votes.  At  his  death,  he  was  president 
of  the  National  Bar  Association,  a  member  of  various  societies  and  director  or  trustee 
in  a  number  of  public  institutions.  In  appearance,  he  was  tall,  erect  and  well  built, 
with  dignified  manners.  In  1873,  Columbia  College  made  him  a  Doctor  of  Laws. 

ORLANDO  BRONSON  POTTER,  LL.  D.,  lawyer,  manufacturer  and  financier,  was 
the  author  of  the  national  banking  system  of  the  United  States  and  a  man,  who, 
beginning  life  without  capital,  rose  from  the  farm  by  useful  and  legitimate  enterprise 
and  the  exercise  of  an  indomitable  determination  to  great  prosperity  and  influence. 

The  founders  of  the  family  were  Puritan  pioneers  of  New  England.  John  Potter, 
the  emigrant  ancestor,  was  born  in  England  in  1607  and  came  to  the  New  Haven 
Colony  in  1638,  signing  the  "Plantation  Covenant"  of  June  4,  1639.  Samuel  Potter, 
Orlando's  father,  was  born  in  Hamden,  grew  to  young  manhood  in  Northford,  New 
Haven  county,  Conn.,  and  removed  to  Charlemont,  Mass.,  in  1819,  transporting  his 
effects  thither  with  the  aid  of  two  ox  teams.  Settling  upon  a  farm,  he  was  married 
soon  afterward  to  Miss  Sophia  Rice,  a  descendant  of  Edmund  Rice,  who  came  from 
Barkhamstead,  England,  in  1638,  and  became  a  resident  of  Sudbury,  Mass.  Moses 
Rice,  her  great  grandfather,  the  first  settler  and  principal  proprietor  of  the  town  of 
Charlemont,  was  killed  by  Indians  in  1755,  while  defending  a  fort  he  had  built  to  protect 
the  settlement. 

Orlando  B.  Potter,  the  third  of  ten  children,  was  born  in  Charlemont,  Suffolk 
county,  Mass.,  March  10,  1823.  During  his  early  life,  he  found  occupation  in  the  work 
of  the  farm  and  for  six  years  was  virtually  manager  of  the  farm,  his  father  being  absent 
a  large  part  of  the  time  on  public  business.  The  lad  acquired  his  powerful  physique 
and  unfailing  good  health  during  those  early  years  of  cultivation  of  the  soil.  Every 
fall  and  winter,  he  attended  the  country  school  and  in  1841  entered  Williams  College. 
For  two  years,  he  was  one  of  the  foremost  students  in  his  class,  but  ill  health  and  lack 
of  funds  compelled  him  to  withdraw  in  his  sophomore  year.  Mr.  Potter  experienced 
more  than  ordinary  hardship  in  gaining  his  start  in  life.  A  commonplace  man  would 
have  been  turned  back  by  the  difficulties  which  confronted  him,  but  he  was  resolved 
to  succeed  and  persevered  in  spite  of  all  obstacles.  After  a  short  mackerel  fishing 
trip  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  he  taught  school  for  a  while  in  the  academies  of  East 
and  West  Dennis  on  Cape  Cod.  Choosing  the  law  as  his  profession,  to  obtain  the 
money  with  which  to  begin  his  studies,  he  arranged,  in  the  spring  of  1845,  to  teach  a 
class  of  young  ladies  every  afternoon,  and  he  then  rented  several  acres  of  ground, 
fertilized  the  land  with  sea  weed  cut  from  the  rocks  with  his  own  hands  at  low  tide, 


518  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  cultivated  this  tract  as  a  garden  every  forenoon.  In  August,  1845,  he  closed  the 
school,  harvested  his  garden  produce,  sold  all  that  he  could  at  home,  and  then  trans- 
ported the  residue  by  a  fishing  schooner  to  Providence,  where  he  sold  his  produce  from 
house  to  house  with  a  horse  and  wagon.  With  the  money  thus  laboriously  earned,  he 
entered  Harvard  Law  School  in  the  same  class  with  Rutherford  B.  Hayes  and  also 
studied  in  the  office  of  Charles  G.  Thomas  in  Boston.  When  his  scanty  supply  of  money 
was  exhausted,  he  taught  school  for  two  terms  and  a  part  of  the  time  lived  in  bachelor's 
apartments  in  an  attic,  buying  and  cooking  his  own  provisions.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1848.  Mr.  Thomas  had  formed  a  great  liking  for  the  young  man  and  offered 
to  admit  him  to  partnership  but  this  he  declined  and  he  opened  an  office  on  Court 
Square  in  Boston.  He  attended  this  every  day  and  another  in  South  Reading,  ten 
miles  away,  which  he  visited  every  evening.  He  displayed  considerable  energy  and 
skill  in  the  collection  of  bad  debts,  and  in  two  years'  time  had  created  a  profitable  prac- 
tice. From  this  time  forward,  fortune  sped  him  on  his  way.  Having  been  retained 
to  defend  William  O.  Grover  and  William  E.  Baker,  two  young  men  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  sewing  machines,  against  an  unjust  claim,  he  soon  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  them  in  the  firm  of  Grover,  Baker  &  Co. ,  and  took  charge  of  the  legal  and 
financial  branches  of  their  business.  In  partnership  with  these  men,  Mr.  Potter  rose 
in  due  time  to  wealth. 

He  was  married,  in  1850,  to  Martha  G.  Wiley,  daughter  of  Benjamin  B.  Wiley,  of 
South  Reading,  Mass.  This  union  brought  them  seven  children,  of  whom  four  are 
living,  Frederick,  his  son,  and  three  daughters,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Walter  Geer,  Blanche 
and  Martha.  Mrs.  Potter  died  in  1879.  Mr.  Potter  was  again  married  to  Mary  Kate 
Linsly,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Jared  Linsly. 

In  May,  1853,  Mr.  Potter  moved  to  New  York  to  establish  an  office  for  his  firm 
and  the  following  year  incorporated  the  business  as  The  'Grover  &  Baker  Sewing 
Machine  Co.  Mr.  Potter  became  its  first  and  only  president.  He  was  the  general 
manager  and  selling  agent  of  the  Grover  &  Baker  machines  and  directed  the  policy 
of  the  company  in  all  its  details.  When,  in  1876,  the  active  life  of  the  company  ended, 
Mr.  Potter  retired  permanently  from  commercial  pursuits  the  possessor  of  an  ample 
fortune.  From  that  time,  he  was  occupied  with  public  affairs  and  investments. 

Mr.  Potter  was  always  the  financial  manager  of  The  Grover  &  Baker  Sewing 
Machine  Co.,  and  the  extended  business  of  his  concern  which  penetrated  to  every  part 
of  the  Union,  brought  him  face  to  face  with  the  unsatisfactory  nature  of  the  money  of 
the  old  State  Banks,  then  in  circulation.  Bills  issued  in  one  State  were  at  a  discount 
in  another,  and  Mr.  Potter  was  compelled  to  pay  a  heavy  premium  for  drafts  upon  New 
York.  While  other  merchants  were  confronted  with  the  same  situation,  Mr.  Potter 
was  the  first  man  to  propose  a  solution  of  the  trouble.  Atig.  14,  1861,  shortly  after  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  he  wrote  to  Salmon  P.  Chase,  then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury, 
a  letter,  too  long  for  insertion  here,  which  may  be  found  in  the  files  of  the  Treasury 
Department,  in  which  he  suggested  for  the  consideration  of  the  government  a  plan 
for  the  creation  of  national  banks,  whose  circulation  should  be  based  on  the  deposit  of 
government  bonds.  He  outlined  the  whole  system,  answered  various  objections,  and 
placed  before  Mr.  Chase  a  complete  system  of  banking,  which  should  obviate  all  the 
loss  and  confusion  inherent  in  the  old  State  banks  plan.  A  few  extracts  from  his 
letter  will  show  how  accurate  was  his  comprehension  of  the  subject: 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PO.  519 

"First. — It  is  obvious  that  the  bills  thus  secured  will  have  in  whatever  State 
issued,  a  national  circulation,  and  be  worth  the  same  in  all  parts  of  the  country;  nay, 
these  bills  will  be  worth  their  face  wherever  commerce  is  known.  A  ready  medium  of 
exchange  would  be  always  at  hand  throughout  the  country  and  between  all  parts  of  it, 
and  all  fluctuations  and  trouble  in  this  respect  would  be  forever  ended. 

"Second. — The  fact  that  in  this  way  banks  and  bankers  could  obtain  a  national 
circulation  for  their  bills  would  make  United  States  stocks  eagerly  sought  after  by 
them,  and  their  price  would  be  always  maintained  at  or  ab&i>e  far,  though  they  bore  only 
a  low  rate  of  interest.  Four  per  cent's  could  never  fall  below  par  after  the  system  is 
fairly  understood  and  at  work. 

"Third. — This  will  enable  capitalists  in  the  older  States,  by  investing  in  United 
States  stocks,  to  engage  in  banking  and  furnish  a  currency  to  the  younger  States, 
which  will  be  equally  serviceable  to  them  as  if  issued  in  their  own  States.  A  bill  thus 
secured,  issued  in  Boston,  will  circulate  as  well  in  Oregon  as  if  issued  in  Oregon,  and 
probably  better.  *  *  *  * 

"If  it  is  thought  more  prudent,  but  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  stocks  deposited  may 
be  issued  in  bills,  and  thus  all  fluctuations  in  the  stocks  be  provided  against.  *  *  *  * 

"The  adoption  of  this  plan  could  not  fail  to  put  an  end  to  all  financial  troubles 
during  the  war,  and  be  an  increasing  benefit  and  blessing  ever  after;  while  it  would 
supply  all  the  means  required  for  the  war,  it  would  instantly  enable  the  older  and 
newer  portions  of  the  country  to  increase  their  trade  with  each  other,  by  supplying  to 
such  newer  portions  an  abundant  and  perfectly  safe  currency. " 

This  letter  was  addressed  to  one  of  the  most  eminent  and  patriotic  of  the  financiers 
of  the  day,  and  was  carefully  considered  both  by  Mr.  Chase  and  by  President  Lincoln. 
The  subject  being  presented  to  Congress,  Mr.  Potter's  plan  was  adopted  with  slight 
modifications,  and  was  enacted  Feb.  25,  1863,  in  the  National  Banking  Act.  This 
important  public  sen-ice  has  forever  identified  the  name  of  Mr.  Potter  with  the 
history  of  his  country. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Potter  was  in  his  early  life  a  Whig  and  he  voted  for  Mr.  Lincoln  in 
1860.  But,  always  independent  in  mind,  he  became  a  Democrat  after  1861,  in  order 
to  oppose  centralization  of  power  in  the  Federal  Government.  He  was  nominated  for 
Congress  from  New  York  city  in  1878,  but  was  defeated.  Renominated  in  1882,  he 
was  then  elected  and  performed  efficient  service  for  the  next  two  years.  He  served  on 
the  Committee  on  Banking  and  Currency  and  the  Committee  on  Expenditures  in  the 
Treasury  Department.  He  voted  against  even'  proposition  which  aimed  at  centraliza- 
tion of  power  and  was  conspicuous  in  various  important  debates.  The  extension  of 
free  carrier  delivery  in  towns  and  cities  not  then  supplied  with  that  service  found  him 
a  successful  champion.  May  1 4,  1 884,  he  opposed  a  reduction  of  salaries  of  American 
Ministers  and  Consuls,  in  order  that  the  doors  of  the  foreign  sen-ice  should  not  be 
closed  to  men  of  moderate  means.  He  was  almost  the  only  member  of  the  Democratic 
side  who  urged  that  power  should  be  given  to  the  President  to  acquire  control  of  the 
route  for  the  Nicaragua  canal.  In  opposition  to  the  Democratic  party  in  Congress, 
he  favored  successfully  the  Senate  amendment  to  pay  American  ships  for  carrying 
the  ocean  mails  a  price  equivalent  to  that  paid  foreign  ships  for  the  same  service. 

Mr.  Potter  was  offered  a  nomination  to  Congress  in  1884,  but  declined.  In  1886, 
he  was  nominated  unanimously  for  the  Mayoralty  of  New  York  by  the  committee  of 


520  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

one  hundred  citizens,  engaged  in  an  independent  movement.  He  declined  the  honor 
and  cordially  co-operated  in  electing  Abram  S.  Hewitt,  who  was  then  placed  in  the  field. 
From  the  beginning  of  his  residence  in  New  York,  Mr.  Potter  displayed  a  degree 
of  public  spirit  which  was  remarkable.  He  had  an  abiding  faith  in  the  future  of  N.e\v 
York  as  the  commercial  emporium  and  the  financial  and  social  center  of  the  continent. 
He  labored  steadily  for  the  good  government  of  the  city  and  was  prominent  in  all  re- 
form movements.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Council  of  Political  Reform  after  the 
exposure  of  Tweed,  and  originated  and  secured  the  enactment  of  the  laws,  under  which 
the  debt  of  New  York  city  is  being  refunded  at  a  low  rate  of  interest.  When  the  Leg- 
islature passed  a  law  for  the  destruction  of  the  Croton  reservoir  at  426.  street,  he  con- 
tested the  proceeding  stubbornly,  proved  the  unconstitutionality  of  the  law,  and 
received  a  vote  of  thanks  from  the  Common  Council  for  his  valued  services.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  first  Rapid  Transit  Commission. 

By  degrees,  Mr.  Potter  became  a  large  owner  of  real  estate.  His  confidence  in  the 
destiny  of  New  York  city  was  illustrated  after  the  panic  of  1873.  At  a  time  when  in- 
dustry and  business  were  paralyzed,  he  was  bold  enough  to  buy  the  large  property  on 
the  southwest  corner  of  Astor  Place  and  Lafayette  Place,  upon  which  he  erected  a  large 
building.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  building  formerly  occupied  by  The  New  York 
World  at  the  corner  of  Beekman  street  and  Park  Row,  extending  through  to  Nassau 
street,  which  burned  down  in  1882,  and,  at  a  period  when  scarcely  another  large  build- 
ing was  being  constructed  in  New  York  city,  he  erected  on  this  site  the  eleven  story 
Potter  Building  for  office  purposes,  then  the  tallest  of  the  kind  in  the  city  and  ever 
since  a  profitable  investment.  There  were  few  years  in  which  his  workmen  did  not 
make  some  substantial  addition  to  the  city's  taxable  property,  either  in  the  form  of 
stores,  warehouses  or  office  buildings. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Potter  bought  a  farm  of  several  hundred  acres  on  the  Hudson  river, 
a  mile  and  a  half  above  Sing  Sing,  where  he  established  his  summer  home.  He  spared 
no  expense  in  improving  this  property,  and  a  large  part  of  the  flowers,  milk  and  other 
products  were  given  to  the  poor  of  New  York  city.  He  was  fond  of  bringing  poor 
children  from  the  city  to  enjoy  a  little  of  the  life  of  the  farm.  He  was  president  of  The 
New  York  State  Agricultural  Society  in  1891-92. 

In  May,  1892,  Mr.  Potter  bought  at  auction,  at  a  price  above  their  real  value,  the 
open  lots  on  Convent  avenue  between  i42d  and  i43d  streets,  on  which  stand  the  thir- 
teen gum  trees  planted  in  1802  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  in  commemoration  of  the 
union  of  the  thirteen  original  States.  The  shoots  for  these  trees  were  cut  by  Mr. 
Hamilton  from  trees  at  Mount  Vernon  on  the  Potomac.  Mr.  Potter's  only  purpose  was 
the  preservation  of  this  historic  memorial,  and  it  was  his  intention  to  present  the  land 
on  which  the  trees  stand  to  the  city  for  a  park. 

He  received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  from  Williams  College  in  1889. 
A  member  of  the  New  York  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Board  of  Trade  and 
Transportation,  Mr.  Potter  was  also  a  trustee  of  The  Bleecker  Street  Savings  Bank  and 
vice  president  of  The  Hospital  for  the  Ruptured  &  Crippled.  He  did  not  care  for  clubs, 
except  in  so  far  as  they  might  be  useful  in  public  undertakings,  and  he  joined  only  the 
Democratic,  Reform,  Patria  and  Commonwealth  clubs,  and  the  Civil  Service  Reform, 
Bar,  and  Williams  Alumni  Associations.  He  was  a  member  of  the  American  Institute 
of  Civics,  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  and  The  New  England  Society.  With  charac- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PO.  521 

teristic  public  spirit,  he  was  a  supporter  of  those  useful  institutions,  The  Metropolitan 
Museum  of  Art  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

Mr.  Potter  died  suddenly  Jan.  2,  1894.  His  death  removed  from  this  city  a  man  of 
fine  natural  endowments,  spotless  probity  of  character,  and  useful  influence,  but  he  left 
behind  him  a  record  which  should  prove  an  inspiration  to  every  American  boy  who  can 
emulate  his  perseverence,  self  denial,  honesty  and  genius. 

ADRIEN  ALEXIS  POTTIER,  manufacturer,  born  March  9,  1845,  in  Paris,  France, 
died  in  New  Rochelle,  X.  Y.,  Aug.  14,  1891.  He  was  a  son  of  Alexis  Pettier,  a 
cabinet  maker,  and  of  Adeline,  his  wife,  both  natives  of  France.  Brought  to  this  coun- 
try an  infant  and  educated  in  the  public  schools,  he  was  apprenticed  to  Dubois  &  Co. 
to  learn  the  carving  trade.  In  1870,  he  began  to  manufacture  chairs  and  sofas  for  the 
trade,  and  in  1873  entered  the  corporation  of  The  Pottier  &  Stymus  Manufacturing  Co. 
as  a  salesman.  This  house,  organized  in  1855,  had  been  made  a  stock  company  in 
1869.  From  1855  until  1884,  the  business  was  carried  on  at  the  large  factory  on  Lex- 
ington avenue  between  4ist  and  42d  streets,  but  warehouses  were  opened  at  Fifth 
avenue  and  4zd  street  in  the  year  last  named.  In  1886,  August  Pottier,  uncle  of  the 
subject  of  this  memoir,  withdrew  from  the  presidency  and  Adrien  A.  Pottier  succeeded 
him,  holding  the  place  until  his  death.  The  great  Lexington  avenue  fire  of  March, 
1888,  destroyed  their  immense  factory,  causing  a  loss  of  a  million  dollars.  The  cor- 
poration then  erected  a  new  fire-proof  factory  upon  the  old  site.  In  1869,  Mr.  Pottier 
married  Laurena,  daughter  of  John  Magendie.  No  children  were  born  to  them. 

FREDERIC  A.  POTTS,  merchant,  born  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  April  4,  1836,  died  in 
New  York  city,  Nov.  9,  1888.  A  member  of  an  old  New  Jersey  family,  belonging  to 
the  Society  of  Friends,  he  was  a  son  of  George  H.  Potts,  president  of  The  National 
Park  Bank  and  one  of  the  first  shippers  of  Pennsylvania  coal  by  canal  to  the  seaboard. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  became  a  salesman  for  Louis  Auden- 
reid  &  Co.,  coal  merchants,  of  which  firm  his  father  was  a  partner.  In  1865,  he  was 
admitted  to  partnership  and  on  the  death  of  Mr.  Audenreid,  in  1874,  continued  the 
business  under  his  own  name  for  five  or  six  years,  when  he  adopted  the  title  of  F.  A. 
Potts  &  Co.  The  firm  were  selling  agents  for  The  Lehigh  Coal  &  Navigation  Co.,  The 
New  York,  Susquehanna  &  Western  Coal  Co.  and  the  Lehigh  &  Wilkesbarre  Coal  Co. , 
and  Mr.  Potts  also  had  coal  mining  interests  of  his  own.  He  was  a  man  of  strong 
mind,  clear  judgment  and  fine  abilities  and  gained  the  affectionate  esteem  of  a  wide 
circle  of  friends.  At  various  times,  he  was  a  director  of  The  Central  Railroad  of  New 
Jersey,  a  stockholder  of  The  Jersey  Midland  Railroad,  president  of  The  New  York, 
Susquehanna  &  Western  and  The  New  York  &  Sea  Beach  Railroads;  vice  president  of 
The  National  Park  Bank  and  a  director  of  The  Mutual  Benefit  Life  Insurance  Co. 
of  Newark  and  other  associations,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Union 
and  Century  clubs.  Defeated  for  Congress  in  1872  and  1878  in  a  strong  Demo- 
cratic district,  he  was,  in  1874,  elected  State  senator  from  Hunterdon  County,  N.  J., 
and  served  the  Republican  State  Committee  of  New  Jersey  as  chairman  for  many 
years.  In  1880,  he  was  defeated  for  Governor  by  a  small  vote. 

ALFRED  J.  POUCH,  merchant,  born  in  Brooklyn  in  1844,  began  his  prosperous 
career  as  clerk  for  Wallace  &  Wickes,  wholesale  merchants  of  provisions  in  New 
York  city.  In  1866,  he  associated  himself  with  the  late  Jabez  A.  Bostwick  in  the 
petroleum  trade  and  largely  through  his  own  energy  and  untiring  labors,  finally  rose 


522  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

to  a  prominent  position  in  the  financial  world.  Mr.  Bostwick  having  opened  a  branch 
house  in  Cleveland,  in  which  city  oil  refining  was  then  mainly  carried  on,  placed  his 
young  assistant  in  charge  of  it,  and  during  Mr.  Pouch's  stay  of  five  years  in  Cleveland, 
he  made  the  business  the  largest  of  its  class  there.  In  1871,  he  returned  to  Brook- 
lyn and  identified  himself  with  The  Standard  Oil  Co. ,  as  a  shareholder  and  active  man- 
ager, and  has  since  been  at  the  head  of  the  crude  oil  export  department.  He  is  now 
president  of  The  American  Dock  &  Trust  Co.,  which  with  a  capital  of  $1,000,000  was 
organized  to  build  warehouses  for  the  storage  of  cotton  and  to  loan  money  on  cotton. 
It  has  been  exceedingly  successful  and  handles  about  one  third  of  the  cotton  stored  in 
this  port.  He  was  one  of  the  chief  promoters  of  The  Brooklyn  Elevated  Railroad  and 
treasurer  of  the  construction  company,  and  followed  that  enterprise  by  purchasing 
large  parcels  of  real  estate  in  the  i8th  and  25th  Wards  and  other  parts  of  Brooklyn. 
He  has  since  sold  much  of  this  property  to  advantage.  He  has  been  a  director  of  The 
Hamilton  Trust  Co.,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  of  Brooklyn  and 
notable  for  his  purchase  of  the  Graves  mansion  and  its  conversion  into  an  art  gallery. 
CHARLES  PRATT,  merchant,  born  in  Wilbraham,  Mass.,  Oct.  2,  1830,  died  at  his 
office,  No.  26 -Broadway,  New  York,  May  4,  1891.  He  was  one  of  the  ten  children  of 
a  hard  working  cabinet  maker.  At  the  age  of  ten,  the  lad  found  work  on  a  farm  near 
Boston  and  spent  three  years  in  this  employment,  attending  school  in  winter.  After  a 
year  in  Boston  as  clerk  to  a  grocer,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  machinist  and  earned 
money  enough  to  secure  a  year  of  schooling  at  the  Wilbraham  Academy.  At  the  age 
of  nineteen,  he  entered  the  office  of  a  firm  dealing  in  paints  and  oils  in  Boston  and  then 
began  a  remarkably  successful  career.  In  1850,  he  came  to  New  York  and  secured 
employment  with  Schenck  &  Downing,  merchants  of  oil,  paint  and  glass.  He  worked 
hard,  saved  his  money,  and  in  three  years  joined  C.  T.  Raynolds  and  Frederick  W. 
Devoe  in  buying  his  employer's  business.  For  ten  years,  the  firm  of  Raynolds,  Devoe 
&  Pratt  were  active  and  growing  merchants.  In  1864  Mr.  Devoe  withdrew,  and  in  1867 
the  business  was  divided,  Mr.  Raynolds  going  on  with  paints  and  Mr.  Pratt  taking  the 
oil  business  under  the  name  of  Charles  Pratt  &  Co.,  and  becoming  a  refiner  of  petro- 
leum. He  built  a  large  factory  at  Greenpoint  on  Long  Island  and  the  name  of  Pratt's 
Astral  Oil  soon  became  well  known  as  a  trade  mark.  When  a  general  consolidation  of 
oil  refining  and  producing  led  to  the  creation  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  Mr.  Pratt  was 
admitted  to  the  trust  on  favorable  terms.  From  that  time  forward,  he  was  a  leading 
spirit  in  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  and  was  its  vice  president  at  his  death.  Mr.  Pratt  in- 
vested his  surplus  income  in  real  estate,  street  railroads,  Western  lands,  banks  and 
other  successful  enterprises.  The  name  of  Mr.  Pratt  has  been  permanently  enrolled  in 
the  annals  of  Brooklyn  by  his  gifts  to  education.  For  the  sake  of  his  own  children, 
he  fostered  an  existing  school,  caused  its  incorporation  as  the  Adelphi  Academy,  and 
after  1879,  was  president  of  the  board.  Through  his  generosity,  the  school  building  at 
Lafayette  avenue  and  St.  James  Place  was  doubled  in  size  in  1880,  and  in  1886,  he 
donated  the  means  for  putting  up  a  handsome  new  building  at  Clifton  and  St.  James 
Places,  connected  with  the  older  part  of  the  school.  His  gifts  to  the  institution  amounted 
to  over  §250,000.  In  1889,  he  founded  the  Pratt  Industrial  Institute  on  Ryerson  street, 
near  Adelphi  Academy,  to  provide  both  manual  training  and  a  high  school  education 
and  afford  instruction  in  trades  and  useful  arts  to  apprentices,  clerks  and  others,  who 
are  employed  during  the  day.  Mr.  Pratt  expended  over  $3,000,000  upon  this  enter- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PR. 

prise.  The  income  of  the  great  Astral  apartment  house,  at  Franklin  and  India  street ;, 
built  on  the  plan  of  the  Peabody  buildings  in  London,  is  devoted  to  the  support  of  th^ 
Institute.  He  also  honored  the  memory  of  his  father  by  establishing  the  Asa  Pratt 
free  reading  room  in  his  native  town.  He  was  a  thoroughly  domestic  man,  a  Baptist 
in  religion  and  one  of  the  founders  of  Emanuel  Church  in  Lafayette  avenue,  to  which 
he  gave  $1,000,000.  He  was  al^o  a  liberal  contributor  toward  other  charities.  -Mr. 
Pratt  was  married  first  to  Lydia  A.,  and  then  to  Mary  H.,  daughters  of  Thomas 
Richardson,  and  his  children  are  Charles  M.,  Frederick  B.,  George  D.,  Herbert  Lee, 
John  T.,  Harold  I.,  Lillie  R  ,  wife  of  Frank  L.  Babbott  and  Helen  Pratt  —CHARLES 
MILLARD  PRATT,  son  of  Charles  and  Lydia  A.  Pratt,  oil  refiner,  born  in  Brooklyn, 
Nov.  2  1855,  graduated  from  the  Adelphi  Academy  in  1875  and  Amherst  College  in 
1879.  He  then  engaged  in  business  with  his  father  in  The  Pratt  Manufacturing  Co., 
128  Pearl  street,  relieving  the  latter  of  much  of  the  care  of  his  vast  business  trans- 
actions. He  quickly  became  a  trusted  assistant,  developing  the  shrewdness  and  energy 
which  had  brought  such  large  measure  of  success  to  the  head  of  the  family.  In  1891, 
upon  the  death  of  his  father,  the  management  of  the  complicated  interests  of  his 
father  fell  to  his  lot,  and  he  has  since  demonstrated  his  own  ability.  He  conducts  the 
Pratt  Astral  Oil  business,  is  a  director  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  here,  and  first  vice 
president  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  Kentucky,  vice  president  of  The  Long  Island 
Railroad,  president  of  the  trustees  of  Pratt  Institute,  and  director  in  The  Mechanics' 
National  Bank  and  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  welfare  of 
Amherst  College,  and  has  presented  the  institution  with  a  spacious  and  perfectly 
equipped  gymnasium  known  as  the  Pratt  Gymnasium,  costing  nearly  $50,000.  May 
8,  1884,  Mr.  Pratt  married  Mary  Seymour,  daughter  of  ex-Gov.  Luzon  B.  Morris  of 
New  Haven,  Conn.,  and  his  children  are  Morris,  Theodore,  Margaret  R.,  Kather- 
ine  E.  and  Richardson  Pratt.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Alpha  Delta  Phi,  Montauk, 
Hamilton  and  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht  clubs  and  The  Amherst  Alumni 
Association. 

DALLAS  BACHE  PRATT,  banker,  born  Feb.  4,  1849,  in  New  York  city,  is  the 
son  of  the  Rev.  Horace  L.  Edgar  Pratt,  an  Episcopal  clergyman,  and  of  Kate  Martin, 
his  wife.  The  family  are  of  English  descent.  Mr.  Pratt 's  education  was  obtained  in 
Trinity  School  and,  at  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  secured  employment  in  the  banking 
house  of  Brown  Bro's  &  Co.  After  sixteen  years  of  service  there,  he  became  cashier 
of  The  Bank  of  America,  resigning  the  position  ten  years  later  to  enter  the  firm  of 
Maitland,  Phelps  &  Co.,  bankers  and  merchants.  He  is  second  vice  president  of  The 
Ohio  Falls  Car  Manufacturing  Co.  of  Jeffersonville,  Ind.,  a  large  concern  with  a  capital  of 
$1,800,000.  In  May,  1881,  he  married  Minnie  G. ,  daughter  of  Charles  G.  Landon,  and 
four  children  have  been  born  to  them,  Katherine  Griswold,  Alexander  Dallas,  Con- 
stance and  Beatrice  Pratt.  Mr.  Pratt  is  an  earnest,  able  and  judicious  man,  and  very 
popular  in  the  metropolis,  and  a  member  of  three  of  the  most  exclusive  clubs  in  the 
city,  the  Metropolitan,  Country  and  Union  League. 

JULIUS  HOWARD  PRATT,  manufacturer  and  railroad  builder,  was  born  in 
Meriden,  Conn.,  Aug.  i,  1821.  Graduating  from  Yale  College,  Mr.  Pratt  engaged  in 
business  in  Meriden  with  his  father,  Julius  Pratt,  a  manufacturer  of  ivory  goods,  and 
was  employed  in  the  selling  department  in  New  York,  where  he  remained  for  eighteen 
years.  The  business  grew  to  enormous  proportions.  Of  ivory  combs  alone,  the  firm 


524  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

manufactured  $500,000  worth  annually,  their  sales  extending  to  all  parts  of  North  and 
South  America.  Among  their  other  products,  were  ivory  handled  cutlery  and  piano 
keys.  In  1857,  Mr.  Pratt  made  his  home  in  West  Bloomfield,  N.  J.,  now  known  as 
Montclair,  at  that  time  merely  a  hamlet  amid  extensive  farms.  Mr.  Pratt  was  fore- 
most in  promoting  immediate  local  improvements  and  aided  in  building  The  New  York 
&  Greenwood  Lake  Railroad  to  provide  competition  and  reduce  the  transportation 
rates.  This  road  cost  about  $5,000,000,  but  saved  Montclair  and  the  neighboring  towns 
$200,000  a  year.  Mr.  Pratt  impaired  his  fortune  by  unfortunate  ventures,  but  in 
1888,  he  proposed  a  new  water  system  for  Newark,  to  be  operated  on  the  principle  of 
gravity  and  to  draw  a  supply  from  the  Pequannock  river,  a  distance  of  twenty-five 
miles.  To  accomplish  this,  he  formed  The  East  Jersey  Water  Co.,  secured  a  contract 
and  regained  his  fortune.  He  married  a  sister  of  A.  S.  Barnes,  the  publisher. 

FRERERIC  PRENTICE,  president  of  The  Prentice  and  Excelsior  Brown  Stone  Go's, 
can  look  retrospectively  over  a  career  diversified  by  fluctuations  of  fortune  such  as  fall 
to  the  lot  of  few  men.  Several  times  he  has,  by  his  own  efforts,  amassed  independent 
wealth  and  seen  everything  he  possessed  swept  away  by  circumstances  beyond  human 
foresight.  The  magnitude  of  his  transactions  may  be  realized  from  the  fact  that 
although  he  started  as  a  poor  boy,  with  nothing  except  a  merely  rudimentary  educa- 
tion, he  has  earned  and  lost  by  business  reverses  over  twelve  millions  of  dollars,  has 
paid  in  full  with  interest  all  his  indebtedness,  and  yet  now  finds  himself  possessed  of 
large  properties,  with  certainties  in  his  grasp  greater  than  ever  before. 

Mr.  Prentice's  forefathers  were  among  the  earliest  English  settlers  in  Connecticut. 
His  father,  Joseph  Prentice,  mother  and  two  brothers  moved  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. 
During  the  War  of  1812,  Joseph  Prentice  was  largely  engaged  in  Government  contract- 
ing, amassing  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  was  in  those 
days  considered  a  fortune.  After  the  war,  he,  with  Major  Oliver  M.  T.  Williams  and 
others,  formed  an  association  for  purchasing  lands  at  the  mouth  of  Swan  Creek,  Ohio, 
where  Toledo  now  is,  and  appointed  Mr.  Prentice  manager.  There  they  laid  out  a 
town,  to  which  they  gave  the  name  of  Port  Lawrence.  In  its  first  house,  on  December  6, 
1822,  Frederic  Prentice  first  saw  the  light  of  day  and  was  the  first  white  child  born  on 
the  town  plot.  Six  years  later,  the  senior  Prentice,  deeming  the  project  for  building 
a  city  premature,  withdrew  from  the  company,  receiving  as  his  share  in  its  enterprise  a 
tract,  partly  cleared  by  the  Indians,  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  common  territory. 
There  he  began  maintaining  his  family  by  farming  and  working  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
but  a  few  years  later  he  received  a  fall,  which  permanently  disabled  him  and  threw  the 
burden  of  family  care  upon  the  mother  and  boy  Frederic,  then  only  thirteen,  the  father 
having  expended  and  lost  his  money  in  trying  to  build  a  city  before  the  growth  of 
the  country  warranted. 

The  responsibility  thus  thrust  upon  the  lad  would,  under  any  circumstances,  have 
been  serious,  but  was  exceptionally  so  under  the  conditions  prevailing  in  that  portion 
of  the  West.  Everything  was  high  in  price,  except  labor.  Pork  cost  $60,  and  flour 
$25  to  $30  a  barrel,  calico  cost  60  to  75  cents  per  yard,  and  all  other  necessities  of  life 
were  in  proportion,  while  wages  were  only  75  cents  to  $i  per  day.  The  boy  had,  how- 
ever, a  stout  heart,  indomitable  energy  and  Yankee  resourcefulness.  With  the  help  of 
his  mother,  of  whom  he  speaks  with  fervent  affection  as  "  one  of  the  best  mothers  and 
housekeepers  who  ever  blessed  a  son,"  he  managed  to  get  along.  Having  been  from 


526  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

• 

infancy  associated  with  Indians  and  speaking1  their  language  as  well  as  Lis  own,  he 
often  acted  as  interpreter  between  them  and  traders  or  government  agents.  He  was, 
indeed,  the  only  interpreter  the  Indians  would  trust  in  serious  matters.  It  was  through 
him,  acting  in  this  capacity,  that  the  Indians  ceded  the  territory  in  the  vicinity  of  To- 
ledo, upon  part  of  which  Toledo  now  stands.  The  Indians  set  aside  a  tract  of  320 
acres  of  land,  which  is  now  included  in  the  City  of  Toledo,  for  his  services  on  that  occa- 
sion, but  his  father  would  not  allow  him  to  accept  the  gift,  saying  that  he  did  not  want 
it  said  he  or  any  of  his  family  had  been  enriched  by  the  poor  Indians ;  he  believed  that 
a  man  should  not  be  awarded  more  than  a  fair  compensation  for  doing  his  duty.  When 
not  employed  as  an  interpreter,  Frederic  spent  his  time  hunting,  fishing  and  trapping 
wolves.  The  wolves  were  so  troublesome  that  it  was  impossible  for  the  few  farmers 
to  raise  sheep  successfully,  and  to  rid  the  country  of  the  beasts  the  county  and  State 
gave  a  bounty  of  $7.50  for  each  scalp.  This  was  a  great  help  to  young  Mr.  Prentice, 
as  he  would  sometimes  in  a  single  day  during  the  winter  capture  a  large  number.  His 
education  was  gained  in  four  winters'  attendance  at  a  district  school,  two  miles  from 
home,  and  during  the  same  time  he  cared  for  a  small  herd  of  cattle,  provided  firewood 
for  his  family,  and  did  the  many  outdoor  "chores"  of  the  farm. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen,  Frederic  Prentice  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  in  a 
small  way,  supplying  wood  for  steamboats,  etc. ,  and  was  married  when  only  nineteen. 
His  business  prospered,  and  he  soon  began  getting  out  ship  and  black  walnut  timber  on 
a  large  scale,  making  extensive  purchases  of  timbered  land.  After  clearing  off  the 
timber,  he  resold  the  land  in  small  tracts  to  actual  settlers,  thus  aiding  largely  the  de- 
velopment of  that  section.  Before  long,  he  was  widely  known  as  a  large  and  prosperous 
dealer  in  timber  and  deservedly  reputed  a  rich  man. 

In  1849,  he  was  largely  interested  in  the  third  train  that  crossed  the  plains  to 
California  after  the  discovery  of  gold,  but  his  large  investment  was  entirely  wiped  out 
by  the  great  fire  in  Sacramento  in  1850.  His  lumber  business,  however,  increased 
largely.  The  close  personal  attention  which  its  magnitude  demanded  made  serious  in- 
roads upon  his  health,  and  he  found  it  necessary  to  divide  his  business  into  two  large 
companies  to  prosecute  the  trade,  and  he  sold  one  half  of  his  interest  and  tempo- 
rarily retired  from  business.  He  went  to  Lake  Superior  to  regain  his  health,  and  while 
there,  in  1854,  engaged  in  new  enterprises,  which  seemed  to  be  inviting.  He  interested 
himself  in  copper  mining,  banking  and  the  purchase  of  lands,  which  he  deemed 
valuable  for  timber  and  brownstone  and  suitable  for  the  location  of  large  cities  in  the 
future.  One  of  the  tracts  he  acquired  was  one  mile  square  and  located  where  Duluth 
now  stands,  but  owing  to  an  error  in  drawing  the  deed,  it  has  brought  him  nothing 
except  litigation  with  persons  seeking  to  deprive  him  of  his  rights  and  a  great  outlay  of 
money.  Another  purchase  comprised  a  portion  of  the  lands,  whereon  the  city  of 
Ashland,  Wis. ,  is  now  built,  and  the  great  brownstone  quarries  of  Houghton,  Wis.,  and 
Wilson  or  Prentice  Island,  Wis.,  now  being  operated  by  him. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Prentice  believed  himself  worth  several  millions  of  dollars.  But  the 
panic  of  1857  left  him  in  debt  to  the  extent  of  over  half  a  million  dollars,  mostly  incurred 
by  indorsements  for  friends  and  with  no  assets  except  unsalable  land.  By  Herculean 
exertions  he  struggled  along  until  1859,  when  he  borrowed  a  sufficient  sum  to  start  in 
the  oil  business,  and  soon  achieved  such  success  as  to  enable  him  to  make  a  compromise 
with  his  creditors,  paying  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar.  Within  three  years  thereafter,  he 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. PR.  527 

was  able  to  call  his  creditors  together  again  and  pay  them  not  only  the  remaining  fifty 
per  cent,  but  interest  thereon. 

Mr.  Prentice  may  justly  be  considered  the  oldest  successful  oil  operator.  He 
drilled  the  third  well  for  petroleum  in  Pennsylvania  and  thereafter  drilled  over  fifteen 
hundred  wells  in  the  State,  forming  The  Producers  Consolidated  Petroleum  Co., 
which  paid  in  dividends  over  three  million  dollars;  also,  with  others,  founded  The 
Producers'  Land  &  Petroleum  Co.  on  lands  they  bought  on  Oil  Creek,  with  a  paid  up 
capital  of  $2,350,000,  for  which  the  great  refineries  at  Bayonne,  N.  J.,  were  built  in 
1873  by  himself,  Oliver  Ames  and  others  of  Boston,  associated  with  him. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Prentice  started  The  Prentice  Brown  Stone  Quarries  at  Hough- 
ton,  Wis  ,  on  lands  bought  by  him  in  1854.  The  success  of  this  company  was  so  great 
that  he  decided  to  secure  all  the  good  brownstone  land  around,  which  he  did  not  then 
control.  He  effected  this,  and  in  1891  organized  The  Excelsior  Brown  Stone  Co.  The 
two  companies  now  largely  control  the  supply  of  this  excellent  building  material,  and 
Mr.  Prentice  expects  to  make  up  his  former  great  losses.  He  yet  owns  large  tracts  of 
lumber,  coal  and  oil  lands,  which  must  in  time  be  of  great  value. 

Mr.  Prentice  was  a  warm  friend  of  President  Lincoln  during  his  life  time  and 
personally  contributed  over  $300,000  to  the  national  cause  during  the  Civil  War.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  The  National  Academy  of  Design. 

EDWARD  PRIHE,  banker,  born  in  1801  at  No.  54  Wall  street,  in  this  city,  died 
at  Riverdale,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  22,  1883.  He  was  a  son  of  Nathaniel  Prime,  founder  of 
the  banking  house  of  Prime,  Ward,  Sands,  King  &  Co  ,  and  received  part  of  his  early 
education  at  a  boarding  school  in  Morristown,  N.  J.,  where  his  father  and  others  of 
the  family  had  been  educated.  When  a  young  man,  he  entered  his  father's  banking 
house  as  a  clerk  and,  in  1 846,  became  a  member  of  Prime,  Ward  &  Co. ,  consisting  of 
Nathaniel  Prime,  John  Ward  and  Edward  Prime.  When  his  father  died  in  1848,  he 
established  the  firm  of  Prime  &  Co.,  consisting  of  himself  and  his  four  sons.  Mr.  Prime 
retired  in  1867.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  New  York  Eye  &  Ear  Dispensary. 
In  his  younger  days,  Mr.  Prime  was  an  active  sportsman  and  is  said  to  have  been  the 
first  to  bring  to  this  country  a  pack  of  fox  hounds,  which  he  employed  on  Long  Island. 
He  left  three  sons,  Nathaniel,  Edward  and  Henry,  and  three  daughters. 

RUFUS  PRIHE,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  died  in  Huntington,  L.  I. ,  Oct. 
15,  1885,  in  his  eightieth  year.  He  was  a  brother  of  Edward  Prime.  Graduating  from 
Yale  College,  Mr.  Prime  afterward  engaged  in  business  as  a  stock  broker  and  banker 
in  Wall  street.  After  his  father's  death,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  care  of  the  latter 's 
large  estate.  Long  experience  made  him  an  expert  in  all  questions  relating  to  trusts, 
although  he  had  no  legal  training,  and  excellent  qualities  as  a  business  man  brought 
him  a  fortune.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Union  club  and  a  man  of  fine  literary  tastes. 

JOSEPH  PULITZER,  journalist,  born  in  Hungary  in  1847,  was  educated  by  a  tutor 
and  came  to  America  at  the  age  of  seventeen.  Entering  a  cavalry  regiment  in  the 
Union  army,  he  served  with  credit  until  the  end  of  the  Civil  War.  He  then  settled  in 
Missouri,  where  for  a  few  years  he  met  with  much  hardship.  He  was  a  man  of  spirit, 
however,  and  during  a  period  of  service  in  various  employments  steadily  made  his 
way,  finally  studying  law.  The  law  did  not  suit  his  enterprising  mind,  however,  and 
in  1868,  he  became  a  reporter  for  the  Wcstlicke  Post  in  St.  Louis,  a  German  newspaper 
conducted  by  Carl  Schurz.  In  this  field  of  work,  Mr.  Pulitzer  found  his  vocation  for 


528  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

life  and  soon  made  his  mark.  He  rose  successively  to  the  positions  of  city  editor, 
managing  editor  and  part  owner  of  the  paper.  In  1878,  he  founded  The  St.  Louis  Post 
Dispatch,  by  buying  The  Dispatch  and  uniting  it  with  The  Evening  Post.  The  snap, 
spirit  and  incessant  enterprise  of  this  paper  soon  made  it  a  profitable  property.  Mr. 
Pulitzer  retains  the  ownership  to  the  present  day.  Although  he  had  made  his  journal 
one  of  the  leading  organs  of  public  opinion  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Pulitzer  aspired  to  a  yet 
larger  field,  and  in  1883,  he  bought  The  New  York  World,  a  newspaper  of  high  standing 
but  then  much  reduced  in  quality  and  circulation,  and  has  since  made  The  World  the 
passion  of  his  life.  The  same  methods  which  he  had  employed  in  St.  Louis  soon  made 
The  World  one  of  the  best  talked  about  papers  in  New  York  city.  Its  circulation 
increased  with  rapid  strides  and  Mr.  Pulitzer  brought  it  to  a  condition  of  extra- 
ordinary prosperity.  Within  the  last  few  years,  he  has  been  enabled  to  construct  the 
Pulitzer  office  building,  adjoining  the  New  York  terminus  of  Brooklyn  Bridge,  a 
structure  eighteen  stories  high,  and  has  removed  to  the  basement,  street  floor  and 
upper  stories  thereof  the  various  departments  of  his  newspaper.  The  intermediate 
stories  are  rented  for  office  purposes.  The  enterprise  of  The  World  is  ceaseless.  Its 
attacks  upon  Richard  Croker  and  the  Tammany  ring  have  been  fearless  and  one  of 
the  most  creditable  features  of  Mr.  Pulitzer's  management.  He  has  always  been 
interested  in  politics,  although  not  an  active  politician.  In  1869,  he  was  elected  to  the 
Missouri  Legislature,  and  in  1884  was  sent  to  Congress  from  a  New  York  city  district. 
The  latter  seat  he  resigned  in  order  not  to  be  diverted  from  the  work  of  his  two 
newspapers.  Among  the  clubs  to  which  he  belongs  are  the  Manhattan,  Reform, 
Press  and  American  Yacht. 

PERCY  RIVINGTON  PYNE,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  England  about  1821, 
died  in  Rome,  Italy,  Feb.  14,  1895.  Well  educated,  he  arrived  in  New  York  city,  in 
1835,  and  entered  the  office  of  Moses  Taylor  &  Co.,  as  a  clerk.  In  1842,  Mr.  Taylor 
made  him  a  partner  and  he  was  thereafter  an  energetic  factor  in  the  operations  of  this 
famous  house  until  his  retirement  in  1887.  He  married  Albertina,  the  oldest  daughter 
of  Mr.  Taylor,  in  1855,  and  leaves  three  children,  Moses  Taylor  and  Percy  R.  Pyne 
and  Mrs.  Archibald  D.  Russell.  Although  to  some  extent  less  well  known  than  his 
partner  and  father  in  law,  Mr.  Pyne  was  a  man  of  strong  character  and  very  decided 
abilities  and  rose  to  wealth  in  consequence  of  his  own  qualities.  He  succeeded  Mr. 
Taylor  as  president  of  The  National  City  Bank  and  was  vice  president  of  The  Delaware, 
Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad;  a  director  of  The  Farmers'  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  The 
Consolidated  Gas  Co.,  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Lackawanna  Iron  &  Steel  Co.,  The 
New  Jersey  Zinc  &  Iron  Co.,  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern  Railroad,  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Harvey  Steel  Co.,  The  Mexican  Telegraph  Co.,  and  a 
member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Century,  Grolier,  Down  Town  and  Country  clubs. 


Q. 


ABRAH  QUEREAU,  merchant,  born  in  Brooklyn,  Oct  22,  1822,  died  at  his  home 
on  South  Portland  avenue  in  that  city,  Oct.  24,  1889.  He  belonged  to  an  old  Huguenot 
family.  In  youth,  he  entered  the  employment  of  a  shipping  and  commission  house,  and 
through  application  and  talent,  rose  to  responsible  positions  and  was  sent  by  the  firm 
in  1850.  to  California.  After  a  sojourn  of  five  years  there,  he  returned  and  was  admit- 
ted to  partnership,  the  firm  taking  the  name  of  Mailler,  Lord  &  Quereau.  He  con- 
tinued a  member  until  his  death,  the  house  then  being  known  as  Mailler  &  Quereau. 
For  forty-five  years,  they  were  located  on  Stone  street  and  then  moved  to  Wall  street. 
The  firm  aided  in  founding  The  Old  Dominion  Steamship  Line.  Mr.  Quereau  was  a 
thorough,  competent,  shrewd  and  excellent  man.  He  belonged  to  the  Church  of  the 
Mc"iah  in  Brooklyn,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the  Produce  and  Maritime  Exchanges, 
The  Society  of  Old  Brooklynites  and  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society^  was  a  life 
member  of  The  Brooklyn  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  and  in  every  relation 
enjoyed  the  sincere  respect  of  his  associates.  Several  children  survived  him. 

JOHN  WILLIAMS  QUINCY,  merchant,  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  died  in  this  city, 
Jan.  21,  1883,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year.  In  the  public  schools  of  Boston,  he  fared  so  well 
as  to  obtain  the  Franklin  medal.  Beginning  life  at  the  age  of  fifteen  as  clerk  in  a 
hardware  store,  he  devoted  the  remainder  of  his  life  to  this  trade  and  made  therein 
a  special  and  creditable  reputation.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  he  engaged  in  the 
hardware  business  in  New  York  city,  and  in  1837  entered  the  partnership  of  Daven- 
port &  Quincy.  This  house  devoted  itself  wholly  to  American  hardware,  then  little 
dealt  in,  and  by  means  of  branch  stores  extended  its  trade  to  all  the  principal  cities  of 
the  North  and  South.  A  change  of  partners  took  place  in  1847,  and  after  1852,  the 
firm  were  known  as  John  W.  Quincy  &  Co  Energy,  shrewdness  and  honorable 
methods  brought  their  natural  rewards.  Mr.  Quincy  married  first  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Stephen  Allen,  and  to  them  was  born  one  daughter,  who  married  E.  Hayes  Trow- 
bridge,  jr.,  of  New  Haven,  Conn.  His  second  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Charles  Perkins, 
and  she  survived  her  husband  with  a  son  and  a  daughter. 

GEORGE  WILLIAH  QUINTARD,  manufacturer,  and  president  and  director  of 
corporations,  is  one  of  the  vigorous  sons  of  Connecticut,  who,  beginning  life  in  this 
metropolis  at  an  early  age,  have  risen  to  fortune  and  position  by  their  own  native 
abilities.  He  was  born  in  Stamford,  April  22,  1822,  and  came  from  a  family  of  French 
descent,  which  had  been  resident  in  the  town  for  several  generations  and  played  well 
its  part  both  in  private  life  and  public  affairs,  being  distinguished  for  excellent  ability 
and  character.  Isaac  Quintard,  father  of  George  W.,  was  a  merchant  of  Stamford. 

Having  studied  the  text-books  of  the  day  at  the  public  schools  until  the  age  of 
fifteen,  the  subject  of  this  biography  then  followed  the  example  of  other  ambitious 
youths  in  Connecticut,  who  at  that  time  were  looking  to  the  rising  city  of  New  York  as 
the  field  in  which  they  were  most  likely  to  find  their  fortunes.  Coming  to  the  city,  the 
young  man  found  employment  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  house,  then  prominent  in  the 
trade,  and  from  this  firm  learned  the  first  principles  of  business  management.  Unlike 
many  other  lads  of  his  age,  but  in  strict  conformity  with  the  rules  by  which  alone  a 


•;:&• 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. QU.  531 

young  man,  beginning  life  without  fortune,  can  make  his  way,  young  Mr.  Quintard 
saved  his  earnings,  allowed  no  temptations  of  pleasure  to  distract  him  from  honest  and 
diligent  prosecution  of  business,  and  after  five  or  six  years  of  labor  in  a  subordinate 
position  was  able  to  embark  in  business  on  his  own  account.  For  four  years,  he  carried 
on  a  successful  trade  of  his  own. 

Meanwhile,  Feb.  15,  1844,  he  had  married  Frances,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Charles 
Morgan,  and  this  circumstance  finally  -gave  another  direction  to  his  life.  He  had 
already  shown  himself  to  be  a  sound,  upright,  progressive  and  capable  man,  and,  in 
1847,  he  gave  up  mercantile  pursuits  to  enter  one  branch  of  that  field  of  enterprise,  in 
which  his  energetic  father  in  law  had  already  made  a  reputation.  In  the  year  named, 
the  no  less  energetic  son  in  law  identified  himself  with  T.  F.  Secor  &  Co. ,  owners  of 
The  Morgan  Iron  Works  on  the  East  River.  This  establishment  was  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  and  repair  of  engines  for  steamboats  and  ocean  shipping  and  the  produc- 
tion of  heavy  castings  and  machinery.  In  its  operations,  Mr.  Quintard  found  a  con- 
genial field  of  labor.  In  1850,  he  became  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  works  in 
partnership  with  Charles  Morgan,  and  remained  in  the  active  management  until  1867, 
with  the  exception  of  a  period  of  two  years. 

At  these  works,  Mr.  Quintard  built  a  large  number  of  ponderous  engines  for 
coasting,  lake  and  river  steamers,  mainly  of  the  walking  beam  type,  and  others  for 
ships  of  war  both  for  the  American  and  foreign  governments.  During  the  Civil  War, 
these  shops  were  of  great  service  to  the  Federal  authorities,  who  employed  them  to 
construct  the  engines  of  the  following  Navy  vessels: 

Onondaga,  Chenango,  Ascntney, 

Wachusett,  Ticonderoga,  Idaho, 

Seminole,  Ammonoosuc,  Tioga, 

Muscoota,  Katahdin,  Kineo. 

For  the  merchant  service,  up  to  1867,  Mr.  Quintard  also  built  the  engines  of  many 
famous  steamers,  including  those  of  the 

Golden  Rule  George  Law,  Golden  Age, 

Herman  Livingston,  Orizaba,  Nautilus, 

Manhattan,  W.  G.  Hawes,  Villa  Clara, 

Raleigh,  Flushing,  Peruano, 

Albemarle,  Rapidan,  Ocean  Queen, 

Cambridge.  De  Soto,  Peiko  (China). 

City  of  Hartford,  Hatteras,  Yang  See  (China), 

Everglade.  Island  Home,  Fah  Hee  (China). 

Mississippi,  Alabama,  Bienville, 

Charles  Morgan,  Eastern  Queen,  Southern  Michigan  (Lakes). 

Granite  State,  Continental,  Western  Metropolis  (Lakes), 

San  Francisco,  Villa  Clara,  Northern  Indiana  (Lakes), 

Fulton,  Cosmopolitan,  Crescent  City  (Lakes), 

New  Brunswick,  Commonwealth. 

Mr.  Quintard  was  essentially  a  manager.  He  had  received  no  mechanical  train- 
ing and  was  far  from  able  to  execute  personally  some  of  the  simplest  mechanical  oper- 
ations. But  he  knew  how  things  should  be  done.  His  mind  grasped  broadly  the 
general  principles  of  construction,  and  he  was  able  to  direct  the  energies  of  others  in 
order  to  accomplish  what  he  had  in  view.  He  never  attempted  to  do  that  which  he 
could  employ  a  draftsman  or  a  mechanic  to  do  better  than  he,  but  devoted  himself 
entirely  to  the  general  direction  of  the  operation  of  the  works,  with  marked  success. 


532  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

In  1867,  Mr.  Quintard  sold  The  Morgan  Iron  Works  to  John  Roach,  the  ship 
builder,  in  order  to  devote  his  own  attention  to  The  New  York  &  Charleston  Steamship 
Co.,  of  which  he  had  become  president  and  part  proprietor.  He  managed  the  company 
well,  but  did  not  find  in  its  operations  sufficient  scope  for  his  overflowing  energy.  In 
1869,  accordingly,  he  established  The  Quintard  Iron  Works,  occupying  a  site  at  No. 
742  East  i2th  street,  extending  through  to  East  nth  street,  on  the  East  River,  a  few 
blocks  above  The  Morgan  Iron  Works.  Here  he  resumed  the  construction  of  marine 
engines  and  machinery,  and  in  a  short  time  developed  the  plant  into  an  extensive 
establishment,  making  it  in  time  one  of  the  most  prominent  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Quintard  finally  retired  from  the  active  management  of  the  works,  retaining, 
however,  an  interest  in  the  firm  of  Nicholas  F.  Palmer  &  Co. ,  the  present  proprietors. 
He  is  at  present  occupied  with  the  management  of  banks  and  corporations,  in  which  he 
has  investments  and  into  the  direction  of  which  he  has  been  invited,  owing  to  his 
financial  strength,  ability  and  uprightness  of  character.  He  is  a  director  of  The 
Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Butchers'  &  Drovers'  Bank,  The  New  England  & 
Nova  Scotia  Steamship  Co.,  The  Eleventh  Ward  Bank,  and  The  New  York,  Lake 
Erie  &  Western  Railroad,  and  holds  that  relation  with  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co. ,  The 
Atlantic  Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  State  Trust  Co.  and  The  Union  Ferry  Co. 

It  fell  to  the  lot  of  Mr.  Quintard  to  become  one  of  the  assignees  of  his  old  friend, 
John  Roach,  the  great  ship  builder,  whose  fortunes  had  been  impaired  by  the  hostile 
action,  since  repented  of,  of  the  Navy  Department  under  William  C.  Whitney.  Mr. 
Quintard  was,  with  his  colleagues,  able  to  extricate  the  affairs  of  Mr.  Roach  from  diffi- 
culties, to  reopen  The  Morgan  Iron  Works  and  the  iron  ship  building  establishment 
both  of  which  had  been  closed,  and  place  them  once  more  upon  a  prosperous  basis. 

Mr.  Quintard  has  served  his  fellow  citizens  in  the  positions  of  Emigration  Com- 
missioner and  Park  Commissioner,  but  has  declined  all  other  tenders  of  public  office. 
A  few  years  ago,  he  resigned  from  all  his  clubs  except  the  Lawyers',  New  York  and 
American  Yacht,  but  has  retained  membership  in  the  former  for  the  sake  of  luncheon 
privileges  down  town,  and  in  the  latter  two  on  account  of  his  fondness  for  the  sea.  He 
is  a  man  of  dignified  bearing  and  spotless  personal  character,  and  at  the  age  of  seventy- 
three,  preserves  unimpaired  the  vigor  of  his  earlier  years,  owing  to  his  judicious  mode 
of  living  and  an  abundance  of  occupation  in  the  open  air.  Mr.  Quintard  is  the  father 
of  three  children,  Frances  Louise,  who  died  July  28,  1863,  in  her  eighteenth  year; 
James  W.,  born  Sept.  3,  1848,  and  Laura  Adele,  born  June  7,  1852.  Mrs.  Quintard 
died  Nov.  14,  1894. 


R. 

JOHN  SY/1ONDS  RADWAY,  H.  D.,  manufacturer,  born  Feb.  17,  1858,  in  New 
York  city,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Dr.  John  Radway  and  Anna  E.  Lewis,  his  wife.  The 
senior  Radway  came  to  New  York  in  1832  from  Chedworth,  England,  where  he  was 
born  in  a  manor  house,  which  had  been  in  possession  of  the  family  for  generations. 
The  family  name  is  derived  from  a  parish  in  Warwickshire.  In  1848,  Dr.  Radwa)-,  in 
conjunction  with  Dr.  Pierre  C.  Van  Wyck,  a  druggist  friend,  began  in  a  small  way, 
under  the  name  of  Radway  &  Co.,  the  manufacture  of  Rad way's  Ready  Relief,  a  medi- 
cine which  is  now  known  throughout  the  two  Americas  and  beyond.  His  brother, 
Richard  G.  Radway,  was  also  a  member  of  the  firm.  Dr.  Radway  died  in  1870,  his 
brother  in  1884,  and  Dr.  Van  Wyck  in  1883.  After  the  death  of  the  last  of  the  three 
founders,  the  business  was  incorporated  under  the  presidency  of  John  S.  Radway.  The 
latter  began  life  with  an  excellent  education,  having  graduated  from  the  University  of 
the  City  of  New  York  and  the  College  of  Physicians  &  Surgeons,  receiving  from  the 
latter  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He  has  continued  the  business  founded  by  his  father  with 
marked  success.  One  of  the  largest  advertisers  in  America,  he  has  left  no  newspaper 
reader  in  any  part  of  the  various  countries,  in  which  his  remedy  is  sold,  unaware  of  its 
merits :  and  his  prosperity  is  based  largely  upon  his  liberal  expenditures  in  this  direc- 
tion. Dr.  Radway  is  a  member  of  the  Delta  Phi  and  Manhattan  Athletic  clubs.  He 
was  married  in  Xewburgh,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  18,  1884,  to  Man,'  A.  Mailler,  and  their  children 
are  John  Oakley,  Gladys  C.,  and  Edward  Mailler  Radway. 

JAflES  IRVING  RAYilOND,  merchant,  head  of  the  importing  house  of  A.  A. 
Vantine  &  Co.,  was  born  in  Bedford,  Westchester  county,  N.  Y.,  Aug.  23,  1843.  His 
father  was  Edward  Raymond,  a  prosperous  farmer.  The  boy  attended  the  public 
schools  and  academy  of  his  native  town  and  spent  his  time,  not  needed  for  study,  in 
the  work  of  the  farm.  In  1864,  he  came  to  New  York  city  to  enter  commercial  life, 

i  equipped  with  a  good  education  and  a  determination  to  merit  success.  His  first  and 
only  engagement  was  with  the  house  of  A.  A.  Vantine  &  Co.  Here,  he  applied  himself 
earnestly,  studying  the  details  of  the  extended  business  of  the  firm  and  evincing  a 
rectitude  and  capability,  which  soon  brought  promotion.  In  1875,  he  became  a  partner. 
After  the  death  of  Mr.  Vantine,  founder  of  the  business,  Mr.  Raymond  purchased 

1  the  entire  interest.  He  is  now  sole  owner  of  an  unequaled  establishment.  The  house 
has  been  and  is  to-day  the  greatest  of  the  kind  in  the  United  States,  making  a  specialty 
of  the  finest  rugs  and  other  goods  of  China,  Japan,  Turkey,  India  and  other  Oriental 
countries.  A  retail  and  wholesale  business  is  done,  extending  to  every  section  of  the 
country  and  requiring  representatives  in  nearly  all  the  markets  of  Europe  and  Asia. 
While  Mr.  Raymond  is  personally  of  modest  and  retiring  temperament,  the  fame  of 
his  business  is  world  wide  and  the  reputation  of  the  house  for  solidity  and  exact  busi- 
ness methods  is  enviable.  In  1875,  Mr.  Raymond  married  Grace,  daughter  of  Col. 
John  Quincy  Adams  of  Brooklyn,  the  union  resulting  in  one  son,  Irving  Edward  Ray- 
mond, now  eighteen  years  of  age  and  preparing  for  a  collegiate  course.  Mr.  Raymond 
is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  lives  in  Stamford,  Conn.,  in  a  home  which 
exemplifies  all  which  is  artistic  and  tasteful.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League 
club  and  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  a  director  of  The  New  York  Real  Estate  Trust  Co. 


534  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

WILLIAfl  GARDNER  READ,  merchant,  was  born  Oct.  n,  1823,  in  Newport,  R.  I. 
The  family  was  planted  in  America  by  two  brothers,  William  and  John  Read,  who  ar- 
rived from  England  in  1636  at  the  request  of  Governor  Winthrop,  one  settling  finally 
in  Vermont,  the  other  in  Connecticut.  From  the  former,  William  G.  Read  descends. 
After  an  education  at  Newport  and  Kingston,  R.  I.,  the  boy  engaged  as  clerk  in  a  retail 
store  in  Georgetown,  S.  C.,  with  his  father.  Coming  to  New  York  in  September, 
1839,  he  entered  the  employment  of  D.  A.  Cushman  &  Co.,  dry  goods  merchants,  and 
later  had  the  courage  to  embark  in  the  dry  goods  business  at  his  own  risk.  Later 
yet,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Jasper  T.  Van  Vleck  in  the  banking  business  on 
Wall  street  and  in  this  field  met  with  great  success.  The  house  was  successively 
known  as  Van  Vleck  &  Read,  Van  Vleck,  Read  &  Drexel,  and  Read,  Drexel  &  Co. 
During  the  war,  Mr.  Read  bid  most  successfully  for  government  bonds  and  in  his 
prime  was  well  known  to  all  the  prominent  bank  officers  in  the  city.  He  retired  in 
1863  and  has  since  led  a  quiet  life  with  his  family,  refusing  many  positions  of  trust. 
He  was,  however,  a  director  of  The  National  City  Bank  for  twelve  years  and  of  The 
Fireman's  Insurance  Co.  for  thirty  years.  In  politics,  he  has  always  been  a  Republi- 
can. His  father  and  grandfather  were  Whigs.  In  1855,  Mr.  Read  married  Emeline 
G.,  daughter  of  James  Taylor  and  member  of  an  old  and  highly  esteemed  family. 
Their  children  are  Kate  Wilson,  wife  of  Valentine  A.  Blacque  ;  William  G.  Read,  jr. ; 
and  Helen  S.,  wife  of  William  Oothout,  jr.  The  family  live  in  Mamaroneck  but  Mr. 
Read  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  Lotos  clubs  of  this  city. 

JOSEPH  RECKENDORFER,  manufacturer,  who  originated  in  Furth,  Bavaria, 
Sept.  18,  1836,  dying  in  Long  Branch,  N-  J.,  July  7,  1883,  made  his  reputation  and  for- 
tune by  coming  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  eighteen  and  embarking  in  the  lead 
pencil  industry.  While  the  beginning  was  exceedingly  modest,  he  succeeded  so  well 
that  in  a  few  years'  time  he  was  able  to  compete  with  foreign  manufacturers  strongly 
and  forced  a  reduction  of  the  prices  of  lead  pencils.  For  many  years,  he  manufactured 
only  the  well  known  cheaper  grades  of  his  goods,  but  in  1878,  added  patented  automatic 
action  and  aniline  pencils  to  his  productions,  the  latter  proving  especially  popular.  The 
industry  grew  rapidly  and  to  large  proportions.  For  many  years,  the  business  occupied 
a  factory  on  East  i4th  street,  covering  nearly  an  entire  block.  Mr.  Reckendorfer  lived 
in  a  handsome  residence  at  No.  20  East  74th  street.  The  year  before  his  death,  he 
took  great  interest  in  Russian  emigration  and  acted  as  treasurer  of  a  society  which  has 
the  matter  in  charge.  He  was  a  devoted  student,  spending  his  evenings  over  his  books, 
and  was  one  of  the  directors  of  The  Home  for  Aged  and  Infirm  Hebrews  and  of  the 
Harmonic  club.  In  1860,  he  married  Babette,  daughter  of  Samuel  Frank,  and  was  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Daisy  R.  Strauss  and  Louis  J.  and  Samuel  J.  Reckendorfer. 

JOSEPH  W.  REINHART,  railroad  president,  born  Sept.  17,  1851,  in  Pittsburgh, 
Pa. ,  is  the  son  of  Aaron  Grantley  Reinhart,  by  occupation  a  merchant,  and  Katharine 
McHenry,  his  wife,  both  descended  from  old  families  in  Pennsylvania,  Kentucky  and 
Maryland. 

Tutored  in  the  Western  University  of  Pennsylvania,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  Mr. 
Reinhart  became  a  clerk  for  the  division  superintendent  of  The  Allegheny  Valley  Rail- 
road at  Pittsburgh,  and  by  his  ability,  integrity  and  strict  attention  to  business,  soon 
rose  to  great  prominence  in  the  field  of  railroad  transportation.  By  hard  labor  and  in- 
telligence of  mind,  he  gained  promotion,  and,  in  1875-80,  was  advanced  to  the  position 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RE.  535 

of  superintendent  of  rolling  stock  of  that  road.  He  grasped  the  requirements  of  rail- 
roading intuitively  and  soon  became  known  as  a  thoroughly  competent  railroad  man. 
During  1880-83,  he  served  as  Auditor  for  The  Richmond  &  Allegheny  Railroad  at 
Richmond  Va.,  which  position  he  filled  with  such  ability  that,  in  1883-86,  he  was  made 
General  Auditor  of  The  New  York,  West  Shore  &  Buffalo  Railway,  with  offices  in  Xew 
York  city,  and  the  following  year  for  the  receivers  of  the  road.  During  1886-87,  he 
was  General  Passenger  and  Ticket  Agent  of  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern 
Railway  at  Chicago.  His  service  in  this  position  reflected  increased  credit  upon  him, 
and  in  1887,  he  established  his  headquarters  in  New  York  city  as  a  railroad  expert  in 
the  service  of  many  different  corporations. 

Nov.  i,  1888,  under  contract  with  important  foreign  and  American  financial  inter- 
ests, Mr.  Reinhart  became  associated  with  the  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Rail- 
road system,  with  offices  in  Boston,  as  expert  and  as  General  Auditor.  It  was  upon 
his  recommendation  that  the  then  scattered  properties  of  that  great  aggregation  of  capi- 
tal were  brought  together  under  practically  one  central  management,  thereby  saving  to 
the  parent  or  controlling  company  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  per  annum  in 
operating  expenses  alone.  Under  authority  and  direction  of  the  board  of  directors, 
Mr.  Reinhart  personally  carried  out  the  whole  and  complete  detail  of  this  great  work. 

As  General  Auditor  and  Vice  President  of  the  Company,  he  formulated  in  1 889  the 
plan  lor  financial  re-organization  of  The  Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad,  and 
carried  it  out  with  such  success  that  the  company,  recognizing  his  sagacity  and  fore- 
sight, advanced  him  through  different  stages  to  the  presidency  in  1893. 

Mr.  Reinhart  is  now  president  of  The  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe,  The  St.  Louis, 
Kansas  City  &  Colorado,  The  Atlantic  &  Pacific,  The  Colorado  Midland,  The  Wichita 
&  Western,  The  Southern  California,  The  New  Mexico  &  Arizona,  and  The  Sonora 
Railroads. 

His  abilities  in  organization  and  concentration,  for  effective  and  economical  results, 
of  great  forces  and  large  bodies  of  men,  led  to  his  selection  in  1893,  by  the  United 
States  Government,  as  Chief  Expert  of  the  Commission  to  revise  the  methods  of  the 
Departments  in  Washington.  He  was  given  full  power  of  selection  of  his  assistants, 
and  the  results  of  the  work  of  his  small  corps  of  experts  is  an  annual  saving  to  the 
United  States  of  over  $600,000  per  annum  in  the  expense  of  carrying  on  the  vast  work 
of  the  Government. 

He  was  married  October  21,  1875,  at  Sewickley,  Pa  ,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Taylor  Allison, 
and  his  children  are  Caroline  Allison,  Katharine  McHenry,  Mary  Anderson,  and  Fran- 
cis Ormond  Reinhart.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Riding,  Manhattan,  New  York,  Vaude- 
ville, Lawyers'  and  Westchester  Country  clubs,  and  of  Mecca  Temple,  Mystic  Shrine, 
in  Xew  York,  the  Algonquin  and  Myopia  Hunt  clubs,  of  Boston,  the  Union  County 
Country  club  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  the  Commonwealth  club  of  Richmond,  Va.,  the  Chi- 
cago club  of  Chicago,  and  the  St.  Louis  club  in  St.  Louis. 

WILLIAM  RE/ISEM,  realty  owner  and  trustee,  born  Jan.  13,  1815,  in  New  York 
city,  died  at  his  home,  26  Waverley  Place,  March  3,  1895.  He  belonged  to  an  old 
Knickerbocker  family,  known  in  old  times  in  Germany  and  the  Netherlands  by  the 
cognomen  of  Vanderbeeck,  a  title  which  signified  Vander's  Brook.  In  1162,  the  Em- 
peror Frederick  Barbarossa  granted  to  Mr.  Remsen's  ancestor,  a  knight,  a  coat  of  arms 
displaying  the  waving  lines  which  suggested  the  waters  of  the  brook.  The  pioneer  of 


536  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

the  family  in  the  new  world,  Rem  Jansen  Vanderbeeck,  from  whom,  it  is  said,  all  the 
Remsens  in  this  country  descend,  emigrated,  probably  from  Westphalia,  in  the  early 
days  of  settlement  and  after  living  some  time  in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  married,  in  1652, 
Jannette,  daughter  of  Joris  Jansen  de  Rapalie.  Removing  afterward  to  Wallabout  on 
Long  Island,  he  settled  upon  a  farm  which  has  descended  in  the  family  and  is  now 
owned  by  Jeremiah  Johnson,  his  great  great  grandson.  The  pioneer  was  a  magistrate 
during  the  second  occupancy  by  the  Dutch.  He  died  in  1681,  survived  by  his  wife  and 
fifteen  children.  In  accordance  with  a  custom  of.  the  times,  which  is  in  fact  yet  prev- 
alent in  the  Scandinavian  countries  of  Europe,  the  sons  of  the  pioneer  adopted  their 
father's  Christian  name  as  a  surname,  adding  the  suffix  which  indicated  that  they  were 
his  sons,  and  thus  became  known  by  the  name  of  Remsen.  Several  of  the  family  were 
prominent  in  early  days  in  New  York  city.  From  the  pioneer,  the  line  descended  to 
Henry  Remsen  in  the  sixth  generation.  Henry  Remsen,  born  in. New  York,  Nov.  7, 
1762,  dying  in  February,  1843,  was  in  early  life  private  secretary  to  John  Jay,  Secretary 
of  Foreign  Affairs,  and  later  to  Thomas  Jefferson,  while  Secretary  of  State.  In  1790, 
he  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Henry  Remsen  &  Son,  and  in  1793,  the  teller 
of  The  United  States  Bank.  June  3,  1799,  he  entered  the  bank  of  The  Manhattan 
Company  as  cashier,  with  which  institution  he  remained  for  twenty-seven  years.  In 
1808,  he  married  Eliza,  daughter  of  Capt.  Abraham  R.  De  Peyster,  and  the  same  year 
became  president  of  The  Manhattan  Bank,  retaining  this  position  until  1826.  To 
Henry  Remsen  were  born  nine  children,  of  whom  Willliam,  the  subject  of  this  memoir, 
was  one.  William  Remsen  received  his  preliminary  tuition  in  New  York  city  and  gradu- 
ated from  Princeton  College  in  1835.  In  1838,  after  study  with  Johnson  &  Kent,  he 
was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Five  years  of  active  practice  followed,  and  he  was  then  com- 
pelled to  abandon  his  profession  to  devote  himself  to  the  management  of  his  father's 
large  estate.  This  property,  a  portion  of  which  became  his  by  inheritance,  consisted 
largely  of  real  estate,  improved  and  unimproved,  scattered  throughout  the  city,  some  of 
it  in  the  region  of  Cherry  Hill.  Mr.  Remsen  was  an  excellent  manager  and  materially 
increased  his  possessions  by  the  sound  and  cool  judgment  and  careful  foresight 
which  always  characterized  him.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Third  Avenue  Railroad, 
The  Farmers'  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Harney  Peak  Tin  Mining  &  Smelting  Co., 
and  The  Holland  Trust  Co.,  president  of  The  Cannelton,  W.  Va.,  Coal  Co.,  first 
vice  president  of  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank,  and  interested  in  other  institutions. 
Jan.  13,  1841,  he  married  Jane,  daughter  of  John  Suydam,  and  to  them  were  born 
eight  children,  of  whom  five  are  living,  Robert  George  Remsen;  Charles  Remsen 
M.D. ;  Jane,  wife  of  Joseph  Todhunter  Thompson;  Elizabeth,  and  Sarah,  wife  of 
William  Manice.  Mr.  Remsen  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  St.  Nicholas  Society, 
and  chairman  of  The  American  Geographical  Society.  He  shunned  the  strife  of 
politics  and  had  little  taste  for  clubs,  but  was  warden  and  vestryman  of  St.  Mark's 
Church  and  found  his  greatest  enjoyment  in  travel  and  the  company  of  friends. 

JAHES  RENWICK,  architect,  born  in  this  city,  Nov.  i,  1818,  died  at  his  home,  28 
University  place,  June  23,  1895.  Graduating  in  1836  from  Columbia  College,  in  which 
his  father,  James  Ren  wick,  LL.D. ,  was  professor  of  chemistry  and  mechanics,  Mr. 
Renwick  devoted  himself  to  the  profession  of  engineering  and  architecture,  beginning 
work  while  yet  under  age  upon  the  Erie  Railroad  and  later  serving  as  assistant  engi- 
neer on  the  Croton  Aqueduct.  The  reservoir  on  Fifth  avenue  and  42d  street  was 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RE.  537 

built  under  his  supervision.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  he  drew  the  plans,  which  were 
accepted,  for  Grace  Church  on  Broadway  at  East  loth  street  and  had  charge  of  the  build- 
ing of  that  structure,  completing  it  in  1845  with  the  exception  of  the  spire.  From  that 
time  forward  for  more  than  thirty  years,  Mr.  Renwick  was  associated  with  the  building 
of  important  edifices.  Among  those  which  he  designed  are  the  Smithsonian  Insti- 
tution and  the  Corcoran  Art  Gallery  of  Washington;  St.  Patrick's  Cathedral  on  Fifth 
avenue,  begun  in  1853;  Calvary,  St  Stephen's,  St.  Bartholomew's,  and  the  Second 
Presbyterian  churches,  the  Church  of  the  Puritans  in  Union  Square  and  the  Church  of 
the  Covenant  in  this  city;  St.  Ann's  Church  in  Brooklyn;  Vassar  College;  Booth's 
Theatre,  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  building  on  23d  street,  public 
buildings  on  Blackwell's  and  Randall's  islands,  The  Fulton  Bank,  and  the  new  front  of 
the  Stock  Exchange,  as  well  as  many  private  residences.  One  of  his  latest  works  was 
the  restoration  of  the  old  Spanish  Cathedral  at  St.  Augustine,  Fla.  Mr.  Renwick 
amassed  a  fortune  and  filled  his  house  on  University  place  with  treasures  of  art.  By 
will,  he  left  a  part  of  his  collections  of  paintings  to  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 
His  wife  died  before  him,  leaving  no  children. 

WILLIAfl  RHINELANDER  RENWICK,  merchant,  who  died  in  this  city,  May  13, 
1883,  in  the  sixty-seventh  year  of  his  age,  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Battelle  &  Ren- 
wick, manufacturing  chemists,  established  in  1840,  at  No.  163  Front  street.  He  was 
prominent  in  the  wholesale  drug  and  chemical  trade,  owing  to  his  large  interest  in  The 
Niagara  Laboratory  in  Jersey  City,  The  Brooklyn  Sulphur  Works  and  The  New  York 
Dyevvood  Extract  &  Chemical  Co.  Mr.  Renwick  did  not  confine  his  enterprise  to  the 
field  of  chemistry,  however,  but  was  president  of  The  New  York  &  Saugerties  Trans- 
portation Co.,  and  a  director  of  The  Gallatin  National  Bank.  He  was  largely  inter- 
ested in  city  real  estate,  also,  being  one  of  the  heirs  of  William  Rhinelander,  and  owned 
wharf  property  between  Barclay  and  Canal  streets,  although  it  should  be  said  that  his 
fortune  was  mainly  of  his  own  making.  In  1841,  he  married  Eliza  S.  Crosby,  a  sister 
of  Chancellor  Crosby.  She  died  in  1877.  Five  children  survived  their  father,  William 
C.  and  Philip  R.  Renwick;  Emily  A.,  wife  of  Ed.  Abdy  Hurry;  Mrs.  Helen  S.  Schaff 
and  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Strong. 

WILLIAfi  RHINELANDER,  born  in  New  York  city  in  September,  1827,  is  a 
descendant  of  Philip  Jacob  Rhinelander,  a  Huguenot  and  first  of  the  name  in  America, 
who,  driven  from  France  by  religious  persecution,  settled  in  New  Rochelle  in  1686  and 
bought  a  large  tract  of  land  there.  Prior  to  the  American  Revolution,  the  pioneer 
moved  to  New  York  city  and  engaged  in  business.  William  Rhinelander,  grandfather 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  inherited  property  from  two  brothers  and  augmented  his 
possessions  by  importing  and  refining  sugar.  He  left  a  large  property  in  real  estate 
in  New  York  city  to  his  sens,  William  C.,  Philip  and  Frederick,  which  included  almost 
the  whole  area  bounded  by  86th  and  93d  streets,  Third  avenue  and  the  East  River,  and 
large  tracts  in  Chrystie,  Canal,  Broome,  Rivington,  Allen,  Cherry,  Monroe,  William, 
Spruce,  Beach,  Washington,  West  Greenwich  and  other  streets.  William  C.  Rhine- 
lander,  who  died  June  20,  1878,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight,  was  an  officer  in  the  War 
of  1812  and  a  trustee  of  the  entire  Rhinelander  estate,  which  has  been  kept  together 
more  than  a  hundred  years.  The  old  "  prison  house,"  in  which  the  patriots  of  the 
American  Revolution  suffered  such  horrors,  had  always  been  owned  by  the  family,  who 
kept  it  as  an  interesting  landmark  until  compelled  by  the  city  government  to  demolish 


538  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

it,  a  few  years  ago.  The  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  son  of  William  C.  Rhinelander,  re- 
ceived his  first  business  training  in  his  father's  office  and  has  since  been  active  both  in 
the  management  of  his  own  properties  and  in  a  fiduciary  capacity  for  others,  being  a 
trustee  under  his  father's  will.  Although  never  negligent  of  his  duty  as  a  voter  and 
always  interested  in  the  welfare  of  the  city,  Mr.  Rhinelander  has  never  held  public 
office.  He  married  in  1853,  Miss  Cruger  Oakley,  a  descendant  of  the  famous  Colonel 
Cruger  family,  which  held  prominent  positions  of  trust  in  the  early  days  of  the  city  for 
nearly  a  hundred  years.  Her  grandfather,  Henry  Cruger,  was  Mayor  of  Bristol  and 
Member  of  Parliament  under  George  III.,  while  her  father  was  Chief  Justice  Oakley, 
whose  decisions  are  yet  remembered  on  account  of  their  soundness,  and  who  served  for 
many  years  in  the  State  Legislature  and  in  Congress. 

ENOS  RICHARDSON,  manufacturer,  born  in  1819  in  Attleborough,  Mass.,  now 
one  of  the  principal  seats  of  the  manufacture  of  jewelry  in  this  country,  entered  this 
trade  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  Going  to  Philadelphia  with  his  employer,  he  toiled  in  the 
factory  for  a  time  and,  in  1838,  became  a  traveling  salesman,  making  two  trips  to  the 
West,  every  year.  In  1841,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  jewelry  in  Attleborough 
in  partnership  with  S.  S.  Daggett  and  took  charge  of  the  New  York  office  of  the  firm 
at  No.  9  Cortlandt  street.  In  1848,  the  firm  name  was  changed  to  Palmer,  Richardson 
&  Co.,  and  upon  Dec.  31,  1865,  to  Enos  Richardson  &  Co.  With  different  partners, 
Mr.  Richardson  has  continued  in  business  down  to  the  present  time.  Since  1848,  he 
has  manufactured  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  under  the  name  of  The  Richardson  Manufacturing 
Co.,  and  since  1849,  the  office  of  the  house  has  been  in  Maiden  Lane.  Mr.  Richardson 
is  now  one  of  the  most  prominent  makers  of  popular  jewelry  in  the  United  States. 
Frank  H.  Richardson,  managing  partner  in  the  firm,  is  his  son. 

JOSEPH  RICHARDSON  may  truthfully  be  said  to  have  been  the  architect  of  his 
own  fortunes  to  an  extent  rarely  achieved  by  those  to  whom  that  credit  is  accorded. 
Born  in  England,  Sept.  7,  1814,  he  came  to  this  country  at  a  very  early  age  and  when 
only  ten  years  old  was  apprenticed  to  a  mason  in  Albany,  N.  Y.  While  yet, a  young 
man,  he  established  himself  in  business  as  a  master  builder;  and,  although  expanding 
interests,  attendant. upon  enlarged  capital  and  liberal  investment  in  various  directions, 
have  necessarily  diverted  his  attention  in  some  degree,  he  yet  regards  as  his  serious  oc- 
cupation that  in  which  he  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fortune.  A  builder  he  has  been 
for  more  than  half  a  century  and  a  builder  he  intends  to  be  while  he  lives.  Practically 
all  of  New  York,  as  it  is  to-day ;  has  grown  up  under  his  observation.  Wall  street,  for 
instance,  he  has  seen  rebuilt  three  times,  with  the  exception  of  the  United  States 
Treasury  building  and  Custom  House,  and  the  latter  is  the  second  edifice  he  has  seen 
on  that  ground.  In  promoting  these  changes,  he  has  done  much  important  work. 

But  his  building  operations  have  not  been  confined  to  this  city.  In  1852-53,  he 
erected  the  water  works  at  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  the  third  in  this  country,  the  first  and 
second  having  been  respectively  in  Philadelphia  and  New  York.  Of  all  those  associ- 
ated with  him  in  the  corporation,  which  built  the  Bridgeport  works,  he  is  the  only  one 
now  living. 

All  new  enterprises  promising  material  advancement  in  the  progress  of  civilization 
have  found  in  Mr.  Richardson  earnest  sympathy  and  liberal  aid.  His  money  helped 
the  first  trans-Atlantic  steamship,  the  Great  Western,  when  that  enterprise  was  looked 
upon  as  so  chimerical  that  means  had  to  be  sought  on  both  sides  of  the  ocean  to  defray 


JOSEPH    RICHARDSON. 


540 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


the  cost.  He  also  invested  liberally  with  Cyrus  W.  Field  to  aid  the  laying  of  the  first 
Atlantic  cable.  The  first  elevated  railroad  in  New  York,  the  "one-legged  "  structure 
on  Greenwich  street  from  the  Battery  to  Cortlandt  street,  the  small  and  then  much 
ridiculed  beginning  from  which  our  present  magnificent  elevated  railroad  system  has 
developed,  was  partly  due  to  Mr.  Richardson's  prescient  faith  in  its  future  and  his  gen- 
erous backing  of  the  enterprise. 

Thirty  years  ago,  he  established  a  line  of  steamboats  between  New  York  and 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  which  he  yet  controls,  and  which,  notwithstanding  the  sharp  rail- 
road rivalry  it  encounters,  he  has  made  profitable  through  keeping  it  fully  up  to  all  the 
requirements  of  modern  traffic. 

Mr.  Richardson  was  a  liberal  investor  in  the  Credit  Mobilier,  which  supplied  the 
means  for  building  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  not  only  aided  that  gigantic 
national  enterprise  in  this  manner,  but  also  gave  for  its  furtherance  the  not  less  impor- 
tant service  of  building  at  Laramie  City,  on  the  summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  the 
mill  in  which  a  portion  of  the  rails  for  the  road  were  rolled.  It  was  the  first  rolling 
mill  west  of  the  Missouri  river.  The  water  works  at  Laramie  City  are  another  monu- 
ment to  his  enterprise,  he  having  been  their  originator  and  builder.  He  also  built  the 
water  works  at  Houston,  Texas. 

Vigorous  in  mind  and  body,  at  an  age  specified  by  the  Psalmist  as  the  limit  of 
active  human  life,  Mr.  Richardson  is  an  excellent  demonstration  of  the  preservative 
effect  of  a  well  regulated  and  well  occupied  life.  He  has  been  twice  married  and  is 
deservedly  cited  by  those  who  know  him  best  as  a  model  of  conjugal  fidelity.  In  various 
good  ways,  Mr.  Richardson  may  be  deemed  an  exceptional  man,  but  in  none  more  so, 
perhaps,  than  in  his  ability  to  affirm,  as  he  does,  that  if  he  had  his  life  to  live  over  again, 
with  all  his  experience  consciously  retained,  he  would  not  wish  to  live  otherwise  than 
he  has  lived. 

EDWARD  RIDLEY,  merchant,  born  in  Leicestershire,  England,  who  died  in  New 
York  city,  July  31,  1883,  in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  was  the  son  of  James  Moseley  Ridley, 
gentleman.  While  educated  for  the  law,  the  young  man  preferred  a  mercantile  career 
and,  obtaining  his  father's  reluctant  consent,  began  life  as  apprentice  to  a  merchant. 
When  he  finally  opened  a  dry  goods  store  in  his  native  town,  he  learned  a  sharp  lesson 
by  endorsing  the  paper  of  other  business  houses,  which  resulted  in  an  obligation  to  pay 
various  debts  for  which  he  was  not  responsible.  Having  settled  honorably  with 
creditors,  he  removed  to  America,  located  in  Albany,  N.  Y. ,  opened  a  dry  goods  store, 
made  excellent  progress  and  soon  established  a  branch  store  in  Saratoga.  He  closed 
both  houses  in  1849  to  bring  his  capital  to  New  York  city,  where  he  established  a  little 
retail  millinery  and  dry  goods  store  at  the  corner  of  Grand  and  Allen  streets.  At  the 
end  of  the  first  decade,  he  was  worth  not  over  $50,000.  In  1869  and  1875  respectively, 
he  took  his  two  sons,  Edward  Albert  and  Arthur  John  Ridley,  into  partnership,  with 
the  happiest  results.  The  business  prospered  exceedingly  and  soon  became  one  of  the 
most  prominent  in  the  trade.  When  Mr.  Ridley  died,  his  store  covered  four  and  a  half 
acres  of  ground,  employed  1,700  clerks  and  salesmen,  and  ranked  as  one  of  the  most 
conspicuous  retail  houses  on  the  east  side  of  the  city.  He  was  twice  married — first  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Smith  of  Leicestershire,  England,  Oct.  23.  1837.  The  children  born  to 
them  were  James  Moseley  Ridley,  deceased ;  Edward  Albert  and  Arthur  John  Ridley, 
now  the  proprietors  of  the  store;  Fannie  Louise  Hughes  and  Emma  Elizabeth  Ridley. 


&£w,w  i 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RI.  541 

After  the  death  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Ridley  married  Caroline  Wilhelmina  Yevance  of 
Philadelphia.  Their  daughter  is  Clara  W.  Ridley.  Mr.  Ridley  was  an  upright, 
chivalric,  public  spirited  and  enterprising  man.  He  lived  in  Gravesend  on  Long  Island. 

DANIEL  5.  RIKER,  merchant,  born  at  the  old  Riker  homestead  on  Bowery  Bay, 
died  at  his  home,  Bowery  Bay,  L.  I.,  June  10,  1890,  in  his  fifty-fifth  year.  After  com- 
pleting his  education,  he  entered  the  drug  commission  house  of  Benjamin  H.  Field 
&  Co.,  where  he  remained  a  long  time.  He  was  next  placed  in  charge  of  the  St.  Louis 
branch  of  Hall,  Bradley  &  Co.  of  this  city,  dealers  in  paints.  In  1861,  he  returned  to 
New  York  and  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  John  L.  Riker,  in  the  commission 
drug  and  chemical  business  and  was  occupied  in  extending  and  managing  their  very 
prosperous  trade  until  his  death.  The  firm  were  known  as  J.  L.  &  D.  S.  Riker.  Their 
sales  amounted  to  about  $5,000,000  a  year  and  the  house  has  long  held  a  leading 
position  in  its  field.  Mr.  Riker  was  married  about  1866  to  Miss  Field  of  Poughkeepsie. 
This  union  brought  them  five  children,  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  who  with  his 
wife  survived  him.  He  owned  a  winter  home  at  No.  303  Madison  avenue,  which  he 
occupied  for  twenty-four  years. 

FRANCIS  ROBERT  RIVES,  lawyer,  born  in  Albemarle  county,  Va.,  Feb.  16, 
1821,  died  at  his  country  house,  New  Hamburg,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  July  16, 
1891.  His  father,  William  C.  Rives,  studied  law  under  President  Jefferson,  was  twice 
appointed  Minister  to  France,  and  three  times  elected  United  States  Senator,  twice  for 
incomplete  terms,  and  served  as  an  aid  de  camp  during  the  War  of  1812.  Graduating 
from  the  University  of  Virginia  in  1841,  Francis  R.  Rives  served  as  secretary  of  lega- 
tion in  London  under  Mr.  Everett  until  1845,  anc^  then  came  to  New  York  city  to  prac- 
tice law.  For  many  years,  he  was  associated  with  Alexander  Hamilton,  especially  in 
real  estate  cases,  and  met  with  so  much  success  as  to  be  enabled  to  retire  thirty  years 
before  his  death.  His  home  in  the  city  was  at  No.  8  Washington  Place.  He  was  a 
prominent  member  of  The  Southern  Society  and  once  its  president,  a  member  of  the 
Knickerbocker,  Coaching  and  Farmers'  clubs,  and  actively  interested  in  the  annual 
Horse  Show  in  this  city  in  Madison  Square  Garden.  His  wife,  Matilda,  was  the  only 
daughter  of  George  Barclay,  a  prominent  old  merchant.  She  died  several  years  before 
him.  His  children  were  George  L.  Rives,  a  well  known  lawyer  and  Assistant  Secre- 
tary of  State  under  Thomas  F.  Bayard;  Francis  R.  Rives,  who  died  in  January,  1890; 
Reginald  W.  Rives;  Ella  R. ,  wife  of  David  King,  of  Newport;  Constance,  wife  of  John 
Borland,  of  New  Hamburg,  N.  Y.,  and  Maud,  wife  of  Walker  B.  Smith,  of  Tuxedo. 

JOHN  ROACH,  shipbuilder,  was  an  historic  figure  and  has  left  the  impress  of  an 
elevated  character  and  extraordinary  powers  of  mind  upon  the  thought  and  history  of 
the  nation.  He  was  born  in  Mitchellstown  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  Dec.  25,  1813,  and 
traced  his  early  ancestry  to  gentle  blood.  His  father,  once  a  prosperous  merchant,  had 
bsen  financially  ruined  by  endorsing  for  friends ;  and  so  great  was  the  adversity,  which 
this  disaster  brought  upon  the  family,  that  John  Roach,  the  son,  was  denied  the  advan- 
tage of  even  a  fairly  good  education.  With  a  meagre  equipment  of  book  knowledge, 
the  lad  came  to  the  United  States  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  in  the  steerage  of  a  sailing  ship, 
landing  in  New  York  to  find  himself  unknown,  without  friends,  without  capital,  in 
the  crowds  and  rush  of  a  great  city.  The  sturdy  Irish  lad,  who  thus  made  his  modest 
entrance  into  the  metropolis,  was  destined,  however,  to  become  an  eminent,  patriotic, 
and  remarkable  citizen  of  the  new  world,  and,  by  his  genius  and  indefatigable 


542  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

exertions,  to  bestow  a  prestige  upon  the  flag  of  his  adopted  country  at  sea,  conferred 
during  the  prime  of  his  life  by  few,  if  any,  of  the  descendants  of  the  oldest  families  of 
the  country. 

His  first  employment  was  in  The  Howell  Iron  Works  in  the  woods  of  Monmouth 
county,  New  Jersey,  then  owned  by  James  P.  Allaire.  He  dwelt  in  the  quaint  little 
village,  which  had  grown  up  around  that  furnace  and  foundry,  accepted  such  work  as 
he  could  do,  learned  the  iron  worker's  trade  and  spent  his  nights  in  diligent  study.  He 
was  noted  then,  as  always  in  after  life,  for  his  overflowing  energy,  his  honesty,  good 
nature  and  strictly  temperate,  almost  abstemious,  habits.  He  was  saving  and  placed 
all  that  he  could  spare  of  his  wages  in  the  keeping  of  Mr.  Allaire,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  ten  years.  Then,  affected  by  the  Western  excitement,  he  made  his  way 
to  Illinois  to  explore  the  possibilities  of  that  region.  Drawing  a  few  hundred  dollars  of 
his  money  from  Mr.  Allaire,  he  purchased  a  farm  where  the  city  of  Peoria  now  stands 
and  made  a  payment  upon  it.  Sending  East  for  the  balance  of  his  money,  he  then 
learned  that  Mr.  Allaire  had  failed.  Mr.  Roach  thus  lost  every  dollar  he  had  in  the 
world,  including  what  he  had  paid  on  the  farm,  and  was  obliged  to  work  his  way  back 
to  New  York,  having  no  money  to  pay  his  fare.  It  may  be  said  here  that  while  he 
failed  in  his  first  attempt  to  become  a  farmer,  he  succeeded  in  later  life  and  became  the 
owner  of  ten  or  more  farms  in  Westchester  county  and  along  the  Hudson  river. 

Upon  his  return  from  the  West,  too  sturdy  to  be  discouraged,  Mr.  Roach  then,  in 
association  with  other  mechanics,  started  what  was  practically  a  co-operative  foundry 
pn  Goerck  street  in  this  city.  It  was  a  business  which  involved  competition  with  well 
established  rivals  but  was  pushed  with  energy  and  was  successful.  Machine  work  and 
boiler  making  were  in  due  time  added  to  the  foundry;  and,  through  Mr.  Roach's  in- 
cessant activity,  his  ingenious  management,  honesty  and  excellence  of  his  workman- 
ship, The  ^Etna  Works  began  to  make  an  enviable  reputation.  At  this  juncture,  their 
boiler  exploded.  Overwhelmed  with  the  disaster,  most  of  his  partners  withdrew.  Mr. 
Roach  was  left  alone.  His  ability  and  integrity  enabling  him  to  borrow  capital,  he 
resumed  the  business  and  soon  created  a  large,  profitable  and  increasing  industry. 
It  was  he,  who,  in  1860,  obtained  the  contract  for  and  then  constructed  the  bridge  over 
the  Harlem  river  at  Third  avenue,  only  recently  removed.  A  massive  iron  drawbridge, 
it  was- one  of  the  most  important  works  of  its  class  at  the  time,  and  its  strength  and 
perfect  working  during  its  thirty-three  years  of  existence  afforded  conclusive  evidence 
of  painstaking  and  thorough  workmanship. 

At  the  end  of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Roach  was  in  possession  of  a  flourishing  busi- 
ness. His  mind,  ever  busy  with  the  opportunities  of  his  industry,  strongly  inclined  to 
large  and  important  affairs,  was  then  considering  the  condition  of  the  American  mer- 
cantile marine.  He  was  especially  struck  with  the  predominance  of  the  British  flag 
among  the  shipping  of  this  great  American  port,  and  came  ardently  to  desire  the  res- 
toration of  the  American  merchant  marine  to  its  once  proud  position  in  the  trade  to 
Europe.  Inspired  by  the  thought  of  playing  a  part  in  securing  for  American  ships  a 
share  of  the  enormous  foreign  commerce  of  the  United  States,  he  began  the  realization 
of  his  plans  in  1868  by  buying  The  Morgan  Iron  Works  and  thereafter  The  Neptune 
Works,  The  Allaire  Works,  and  The  Franklin  Forge,  all  in  New  York  city,  some  of 
them  devoted  to  marine  engine  building.  They  were  all  consolidated  under  the  name 
of  The  Morgan  Iron  Works. 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. RO.  543 

During  this  period,  he  was  investigating  minutely  and  carefully  the  methods  of 
iron  ship  building  on  the  Clyde.  In  1871,  he  purchased  the  ship  yard  of  Reaney,  Son 
A:  Archbold  at  Chester,  Pa.,  and  engaged  in  iron  ship  building.  Mr.  Roach  then 
entered  upon  that  career  of  intrepid  effort  and  inspiring  achievement,  which  has  made 
his  work  forever  a  part  of  our  country's  history.  In  February,  1872,  the  yard  took 
the  name  of  The  Delaware  River  Iron  Ship  Building  &  Engine  Works. 

His  first  iron  vessels  were  built  for  the  coasting  trade,  and  later  he  launched  many 
large  and  costly  steamers  for  the  service  to  foreign  ports.  It  was  characteristic 
of  a  man  who  did  nothing  hap-hazard,  that  every  ship  he  built  was  the  product 
of  previous  thorough  investigation  and  careful  reflection.  If  a  steamer  were  desired 
for  the  trade  to  a  shoal  water  harbor  on  the  Southern  coast,  or  for  Long  Island  Sound, 
or  for  a  transoceanic  line,  the  exact  practical  depth  of  water,  the  distance  from  port  to 
port,  the  nature  of  the  traffic,  the  tonnage  and  bulk  of  the  cargo,  and  even-  other  con- 
ceivable fact  which  would  govern  the  shape  and  speed  of  that  particular  vessel  was  pre- 
viously ascertained;  and  the  ship  was  designed  and  built  for  its  own  especial  service. 
As  a  consequence,  his  ships  were  successful;  and  with  growing  experience,  he  pro- 
duced successively  better  and  better  vessels,  until  his  reputation  as  a  builder  was 
securely  established.  Large  contracts  were  awarded  to  Mr.  Roach  by  the  Federal 
government  as  well  as  by  the  various  American  steamship  lines.  In  the  nearly  twelve 
years  of  his  active  work,  he  launched  from  his  yards  126  steam  and  war  ships. 

As  orders  came  to  Mr.  Roach's  yard,  he  enlarged  his  works  until  they  covered  a 
space  of  twenty- three  acres,  were  superbly  equipped,  employed  more  than  2,000  men,  and 
represented  an  investment  of  about  $3,000,000.  His  sons  as  they  successively  reached 
their  majority  became  assistants  of  their  father  in  the  business.  Another  exceed- 
ingly valuable  coadjutor  of  Mr.  Roach  was  his  confidential  practical  man  of  affairs,  Mr. 
George  E.  Weed,  who  became  associated  with  him  in  1861.  Mr.  Weed's  ability,  cool- 
ness, clear  judgment  and  untiring  energy  led  to  his  promotion  to  the  practical  man- 
agement of  The  Morgan  Iron  Works  and  he  remains  to  this  day  one  of  the  most  valued 
officials  of  the  company. 

During  all  this  period,  Mr.  Roach  was  active  with  voice,  pen  and  personal  influ- 
ence, in  awakening  a  public  opinion,  favorable  to  the  establishment  of  American  steam- 
ship lines  to  foreign  lands.  He  was  the  author  of  many  pamphlets  of  great  value,  made 
several  important  addresses,  promoted  the  holding  of  conventions,  and  pressed  his  views 
strongly  on  public  men,  with  many  of  the  most  distinguished  of  whom  he  had  an  inti- 
mate acquaintance.  It  may  be  said  here,  that  to  the  end  of  his  life,  Mr.  Roach  felt 
keenly  the  lack  of  some  of  those  details  in  a  finished  education,  which  can  only  be  sup- 
plied by  the  schools;  but,  in  a  strange  way,  nature  had  made  up  for  the  deficiencies 
of  his  formal  training  by  endowing  him  with  a  mind,  strong,  penetrating  and  original, 
and  with  a  rare  ability  to  array  facts  in  an  orderly  grouping,  to  comprehend  their 
broad  bearings,  and  to  utilize  them  so  as  to  awaken  the  interest  of  others.  Having 
learned  early  in  life  to  think  and  act  for  himself,  his  active  mind  was  continually  pre- 
senting to  his  contemplation  new,  fresh  and  vigorous  ideas.  It  was  impossible  to  con- 
verse with  Mr.  Roach  for  an  hour,  without  being  powerfully  impressed  with  the  nobility 
of  character  inherited  from  some  gentle  ancestor,  the  fertility  of  mind,  the  greatness  of 
the  man  and  his  absolute  loyalty  to  the  flag  of  his  adopted  country.  In  the  long  and 
hard  fight  for  recognition  of  the  American  mercantile  marine  by  the  American  people 


544  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  their  Congress,  upon  which  he  entered  in   1871,  he  became   the   most   influential, 
most  active  and  most  highly  respected  authority  on  this  subject  in  America. 

Mr.  Roach  did  not  live  to  realize  his  ambition  to  found  a  line  of  splendid  steamers 
to  ply  between  New  York  and  Liverpool,  but  he  did  aid  the  establishment  of  various 
lines  of  American  steamships,  which  carried  the  American  flag  to  Brazilian  and  other 
foreign  ports.  At  his  death,  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  American  steamers  in  the  foreign 
trade  of  the  United  States  had  been  built  by  him. 

Of  the  occurrences  of  the  three  years  preceding  his  death,  it  is  difficult  to  speak 
with  moderation.  Mr.  Roach  had  long  been  a  Republican,  a  consistent  advocate  of 
Protection  to  American  labor,  and  the  author  of  "An  Unanswerable  Argument  "  in 
defense  of  that  policy  (which  remains  unanswered  to  this  day)  and  had  often  subscribed 
generously  to  Republican  campaign  funds.  In  1884,  a  Democratic  President  and 
Cabinet,  then  newly  installed  in  Washington,  immediately  entered  upon  a  policy 
apparently  designed  to  crush  that  brave,  true  and  able  patriot,  John  Roach.  He  had 
built  the  beautiful  dispatch  boat,  the  Dolphin,  for  the  navy.  A  partisan  Secretary  of 
the  Navy  refused  to  accept  this  ship,  alleging  "  structural  weakness, "  withheld  pay- 
ment of  large  sums  of  money  due,  made  war  upon  Mr.  Roach,  and  compelled  him  to 
assign  and  close  his  works.  There  was  never  a  particle  of  structural  weakness  in  the 
Dolphin.  She  proved  her  strength  and  sea-going  qualities  triumphantly  upon  many 
trials,  and,  when  too  late,  was  duly  accepted.  But,  meanwhile,  the  heart  of  John 
Roach  had  been  broken  by  the  closing  of  his  works.  His  depression  of  mind  developed 
a  fatal  malady  and  he  died  Jan.  10,  1887.  The  cruelty  shown  to  him,  although  since 
repented  of,  will  never  be  forgotten  by  the  American  people. 

Mr.  Roach  was  married,  in  1836,  to  Emeline  Johnson  and  the  union  brought  them 
nine  children,  William  H.  Roach,  now  deceased;  John  B.  Roach;  Sarah  E.  Roach; 
Garrett  Roach,  now  deceased;  Garrett  Roach,  2d,  now  deceased;  James  E.  Roach,  de- 
ceased; Stephen  W.  Roach,  deceased;  Stephen  W.  Roach,  2d,  and  Emeline  Roach. 
His  sons,  with  George  E.  Weed,  now  conduct  the  business  which  he  established. 

ELI  ROBBINS,  merchant,  born  Sept.  22,  1821,  in  West  Cambridge,  Mass.,  on  the 
road  famous  as  the  route  of  Paul  Revere,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  June  n,  1883.  At 
an  early  age,  Mr.  Robbins  began  his  career  by  visiting  the  country  towns  with  horse 
and  wagon,  and  buying  poultry,  which  he  dressed  with  his  own  hands  for  the  Boston 
market.  Nathan  and  Amos,  his  brothers,  were  marketmen  in  Faneuil  Hall.  In  1836, 
when  Simeon  Boyden  of  Boston,  a  hotel  keeper,  came  to  New  York  to  take  charge  of 
the  Astor  House,  that  gentleman  suggested  to  the  brothers  Robbins  that  the  New  York 
market  lacked  a  supply  of  the  best  poultry  and  might  be  a  good  field  for  them.  Amos 
came  on  at  once  to  New  York  to  establish  the  business  here.  Eli  joined  him  in  1839, 
and  the  firm  of  A.  &  E.  Robbins,  formed  with  only  a  few  hundred  dollars  of  capital, 
enjoyed  a  long  and  honorable  existence.  They  located  at  the  old  Fulton  Market, 
dealt  in  poultry  on  a  large  scale,  and  found  their  fortunes  in  catering  to  the  public 
demand.  Mr.  Robbins  made  his  home  in  Brooklyn.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Mon- 
tauk  and  The  Firemen's  Trust  Insurance  Co's,  and  used  his  means  generously  for  pub- 
lic objects.  May  13,  1845,  he  married  Maria  C.  Farmer,  of  his  native  town.  He  had 
two  children,  Warren  and  Clinton,  who  died  at  the  ages  of  23  and  14  respectively.  Mr. 
Robbins  gave  about  $300,000  to  public  institutions,  and  his  wife,  who  survived  him, 
became  noted  also  for  the  extent  of  her  gifts  and  the  beauty  of  her  character.  She 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO.  545 

paid  the  debts  of  the  Church  of  Our  Father,  in  Brooklyn,  gave  large  sums  for  philan- 
thropic work,  and  by  her  will  left  $150,000  to  finish  a  public  library,  at  Arlington, 
Mass.,  which  she  had  already  begun. 

HARSHALL  OWEN  ROBERTS,  merchant,  born  on  Oliver  street,  New  York  city, 
March  22,  1814,  died  in  the  United  States  Hotel,  Saratoga  Springs,  Sept.  n,  1880.  His 
father,  Owen  Roberts,  a  Welsh  physician,  came  to  New  York  in  1798,  with  his  wife, 
Miss  Newell,  of  Birmingham,  England.  Marshall,  the  fourth  and  youngest  son,  began 
life  as  boy  and  clerk  in  a  grocery  house  at  Coenties  Slip.  Later,  he  served  as  clerk 
first  to  a  saddler  and  then  to  a  ship  chandler.  In  1830,  before  coming  of  age,  his  prox- 
imity to  the  wharves,  a  love  of  ships  and  his  native  enterprise,  led  him  to  open  a  ship 
chandlery  store  on  his  own  account,  in  partnership  with  another  youth.  Through  a 
contract  with  the  Government  to  supply  oil  to  Navy  vessels  and  his  own  foresight  in 
anticipating  a  fall  in  the  price  of  oil,  he  made  what  was  at  the  time  considered  a  large 
sum  of  money.  In  1841,  he  became  Naval  Agent  at  New  York  under  appointment  by 
President  Harrison.  Successful  as  a  merchant  from  the  start,  he  soon  accumulated 
sufficient  funds  to  engage  in  independent  operations.  He  bought  lands  on  the  flats  of 
the  Xe\v  Jersey  shore,  across  the  river,  at  a  nominal  price,  which  he  held  for  many 
years  and  'finally  sold  to  a  corporation  for  $1,500,000.  Engaging  in  the  steamboat 
traffic  of  the  Hudson,  he  met  with  success  and  built  for  service  in  the  line  the  Hendrick 
Hudson,  the  largest  steamer  then  employed  upon  that  river.  Later,  he  became  an  ad- 
vocate, a  large  owner  of  the  stock  and  influential  director  of  The  New  York  &  Erie 
Railroad,  and  in  The  Long  Dock  Co.,  which  provided  that  company  with  terminal 
facilities  in  New  Jersey.  The  Scranton  coal  mines  were  in  part  developed  by  him  and 
Mr.  Roberts  always  considered  himself  the  projector  of  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  & 
Western  Railroad.  Moses  Taylor  and  he  were  associated  in  many  different  enterprises. 
One  product  of  his  energy  was  The  Aspinwall  Steamship  Co.,  known  later  as  the  United 
States  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  and  finally  as  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  which  took 
part  in  the  early  struggles  for  the  control  of  the  California  service.  He  lost  consider- 
able money  in  these  rivalries,  but  at  last  obtained  from  Congress  a  grant  of  $1.000,000 
in  payment  of  his  claims.  He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  North  River  Bank  and 
also  joined  Peter  Cooper,  Cyrus  W.  Field  and  others  in  building  a  telegraph  line  to 
Newfoundland  to  obtain  the  first  news  of  maritime  arrivals  and  was  also  interested  in 
the  Atlantic  cable.  When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  bought  all  the  rosin  in  the  mar- 
ket and  disposed  of  it  at  a  large  profit.  He  was  a  strong  Union  man,  and  the 
Star  of  the  West,  sent  in  January,  1861,  to  provision  Fort  Sumter,  was  his  steamer. 
Mr.  Roberts  took  great  pride'  in  displaying  the  flag  of  the  Star  of  the  West  thereafter 
from  his  private  residence.  Later,  the  steamship  America  was  sent  with  1,500  men  to 
Fortress  Monroe  at  his  own  expense.  All  of  his  vessels  were  placed  at  the  service  of 
the  Government  during  the  War.  He  invested  $2,000,000  in  The  Texas  Pacific  Rail- 
road, had  large  interests  in  other  transportation  lines,  and  was  the  leading  spirit  of  the 
Tehuantepec  Canal  enterprise.  A  great  admirer  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  he  sent  $10,000 
to  Mrs.  Lincoln  at  her  husband's  death.  Politics  always  awakened  his  interest,  and  in 
recognition  of  the  material  aid  he  had  given  the  party,  the  Republicans  nominated  him 
in  1865,  for  Mayor  of  New  York.  He  was,  however,  defeated.  Mr.  Roberts  was  vehem- 
ent, driving  and  energetic  as  a  business  man.  His  ventures  often  cost  him  large  sums 
of  money,  but  he  saw  the  way  to  recoup  his  losses  and  steadily  amassed  wealth.  A  dis- 


546  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 


position  affectionate  and  benevolent  and  an  unusual  knowledge  of  human  character 
made  him  indulgent  in  judging  others.  His  charities  were  innumerable,  especially 
toward  the  institutions  of  the  Episcopal  church.  Although  a  member  of  the  Union  club, 
he  preferred  home  life  and  surrounded  himself  there  with  a  splendid  collection  of  paint- 
ings and  a  fine  library.  He  was  three  times  married,  first  to  Miss  C.  D.  Amerman  of 
New  York;  next  to  Miss  C.  D.  Smith  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  then  to  Susan  Lawrence 
Endicott.  His  children  were  Mary  M.,  Isaac  K.,  Caroline  M.,  wife  of  Ames  Van  Wart, 
the  sculptor,  and  Marshall,  the  first  two  of  whom  survived  him.  Isaac  K.  Roberts  died 
in  February,  1888. 

MAJOR  JOSEPH  L.  ROBERTSON,  banker,  broker  and  dealer  in  investment 
securities  at  No  7,  Nassau  street,  is  a  representative  Southern  man,  to  whose  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  a  special  field  of  enterprise,  energy  and  personal  influence,  is  to 
be  credited  a  great  share  of  the  material  progress  in  development  of  the  resources  of 
the  South  and  Southwest  through  the  aid  of  Eastern  capital,  in  recent  years.  He  may 
be  regarded  one  of  the  important  links  uniting  the  large  financial  interests  of  the  me- 
tropolis with  the  most  conspicuous  enterprises,  which  distinguish  the  "new  South"  at 
the  present  time. 

On  the  maternal  side,  Mr.  Robertson  is  a  descendant  from  the  old  Huguenot 
nobility  of  France,  one  of  his  ancestors  having  been  the  gallant  Marquis  de  Calmeis,  a 
pioneer  of  the  '  'dark  and  bloody  ground. "  A  granddaughter  of  the  Marquis  was  Miss 
Emily  Richardson,  who  was  Mr.  Robertson's  mother.  The  Robertsons  were  promi- 
nent among  the  early  settlers  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  From  that  family,  sprang, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  Robertson  was  born  Oct,  4,  1838,  on  the  family  estate  in  Montgomery  county, 
Ky.  His  schooling  was  confined  to  the  local  educational  institutions  but  was  sufficiently 
thorough  to  qualify  him  for  admission  to  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point,  to  which 
he  was  appointed  by  the  Hon.  John  C.  Mason.  His  career  as  a  cadet  was,  however, 
destined  to  be  abbreviated  by  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War.  He  was  one  of  those 
to  whom  the  theory  of  State's  rights  appealed  strongly,  and  his  convictions  impelled 
him  to  renounce  the  advantages  he  enjoyed  that  he  might  give  himself  to  the  cause 
with  which  his  sympathies  were  enlisted.  Returning  to  his  native  State,  full  of  youth- 
ful enthusiasm,  he  aided  in  enlisting  for  the  Confederate  service  a  company  which  was 
mustered  in  as  Co.  H,  4th  Ky.  Vols.  He  became  its  First  Lieutenant.  Technical  mil- 
itary knowledge  was  not  abundant  in  the  early  days  of  the  War  on  either  side  of  the  line 
and  Lieutenant  Robertson's  training  was  so  far  above  the  average  that,  added  to  his 
natural  capacity  for  the  service,  it  speedily  won  distinction  for  him.  Very  soon,  he  was 
made  Adjutant  of  the  regiment,  the  first  step  in  his  rapid  promotion.  In  a  short  time, 
he  was  appointed  Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  the  brigade,  commanded  by  Gen.  John 
C.  Breckinridge.  All  his  service  was  active  in  the  field  but  in  its  hazards  uniform 
good  fortune  attended  him.  In  1863,  he  was  ordered  to  the  Trans- Mississippi  Depart- 
ment, where  he  served  on  the  staff  of  General  Hawes  of  Kentucky,  afterward  on  that 
of  General  Waul  of  Texas  and  finally  with  General  Magruder,  to  whose  command  he 
was  attached  until  the  close  of  the  war. 

Upon  the  restoration  of  peace,  Major  Robertson  realized  that  the  condition  in  which 
the  South  had  been  left  by  the  War  was  such  as  to  offer  little  immediate  choice  for  con- 
genial and  profitable  employment;  but,  fortunately,  in  view  of  his  later  career,  he 


548  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

elected  to  identify  himself  with  Southern  railroad  interests.  His  first  connection  was 
with  The  Sehna,  Rome  &  Dalton  Railroad  Later,  he  joined  The  Virginia  &  Tennes- 
see Air  Line  Railroads.  During  his  association  with  the  management  of  those  import- 
ant lines  of  traffic,  he  enjoyed  ample  opportunities  for  becoming  thoroughly  conversant 
with  the  natural  resources  of  the  most  favored  parts  of  the  Southern  and  Southwestern 
country  and  of  attaining  a  perfect  comprehension  of  their  requirements  for  develop- 
ment. This  knowledge  was  not  merely  general  but  specific,  and  included  information 
upon  promising  enterprises  already  in  being  but  languishing  for  lack  of  energetic 
direction.  Armed  with  knowledge  and  confident  of  his  ability,  he  came  to  New  York 
in  1877  and  established  himself  as  a  broker  and  dealer  in  investment  securities,  princi- 
pally those  based  upon  enterprises  in  sections,  concerning  which  he  was  well  informed 
and  upon  which  his  representations  were  speedily  recognized  as  authoritative.  He 
influenced  the  investment  of  millions  of  dollars  in  development  of  the  iron  and  coal  re- 
sources of  Alabama  and  Tennessee.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say,  that  the  present  great 
importance  of  those  industries  as  factors  in  the  prosperity  of  the  "  new  South  "  is  due 
in  a  great  measure  to  Major  J.  L.  Robertson.  His  aid  has  also  been  valuable  in  build- 
ing up  the  railway  systems  of  the  South,  notably  in  connection  with  The  Chattanooga 
Southern  Railway,  for  which,  as  financial  agent,  he  procured  the  means  for  construc- 
tion and  equipment.  He  was  also  president  of  the  construction  company  by  which  the 
road  was  built.  Incidentally,  Major  Robertson  has  amassed  a  fortune  for  himself  in 
these  large  enterprises  by  legitimate  interest  in  substantial  enterprises.  All  the  mani- 
fold directions  in  which  his  energies  have  been  applied  have  tended  to  enhance  the 
prosperity  of  the  country  by  bringing  forth  its  hidden  wealth,  providing  new  fields  of 
profitable  employment  for  labor,  increasing  its  facilities  for  traffic  and  encouraging  the 
development  of  the  productiveness  and  consequently  the  larger  settlement  of  formerly 
sparsely  populated  districts.  To  such  service,  he  has  not  only  brought  the  aid  of 
others'  capital  but  has  applied  his  own. 

Major  Robertson  is  not  only  one  of  the  most  successful  Southern  business  men 
resident  in  New  Ycrk,  but  enjoys  high  social  standing.  His  personal  worth,  geniality 
and  culture  command  for  him  the  esteem  of  an  exceptionally  wide  circle  of  acquain- 
tances among  the  best  people  of  the  metropolis.  Of  course,  he  has  been  prominent 
in  The  Southern  Society  of  this  city,  as  one  of  the  highly  respected  members;  and 
not  a  few  gentlemen  from  the  South,  coming  here  to  repair  fortunes  damaged  by  war, 
have  found  in  him  their  most  considerate,  influential  and  efficient  friend.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  New  York  club.  Naturally,  as  a  Kentuckian,  Major  Robertson  has  a 
decided  penchant  for  fine  horses,  and  his  ample  means  have  enabled  him  to  gratify  his 
tastes  in  the  raising  of  thoroughbreds  on  his  splendid  "Meadowland"  stock  farm,  in 
Monmouth  County,  N.  J.,  as  satisfactorily  as  he  might  in  the  famous  "blue  grass" 
region  of  his  native  State. 

Major  Robertson  was  married  on  Jan.  5,  1869,  to  Miss  Mary  Webb  Pollard,  of 
Montgomery,  Alabama,  daughter  of  William  H.  Pollard,  and  niece  of  Charles  T.  Pol- 
lard, two  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  that  State.  By  this  union  he  has  four  chil- 
dren, William  Pollard  Robertson,  Benjamin  J.  Robertson,  jr.,  Miss  Mary  Elizabeth 
Robertson,  and  Miss  Clara  Pollard  Robertson. 

JEREMIAH  POTTER  ROBINSON,  merchant,  born  Aug.  18,  1819,  in  South  Kings- 
ton, R.  I.,  died  in  Brooklyn,  Aug.  26,  1886.  His  family  had  been  residents  of  Rhode 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO.  549 

Island  for  many  generations  and  one  of  his  ancestors  Governor  of  the  State.  His 
father  was  captain  of  a  ship  in  the  trade  with  China.  Brought  up  as  a  child  on  his 
grandfather's  farm,  the  boy  left  at  the  age  of  twelve  to  become  a  clerk  and  bookkeeper 
for  his  uncle,  Stephen  A.  Robinson,  a  grocer  in  Newport.  In  less  than  three  years,  he 
returned  to  the  farm.  In  1836,  he  came  to  New  York  with  $50  in  money  and,  after  a 
long  search,  found  employment  with  E'.  P.  &  A.  Woodruff,  merchants  of  fish,  provi- 
sions, groceries  and  salt.  Hard  work  resulted  at  the  end  of  four  years  in  his  admission 
to  partnership,  the  firm  finally  taking  the  name  of  A.  Woodruff  &  Robinson.  Having 
become  interested  in  the  warehouse  business,  the  firm  gradually  abandoned  all  their 
former  trade,  except  the  importation  of  salt.  Later,  he  engaged  in  the  storage  busi- 
ness for  himself  under  the  name  of  J.  P.  &  G.  C.  Robinson.  The  firm  are  known  at 
present  as  J.  P.  Robinson  &  Co.  About  1843,  Mr.  Robinson  entered  upon  the  develop- 
ment of  the  South  Brooklyn  water  front,  where  he  bought  large  blocks  of  unimproved 
land  and  built  warehouses  and  piers.  The  Robinson  stores  were  built  by  him.  A  few 
years  later,  with  William  Beard,  he  began  to  develop  the  region  now  known  as  the  Erie 
Basin  but  sold  his  interest  therein  later  to  Mr.  Beard.  Mr.  Robinson  was  a  director 
and  first  president  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and  a  friend  of  every  other  enterprise  having 
in  view  the  welfare  of  Brooklyn.  He  belonged  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  the 
Produce  and  Maritime  Exchanges,  and  the  Brooklyn  and  Hamilton  clubs.  By  his  mar- 
riage with  Elizabeth  De  Witt,  of  Cranberry,  N.  J.,  he  was  the  father  of  four  children, 
Isaac  R.,  Jeremiah  P.,  Elizabeth  De  Witt,  and  Harriet  W. 

JOHN  DAVISON  ROCKEFELLER,  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Standard  Oil 
Co.,  was  born  in  Richford,  N.  Y.,  July  8,  1839,  tne  oldest  son  of  William  Avery  and 
Eliza  Davison  Rockefeller.  The  family  removed  to  Cleveland,  O.,  in  1853,  where  John 
completed  his  studies  at  the  age  of  sixteen  at  the  high  school.  As  clerk  in  the  forward- 
ing and  commission  house  of  Hewitt  &  Tuttle,  he  then  entered  modestly  upon  a  career, 
possible  only  in  a  country  like  ours,  which  gives  free  scope  to  the  talents  of  every 
young  man  and  binds  no  one  to  a  life  of  obscurity,  who  has  the  ability  to  rise  above 
it.  After  fifteen  months,  he  became  cashier  and  bookkeeper  in  charge  of  the  office  of 
the  firm.  When  not  yet  nineteen  years  old,  he  engaged  in  a  commission  business  on  his 
own  account  in  partnership  with  Morris  B.  Clark,  as  Clark  &  Rockefeller,  continuing 
with  various  partners  until  the  spring  of  1865. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Rockefeller  had  entered  upon  the  enterprise,  which  the  com- 
mercial genius  of  himself  and  his  associates  was  to  develop  to  worldwide  proportions. 
As  early  as  1860,  the  firm  of  Clark  &  Rockefeller,  with  others,  had  established  the  oil 
refining  business  of  Andrews,  Clark  &  Co.  Selling  his  interest  in  the  commission  house 
in  1865,  Mr.  Rockefeller,  with  Mr.  Andrews,  bought  the  interest  of  their-  associates  in 
oil  refining,  establishing  the  firm  of  Rockefeller  &  Andrews.  This  business  developed 
with  great  rapidity.  With  William  Rockefeller  as  an  added  partner,  the  firm  of 
William  Rockefeller  &  Co.  was  established  in  Cleveland  and  shortly  thereafter  all  the 
partners  united  in  founding  the  firm  of  Rockefeller  &  Co.  in  New  York,  for  the  sale  of 
the  products  of  their  refineries.  Two  years  later,  these  companies  were  consolidated 
under  the  name  of  Rockefeller,  Andrews  &  Flagler,  in  association  with  Henry  M 
Flagler.  with  whom  the  Rockefellers  had  had  several  years  of  pleasant  intercourse. 

In  1870,  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  Ohio  was  organized  with  a  capital  of  §1,000,000, 
with  John  D.  Rockefeller  as  president,  William  Rockefeller  vice  president  and  Henry 


55°  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

M.  Flagler  secretary  and  treasurer.  Many  other  refineries  in  Ohio,  Pennsylvania  and 
New  York  associated  themselves  with  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  from  time  to  time,  and  in 
1882,  The  Standard  Oil  Trust  was  formed  with  a  capital  of  $70,000,000,  afterward  in- 
creased to  $95,000,000,  which,  within  seven  or  eight  years,  came  into  possession  of  the 
stocks  of  the  companies  controlling  the  greater  part  of  the  petroleum  refining  business 
of  the  United  States,  and,  in  addition,  of  large  oil  producing  interests.  In  1892,  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Ohio  decided  the  Trust  to  be  illegal,  and  it  was  dissolved,  the  business 
being  now  conducted  by  the  separate  companies,  in  each  of  which  Mr.  Rockefeller  is  a 
shareholder.  The  Standard  Oil  companies  have  been  able  to  reduce  the  cost  of  oil  to 
consumers,  and  they  now  own  thousands  of  acres  of  oil  lands,  an  extensive  system  of 
wells,  refineries,  pipe  lines,  oil  steamships,  and  business  houses  in  all  the  principal 
cities  of  the  United  States  and  the  representative  cities  of  nearly  every  civilized 
country  on  the  face  of  the  globe.  They  control  the  greater  part  of  the  petroleum 
business  of  this  country  and  export  much  of  the  oil  used  in  other  countries.  They  give 
employment  to  a  vast  army  of  men,  among  whom  strikes  are  unknown. 

Mr.  Rockefeller  has  invested  largely  in  various  other  industrial  enterprises,  thus 
contributing  in  many  directions  to  the  prosperity  of  the  country.  He  is  moreover  a 
man  of  public  spirit.  From  the  time  he  began  life  as  a  boy,  he  has  in  each  year  en- 
larged his  contributions  to  philanthropic  and  religious  work  throughout  this  and  other 
countries.  His  benefactions  are  as  a  rule  not  made  public,  and  their  consideration  has 
for  many  years  required  more  time  and  attention  than  his  business  affairs.  His  largest 
gift  to  any  one  institution  has  been  over  $4,000,000.  He  is  actively  engaged  in  church 
work,  enjoys  home  life  and  belongs  to  few  clubs  or  other  social  organizations. 

WILLIAM  ROCKEFELLER,  president  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  New  York, 
born  in  Tioga  county,  N.  Y.,  May  31,  1841,  is  the  second  son  of  William  A.  and  Eliza 
Davidson  Rockefeller.  He  received  his  education  at  the  academy  in  Owego  and  the 
public  schools  in  Cleveland,  O.  The  family  moved  to  Cleveland  early  in  the  '503.  Be- 
ginning his  business  career  in  1858,  modestly,  as  a  bookkeeper  for  A.  Quinn,  a  promi- 
nent miller  of  Cleveland,  with  whom  he  remained  for  two  years,  Mr.  Rockefeller  then 
served  in  the  same  capacity  the  forwarding  and  commisson  house  of  Hughes  &  Lester. 
At  the  end  of  the  second  year,  upon  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Lester,  Mr.  Rockefeller 
became  his  successor  in  the  firm  under  the  name  of  Hughes  &  Rockefeller.  For 
several  years,  he  carried  on  a  successful  produce  commission  business  and  gained 
therefrom  the  means  to  engage  in  the  famous  operations,  with  which  he  then  became 
identified.  This  firm  dissolved  in  1864,  and  he  formed  a  co-partnership  with  his 
brother,  John  D.  Rockefeller  and  Samuel  Andrews,  as  Wm.  'Rockefeller  &  Co.,  to 
engage  in  oil  refining,  and  built  the  Standard  Oil  Works  in  Cleveland.  His  brother 
and  Mr.  Andrews  were  already  in  the  same  business  under  the  name  of  Rockefeller  & 
Andrews,  conducting  the  Excelsior  refinery.  In  1865,  Mr.  Rockefeller  came  to  New 
York  and  established  the  firm  of  Rockefeller  &  Co.  to  sell  and  handle  in  this  market 
the  oils  of  the  two  concerns  in  Cleveland.  The  success  of  his  operations  bore  elo- 
quent testimony  to  his  ability  as  a  merchant.  In  1867,  all  three  firms  were  dissolved 
to  be  succeeded  by  Rockefeller,  Andrews  &  Flagler  of  Cleveland  and  New  York  city, 
William  Rockefeller  taking  charge  of  the  business  in  New  York.  In  1870,  the  firm  of 
Rockefeller,  Andrews  &  Flagler  dissolved  and  organized  The  Standard  Oil  Co  of  Ohio, 
with  John  D.  Rockefeller  as  its  president  and  William  Rockefeller,  vice  president,  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO.  551 

latter  in  charge  of  the  mercantile  and  financial  business  in  New  York.  In  1881,  The 
Standard  Oil  Trust  was  formed  and  with  it  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  New  York. 
William  Rockefeller  was  elected  vice  president  of  the  Trust  and  president  of  The 
Standard  Oil  Co.  of  New  York,  and  has  continued  to  be  president  of  the  latter  until 
the  present  time.  In  the  creation  of  the  enormous  business  of  this  company,  Mr. 
Rockefeller  has  played  an  important  part.  He  is  famous  for  exact  knowledge  of  all  the 
details  of  the  operations  of  the  >company,  close  discrimination  and  clear  and  correct 
judgment,  and  his  opinions  have  always  had  great  weight  in  the  affairs  of  his  corpora- 
tion. He  was  married  in  1864,  in  Fairfield,  Conn.,  to  Miss  Almira  Geraldine  Goodsell, 
and  has  four  children  living,  Emma,  Wi'liam  G.,  Percy  A  very  and  Ethel  Geraldine. 
In  1875,  he  built  the  house  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  54th  street, 
which  has  ever  since  been  the  family  residence.  His  splendid  country  seat  is  on  the 
North  river  between  Tarrytown  and  Scarborough,  upon  the  old  Aspinwall  estate,  of 
which  he  is  now  owner.  Large  wealth  has  enabled  him  to  extend  his  interests  and  he 
is  a  director  of  The  Consolidated  Gas  Co.  of  New  York,  The  United  States  Trust  Co., 
The  National  City  Bank,  The  Hanover  National  Bank,  The  Leather  Manufacturers' 
National  Bank  and  The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford,  The  Delaware,  Lack- 
wanna  &  Western  and  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroads.  He  is  a  man  of 
retiring  disposition,  an  enthusiastic  horseman,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Metropolitan,  and  Gentlemen's  Riding  clubs. 

CORNELIUS  VAN  SCHAICK  ROOSEVELT,  merchant,  born  Jan.  30,  1794,  died 
July  17,  1871.  He  was  a  conspicuous  member  of  an  old  Dutch  family,  which  has  pro- 
duced many  men  distinguished  both  in  private  life  and  public  affairs.  The  first  repre- 
sentative of  the  name,  Claes  Martinsen  Van  Roosevelt,  came  from  Holland  to  New 
Amsterdam  in  1649.  From  Martinsen,  the  line  came  down  by  direct  descent  through 
Nicholas,  Johannes,  Jacobus,  and  Jacobus  I.,  (known  as  James),  to  Cornelius  V.  S. 
Roosevelt.  Jacobus  I.  Roosevelt,  father  of  Cornelius,  was  a  Commissary  during  the 
entire  War  for  Independence,  giving  his  services  without  reward,  and  Nicholas,  an 
uncle  of  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  brought  out  the  steamboat  simultaneously  with  (the 
family  claim  before)  Fulton  and  ran  vessels  of  this  class  on  the  Mississippi  river  while 
Fulton  was  operating  them  on  the  Hudson.  Cornelius  V.  S.  Roosevelt  was  one  of  the 
most  eminent  of  this  family  and  in  his  day  was  one  of  the  four  or  five  richest  men  in 
New  York  city.  He  was  for  many  years  engaged  in  the  importation  of  hardware  and 
plate  glass,  and  also  the  inheritor  of  large  means  from  the  Roosevelt  family.  In  the 
judgment  of  his  contemporaries,  he  ranked  as  a  man  of  the  soundest  opinions  and  most 
accurate  discrimination.  He  was  one  of  those  who  founded  The  Chemical  Bank  on  the 
single  principle  of  honesty,  a  trait  not  so  common  as  it  should  have  been  in  banks  in 
those  days,  and  the  institution  has  never  failed  to  pay  its  obligations  in  gold.  During 
the  War.  it  redeemed  its  notes  at  one  time  at  280  in  greenbacks.  He  introduced  in 
business  a  principle  even  more  rare,  by  giving  out  no  notes.  The  United  States  Bank 
he  fought  from  start  to  finish.  While  a  very  rich  man,  Mr.  Roosevelt  never  valued 
money  for  its  own  sake.  He  made  money  through  the  power  of  his  own  mind  and  then 
gave  it  away  to  his  family  and  in  unknown  charities.  By  his  marriage  with  Margaret 
Barnhill,  he  was  the  father  of  Silas  Weir  Roosevelt,  an  excellent  lawyer  and  famous 
wit,  who  died  about  twenty  years  ago ;  James  A.  Roosevelt ;  Cornelius  V.  S.  Roose- 
velt, who  died  Sept.  30,  1887,  in  his  sixtieth  year,  without  issue;  Robert  B.  Roosevelt; 


552  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Theodore  Roosevelt,  Allotment  Commissioner,  now  deceased;  and  William  W.  Roose- 
velt, the  latter  dying  while  young. 

JAflES  ALFRED  ROOSEVELT,  banker,  son  of  Cornelius  V.  S.  Roosevelt,  was 
born  in  New  York  city,  June  13,  1825.  Educated  at  home  by  private  tutors,  he  began 
business  for  himself  at  the  age  of  21  as  a  member  of  Roosevelt  &  Son,  importers  of 
hardware  and  plate  glass,  but  soon  abandoned  the  hardware  branch  of  the  business  as 
unprofitable.  For  a  number  of  years,  the  firm  continued  the  importation  of  plate 
glass,  being  the  leading  house  in  that  business.  Mr.  Roosevelt  and  his  brother  Theo- 
dore both  acquired  a  fortune.  After  his  brother's  death,  he  established  in  1878,  with 
his  two  sons,  Alfred  and  William  Emlen  Roosevelt,  the  bank  of  Roosevelt  &  Sons, 
under  the  old  firm  name,  at  No.  33  Wall  street.  Alfred  died  July  3,  1891,  in  conse- 
quence of  a  railroad  accident,  but  the  remaining  partners  yet  conduct  the  bank  at  the 
location  above  named.  Mr.  Roosevelt  is  one  of  the  best  known  citizens  of  New 
York,  and  is  vice  president  of  The  Chemical  National  Bank  and  director  in  The  New 
York  Life  Insurance  &  Trust  Co. ,  The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  The 
Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Co.,  and 
The  Eagle  Fire  Insurance  Co  ,  president  of  The  Roosevelt  Hospital,  and  trustee  of  The 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children.  He  has  extensive  holdings  in  real 
estate,  and  was  once  president  of  The  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railway.  He 
possesses  shrewd  judgment  and  fine  executive  ability,  which  have  made  his  services 
valuable  in  all  the  corporations  with  which  he  is  identified.  He  is  sound,  conservative 
and  much  admired  "in  the  street."  During  the  Civil  War,  the  Government  received 
his  cordial  support,  and  he  served  on  the  Committee  of  Seventy  at  the  time  of  Tweed's 
overthrow.  By  appointment  to  the  Park  Board  under  Mayor  Strong,  Mr.  Roosevelt 
has  recently  entered  the  public  service.  He  rides  much  on  horseback  in  the  Park  and 
promises  to  make  as  good  a  public  official  as  a  business  man  can.  Several  of  the  best 
clubs  in  town  bear  his  name  upon  their  rolls,  including  the  Metropolitan,  City,  Century, 
Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  Riding  and  Down  Town  clubs.  Mr.  Roosevelt  .married 
in  1847,  Elizabeth  N.,  daughter  of  Wm.  F.  Emlen,  of  Philadelphia,  and  there  have 
been  born  to  them,  May,  Leila,  Alfred,  and  William  Emlen  Roasevelt.  The  summer 
home  of  the  family  is  at  Oyster  Bay,  on  Long  Island. 

JAflES  I.  ROOSEVELT,  lawyer,  born  in  this  city,  Dec.  14,  1795,  died  at  his  home. 
No.  836  Broadway,  April  5,  1875.  He  was  a  son  of  James  I.  Roosevelt,  plate  glass 
and  hardware  merchant,  and  brother  of  Cornelius  V.  S.  Roosevelt.  In  1815,  he 
graduated  from  Columbia  College,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1818.  He  took 
part  in  much  notable  litigation,  and  was  remarkable  as  a  cross-examiner.  Inherited 
means  then  enabled  him  to  devote  his  time  almost  wholly  to  public  affairs.  He  identi- 
fied himself  early  in  life  with  the  Democratic  party  in  the  days  when  Tammany  Hall 
was  good,  and  was  fora  time  treasurer  of  the  Tammany  General  Committee.  In  1828, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Common  Council  and  re-elected  in  1830,  and  served  for  several 
years  upon  the  Public  School  Board.  In  1835  and  1840,  he  was  elected  to  the  Legisla- 
ture, serving  both  times  upon  the  Judiciary  Committee.  Going  to  Congress  in  1841, 
he  entertained  splendidly  while  there  and  declined  renomination.  In  1851,  he  became 
a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  by  a  large  majority  and  filled  this  responsible  position 
on  the  bench  for  eight  years,  during  one  year  being  ex-officio  a  member  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals.  At  the  close  of  his  judicial  career,  President  Buchanan  appointed  him  to  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO. 

office  of  United  States  Attorney  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York,  which  he  re- 
tained until  the  close  of  that  administration,  when  he  retired  to  private  life.  Judge 
Roosevelt  possessed  a  purity  of  character  which  was  stainless  and  an  integrity  which 
was  unimpeachable.  His  wife  was  a  leader  in  society.  A  large  farm  in  Westchester 
county  formed  his  favorite  retreat  from  the  cares  of  business. 

ROBERT  BARNWELL  ROOSEVELT,  lawyer  and  banker,  born  at  No.  31  Cort- 
landt  street  in  this  city,  Aug.  7,  1829,  is  a  son  of  the  late  Cornelius  V.  S.  Roosevelt  and 
springs  from  pure  Holland  Dutch  stock. 

As  a  boy,  Mr.  Roosevelt  gave  early  indications  of  marked  ability  and  at  sixteen 
years  of  age  had  written  a  play,  which  was  accepted  by  John  Brougham  and  would 
have  been  produced,  had  it  not  been  destroyed  in  the  fatal  fire  in  Winter  Garden 
Theatre.  He  wrote  several  contributions  for  the  press,  among  them  an  account  of  the 
Mammoth  Cave  of  Kentucky,  then  hardly  known,  which  appeared  in  the  old  Knicker- 
bocker Magazine.  The  first  article  for  which  he  ever  received  pay  was  written  for  THE 
TRIBUNE.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  admitted  to  the  bar  and  prac- 
ticed law  with  success  for  about  twenty  years,  thereafter  relinquishing  his  practice  to 
his  son.  Inherited  wealth  then  enabled  him  to  devote  his  time  largely  to  literature  and 
public  affairs.  His  property  has  consisted  largely  of  real  estate,  an  investment  greatly 
in  favor  in  his  family  since  the  days  of  the  Roosevelt  farm  on  this  island  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  Roosevelt  street.  He  is  a  large  owner  and  director  in  improvements  at 
Brigantine  Beach,  N.  J.,  and  has  been  an  officer  of  various  companies,  including  The 
Jefferson  Insurance  Co.,  and  for  several  years  president  of  The  Holland  Trust  Co., 
and  of  The  Shenango  &  Allegheny  Railroad,  The  Brigantine  Beach  Railroad,  The 
Mercer  Mining  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  and  The  Broadway  Improvement  Co. 

Always  fond  of  field  sports,  Mr.  Roosevelt  was  among  the  first  to  visit  some  of  the 
then  more  remote  portions  of  the  United  States  in  pursuit  of  wild  game.  He  wrote, 
"Superior  Fishing,"  "A  Trip  to  the  Laval,"  and  a  number  of  kindred  works,  and  took 
an  active  part  in  the  organization  of  societies  for  the  protection  of  game.  For  many  years, 
The  Xew  York  Association  for  the  Protection  of  Game  made  him  its  president  and  in 
1868.  he  became,  with  Horatio  Seymour  and  Seth  Green,  a  member  of  the  first  Com- 
mission of  State  Fisheries.  Mr.  Roosevelt  served  on  that  Commission  for  twenty 
years,  writing  all  the  reports  and  supervising  the  work,  a  part  of  the  time  being  its 
president.  His  repeated  successes  in  winning  first  prize  in  the  annual  fly  casting  tourna- 
ments were  the  despair  of  his  competitors.  In  recent  years,  he  has  served  as  one  of  the 
Commissioners  of  New  York  State  to  codify  the  game  laws.  While  a  member  of  Con- 
gress, to  which  he  was  elected  in  1872,  he  proposed  the  creation  of  the  United  States 
Fishery  Commission  and  secured  the  passage  of  the  law.  In  1888,  Mr.  Roosevelt  re- 
signed from  the  State  Fish  Commission  to  become  American  Minister  to  the  Nether- 
lands and  filled  this  position  for  nearly  two  years.  He  has  been  an  Alderman  and  one 
of  the  Commissioners  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge.  Various  public  positions  have  been 
declined  by  him,  including  those  of  Mayor  of  New  York,  Judge  and  Assistant  Treasurer 
of  the  United  States. 

Among  his  published  works  are  "Game  Fish  of  North  America,"  "Game  Birds," 
"Fish  Hatching  and  Fish  Catching."  -'Florida  and  the  Game  Water  Birds,"  "Five 
Acres  Too  Much,"  a  satire  on  scientific  farming;  "Progressive  Petticoats,"  a  satire 
on  female  strongmindedness;  and  "  Love  and  Luck,"  an  idyl  of  the  Great  South  Bay. 


554  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

In  politics  always  a  Democrat,  he  has  been  a  leader  in  every  reform  movement  since 
1862.  Loyal  to  the  Union  during  the  War,  he  became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Union 
League  club  and  joined  the  thirty  days  men  who  went  to  the  support  of  Washington. 
He  served  on  the  Committee  of  Seventy,  which  brought  about  the  downfall  of  the 
Tweed  ring,  and  was  one  of  the  two  Democrats  who  spoke  at  the  meeting  when  the 
committee  was  organized.  Of  his  speech  in  that  famous  movement,  half  a  million 
copies  were  printed  by  the  committee  for  distribution.  He  has  been  the  founder  and 
godfather  of  half  a  dozen  clubs,  first  vice  president,  later  president,  and  always  one  of 
the  most  enthusiastic  members  of  The  Holland  Society,  president  of  the  Arcadian  club, 
manager  of  the  Manhattan  and  Lotos  clubs,  first  vice  president  of  the  Reform  club, 
and  member  of  the  Century,  Press,  New  York  Yacht  and  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht 
clubs.  He  is  also  vice  president  of  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  in  New  York. 

In  1850,  he  married  Elizabeth  Ellis,  daughter  of  John  S.  Ellis.  To  them  have  been 
born  Margaret,  John  Ellis,  Helen  L.,  who  died  while  young,  and  Robert  B.  Roosevelt, 
jr.  After  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  married,  in  London,  Marion  T.  Fortescue,  widow 
of  R.  Francis  Fortescue  and  daughter  of  John  O'Shea  of  Nenagh,  Ireland. 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT,  merchant  and  philanthropist,  born  in  New  York  city, 
Sept.  22,  1831,  died  at  his  residence,  No.  6  West  57th  street,  Feb.  9,  1878.  He  was  a 
son  of  Cornelius  V.  S.  and  Margaret  Barnhill  Roosevelt,  from  whom  he  inherited  a 
fortune  which,  added  to  his  own,  acquired  by  diligent  enterprise,  made  him  a  man  ot 
large  wealth.  For  many  years  and  until  1876,  he  was  engaged  in  the  importation  of 
glass  with  his  brother,  and  was,  perhaps,  the  first  to  start  the  idea  of  a  trust.  He  made 
a  combination  in  the  glass  trade,  which  he  kept  up  to  taw  by  a  dinner  every  Saturday  at 
Delmonico's  and  which  brought  to  book  any  member  of  the  combination  chargeable 
with  underhand  work.  One  or  two  such  experiences  was  enough  for  the  most  recalci- 
trant. Although  a  millionaire,  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out  and  it  was  discovered  that 
families  of  many  volunteers  were  destitute,  he  organized  the  Allotment  Commission 
and  visited  personally  every  regiment  of  every  corps  from  the  East  and  saved  millions 
to  the  destitute  women  and  children.  He  served  without  compensation  in  an  almost 
desperate  cause  and  the  tremendous  labor  which  he  performed  was  never  recognized  by 
the  public,  although  for  that  matter  he  never  sought  to  have  it  recognized.  He  did  it 
because  it  was  the  right  thing  to  do.  In  January,  1876,  he  devoted  himself  to  banking 
as  head  of  the  firm  of  Theodore  Roosevelt  &  Son.  For  many  years,  he  was  promi- 
nently identified  with  public  charities.  He  was  especially  interested  in  The  Newsboys' 
Lodging  House  which  he  founded  and  for  a  time  he  supported  the  uptown  branch 
entirely.  He  was  also  interested  in  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  a  liberal 
giver  to  many  charities,  always  interested  in  increasing  their  efficiency.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  of  the  Union  League  club,  the  Patriarchs,  and  The  Orthopedic  Hospital 
and  The  Children's  Aid  Society,  one  of  the  organizers  of  The  Bureau  of  United  Charities, 
and  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities.  Although  not  a  professional  politician, 
Mr.  Roosevelt  was  always  active  in  political  life  as  an  anti-machine  Republican.  When 
nominated  by  President  Hayes  as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York,  he  was  rejected  by 
the  Senate  because  he  was  a  Civil  Service  reformer.  In  1853,  he  married  Miss  Martha 
Bulloch,  who  with  four  children  survive  him,  the  latter  being  Anna  L. ;  Theodore,  long 
United  States  Civil  Service  Commissioner  and  now  head  of  the  Police  Commission 
of  this  city;  Elliott,  now  deceased;  and  Corinne,  wife  of  Douglas  Robinson. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW      YORK. RO.  555 

ELEAZER  WMEELOCK  RIPLEY  ROPES,  merchant,  usually  known  as  Ripley 
Ropes,  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  Sept.  30,  1820,  died  in  Brooklyn,  May  18,  1890.  He 
was  a  son  of  Benjamin  and  Frances  Wilkins  Ropes  and  the  youngest  of  five  brothers, 
and  began  to  earn  his  living  at  the  age  of  ten,  as  a  newspaper  carrier  for  The  Salem 
Register,  the  delivery  route  being  owned  by  his  four  brothers.  At  the  age  of  12,  he 
was  apprenticed  to  Taylor  &  Fox,  the  leading  tailors  of  Salem,  and  spent  three  years  in 
their  employment,  thereafter  traveling  in  the  South  upon  mercantile  business.  At 
the  age  of  20,  he  settled  down  in  Salem  and  with  his  brother  Reuben  engaged  in  the 
South  American  trade.  At  one  time,  he  was  an  alderman  of  the  city.  The  growth  of 
their  interests  compelled  the  brothers,  in  1863,  to  remove  their  business  to  New  York 
and  their  homes  to  Brooklyn.  Ripley  was  a  good  merchant,  energetic,  clear-headed 
and  upright,  and  prosperity  attended  his  enterprise.  The  firm  dealt  in  hides,  grain, 
wool  and  leather,  and  owned  large  interests  in  vessels.  Although  a  Republican  in 
political  faith,  he  believed  in  non-partisan  government  locally  and,  as  a  reformer, 
was  elected  an  Alderman  of  Brooklyn,  being  re-elected  in  1874.  In  1877,  he  was 
appointed  to  a  vacancy  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors.  In  1871  and  1881,  he 
became  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of  Charities  and  served  thereon  until,  a  few 
weeks  before  his  death,  he  declined  reappointment.  In  this  office,  he  cut  off  useless 
expenses,  exposed  the  abuses  practiced  by  the  local  bureau  of  charities,  and  saved  the 
county  nearly  $2,000,000.  In  1881,  he  was  nominated  for  Mayor  of  the  city  but  with- 
drew in  favor  of  Seth  Low,  whom  he  placed  in  nomination  himself  and  helped  to  elect. 
He  accepted  the  position  ot  Commissioner  of  City  Works  under  Mayor  Low. 
Conscientious  in  the  performance  of  every  duty,  he  never  wearied  in  trying  to  bring 
good  out  of  evil.  In  1873,  he  became  president  of  The  Brooklyn  Trust  Co.,  and  held 
this  position  iintil  his  death,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Brooklyn  club  and  The  New 
England  Society.  By  his  marriage,  Oct.  22,  1846,  to  Elizabeth  Graves,  he  was  the 
father  of  Grace  Frances,  Elizabeth  Graves,  Frederick,  Albert  Gardiner,  Alice,  Charles 
Arthur,  Walter  Pierce,  Lincoln  and  Louis  Wheelock,  twins,  and  Anna  Caroline  Ropes. 

REUBEN  WILKINS  ROPES,  merchant,  born  in  Salem,  Mass.,  July  16,  1813,  who 
died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ,  July  30,  1890,  came  from  an  old  English  family,  his  ancestors 
having  settled  in  Salem  in  1632.  The  family  originated  in  America  with  two  of  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers.  Captain  Benjamin  Ropes,  1772-1845,  a  shipping  merchant  of  Salem 
and  father  of  Reuben,  fought  at  Lundy's  Lane  in  Canada  against  the  British  in  the  War 
of  1812,  as  Captain  of  the  2ist  Inf.,  while  the  grandfathers  of  the  subject  of  this 
memoir,  on  both  sides  of  the  family,  Benjamin  Ropes  and  Reuben  Wilkins,  were  offi- 
cers in  the  American  Revolution.  Reuben  W.  Ropes  began  life  in  the  pursuits  in 
which  his  father  was  engaged,  and,  later  formed  the  shipping  firm  of  R.  W.  Ropes 
&  Co.,  in  Salem,  in  which  his  brothers  were  interested.  The  firm  operated  a  packet 
line  between  Salem,  Boston,  New  York,  Baltimore  and  Philadelphia.  Finally,  the 
firm  removed  to  New  York  city,  where  they  carried  on  a  constantly  increasing  business 
in  the  building  known  as  the  old  colonial  stage  house  at  73  Pearl  street.  Mr.  Ropes 
retired  from  business  about  fifteen  years  before  his  death,  and  devoted  his  life  there- 
after to  charitable  work.  He  was  of  a  modest  and  retiring  disposition,  and  his  many 
acts  of  charity  were  done  without  ostentation.  He  supported  many  poor  families 
through  periods  of  distress,  often  going  among  them  and  searching  out  cases  where  his 
sympathy  and  money  would  bring  relief  It  was  his  favorite  idea  to  aid  the  poor  with- 


556  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

out  degrading  them.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Brooklyn  Eye  &  Ear  Hos- 
pital, vice  president  of  The  Long  Island  College  Hospital,  president  of  The  Seaman's 
Friend  Society,  and  for  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  president  of  The  Association  for 
Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor.  In  all  these  offices,  as  in  less  responsible  ones 
in  many  other  societies,  he  proved  himself  a  careful  man  of  business,  a  wise  counselor 
and  a  valuable  executive.  For  many  years,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce and  The  New  England  Society.  When  Mr.  Beecher  began  preaching  in  Brook- 
lyn in  1847,  Mr.  Ropes  was  greatly  impressed  with  him  and  joined  Plymouth  Church, 
with  which  he  remained  connected  until  his  death.  He  was  a  trustee  and  a  deacon, 
and  one  of  the  most  constant  attendants  upon  church  services.  Mr.  Beecher  said  that 
he  had  not  in  his  congregation  a  more  saintly  man.  Mr.  Ropes  sent  his  Bible  class  at 
Warren  street  mission  to  the  front  during  the  Civil  War.  All  returned  in  safety,  and 
he  gave  each  one  a  bank  account  and  established  them  in  business.  In  1849,  he  mar- 
ried Maria  L.,  daughter  of  Judge  Jacob  Thompson,  a  prominent  resident  of  Monson, 
Mass.  Two  sons  and  one  daughter  survived  him,  their  names  being  William,  Edward 
Wilkins,  and  Fanny,  wife  of  George  R.  Hallett  Thorn,  of  New  York. 

ALBERT  S.  ROSENBAUM,  merchant,  a  native  of  Cassel,  Germany,  who  died  in 
this  city,  Feb.  17,  1894,  in  his  sixty-fourth  year,  came  to  this  country  while  young  and 
settled  in  California.  Engaging  in  business  there,  he  accumulated  means  by  dint  of 
business  tact,  shrewdness  and  industry,  and  invested  a  part  of  his  capital  advantage- 
ously in  San  Francisco  real  estate.  After  he  had  made  this  city  his  permanent  home, 
he  engaged  in  the  importation  and  manufacture  of  tobacco,  taking  a  leading  position  in 
the  trade  and  becoming  one  of  the  richest  Germans  in  America.  He  was  a  director  in 
The  Manhattan  Trust  Co.,  The  Fulton  Market  National  Bank,  The  Third  Avenue 
Railroad,  The  Twenty-third  Street  Railroad,  and  other  corporations,  and  owned  the 
Hotels  Albert  and  St.  Stephens  and  other  important  realty.  A  man  of  energy  and 
ability,  well  informed  on  all  economic  and  public  questions  and  personally  attractive. 
he  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

JACOB  ROTHSCHILD,  merchant,  a  native  of  Rothenkirchen,  Hessen,  Germany, 
was  born  May  26,  1843.  He  came  from  a  family  of  trades  people  of  moderate  means 
"but  of  excellent  character  and  reputation.  Two  of  his  maternal  uncles  were  men  of 
great  learning.  In  1856,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  came  to  the  .new  world  and  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  jeweler.  This  trade  was  too  confining  and  he  found  more  congenial  em- 
ployment in  mercantile  business,  and  finally  established  a  store  at  333  Sixth  avenue  and 
entered  upon  the  importation  and  sale  of  millinery.  His  success  has  been  marked.  He 
now  has  branch  stores  in  New  York,  Boston,  Brooklyn  and  Philadelphia,  each  one 
under  the  direction  of  a  member  of  his  family.  The  period  from  1874-79  is  well  re- 
membered in  this  city  on  account  of  a  reaction  in  the  values  of  real  estate.  Many 
men  wanted  to  sell  and  few  had  the  courage  to  buy.  Mr.  Rothschild  foresaw  that 
the  growth  of  New  York  city  would  revive  values  and  invested  largely  in  lots  and  build- 
ings on  the  best  business  streets,  acquiring  some  property  also  near  Central  Park.  His 
judgment  was  proved  by  the  subsequent  great  appreciation  in  value  of  his  proper- 
ties. His  most  notable  venture  has  been  the  construction  of  the  building  on  the  corner 
of  72d  street  and  Central  Park  West,  known  as  the  Hotel  Majestic,  twelve  stories  in 
height,  at  a  cost  of  about  $3,500,000.  Mr.  Rothschild  married  his  cousin,  Regina, 
daughter  of  H.  Rothschild,  and  is  the  father  of  Joseph  Jacquin,  Helene  Rosalind, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO.  557 

Florence  Sylvia,  and  Elsa  Beatrice  Rothschild.  His  contributions  to  charity  have  been 
generous,  and  his  name  is  a  tower  of  strength  to  the  Montefiore  Home,  Mount  Sinai 
Hospital,  Hebrew  Benevolent  Orphan  Asylum,  United  Hebrew  Charities,  St.  John's 
Guild  and  other  institutions.  He  belongs  to  the  Progress  and  Freundschaft  clubs. 

VICTOR  HENRY  ROTHSCHILD,  manufacturer  and  merchant,  has  attained  a 
deservedly  high  rank  among  the  self-made  men  of  America.  Born  at  Nordstetten,  in 
the  depths  of  the  Black  Forest,  Wurtemberg,  Germany,  April  6,  1835,  he  was  the 
oldest  of  a  family  of  seven  children.  He  received  at  that  place  a  public  school  educa- 
tion and  then  entered  the  employment  of  his  father,  a  retail  dry  goods  merchant.  He 
remained  with  him  four  years,  working  hard  and  devoting  his  spare  hours  to  study  and 
self-cultivation.  Like  hundreds  of  other  young  Germans,  however,  he  longed  for  a 
more  extended  sphere  in  which  to  display  the  business  ability,  which  he  felt  he  pos- 
sessed, and,  preparatory  to  his  starting  for  this  country,  devoted  himself  industriously 
to  the  study  of  English.  Thus,  when  he  emigrated,  in  1852,  he  had  a  fair  command  of 
the  language,  and  this  he  continued  to  improve  by  study  and  practice  at  his  new  home 
in  Fort  Wayne,  Ind. 

By  dint  of  unwearying  energy  and  the  knowledge  of  American  business  methods 
he  had  managed  to  acquire,  aided  by  the  strictest  economy  (his  purse  contained  only- 
eight  silver  dollars  on  his  arrival  in  Fort  Wayne),  he  was  enabled  in  a  comparatively 
short  time  to  start  in  business  on  his  own  account.  His  first  independent  essay  as  a 
merchant  was  in  the  sale  of  optical  goods,  with  which  he  traveled  from  town  to  town  in 
Ohio  and  Indiana,  his  modest  wagon  being  his  store  and  warehouse.  Gradually,  he 
added  fancy  goods  and  notions  to  his  stock  in  trade  and  before  long  was  in  a  condition 
to  sell  with  advantage  to  consumers  and  small  country  stores.  In  1854,  he  was  induced 
by  his  brother-in-law  to  go  to  Mount  Carroll,  111  ,  where  the  latter  established  a  dry 
goods  store  in  Mr.  Rothschild's  name.  Meantime,  the  young  merchant,  determined 
not  to  abandon  his  old  business  because  of  his  change  of  location,  continued  his  sales  of 
optical  and  fancy  goods  in  the  then  new  West,  and  prospered  so  well  that  he  sent  for 
his  younger  brother,  Marx,  to  join  him  in  the  new  world.  But,  while  he  prospered, 
his  brother-in-law  met  with  disaster,  and  in  the  panic  of  1857  went  into  bankruptcy, 
causing  Mr.  Rothschild  the  loss  of  about  $18,000  which  he  had  advanced  from 
time  to  time,  as  well  as  $38,000  of  debts  contracted  in  his  name.  Undaunted  by 
disaster,  Mr.  Rothschild  and  his  brother  Marx  started  South  as  soon  as  they  could 
get  clear  of  the  wreck,  and  finally  settled  in  Georgia,  trying  Macon  first,  and  then 
Hawkinsville.  In  the  latter  place,  they  opened  a  general  store,  stocking  it  with  dry 
goods,  groceries  and  miscellaneous  merchandise,  and  were  soon  once  more  on  the  road 
to  prosperity. 

This  was  just  before  the  outbreak  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  At  about  this  time, 
news  was  received  from  Germany  of  the  illness  of  their  father;  and  Marx  instantly 
started  for  his  old  home,  although  his  presence  here  was  greatly  needed. 

Then  came  the  War  with  all  its  horrors,  and  Mr.  Rothschild  was  compelled  to 
abandon  his  prosperous  business  and  go  to  New  York.  Here,  finding  that  the  indebt- 
edness of  $38,000,  accumulated  in  his  name  by  his  brother-in-law,  had  not  been  met, 
he  settled  it  at  great  personal  sacrifice,  dollar  for  dollar,  out  of  his  Southern  savings. 
For  a  year  or  more,  his  business  activity  was  suspended,  but  in  1863,  and  through  a 
mere  coincidence,  he  began  the  manufacture  of  neglige1  shirts,  then  an  entirely  new 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RO.  559 

industry,  at  No.  122  Chambers  street.     This  enterprise  was  markedly  successful  from 
the  very  start  and  has  gradually  attained  large  dimensions. 

About  this  time,  his  brother  returned  from  Germany  and  for  the  next  four  years 
their  trade  increased  with  wonderful  rapidity.  In  1868,  they  found  it  necessary  to 
enlarge  their  plant  greatly  and  accordingly  rented  additional  quarters  at  No.  48  Leon- 
ard street,  which  were  further  supplemented  in  1870  by  another  addition  at  No.  46 
Leonard  street.  This  gave  their  establishment  a  frontage  of  seventy-five  feet  and 
added  largely  to  their  manufacturing  facilities.  Up  to  1869,  the  firm  did  business 
under  the  name  of  Rothschild  Bro's,  but.  in  that  year,  Simeon  Gutman  was  admitted 
to  partnership  and  the  name  changed  to  Rothschild  Bro's  &  Gutman.  In  1877,  the 
partnership  dissolved  by  mutual  consent,  V.  Henry  Rothschild  liquidating  its  affairs 
and  continuing  alone  until  1880,  when  Isaac  Dreyfus  was  admitted  as  a  partner,  and  the 
firm  became  V.  Henry  Rothschild  &  Co. 

During  this  year,  1880,  The  Central  Real  Estate  Association  erected  the  building 
at  the  corner  of  Leonard  street  and  West  Broadway,  especially  designed  for  the  manu- 
fa^ture  of  shirts,  and  this  building  was  leased  by  the  firm  for  a  term  of  years.  In 
1892,  Mr.  Rothschild  bought  the  building,  and  realizing  that  yet  more  room  was  needed, 
the  firm  rented  a  large  modern  factory  building,  Nos  5  to  15  Sullivan  street,  to  be 
used  for  manufacturing,  warehousing  and  shipping.  The  premises  at  West  Broadway 
and  Leonard  street  were  then  changed  into  a  well  equipped  office  building,  the 
firm  retaining  the  second  floor  for  their  sale  and  counting  rooms.  It  is  now  known  as 
the  "Rothschild  Building,"  and  ranks  high  among  the  spacious,  costly  and  convenient 
office  buildings,  with  which  New  York  is  equipped.  Mr.  Rothschild  is  also  a  large 
holder  of  other  valuable  real  estate  in  the  city  of  New  York.  The  firm  in  recent  years 
have  added  largely  to  the  variety  of  goods  they  manufacture,  and  now  make  shirts  of 
every  kind,  trousers,  ladies'  waists,  etc. ,  etc.  Some  idea  of  the  vastness  of  this  business 
may  be  gathered  from  these  figures:  The  salesrooms  at  Leonard  street  and  West 
Broadway  and  the  factories  on  Sullivan  street  employ  directly  and  indirectly  over  1,500 
people,  while  an  additional  factory  at  Freehold,  N.  J.,  gives  employment  to  over  1,500 
more.  In  addition  to  this,  the  Board  of  Trade  of  Trenton,  N.  J.,  contemplate  the  con- 
struction of  another  factory,  which,  when  completed,  will  employ  as  many  hands  as  the 
Freehold  factor}-.  It  may  safely  be  said  then  that  the  firm  gives  work  directly  and 
indirectly  to  about  7,000  persons.  Mr.  Rothschild  has  always  taken  a  deep  and  kindly 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  people  who  work  for  him,  and  many  of  the  Freehold 
operatives  live  in  modern  houses,  built  expressly  for  them,  each  accommodating  a  family 
of  six  or  eight  persons.  These  are  let  to  employes  at  a  nominal  rental  of  $6  or  $7  a 
month,  according  to  size. 

While  Mr.  Rothschild  has  been  too  busy  a  man  all  his  life  to  take  any  active  inter- 
est in  politics,  no  man  is  more  keenly  alive  to  the  affairs  of  the  city,  of  which  he  is 
one  of  the  highly  respected  citizens,  wielding  a  commanding  influence  in  the 
business  world.  In  the  recent  fight  for  reform  in  New  York,  he  was  not  backward  in 
lending  aid  to  the  good  cause.  During  1889,  he  served  as  a  director  of  The  Seventh 
National  Bank,  but  resigned  as  soon  as  the  year  expired,  explaining  that  the  demands 
of  his  enormous  business  were  so  pressing  that  he  had  no  spare  time  at  his  disposal. 
He  has  often  been  solicited  to  take  part  in  the  management  of  prominent  financial 
institutions,  but  for  the  same  reason  has  been  compelled  to  decline.  But  he  does  find 


5&o  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

time  for  charity,  and  in  a  quiet  way  has  done  a  large  amount  of  good  among  the  poor, 
during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  Since  1872,  he  has  been  a  director  of  Mt.  vSinai 
Hospital  and  the  Montefiore  Home  for  Incurables  and  is  interested  in  many  other  lead- 
ing institutions. 

He  married  Miss  Josephine  Wolfe,  daughter  of  Jacob  Wolfe,  a  retired  merchant  of 
New  York,  in  1866,  and  lives  at  No.  4  East  57th  street,  and  his  handsomely  appointed 
home,  his  fine  library,  and  collection  of  paintings  bear  witness  to  his  artistic  tastes. 

His  eldest  son,  V.  Sydney  Rothschild,  is  a  graduate  of  Harvard  and  will  later  be- 
come a  member  of  the  firm.  A  daughter  was  married  April  3,  1895,  to  Mr.  S.  R.  Gug- 
genheim, president  of  The  Great  National  Smelting  Co. ,  of  Monterey,  Mexico.  The 
other  members  of  the  family  are  the  Misses  Gertrude  and  Constance  Lily,  two  excep- 
tionally attractive  girls,  the  latter  at  present  a  student  at  Wellesley  College,  and  Clar- 
ence G.,  a  younger  son. 

Mr.  Rothschild  is  essentially  a  home  man  and  has  never  been  what  is  generally 
called  a  club  man.  He  has,  however,  long  been  a  member  of  the  Harmonic  and  Play- 
ers' clubs  and  the  Board  of  Trade  &  Transportation.  He  is  a  man  of  strong  presence, 
with  a  determined  will  and  a  kindly  manner,  which  carries  everything  before  it.  His 
imtiring  energy  and  his  enthusiastic  manner  of  forging  ahead,  always  into  new  and  un- 
explored fields,  are  the  envy  of  the  younger  men  about  him.  Stern  and  severe  at  times, 
asserting  his  opinions  whether  right  or  wrong,  by  a  kindly  smile  he  at  once  dispels  any 
ill  feeling  and  adds  his  recent  opponent  to  his  large  retinue  of  steadfast  friends. 

JOHN  RUSZITS,  merchant,  a  native  of  Baja,  Hungary,  died  at  St.  James,  Long 
Island,  Oct.  18,  1890,  at  the  age  of  eighty-one.  His  parents  being  poor,  the  boy,  at 
the  age  of  twelve,  went  to  London,  England,  found  employment  in  the  furrier's  trade 
with  difficulty,  and  after  a  period  of  poverty  and  hard  work  found  himself  finally,  at 
the  age  of  thirty-five,  the  owner  of  about  $2,000  saved  from  his  earnings  and  a  master 
of  his  craft.  Partly  to  gain  a  renewal  of  his  health  and  partly  to  improve  his  position 
he  came  to  New  York  city  in  1851.  Here,  after  looking  about,  he  engaged  a  loft  at 
No.  99  Maiden  lane  at  a  small  annual  rental,  and  in  this  modest  place  became  the 
pioneer  manufacturer  of  seal  skin  garments  in  America  and  founder  of  The  John 
Ruszits  Fur  Co.  He  met  with  great  success  in  his  industry  and  became  a  prominent 
merchant,  the  owner  of  a  warehouse  and  other  realty  in  this  city  and  a  rich  man. 
Having  made  his  home  in  Brooklyn,  he  took  a  strong  interest  in  the  public  affairs  of 
the  city,  but  declined  many  offers  of  public  office.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Pruden- 
tial Fire  Insurance  Co.,  a  member  of  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals,  and  otherwise  active.  Clara  Frederica,  his  wife,  survived  him.  The  family 
had  a  country  residence  at  St.  James,  Suffolk  county,  Long  Island.  Mr.  Ruszits  was 
always  liberal  in  his  gifts  to  charities  and  by  his  will  left  about  $125,000  to  public  in- 
stitutions. Mrs.  Ruszits  is  now  the  wife  of  Welcome  G.  Hitchcock,  president  of  The 
John  Ruszits  Fur  Co. 

THOMAS  RUTTER,  a  native  of  Holywell,  Wales,  died  in  this  city,  May  3,  1895,  in 
the  seventy-first  year  of  his  age.  Oldest  son  of  Thomas  Rutter,  he  came  to  America 
while  a  boy,  and  after  leaving  Mount  Pleasant  Academy,  in  Sing  Sing,  began  life  as  a 
civil  engineer.  This  occupation  he  followed  for  years  and  until  ample  means 
led  him  into  the  management  of  corporations.  Through  the  execution  of  contracts  for 
the  excavation  of  the  Allegheny  and  other  railroad  tunnels,  and  the  building  of 


£'!<>••/.•   . 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. RY.  561 

important  railroad  works  in  various  parts  of  the  country,  he  was  aole  finally  to  retire 
from  labors  of  this  class.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  a  director  'of  The 
Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  The  Farmers'  Loan  &  Trust  Co. ,  The  American  Pig 
Iron  Storage  Warrant  Co.,  The  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York,  The  Housatonic 
Railroad  Co. ,  and  other  corporations.  Some  of  the  best  clubs  in  town  admitted  him  to 
membership,  including  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  Down  Town  and  Church 
clubs,  and  he  belonged  also  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  St.  George  Society. 
His  wife,  Georgina  Renaud,  and  four  children  survived  him. 

THOflAS  F.  RYAN,  is  one  of  the  younger  Southern  men,  who  came  North  at  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War  to  make  fame  and  fortune  and  succeeded.  He  was  born  in  Nel- 
son county,  Va.,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  Oct.  17,  1851.  His  ancestors 
on  his  mother's  side  were  the  McAlexanders,  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  who  settled  in 
the  famous  Valley  of  Virginia,  which  comprises  the  counties  of  Rockland  and  Augusta. 
His  paternal  ancestors  came  from  the  North  of  Ireland,  while  America  was  yet  an 
English  colony,  and  settled  in  the  section  which  is  now  Nelson  county. 

Losing  his  mother  at  the  age  of  five,  young  Ryan  went  to  live  with  his  maternal 
grandmother  on  the  old  family  estate,  where  he  remained  during  his  boyhood.  At  the 
age  of  fifteen,  he  assumed  charge  of  his  grandmother's  estate  and  managed  it  as  well  as 
the  disastrous  consequences  of  the  Civil  War  permitted.  For  two  years,  the  young  man 
struggled  manfully  to  raise  the  property  out  of  the  slough  of  despond  into  which  the 
entire  section  had  been  plunged  by  the  great  War,  but,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  was 
forced  to  realize  that  the  attempt  was  hopeless.  In  1868,  therefore,  he  left  the  ances- 
tral homestead  and,  although  penniless,  too  proud  to  seek  aid  from  family  friends,  he 
set  forth  to  make  his  own  way  in  the  world.  Reaching  Baltimore  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, he  found  scores  of  other  Southern  boys  in  like  condition  seeking  employment  of 
whatever  kind.  Day  after  day,  he  walked  the  streets,  applying  at  store  after  store  in 
vain,  until  his  last  dollar  was  reached.  Finally,  when  prospective  starvation  was  fast 
giving  way  to  despair,  he  was  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  vacancy  in  the  large  commis- 
sion dry  goods  store  of  John  S.  Barry  and  was  told  to  report  for  work  on  the  following 
morning.  Experience  had  already  taught  the  danger  of  an  opportunity  neglected,  and, 
taking  off  his  hat  and  coat,  he  calmly  announced  his  attention  to  begin  work  at  once. 
For  two  years,  he  subsisted  on  a  small  salary  but  at  the  end  of  that  time,  his  employer, 
attracted  by  his  fidelity  and  persistence,  offered  him  a  place  in  a  banking  house,  which 
he  was  about  to  establish  in  New  York.  He  accepted  gladly  and  in  the  two  following 
years  learned  the  first  principles  of  finance,  which  formed  the  foundation  of  his  subse- 
quent success  as  an  executive  financier. 

Upon  attaining  his  majority,  Mr.  Ryan  secured  a  partnership  with  a  member  of 
the  Stock  Exchange  and  did  so  well  that,  two  years  later,  he  was  able  to  buy  a  seat  for 
himself  on  the  Exchange  and  materially  broaden  his  sphere  of  activity.  His  capacity 
won  quick  recognition  and  he  soon  numbered  among  his  business  and  personal  friends, 
William  R.  Travers,  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  John  R.  Garland,  John  B.  Trevor,  Robert  L. 
Cutting  and  many  other  large  Wall  street  operators  of  those  days.  During  the  next 
ten  years,  operating  through  his  firm,  he  carried  through  many  of  the  largest  trans- 
actions  of  that  time. 

In  1885,  although  retaining  his  membership  in  the  Stock  Exchange,  he  retired  from 
business  for  the  purpose  of  taking  a  much  needed  rest,  but  before  a  year  had  elapsed 


562  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

he  joined  hands  with  William  C.  Whitney  in  securing  and  consolidating  the  various 
street  surface  railroads  in  New  York,  which  now  comprise  the  large  system  owned  by 
The  Metropolitan  Traction  Co.  His  attention  having  been  turned  in  this  direction, 
he  also  acquired  and  held  control  of  the  Milwaukee  street  railroads  long  enough  to 
make  a  large  amount  of  money.  Subsequently,  he  became  associated  with  A.  J.  Cassatt, 
Frank  Thomson,  John  D.  Crimmins  and  others  in  building  tip  the  vast  Consolidated 
Traction  Co.  of  New  Jersey. 

After  the  downfall  of  The  Richmond  Terminal  Co. ,  which  controlled  The  Rich- 
mond &  Danville,  The  East  Tennesse,  Virginia  &  Georgia,  The  Georgia  Pacific  and 
other  Southern  railroads,  he  became  a  director  in  these  companies  and  ultimately  took 
an  active  part  in  the  successful  reorganization  of  the  roads  into  the  great  Southern 
Railway  system  of  to-day.  He  also  acquired  control  of  The  Columbus,  Hocking  Valley 
&  Toledo  Railroad,  and  is  at  present  effecting  a  reorganization  of  The  Central 
Railroad  &  Banking  Co.  of  Georgia. 

He  is  a  director  in  The  Southern  Railway,  The  Hocking  Valley,  The  Flint  &  Pere 
Marquette  and  The  Georgia  Central  Railroads,  The  Metropolitan  Traction  Co.,  The 
Consolidated  Traction  Co.,  The  Bank  of  New  Amsterdam,  and  many  other  corporations 
of  like  nature. 

The  success  of  his  business  career,  culminating  in  a  fortune  estimated  at  several 
millions,  is  obviously  due  to  indomitable  will  power,  unrelenting  perseverance  and 
breadth  of  mental  vision.  Not  only  has  his  strict  integrity  won  the  esteem  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  been  associated,  but  it  is  universally  conceded  that,  as  an  executive  rail- 
road and  corporation  financier,  he  is  probably  without  a  superior  to-day  in  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Ryan  married,  Nov.  25,  1873,  Miss  Ida  M.  Barry,  daughter  of  his  first  em- 
ployer in  Baltimore,  and  his  family  consists  of  five  sons.  He  has  always  been  a  stanch 
Democrat  and  has  taken  an  active  interest  in  National  and  State  politics  since  1876, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Union,  Manhattan,  Riding,  Lawyers',  Catholic  and  other  clubs, 
and  The  Southern  Society,  chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Orphan  Asylum  and  an  active  supporter  of  many  charitable  organizations. 


s. 

RUSSELL  SAGE,  financier,  railroad  president,  stockbroker,  public  leader,  and 
man  of  affairs,  is  one  of  the  mqst  unique  personages  in  Wall  street.  The  circum- 
stances even  of  his  birth  were  unusual,  and,  while  these  pages  speak  of  many  other 
entertaining  and  remarkable  careers,  it  will  be  hard  to  find  a  life  story  in  which  the 
interest  is  more  sustained  from  the  beginning. 

The  War  of  1812  having  ended  and  tranquillity  having  returned  to  the  country, 
there  occurred  about  1816  an  exodus  of  population  from  the  East  to  the  new  regions  of 
the  West.  During  that  year,  a  company  of  Connecticut  farmers  might  have  been  seen 
making  their  way  by  ox  team  through  Mohawk  valley  in  New  York  State,  bound  for 
distant  Michigan.  Elisha  Sage  and  Prudence  Risley,  his  wife,  were  of  this  company. 
During  a  halt  at  the  hamlet  of  Schenandoah  in  the  township  of  Verona,  Oneida  county, 
X.  Y.,  Aug.  4,  1816,  there  was  born  to  Elisha  and  Prudence  Risley  Sage,  in  one  of  the 
houses  of  the  hamlet,  the  subject  of  this  biography.  Before  his  wife  could  recover 
strength  to  resume  the  journey,  Elisha  Sage  discovered  that  he  had  already  reached  a 
goodly  land  and  he  settled  in  the  town  of  Verona.  Two  years  later,  he  removed  to  a 
farm  near  Durhamville,  where,  after  an  honorable  and  useful  life,  he  died  at  the  old 
homestead,  April  23,  1854. 

Russell  Sage  spent  his  early  boyhood,  a  bright,  careless,  hearty  lad,  upon  his 
father's  farm,  attending  school  in  the  winter  time  and  occupied  at  home  in  summer 
with  the  work  and  sports  of  the  farm.  While  gaining  inexhaustible  physical  Vitality  in 
the  healthful  existence  of  the  farm,  the  boy  already  displayed  a  talent  for  trading, which 
marked  him  as  a  born  business  man. 

At  the  age  of  twelve,  he  began  life  without  means  as  a  hard  working  errand 
boy  in  the  grocery  of  his  brother,  Henry  Risley  Sage,  in  Troy,  N.  Y.  The  hours  of 
duty  were  long  and  full  of  humdrum  occupation,  but  the  boy  had  his  evenings  and  im- 
proved them  by  studying  useful  books.  When  he  had  gained  in  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence, his  brother  made  him  a  clerk  and  salesman.  Mr.  Sage  made  many  trades  of  his 
own  during  this  period,  and,  both  from  enforced  economy,  resulting  from  a  small  sal- 
ary, and  his  ingenuity  in  bargaining,  gained  a  little  capital  of  his  own,  so  that  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  when  he  became  the  partner  of  another  brother,  Elisha  Montague 
vSage,  in  a  retail  grocery,  he  was  already  in  the  possession  of  a  small  surplus.  Shrewd, 
active,  saving  and  courageous,  he  soon  bought  his  brother's  interest,  became  sole  pro- 
prietor, expanded  his  sales  and  finally  sold  the  business  to  excellent  advantage.  In 
'839,  with  a  partner,  he  established  a  wholesale  grocery  store  of  his  own  at  No.  139 
River  street,  in  Troy.  His  partner,  John  W.  Bates,  was  a  good  merchant.  In  a  short 
time,  the  firm  became  commission  merchants  of  produce,  which  they  shipped  to  New 
York,  employed  several  sailing  vessels  of  their  own  on  the  Hudson  river,  and  by  their 
enterprise  came  to  control  the  markets  of  Troy  and  Albany  for  Canadian  and  Vermont 
horses.  Mr.  Sage  never  spared  himself  any  labor  necessary  to  bring  to  a  successful 
issue  any  transaction  in  which  he  was  engaged.  In  1844,  he  bought  his  partner's  inter- 
est and  carried  on  a  large  wholesale  grocery  trade  on  his  individual  account.  One  fea- 
ture of  his  enterprise  consisted  of  extensive  operations  in  beef,  pork,  flour  and  grain 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SA.  565 

and  to  some  extent  in  the  packing  of  meats  in  the  West.  Mr.  Sage  was  successful 
from  the  start  but  not  without  a  struggle  with  rivals  in  trade,  the  temptation  to  expend 
one's  savings,  and  the  influences  which  lure  a  man  to  a  commonplace  existence. 

Mr  Sage  rapidly  became  one  of  the  best  known  merchants  in  Troy,  and  his  genial 
and  spirited  manner,  lively  interest  in  affairs,  clear  head,  and  sturdy  character  produced 
the  result  of  making  him  a  leader  in  local  politics.  As  a  Whig,  his  fellow  citizens  made 
him,  in  1845.  in  a  Ward  which  had  long  been  Democratic,  an  alderman  of  the  city  and 
later  treasurer  of  Rensselaer  county.  He  held  both  offices  for  seven  years  He  also 
became  one  of  the  founders  and  directors  of  The  Commercial  Bank  of  Troy. 

Every  public  spirited  man  in  the  State  was  at  that  time  interested  in  the  project  of 
uniting  the  cities  of  the  Mohawk  valley  and  those  beyond,  as  far  as  Lake  Erie,  with  a 
series  of  short  railroads.  The  Erie  canal  had  been  of  immense  benefit  to  the  State,  but 
the  new  transportation  projects  promised  to  be  of  greater  value.  When  The  Albany  & 
Schenectady  Railroad  was  finally  opened  for  travel,  Mr.  Sage  accompanied  the  official 
party  in  a  tour  of  inspection  on  the  first  regular  train.  Captivated  with  what  he  saw, 
he  arranged  affairs  for  a  long  absence  and  then  made  an  extended  trip  through  Central 
New  York,  during  which  he  inspected  road  beds  and  the  work  of  construction  and 
studied  the  probable  advantages  of  the  new  railroads.  From  that  time  forward,  the 
subject  of  transportation  filled  his  mind.  About  1852,  The  Troy  &  Schenectady  Rail- 
road, then  the  property  of  the  city  of  Troy,  was  sold  to  E.  D.  Morgan  of  New  York  city 
for  a  low  figure,  only  to  be  sold  later  to  the  company  into  which  the  chain  of  connect- 
ing railroads,  extending  to  Lake  Erie,  was  consolidated,  known  as  The  New  York  Cen- 
tral. Mr.  Sage,  at  that  time  a  member  of  the  Common  Council  of  Troy,  bore  a 
prominent  part  in  this  transaction.  In  order  to  induce  Senator  Morgan  to  purchase 
this  road,  which  had  never  earned  a  dollar  (and  has  not  to  the  present  time,  1895),  Mr. 
Sage  agreed  to  purchase  a  portion  of  the  stock  with  Mr.  Morgan  and  relieve  the  tax 
payers  of  the  city  of  a  heavy  burden.  His  original  interest  in  railroads  grew  out  of  a 
desire  to  obtain  the  best  facilities  for  promoting  his  mercantile  interests,  and  his  success 
in  the  sale  of  a  small  railroad  property,  and  various  loans  which  he  made  at  a  later  date 
to  a  Western  corporation,  finally  resulted  in  Mr.  Sage  devoting,  for  a  time,  his  almost 
exclusive  attention  to  this  class  of  properties. 

During  his  stay  in  Troy,  Mr.  Sage  continued  to  be  active  in  politics.  In  the 
summer  of  1847,  he  was  appointed  with  Recorder  Olin  of  Troy  to  go  to  New  York  to 
meet  Gen.  John  A.  Wool  upon  the  latter's  return  from  the  Mexican  War.  At  the 
dinner  table  upon  the  Hudson  river  steamboat,  North  America,  a  toast  was  offered, 
accompanied  with  a  short  and  brilliant  speech,  proclaiming  General  Wool  as  the  "real 
hero  of  Buena  Vista,"  to  which  the  General  modestly  responded,  without  objecting  to 
the  compliment  named.  Alderman  Sage  was  then  called  upon  to  speak  and  said  he 
would  not  permit  anyone  to  surpass  him  in  cordial  feelings  towards  their  distinguished 
guest  and  fellow  townsman,  General  Wool,  but  the  fact  was  that  another  general  in 
command  of  the  American  army  in  Mexico  was  entitled  to  the  reputation  which  had 
been  given  to  General  Wool.  In  justice  to  his  superior  officer,  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor, 
the  real  and  acknowledged  hero  of  Buena  Vista,  Mr.  Sage  proposed  three  cheers  for 
the  latter,  which  were  given  with  enthusiasm  by  the  company.  In  1848,  Mr.  Sage 
attended  the  national  convention  of  the  Whig  party.  Of  the  32  delegates  from  New 
York  State,  28  were  for  Mr.  Clay.  Mr.  Sage  held  strongly  for  Mr.  Clay  until  General 


566  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Taylor  attained  a  majority  of  the  votes,  when  the  full   strength  of  the  delegation  was 
brought  to  General  Taylor,  who  was  then  nominated  and  afterward  elected. 

The  night  before  the  day  of  the  decisive  struggle,  Mr.  Sage  went  with  Thurlow 
Weed  to  see  General  Taylor's  brother,  who  answered  fully  for  the  General.  Mr.  Sage 
and  Mr.  Weed  were  assured  that  the  General,  if  nominated  and  elected,  would  faith- 
fully carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  Whig  party.  The  anti-slavery  feeling  had  grown  to 
a  marked  degree,  especially  among  the  delegates  from  Massachusetts  and  Western  New 
York  and  Ohio,  and  the  claim  had  been  made  that  General  Taylor  would  not  support 
the  Whig  platform.  Mr.  Sage  was  positively  assured  by  the  General's  brother  that  this 
was  not  true;  and  next  day,  when  he  saw  that  Mr.  Clay  would  be  outstripped  by  Taylor, 
Mr.  Sage  made  the  motion  to  nominate  Taylor  unanimously.  While  the  vote  was  not 
entirely  unanimous,  it  was  carried. 

These  incidents  gave  Mr.  Sage  great  influence  with  President  Taylor,  which  he 
employed  later  for  the  benefit  of  Senator  Seward.  The  "Silver  Grays"  of  the  Whig 
party  were  jealous  of  anti-slavery  leaders,  such  as  Seward,  Weed,  Sumner,  and  Chase, 
and,  seeking  to  prevent  the  nomination  of  Senator  Seward's  men  for  important  offices 
in  Albany,  Troy,  Rochester,  Buffalo,  and  other  cities,  had  managed  to  influence  Presi- 
dent Taylor  to  such  a  degree  that  he  was  ready  to  appoint  men  opposed  to  Mr.  Seward. 
Alexander  H.  Stevens  and  Robert  Toombs,  members  of  Congress  from  the  South,  had 
been  especially  active  in  prejudicing  the  President  by  assertions  of  Mr.  Seward's  insin- 
cerity in  avowed  support  of  the  administration.  Mr.  Sage,  then  a  young  man,  age 
thirty-one,  had  never  visited  Washington,  but  was  chosen  as  the  best  representative  of 
the  Seward  element  to  change  the  attitude  of  the  members  of  the  Cabinet  and  the 
President.  He  accepted  the  responsibility,  repaired  to  Washington,  and  pointed  out 
the  dangers  of  the  course  so  successfully  that  his  full  mission  was  accomplished  Mr. 
Sage  never  did  anything  by  halves.  It  was  not  in  his  nature  to  be  faint  hearted  in 
anything  he  ever  undertook.  The  directness  of  his  labors  on  this  occasion,  his  intre- 
pidity, the  shrewdness  and  convincing  nature  of  his  arguments,  and  his  success,  were 
thoroughly  characteristic.  Reverdy  Johnson,  Thomas  Ewing  and  Jacob  Collamore, 
members  of  the  Cabinet,  favored  Mr.  Seward's  appointments,  but  the  rest  of  the  Cabi- 
net were  against  them.  President  Taylor  recognized  the  zeal  and  ability  of  the  young 
politician  and  frequently  spoke  of  him  afterward.  The  full  list  of  Mr.  Seward's  selec- 
tions was  finally  approved. 

In  1850,  the  Whigs  of  Troy  nominated  Mr.  Sage  for  Congress,  but,  owing  to  the 
defection  of  the  Silver  Grays,  could  not  elect  him.  They  gave  him  a  small  majority  in 
1852  and  in  1854  a  majority  of  7,000,  the  most  emphatic  ever  known  in  the  district. 
During  his  four  years  in  Congress,  Mr.  Sage  served  upon  the  Ways  and  Means  and 
other  important  committees,  and  labored  diligently  for  all  the  famous  measures  of 
Whig  policy  then  under  discussion.  He  advocated  the  homestead  law,  the  effort  to 
organize  Kansas  and  Nebraska  as  free  territories,  and  the  election  of  Mr.  Banks  as 
Speaker;  opposed  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri  Compromise,  making  a  speech  of  some 
ability  on  the  subject  in  August,  1856;  and  was  active  in  all  the  exciting  struggles  of 
the  four  historic  years,  which  led  to  the  final  disruption  of  the  Whig  party  and  the 
organization  of  its  greater  successor,  the  Republican  party.  While,  as  a  soldier  in  the 
ranks,  Mr.  Sage  did  excellent  service  for  his  party,  the  incident  of  his  Congressional 
career  which  actually  brought  him  the  most  fame  was  the  appointment  of  a  committee 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SA.  567 

by  Congress,  due  entirely  to  his  efforts,  which  reported  upon  the  condition  of  Washing- 
ton's old  estate  of  Mount  Vernon  in  Virginia.  Out  of  this  action,  The  Mount  Vernon 
Association  came  into  being,  followed  by  the  purchase  of  Mount  Vernon  and  its  dedica- 
tion as  a  permanent  memorial  of  the  father  of  his  country. 

Meanwhile,  Mr.  Sage  was  too  prudent  to  neglect  his  practical  interests  at  home. 
He  made  many  flying  trips  to  Troy,  and  it  was  during  one  of  these  that,  in  the  railroad 
station  in  Troy,  he  first  met  Jay  Gould,  then  on  a  visit  to  Troy  in  the  interest  of  The 
Rutland  &  Washington  Railroad.  The  two  men  made  an  impression  upon  each 
other,  which  afterward  deepened  into  a  friendship,  famous  in  financial  history. 

The  interests  of  Mr.  Sage  had  become  widely  extended  and  now  demanded  his 
entire  attention.  Shrewd,  cool,  untiring  and  persistent  labor,  coupled  with  keen  good 
judgment,  enabled  him  to  pass  through  the  disasters  of  that  period  almost  unscathed; 
and  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  he  was  already  worth  more  than  three  quarters  of  a 
million  dollars.  The  panic  of  1857  led  him,  however,  to  relinquish  public  life  and 
mercantile  business,  and  devote  his  attention  to  finance.  This  change  came  about 
through  advances  which  he  had  made  to  The  La  Crosse  Railroad.  To  protect  his  loans, 
he  found  himself  obliged  to  advance  yet  larger  sums,  and,  through  legal  proceedings 
in  which  he  engaged  to  save  his  investments,  he  became  an  owner  of  the  stock  of  the 
road,  now  forming  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  system,  and  then  a  director 
and  vice  president  of  the  company. 

About  1 86 1,  Mr.  Sage  began  to  operate  in  Wall  street,  and  in  1863  he  removed  to 
New  York,  and  thereafter  gave  himself  wholly  to  operations  in  stocks  and  the  con- 
struction and  promotion  of  his  own  and  other  railroads.  Establishing  a  business 
office  on  William  street,  he  gave  his  first  attention  to  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  securities, 
but  later  to  those  of  other  railroads  and  finally  to  nearly  the  whole  range  of  stocks  at 
the  Exchange.  He  purchased  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Exchange  in  1874.  While  it  should 
be  noted  that  Mr.  Sage  has  himself  seldom  been  seen  on  the  floor  of  that  wild  whirlpool 
of  speculation,  the  fact  remains  that  for  more  than  thirty  years  he  has  been  one  of  the 
most  notable  figures  "in  the  street."  A  large  operator  at  different  times  and  an  asso- 
ciate of  Jay  Gould  and  other  giants  in  finance  in  several  historic  and  successful  cam- 
paigns, his  methods  have  been  as  a  rule  mainly  his  own.  He  has  seldom  incurred  the 
tremendous  risks  to  which  others  have  exposed  themselves,  but  has  preferred  a  rapid 
succession  of  moderate  risks  and  quick  returns.  About  1872,  Mr.  Sage  originated  the 
sale  of  privileges,  and  he  has  dealt  upon  a  large  scale  in  what  are  known,  in  the  vocabu- 
lary of  the  street,  as  "puts,"  "calls,"  and  "straddles."  Cool  in  the  period  of  most 
frantic  excitement,  cautious,  never  losing  his  head,  serene  as  a  rock  on  shore  lashed  by 
the  waves,  he  has  made  his  way  with  dogged  persistence  and  almost  unvarying  success 
from  the  day  of  his  debut  in  Wall  street.  Scarcely  a  day  has  passed  upon  which  he  has 
not  been  able  to  record  some  accession  to  his  capital.  It  is  believed  that  only  upon  one 
occasion,  that  memorable  day  in  1884,  upon  which  the  failure  of  Grant  &  Ward  was 
announced,  did  Mr.  Sage  ever  meet  with  a  considerable  loss  in  Wall  street.  It  is 
reported  that  the  crash  cost  him  $6,000,000.  The  excitement  of  that  day  and  his  per- 
sonal anxiety  were  very  great,  but  he  promptly  met  all  demands  with  cash  as  they 
came,  and  endured  his  losses  like  a  man.  His  operations  require  the  possession  of  a 
large  amount  of  ready  capital,  but  he  has  always  kept  his  resources  well  in  hand,  and 
in  an  emergency  commands  almost  unlimited  means.  He  has  been  exceedingly  help- 


568  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ful  to  his  brother  brokers  in  the  way  of  loans,  has  never  repudiated  a  contract,  and  is 
one  of  the  few  men  in  Wall  street  who  have  been  willing  to  give  a  valuable  "point"  to 
a  friend.  Several  men  of  position  unhesitatingly  ascribe  to  the  friendship  of  Mr.  Sage 
the  origin  of  their  fortunes.  It  would  be  impossible  to  relate  in  the  brief  space  here  set 
aside  all  the  striking  incidents,  which  could  be  told  of  Mr.  Sage's  long  Wall  street 
career.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  beginning  life  a  poor  boy  and  winning  his  first  success 
in  mercantile  pursuits,  he  has  now  spent  more  than  thirty  years  in  the  fierce  life  of 
Wall  street,  and  accumulated  a  large  fortune,  estimated  at  various  sums,  by  straightfor- 
ward business  methods. 

Mr.  Sage  early  became  an  intimate  friend  of  the  late  Jay  Gould  and,  after  1866, 
these  two  men  maintained  offices  adjoining  each  other,  first  at  No's  78-80  Broadway, 
now  the  site  of  The  Union  Trust  Co.,  afterward  at  No.  71  Broadway,  Mr.  Sage's 
present  .office,  the  most  famous  corner  in  the  financial  center  of  the  city.  They  co- 
operated in  the  development  of  lines  of  transportation  in  the  West  and  elsewhere,  and 
Mr.  Sage  has,  in  fact,  taken  an  active  part  in  the  construction  of  over  5,000  miles  of 
American  railroads.  He  was  called  the  father  of  the  railroad  construction  companies 
in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota,  being  president  of  more  than  25  corporations  for  the 
construction  and  extension  of  railroad  lines.  His  fortune,  like  that  of  Mr.  Gould,  has 
risen  mainly  from  the  advance  in  value  of  the  securities  of  corporations,  after  they  had 
come  under  their  joint  management.  The  friendship  between  those  two  men  was 
remarkable.  Each  had  implicit  confidence  in  the  other.  Each  aided  the  other  in 
gigantic  schemes,  and  the  fortune  of  each  was  at  the  instant  command  of  the  other  in 
times  of  need.  If  the  facts  could  be  fully  known,  it  would  probably  be  found  that  Mr. 
Gould  was  saved  in  critical  moments  by  the  help  of  Mr.  Sage.  The  two  men  were 
associates  in  telegraphic  enterprises,  also.  Mr.  Sage  was  especially  active  in  the  pro- 
motion of  The  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Telegraph  Co.,  and  its  consolidation  with  The 
Western  Union.  He  is  now  connected  with  27  corporations,  embracing  over  40 
railroads,  is  a  large  shareholder  in  all,  and  president  of  The  Iowa  Central  Railway; 
director  of  The  Missouri  Pacific,  The  Union  Pacific,  The  Wabash,  The  St.  Louis,  Iron 
Mountain  &  Southern,  The  Texas  &  Pacific,  The  Manhattan,  The  Troy  &  Boston,  The 
Troy  &  Bennington,  and  other  railroads;  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.;  The  Im- 
porters' &  Traders'  National  Bank,  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co. ;  The  Western  Union 
Telegraph,  The  Gold  &  Stock  Telegraph,  The  International  Ocean  Telegraph, 
The  American  Telegraph  &  Cable  and  The  New  York  Mutual  Telegraph  CD'S;  The 
New  York  Bank  Note  Co.,  and  The  Standard  Gas  Light  Co  Of  The  Fifth  Avenue 
Bank,  he  is  a  director  and  the  only  surviving  founder,  and  has  been  for  four  years  the 
only  living  original  director  of  The  New  York  Central  Railroad.  He  has  also  been  a 
director  of  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  The  New  York,  Lackawanna  & 
Western,  and  The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St  Paul  railroads. 

An  incident  which  startled  the  United  States,  occurred  in  Mr.  Sage's  office  Dec.  4, 
1891.  Upon  that  day,  he  was  visited  at  No.  71  Broadway  by  Henry  F.  Norcross  of 
Boston,  a  man  of  unbalanced  mind,  who  demanded  an  immediate  gift  of  $1,200,000 
for  himself.  When  the  offer  was  refused,  Mr.  Norcross  dropped  a  dynamite  bomb 
upon  the  floor,  the  explosion  of  which  blew  Mr.  Norcross  to  atoms,  killed  one  of  the 
clerks,  and  wrecked  the  whole  office.  Mr.  Sage  was  severely  injured  by  the  explosion. 
His  recovery  was  a  marvel  but  was  due  to  a  vigorous  constitution,  strengthened  by 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SA.  569 

his  early  life  and  maintained  by  judicious  living  and  the  entire  abstention  from  stimu- 
lants. 

Mr.  Sage  is  tall  and  spare,  with  heavy  eyebrows  and  keen  blue-gray  eyes,  which 
are  often  lighted  with  a  sense  of  humor.  He  wears  no  beard.  He  is  genial  in  manner, 
prompt  and  decided  in  action,  clear  headed,  sagacious,  and  in  speech  reticent.  One  of 
his  peculiarities,  the  plainness  of  his  attire,  has  prompted  harmless  merriment  at  his 
expense  among  the  wits  of  Wall1  street.  Wall  street  brokers  are  proverbially  the  best 
dressed  men  in  the  city,  but  Mr.  Sage  looks  more  like  a  quiet  farmer ;  and  this  entire 
lack  of  display  has  led  several  times  to  attempts  by  bunco  men  to  beguile  him.  The 
surprise  of  these  gentlemen  upon  discovering  the  identity  of  their  illustrious  victim 
has  afforded  Mr.  Sage  much  entertainment,  and  has  been  frequently  paralleled  by 
the  sensations  of  rivals  in  Wall  street,  after  an  attempt  to  engineer  a  speculation  to  Mr. 
Sage's  disadvantage  and  upon  being  confronted  by  the  results  of  their  attempt. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sage  have  long  attended  the  West  Presbyterian  Church.  Mr.  Sage 
has  been  married  twice,  first  in  1841  to  Miss  Maria  Winne,  daughter  of  Moses  I.  Winne 
of  Troy.  His  wife  died  in  New  York  city  in  1867;  and  in  1869,  he  married  Margaret 
Olivia,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  Slocum  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  a  merchant  of  high 
character  and  man  of  marked  spirit.  They  have  no  children.  On  her  father's  side, 
Mrs.  Sage  is  in  the  eighth  generation  of  descent  from  Capt.  Miles  Standish  of  colonial 
fame  and  was  inspired  by  her  lineage  to  become  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Society  of 
Mayflower  Descendants  of  New  York  city.  Through  the  maternal  line,  she  is  in  the 
eighth  generation  from  Col.  Henry  Pierson  of  Sag  Harbor,  N.  Y.,  conspicuous  in  found- 
ing the  public  school  system  of  America  about  1787.  Mrs.  Sage  is  a  woman  of  fine 
education,  intellectual  force  and  gracious  manners,  notable  for  her  tact  and  sweetness, 
and  prominent  in  advocacy  of  suffrage  for  women.  She  is  a  member  of  The  Women's 
Suffrage  League  and  active  in  the  agitation  to  secure  the  ballot  for  her  sex. 

Among  the  thousands  of  people,  scattered  throughout  the  United  States,  who 
revere  the  memory  of  Mrs.  Emma  Hart  Willard,  founder  of  Troy  Female  Seminary, 
no  one  has  been  more  sincere  than  Mrs.  Sage.  She  is  a  graduate  from  that  institution 
and  during  her  stay  in  school  enjoyed  personal  instruction  under  Mrs.  Willard.  In 
honor  of  his  wife,  Mr.  Sage  has  recently  presented  a  handsome  dormitory  to  this 
seminary  at  a  cost  of  $120,000.  This  structure  was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  educa- 
tion, May  16,  1895,  with  public  ceremonies,  and  in  the  presence  of  thousands  of  people. 
Dr.  Taylor,  president  of  Yassar  College,  made  an  exhaustive  and  able  address  in  the 
morning  at  the  unveiling  of  the  Emma  Willard  statue.  President  Stryker  of  Hamilton 
College  made  the  address  presenting  the  Sage  dormitory  on  behalf  of  Mr.  Sage,  and 
Chauncey  M.  Depew  delivered  an  eloquent  oration.  The  enthusiastic  and  prolonged 
applause  with  which  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sage  were  greeted  convinced  them  of  the  public 
appreciation  of  their  generous  gift.  Russell  Sage  Hall,  as  it  is  called,  is  four  stories 
in  height,  the  lower  story  being  made  of  New  Jersey  sandstone,  the  upper  three  of 
buff  colored  pressed  brick.  The  construction  is  fire  proof  and  in  beauty  of  design, 
within  and  without,  the  building  exceeds  the  finest  ever  before  erected  in  Troy.  The 
two  parlors  are  finished  in  ivory  white  woodwork,  and  the  hallways,  library,  dining 
room,  dormitories,  kitchens  and  other  apartments  are  models  of  their  class  and  designed 
with  reference  both  to  architectural  effect  and  the  uses  to  which  thev  are  assigned. 
The  citizens  of  Troy  planned  an  evening  reception,  complimentary  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 


570  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Sage,  endorsed  by  the  Common  Council  of  the  city,  and  committees  of  prominent 
people  were  appointed  to  make  all  necessary  arrangements.  The  reception  was 
attended  by  a  large  concourse  of  people,  who  were  presented  in  regular  order  for  over 
two  and  one  half  hours.  An  interesting  incident  occurred  about  9:30  p.m.,  when  the 
venerable  Father  Haverman  of  Troy,  accompanied  by  two  assistants,  was  pre- 
sented to  his  old  time  friend.  While  Mr.  Sage  shook  his  hand,  the  company  present 
cheered  and  waved  their  handkerchiefs.  Father  Haverman  in  his  ninety-first  year 
yet  has  a  parish  in  Troy.  He  has  originated  and  built  more  hospitals  and  churches 
than  any  other  man  in  that  city. 

JAflES  HENRY  SALISBURY,  H.D.,  born  in  Cortland  county,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  13-14, 
1823,  descends  from  mingled  Bavarian,  English  and  Welsh  ancestry.  His  grandfather, 
Nathan  Salisbury,  engaged  in  the  attack  on  the  Gaspee  just  before  the  American  Revo- 
lution as  a  lieutenant  in  Captain  Burgess's  company.  A  student  in  Homer  Academy 
and  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institute  (1846),  Dr.  Salisbury  graduated  from  Albany  Med- 
ical College  in  1850  and  received  the  degree  of  A.  M:  from  Union  College  in  1852.  His 
scientific  studies  were  begun  before  that  time,  however,  in  the  State  Geological  Survey 
as  an  assistant  to  Prof.  Ebenezer  Emmons,  whom  he  succeeded  in  1849.  Having  en- 
tered upon  the  practice  of  medicine,  Dr.  Salisbury  made  a  study  of  diseases  of  the  diges- 
tive organs  and  carefully  evolved  a  system  of  treatment  based  upon  the  relation  of 
alimentation  to  disease,  which  demanded  skillful  management  of  the  diet  and  included 
the  drinking  of  hot  water.  This  as  set  forth  in  his  work,  now  finally  perfected,  has 
gained  for  him  a  reputation  and  an  extensive  practice.  He  is  prominent  as  one  of 
the  earliest  American  students  of  microscopy  and  was  elected  president  of  the  Ameri- 
can Institute  in  1878.  He  laid  bare  the  germ  theory  of  disease  in  1849,  anci  in  '865 
Hallier  of  Jena  confirmed  his  deductions,  thus  antedating  Pasteur,  Huxley,  Tomasi 
and  the  later  experiments.  He  owns  a  farm  and  park  in  Cleveland,  O.,  where  most 
of  his  experiments  are  conducted.  Several  prizes  have  been  awarded  to  him  by  medi- 
cal bodies  for  essays  on  "Malaria,"  "Morphology,"  "Investigations  in  Diphtheria  and 
Scarlet  Fever,"  etc.,  and  he  is  a  member  of  The  Philosophical  Society  of  Great  Britain 
and  The  Antiquarian  Society,  and  numbers  among  his  correspondents  and  personal 
friends  Mivart,  Beale,  the  Duke  of  Argyle,  Huxley  and  Pasteur.  In  1860,  Dr.  Salisbury 
was  married  to  Clara,  daughter  of  John  T.  Brasee  of  Lancaster,  O.  They  have  two 
children,  Minnie  B.  and  Trafford  B.,  the  latter  a  medical  student  in  New  York  city. 

HENRY  BERTON  SANDS,  M.D.,  eminent  as  a  surgeon,  born  Sept.  27,  1830,  died 
Nov.  18,  1888,  in  this  city.  His  preparatory  education  was  obtained  in  a  high  school 
in  New  York  city,  and,  in  1854,  he  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians  and 
Surgeons.  After  a  medical  and  surgical  course  in  Bellevue  Hospital,  he  went  abroad  for 
eight  months,  returning  in  1857  to  assume  the  demonstratorship  of  anatomy  in  the 
College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons.  He  was  subsequently  professor  of  anatomy  and 
then  of  surgery.  For  about  ten  years,  he  was  associated  with  the  late  Dr.  Willard 
Parker,  and  although  he  had  a  large  general  practice  in  the  early  part  of  his  pro- 
fessional life,,  his  interest  was  always  in  the  achievements  of  surgery — a  work  which  he 
was  able  to  enjoy  to  its  fullest  extent  the  last  twelve  years  of  his  life.  He  was  success- 
fully attached  as  attending  surgeon  to  The  New  York  Eye  Infirmary,  St.  Luke's, 
Bellevue,  and  The  New  York  and  Roosevelt  hospitals,  and  in  the  latter  he  had  for  five 
years  previous  to  his  death  the  largest  surgical  service  in  this  city.  Dr.  Sands  was 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SA.  57! 

among  the  first  in  this  country  to  recognize  the  significance  and  value  of  antisepsis  in 
its  application  to  surgery.  In  the  revolution  which  it  produced  in  the  surgical  art,  he 
was  among  the  foremost  and  most  zealous  spirits,  doing  more  perhaps  than  any  of  his 
contemporaries  to  perfect  the  technique  and  demonstrate  the  success  of  antiseptic 
operations.  His  career  as  a  teacher  began  with  his  entrance  into  professional  life,  his 
interest  being  so  keen  in  this  work  that  he  was  able  to  lay,  by  his  precept  and 
example,  the  foundation  of  the  success  of  many  of  the  most  distinguished  surgeons  in 
this  city.  None  of  his  predecessors  or  contemporaries,  excepting  the  late  Dr.  Willard 
Parker,  numbered  so  many  private  pupils,  and  it  was  always  gratifying  to  him  that 
among  them  were  the  ablest  students  of  the  college.  Although  his  whole  life  was 
devoted  to  his  profession,  it  was  always  a  pleasure  to  come  in  social  relation  with  him, 
as  he  was  possessed  of  a  most  responsive  mind  and  an  unusual  magnetic  power.  In 
his  leisure  moments,  he  derived  the  keenest  enjoyment  from  music,  and  in  his  early 
life  was  an  excellent  pianist.  Dr.  Sands  was  a  member  of  The  New  York  Academy 
of  Medicine,  The  County  Medical  Society,  The  Pathological  Society,  The  Physicians' 
Mutual  Aid  Association,  The  Society  for  the  Relief  of  Widows  &  Orphans  of  Medical 
Men  and  of  The  Medical  &  Surgical  Society.  He  was  also  connected  with  The  New 
York  Philharmonic  Society.  Although  his  contributions  to  surgical  literature  were  not 
voluminous,  they  were  of  great  value  as  detailing  the  results  of  a  remarkably  extensive 
practice.  Dr.  Sands  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife  being  a  Miss  Sarah  M.  Curtis  of 
Brooklyn,  by  whom  he  had  four  children,  two  surviving  him — Robert  Alfred  and 
Josephine  S.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Mrs.  Alice  Reamey  (born  Hayden),  by 
whom  he  had  one  son,  Henry  Hayden,  who  alone  survives  him.  Dr.  Sands  outlived 
both  his  wives. 

SAMUEL  5TEVENS  SANDS,  banker,  born  in  1826,  died  in  New  Hamburg, 
X.  Y.,  July  24,  1892.  His  family  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  best  known  in  New  York 
city,  several  of  the  name  being  conspicuous  at  the  time  of  the  American  Revolution  and 
later  as  merchants  and  men  of  affairs.  Mr.  Sands  entered  business  life  at  an  early  age 
and  having  married  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  Aymar,  the  shipping  merchant,  formed  a 
partnership  afterward  with  Benjamin  R.  Aymar,  his  brother-in-law,  as  S.  S.  Sands  & 
Co.,  and  engaged  in  banking  and  stock  brokerage.  For  more  than  forty  years  he  was 
the  controlling  spirit  of  the  house,  after  1854  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  for 
thirty  years  the  principal  banker  of  John  Jacob  Astor.  He  shared  in  the  management 
of  The  Colorado  Midland,  The  Milwaukee,  Lake  Shore  &  Southern,  The  Boston  &  New 
York  Air  Line,  and  The  Indianapolis,  Decatur  &  Springfield  Railroads,  and  The 
Lehigh  Valley  Coal  Co.,  and  in  all  relations  displayed  perfect  integrity,  rare  judgment 
and  fine  ability,  enjoying  in  a  high  degree  the  confidence  of  those  whose  affairs  were 
entrusted  to  him.  He  was  the  father  of  ten  children,  of  whom  eight  survived  him. 

EDWARDS  SEWALL  SANFORD,  born  in  Medway,  Mass.,  died  at  the  country 
home  of  his  son-in-law,  N.  W.  T.  Hatch,  at  Glenholden,  near  Philadelphia,  Sept.  9, 
1882,  in  his  sixty-sixth  year.  His  father,  a  clergyman,  belonged  to  an  old  New  Eng- 
land family.  In  1842,  Mr.  Sanford  became  an  agent  in  New  York  for  Alvin  Adams, 
of  Boston,  founder  of  the  express  business,  and  displayed  such  energy  and  ability  that 
Adams  &  Co.  selected  him  to  superintend  the  extension  of  their  business  to  Washing- 
ton. After  this  task  had  been  completed,  he  was  sent  as  general  agent  to  Philadelphia 
and  soon  afterward  made  general  superintendent  there.  Thereafter,  he  became  one  of 


572  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

the  recognized  powers  in  the  express  business,  and  when,  July  i,  1854,  The  Adams 
Express  Co.  was  organized,  with  Alvin  Adams  as  president  and  William  B.  Dinsmore 
as  vice  president,  Mr.  Sanford  was  given  a  seat  in  the  small  board  of  directors.  In 
1867,  when  Mr.  Adams  died  and  Mr.  Dinsmore  succeeded  to  the  presidency,  Mr.  San- 
ford  became  vice-president,  which  position  he  held  until  his  death.  At  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Sanford,  then  at  the  head  of  The  American  Telegraph  Co.,  was 
appointed  supervisor  of  military  telegraph  lines  and  in  this  position  exercised  absolute 
censorship  over  all  dispatches.  After  the  absorption  of  his  company  by  The  Western 
Union,  he  became  a  director  of  the  latter. ,  He  was  also  a  director  of  The  International 
Ocean  Telegraph  Co.  and  had  coal  mining  interests  in  Nova  Scotia.  Mr.  Sanford  was 
a  man  of  remarkable  executive  ability,  circumspect  and  correct  in  all  his  business 
relations,  and  greatly  admired  for  his  uprightness  of  character  and  kindly  disposition. 
He  was  liberal,  fond  of  society  and  a  lover  of  books. 

GEORGE  HENRY  SARGENT,  manufacturer,  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts  but  has 
long  been  a  resident  of  New  York  city.  Among  the  hardware  manufacturers  and  hard- 
ware merchants  of  the  country,  the  name  of  Sargent  has  now  been  prominent  and  pop- 
ular for  forty  years  and  reasonably  so,  because  earnest  and  zealous  endeavor,  promo- 
tion of  the  welfare  of  one's  country,  continuity  of  purpose  and  persistent  application  in 
any  given  line  of  honest  effort,  always  win  attention  and  are  entitled  to  approval. 

Mr.  Sargent  descends  from  Puritan  stock  and  traces  his  line  to  William  Sargent, 
lay  preacher,  who  emigrated  to  Maiden,  Mass.,  in  1638,  and  to  the  Denny,  Jones  and 
Baldwin  families.  He  is  the  son  of  Col.  Joseph  Denny  Sargent  and  Mindwell  Jones, 
his  wife,  and  was  born  Oct.  29,  1828,  in  the  county  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  the  town  of 
Leicester,  in  the  organization  of  which  hamlet  early  in  the  last  century  his  ancestors 
were  prominent  and  helpful.  The  descendants  of  the  Puritan  pioneers  of  the  family  in 
the  next  generation  equaled  their  fathers  in  brain  and  brawn  and  were  active  and  stead- 
fast in  the  affairs  which  led  up  to  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  doing  duty  as  soldiers 
when  the  ' '  war  was  on  "  and  sharing  in  the  honors  and  glory  which  came  to  the  ' '  heroes 
of  '76."  Of  such  ancestors  one  may  reasonably  be  proud  and  from  such  blood  should 
come,  and  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Sargent  did  come,  the  sterling  qualities  of  industry,  in- 
tegrity, frugality  and  temperance  combined  with  ambition,  nervous  energy  and  sagacity. 

Mr.  Sargent  was  educated  at  Leicester  Academy  and  Harvard  College,  being  a 
member  at  Harvard  of  the  somewhat  famous  class  of  1853,  having  for  classmates  men 
who  have  become  noted  in  their  professional,  literary  and  business  callings.  Inherit- 
ing a  strong  constitution  and  remarkable  physique  and  observing  ' '  temperance  in  all 
things,"  he  began  life  under  promising  auspices  and  has  since  accomplished  such  re- 
sults as  come  to  one  possessed  of  an  industrious  and  patient  disposition,  an  active  and 
well  stored  mind,  persistent  application,  a  genial  manner  and  pleasing  address.  Re- 
moving to  New  York  city  in  1853,  he  joined  his  brother,  Joseph  Bradford  Sargent,  in 
the  manufacture  of  hardware.  Comparatively  little  hardware  was  then  produced  in 
this  country,  but  now  the  reverse  is  true,  and  this  assertion  can  have  no  illustration 
more  marked  and  convincing  than  the  fact  that  the  original  shop  of  the  Sargents 
in  New  Britain,  Conn.,  in  the  fifties,  was  but  a  "wart  on  Olympus"  compared  with 
their  present  extensive  works  in  New  Haven.  These  latter  factories  were  established 
in  1863,  and  being  enlarged  from  time  to  time  now  represent  an  investment  of  millions 
of  dollars  and  stand  as  a  monumental  instance  of  the  progress  and  growth  of  American 


574 


AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN 


manufactures  during  the  past  forty  years.  They  manufacture  a  great  variety  of  hard- 
ware and  disburse  large  sums  of  money  annually  for  raw  materials  and  wages. 

The  business  of  Sargent  &  Co.  in  New  York  city  is  now  chiefly  confined  to  the  sale 
of  the  ever  increasing  variety  of  goods  made  at  their  New  Haven  factories,  although 
they  are  large  distributors  at  their  stores  of  such  articles,  produced*  by  other  manufac- 
turers, as  are  requisite  for  a  complete  assortment  in  any  line  of  their  own  production. 

For  many  years,  Mr.  Sargent,  in  partnership  with  his  brothers,  Joseph  B.  and 
Edward,  was  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  cards  used  for  carding  cotton  and  wool  by 
hand,  at  their  factory  in  Leicester,  Mass. ,  a  town  noted  for  more  than  a  century  as  the 
place  of  origin  and  continuance  of  the  card  making  industry.  This  business  was  in- 
herited from  their  father,  whose  name  as  a  careful  and  painstaking  manufacturer,  was 
well  known  and  highly  honored  by  all  dealers  in  these  articles  of  domestic  economy. 

Mr.  Sargent  is  a  Republican  and  Unitarian.  Close  attention  to  business  has  kept 
him  out  of  any  effort  for  public  office.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Harvard 
and  Hardware  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society,  and  a  director  in  The  Mercantile 
National  Bank.  He  was  married  in  1855  to  Sara  Shaw,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  John 
H.  Shaw,  of  Nan  tucket,  Mass. 

EDWARD  CHARLES  SCHAEFER,  brewer  and  banker,  born  Dec.  16,  1850,  is 
a  son  of  Frederick  Schaefer,  especially  successful  as  a  brewer.  The  senior  Schaefer, 
a  native  of  Wetzlar,  Prussia,  came  to  New  York  in  1838.  Edward  obtained  a  public 
and  private  school  education  and  graduated  at  Bryant  &  Stratton's  Business  College  in 
1868.  He  then  entered  a  Broadway  commercial  house,  and  later,  in  1874,  the  employ- 
ment of  Messrs.  F.  &  M.  Schaefer.  Upon  the  opening  of  The  Germania  Bank,  he  entered 
that  institution  as  a  clerk,  leaving  in  1873  and  going  into  business  for  himself  for  one 
year,  since  which  period  he  has  been  continually  in  the  brewing  business  although  yet 
connected  with  The  Germania  Bank.  Of  the  latter  he  was  elected  president,  twenty- 
three  years  to  the  day  after  his  entry  in  this  institution  as  a  clerk.  In  1878,  The  F.  & 
M.  Schaefer  Brewing  Co.  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $650,000  and  in  1884,  Edward 
C.  Schaefer  became  its  president.  Associated  with  him  in  the  management  are  Emil, 
Rudolph  J.,  George  G.  (who  is  treasurer),  Frederick  and  Max  Schaefer.  This  con- 
cern was  one  of  the  pioneers  in  introducing  lager  beer  to  America.  It  was  established 
in  1842  and  now  carries  on  a  large  business.  Their  brewery  at  Park  avenue,  5ist  and 
52d  streets,  attracts  the  attention  of  every  traveler  entering  New  York  from  the  north- 
ward. Mr.  Schaefer  is  president  of  The  Germania  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Lieder- 
kranz,  Arion,  Manhattan,  Democratic,  and  Terrace  Bowling  clubs. 

AUGUSTUS  SCHELL,  lawyer  and  financier,  a  native  of  Rhinebeck,  N.  Y.,  born 
Aug.  i,  1812,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  27,  1884.  Christian  Schell,  his  father,  a 
merchant  of  German  descent,  was  during  the  War  of  1812  an  officer  in  a  New  York 
regiment.  Augustus  Schell's  brothers,  Richard,  dry  goods  merchant  and  Wall  street 
operator,  who  died  in  November,  1879,  Edward  and  Robert  all  rose  to  prominence. 
Graduating  from  Union  College  in  1830,  Mr.  Schell  studied  law  and  being  admitted  to 
the  bar  attained  prominence  in  his  profession.  Early  in  life  he  went  into  politics,  being 
chairman  of  the  Tammany  General  Committee  in  1852,  and  in  a  race  with  Horatio 
Seymour  for  a  nomination  for  Governor,  losing  the  prize  by  two  votes  only.  In  1852, 
he  became  chairman  of  the  Democratic  State  Committee  and  was  twice  re-elected.  In 
1854,  his  Tammany  associates  tendered  him  the  Mayoralty  of  New  York  but  he  de- 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SC.  575 

clined.  He  rendered  active  service  in  the  campaign  of  1856  and  received  the  appoint- 
ment as  Collector  of  the  Port  of  New  York,  which  office  he  held  until  the  election  of 
Abraham  Lincoln.  He  was  one  of  those  who  went  upon  the  bail  bond  of  Jefferson 
Davis.  After  the  war,  Mr.  Schell  gave  his  attention  to  railroads,  becoming  a  director 
of  The  Harlem  Railroad  in  1872  and  of  The  Hudson  River  Railroad  in  1874  and  an  in- 
timate friend  of  Commodore  Vanderbilt.  The  consolidation  of  The  New  York  Central 
&  Hudson  River  system  brought  him  large  means  and  he  became  a  director 
successively  of  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern,  The  New  York,  New  Haven  & 
Hartford,  The  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  The  Union  Pacific,  and  The  Canada  Southern 
Railroads,  as  well  as  of  The  Union  Trust  Co.,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  and 
The  Manhattan  Life  Insurance  Co.  He  was  also  a  trustee  of  many  philanthropic  in- 
stitutions. Politics  continued  to  exert  a  strong  fascination  upon  Mr.  Schell.  A  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Constitutional  Convention  in  1867,  he  helped  reorganize  the  Tammany 
Society  in  1871—72,  accepting  the  office  of  Grand  Sachem  in  1872  and  holding  it  until 
his  death.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Democratic  National  Committee  in  1872  and  1876 
and  a  member  of  the  new  Constitutional  Convention  in  1872  In  1877,  he  was  defeated 
for  the  State  Senate  by  Mr.  Morrissey  and  in  1878  for  Mayor  by  Edward  Cooper.  Mr. 
Schell  helped  organize  the  Manhattan  club  in  1865,  and  was  manager  1865-71,  presi- 
dent 1871-77,  and  vice  president  1878-84.  He  was  also  a  governor  of  the  St.  Nicholas 
club.  His  wife,  Anna  M.,  survived  him  They  were  married  in  1873  and  had  no 
children.  Mr.  Schell  was  a  man  of  kindly  disposition,  easy  of  approach,  calm  in 
temperament,  with  many  friends.  Several  public  bequests  appeared  in  his  will. 

WILLIAM  HENRY'  SCHIEFFELIN,  merchant,  born  Aug.  20,  1836,  in  New  York 
city,  died  in  town  June  21,  1895.  His  family  traces  its  ancestry  for  seven  centuries 
back  to  Norlingen,  Germany.  One  branch  of  the  family  became  conspicuous  in 
Switzerland  as  owners  of  land  and  Syndics  of  Geneva.  The  pioneer  in  America,  Jacob 
Schieffelin,  sailed  from  Germany  to  Philadelphia  in  1740  and  returned  to  the  father- 
land, but  his  son,  Jacob,  came  to  Philadelphia  in  1745  and  remained  in  the  new  world. 
Jacob,  son  of  the  latter,  served  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  Henry  Hamilton  and  won  the  affec- 
tion of  a  beautiful  American  girl,  whom  he  married.  He  settled  in  New  York  city  in 
1780  and  here  established  on  Pearl  street,  after  a  time,  what  subsequently  became  the 
famous  wholesale  drug  business  of  the  Schieffelins.  His  wife  was  Hannah,  daughter 
of  John  Lawrence,  land  holder  of  Queens  county,  and  Mr.  Schieffelin  took  John  B. 
Lawrence,  his  wife's  nephew,  into  partnership  in  the  drug  business.  Mr.  Schieffelin 
wished  to  own  ships  as  well  as  sell  drugs  and  a  disagreement  on  this  point  resulted  in  a 
separation  of  the  partners.  After  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  Mr.  Schieffelin 
carried  on  business  on  his  own  account.  In  1813,  his  son  Henry  Hamilton  Schieffelin 
succeeded  to  the  management  under  the  name  of  H.  H.  Schieffelin  &  Co.,  to  be  in  turn 
succeeded,  in  the  '505,  by  the  four  sons  of  the  latter,  Samuel  Bradhurst,  Sidney  Augustus, 
James  Lawrence  and  Bradhurst  Schieffelin,  as  Schieffelin  Bro's  &  Co.  In  1849,  the 
stock  and  business  of  Hoadley,  Phelps  &  Co.,  were  acquired  by  purchase.  William  H. 
Schieffelin  was  the  only  son  of  Samuel  B.  and  Lucretia  Hazard  Schieffelin.  He  grew 
up  in  his  father's  firm  and  was  early  admitted  to  partnership,  but  enlivened  his  career 
with  early  exploration  and  adventure.  In  1860,  he  crossed  the  Rocky  Mountains  in 
Montana  with  a  party  of  men,  who,  being  captured  by  the  Indians,  came  near  losing 
their  lives.  In  1862,  Mr.  Schieffelin  went  to  the  front  with  the  7th  N.  Y.  militia,  re- 


576  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

ceived  a  commission  while  in  Baltimore  as  Major  of  the  ist  N.  Y.  Mounted  Rifles,  and 
served  until  July,  1863,  under  General  Wool,  near  Suffolk,  Va. ,  being-  often  in  action. 
He  then  returned  to  New  York  in  time  to  aid  in  suppressing  the  draft  riots  and  there- 
after applied  himself  to  the  wholesale  drug  business  of  his  firm.  Since  1854,  the  house 
has  occupied  a  site  at  the  corner  of  William  and  Beekman  streets.  A  large  laboratory- 
has  been  developed  there  and  the  firm  make  a  specialty  of  synthetic  drugs,  in  which 
they  have  an  extended  trade.  Mr.  Schieffelin  had  been  senior  partner  since  1865. 
Originally  a  Republican  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  Mr.  Schieffelin  be- 
came a  supporter  of  President  Cleveland  in  1892.  He  belonged  to  the  Century  and 
City  clubs  and  the  Loyal  Legion.  Oct.  15,  1863,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  the 
Hon.  John  and  Eleanor  Jay. 

CHARLES  A.  SCHIEREN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Rhenish  Prussia,  was  born  in 
1842  and  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents  in  1856.  The  future  Mayor  of  Brook- 
lyn took  his  place  behind  the  counter  of  his  father's  cigar  and  tobacco  store  on  Atlantic 
avenue  in  that  city,  when  old  enough,  and,  in  1864,  became  clerk  for  Philip  S.  Pasquay, 
manufacturer  of  leather  belting  in  New  York.  In  1868,  with  a  capital  of  only  $2,000, 
he  started  a  leather  belting  and  tanning  business  of  his  own  and  has  been  active  in  that 
trade  ever  since.  He  has  invented  many  improvements  upon  the  old  style  of  leather 
belts.  In  1882,  Jacob  R.  Stine  and  Fred  A.  M.  Burrell,  two  faithful  employe's,  became 
his  partners,  the  former  retiring  in  1887.  The  firm  are  known  as  Charles  A.  Schieren 
&  Co.,  and  under  skillful  management  have  extended  their  operations  widely  and  now 
have  branch  houses  in  Philadelphia,  Boston  and  Chicago,  with  large  tanneries  both  in 
Brooklyn  and  in  Adamsburg,  Pa.,  and  Bristol,  Tenn.  Mr.  Schieren  is  an  authority 
upon  belting  and  has  written  a  number  of  excellent  essays  on  the  subject  for  publica- 
tion. He  is  vice-president  of  The  Hide  &  Leather  National  Bank  and  a  member  of 
the  Commonwealth  and  Hide  &  Leather  clubs  of  this  city  and  the  Union  League  and 
Hamilton  clubs  of  Brooklyn  and  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Always  active  in 
affairs  in  Brooklyn,  especially  in  the  leading  charities  and  politics,  the  Young  Men's 
Republican  Club,  the  erection  of  the  Beecher  and  Stranahan  statues,  etc.,  he  was  elected 
in  1893  Mayor  of  Brooklyn  by  a  combination  of  the  Republicans  and  reformers. 

JACOB  HENRY  SCHIFF,  banker,  was  born  of  German  Hebrew  ancestry  in  Frank- 
fort on  the  Main,  in  1847.  His  father  was  a  successful  merchant.  Jacob  went  to 
school  in  Frankfort  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  came  to  the  United  States,  where,  at  an 
early  age,  he  associated  himself  with  the  brokerage  firm  of  Budge,  Schiff  &  Co.  Few 
of  his  countrymen  have  made  their  mark  more  rapidly  than  he  in  this  bustling  city. 
In  1875,  ne  became  a  member  of  the  private  banking  house  of  Kuhn,  Loeb  &  Co., 
which  gave  wide  scope  for  the  exercise  of  his  abilities.  This  house  has  good  connec- 
tions abroad  and  has  placed  large  issues  of  government  bonds  and  investment  securities 
among  European  and  home  investors.  Since  1885,  Mr.  Schiff  has  been  the  head  of  the 
house.  He  has  been  prominent  in  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  and  The 
Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroads,  and  is  at  present  a  director  of  The  Great  Northern 
Railroad,  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Bond  &  Mortgage  Guarantee 
Co.,  and  a  large  holder  of  real  estate  in  New  York  city.  He  is  also  president  of  the 
Montefiore  Home  for  Chronic  Invalids,  treasurer  of  The  New  York  Free  Circulating 
Library,  a  trustee  of  Barnard  College  and  numerous  philanthropic  institutions  and  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  Committee  of  Seventy  (1894-95)  as  well 


THE     CITY     OK     NEW     YORK. SC.  577 

as  of  the  City,  Reform,  Lawyers'  and  Liederkranz  clubs.  With  praiseworthy  public 
spirit,  he  contributes  to  the  support  of  various  museums  and  public  undertakings 
and  has  served  for  a  number  of  years  on  the  Board  of  Education.  In  1875,  he  married 
Theresa,  daughter  of  Solomon  Loeb,  his  senior  partner,  and  has  two  children,  a  son  and 
a  daughter. 

GRANT  BARNEY  SCHLEY,  banker,  born  in  Chapinsville,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  25,  1845, 
conies  from  Dutch  ancestry  and  te  a  son  of  Evander  Schley.  a  retired  merchant  of  dry 
goods  and  wool  of  Canandaigua,  N.  Y.  From  the  academy  of  Canandaigua,  the  future 
banker  went  to  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  in  1861,  and  secured  a  place  at  $30  a  month  in  the 
express  office  of  Wells,  Butterfield  &  Co.  A  year  and  a  half  later,  the  firm  sent  him 
to  its  office  in  Suspension  Bridge.  Unusually  bright,  intelligent  and  quick  in  compre- 
hension for  a  young  man  and  faithful  in  performance  of  his  duty,  he  was  soon  promoted 
to  a  salary  of  §30  a  week. 

In  1866,  The  American  Express  Co.  was  formed  by  the  consolidation  of  a  number 
of  companies,  among  them  Wells,  Butterfield  &  Co.,  and  four  years  later,  Mr.  Schley 
was  transferred  to  the  consolidated  company's  money  department  in  its  head  office  in 
Xe\v  York.  In  1874,  he  retired  from  the  service  of  the  express  company  to  accept  a 
position  with  The  First  National  Bank  of  New  York,  where  he  remained  six  years. 
When  he  left  the  bank,  he  was  in  charge  of  its  foreign  exchange  department.  That 
department  was  abolished  soon  after  his  retirement. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Schley  was  elected  a  member  of  the  New  York  Stock  Exchange,  and 
with  Ernest  Groesbeck,  another  member,  formed  the  firm  of  Groesbeck  &  Schley  for 
the  transaction  of  a  general  stock  brokerage  and  banking  business.  The  new  firm 
soon  became  prominent  on  the  Stock  Exchange.  In  1885,  Moore  &  Schley  succeeded 
to  the  business,  the  senior  partner  being  John  G.  Moore.  The  house  has  enjoyed  an 
exceedingly  successful  career,  and  is  now  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  active  of  those 
represented  on  the  Stock  Exchange.  The  firm's  customers  are  men  of  large  means, 
and  the  house  has  many  business  connections  of  the  first  importance  and  has  more  than 
once  been  entrusted  with  the  conduct  of  enormous  transactions  and  delicate  negotia- 
tions, involving  the  control  and  financing  of  corporations.  In  all  these  matters,  as 
well  as  in  the  management  of  the  large  business  of  the  firm,  with  its  connections  in 
Washington,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Chicago  and  other  commercial  centers,  Mr.  Schley's 
quick,  yet  invariably  sound  judgment  and  his  forcefulness,  combined  with  great  patience 
and  unfailing  good  humor,  to  say  nothing  of  his  marvellous  capacity  for  work,  have 
been  of  inestimable  value  to  his  principals  and  have  contributed  largely  to  the  fortunes 
accumulated  by  himself  and  his  associates. 

Mr.  Schley  is  a  member  of  several  of  the  principal  clubs  of  New  York,  including 
the  Manhattan,  Union  League,  New  York,  Riding,  Lotos,  New  York  Athletic,  New 
York  Yacht  and  Vaudeville. 

In  1879,  Mr.  Schley  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Baker,  daughter  of  George  E.  Baker, 
who  at  one  time  was  private  secretary  to  William  H.  Seward.  Mrs.  Schley  is  a  sister  of 
George  F.  Baker,  president  of  The  First  National  Bank  of  New  York.  The  home  of 
the  family  is  a  handsome  country  seat  at  Far  Hills,  N.  J.  Mr.  Schley  also  has  a  town 
house  in  Madison  avenue. 

FRANCIS  P.  SCHOALS,  banker,  born  in  Lancaster,  Pa.,  died  in  New  York  city, 
Oct.  ii,  1881,  in  his  eighty-first  year.  Having  learned  the  bookbinder's  trade,  he  came 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SC.  579 

to  New  York  in  1882  and  engaged  in  the  business  here  with  success.  The  American 
Bible  Society  was  one  of  his  profitable  patrons.  About  1850,  he  retired  with  a  comfort- 
able fortune,  and  then  devoted  himself  to  real  estate  investments  and  to  The  Broad- 
way Savings  Institution,  with  which  he  had  been  connected  since  organization,  serving 
as  president  without  compensation.  He  was  a  director  and  large  stockholder  of  The 
National  Broadway  Bank  and  of  several  insurance  companies  and  a  trustee  of  several 
charitable  and  educational  institutions.  A  man  of  unimpeachable  integrity,  keen  in 
judgment  and  careful  in  investment,  he  was  conspicuous  also  for  benevolence  and  gained 
the  general  regard  of  the  community.  His  wife,  Ellen  B.,  survived  him,  but  they  had 
no  children.  Under  the  will  of  Mr.  Schoals,  the  public  institutions  and  charities  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  were  enriched  by$285,ooo.  He  gave  $25,000  each  to  The  Ameri- 
can Tract  Society,  The  American  Home  Missionary  Society,  and  The  American  Bible 
Society,  and  $5  0,000  each  for  home  and  foreign  missions. 

ABRAHAM  SCHOLLE,  merchant,  a  native  of  Bavaria,  born  in  1817,  died  in  New 
York  city,  March  15,  1880.  Having  learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver,  he  emigrated  to 
America  in  1839.  Finding  no  occupation  in  his  trade  and  being  a  born  merchant,  he 
invested  the  little  money  he  had  in  small  wares,  which  he  peddled  among  families  in 
the  suburbs  of  the  city.  When,  in  1847,  he  had  accumulated  sufficient  money,  he 
opened  a  small  dry  goods  store  on  Division  street,  taking  his  brother  William  into  part- 
nership shortly  afterward  under  the  name  of  Scholle  Bro's.  The  keen,  shrewd,  push- 
ing ways  of  the  brothers  gained  for  them  a  good  trade,  and  in  1850,  in  need  of  better 
accommodations,  they  moved  to  a  store  on  the  Bowery.  In  1857,  they  went  into  the 
clothing  trade  in  John  street.  A  younger  brother,  Jacob,  came  into  the  firm  the  same 
year,  and  a  branch  house  was  opened  in  California.  The  firm  prospered  rapidly,  and 
Mr.  Scholle's  business  and  investments  brought  him  a  fortune.  In  1863,  he  retired.  He 
was  a  man  of  strict  probity  and  a  leading  member  of  the  Temple  Emanu-El,  and  bore 
a  high  reputation  among  business  men.  His  wife,  Babette,  and  four  children,  Matilda, 
Samuel,  Charles  and  Flora  Scholle  survived  him. 

FREDERICK  A.  SCHROEDER,  merchant,  born  in  Trier,  Prussia,  March  19,  1833, 
is  the  son  of  Michael  and  Salome  Abel  Schroeder,  the  former  a  civil  engineer  and  sur- 
veyor of  taxes.     The  family  came  to  this  country  in   1848    in  consequence  of  political 
troubles  in  Germany  and  settled  in  Brooklyn.     Frederick  began  life  as  a  cigar  maker,, 
worked  early  and  late  to  better  his  condition,  and  fared  so  well  that,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
,  teen  years,  he  started  a  cigar  factory  on  Norfolk  street  in  this  city,  and  carried  it  on 
subsequently  in  Cortlandt  street,  corner  of  Greenwich,  and  for  twenty-nine  years  at  No. 
178  Water  street.     The  panic  of  1857   interrupted  his  prosperity,  but   he   struggled 
through  and  by  hard  work  and  strict  economy  met  his  liabilities  and  established  a  large 
business.     In  1863,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  Isidore  M.  Bon,  late  president  of 
;The  Wallabout  Bank,  and  engaged  in  the  importation  of  leaf  tobacco,  transacting  a 
-thriving  and  lucrative  business  for  many  years.     Mr.  Bon  withdrew  in  1893,  since  which 
time  the  partners  of  Mr.  Schroeder  have  been  his  son,  Edwin  A.  Schroeder,  and  his 
;son-in-law,  Frank  M.  Arguimbau,  the  firm  being  Schroeder  &  Bon.     In  1867,  when  The 
Germania  Savings  Bank  of  Brooklyn  was  founded,  Mr.  Schroeder  took  the  presidency 
nd  yet  retains  that  position.     In  1870,  he  was  elected  Comptroller  of  Brooklyn  by  the 
Republicans  and  in  that  office  introduced  simpler  and  improved   methods   of  book- 
teeping,  greatly  to  the  public  welfare.      His  high  character,   experience  and  public 


S8° 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 


spirit  led  to  his  election  as  Mayor  of  Brooklyn  in  1875.  In  1878,  he  was 
elected  to  the  State  Senate  In  1854,  Mr.  Schroeder  married  Mary  Jane, 
daughter  of  John  Rusher,  and  has  seven  children  living — Edwin  A. ;  Harriet  Louise, 
who  married  Frank  M.  Arguimbau;  Leonore,  married  to  W.  A.  H.  Stafford  of 
New  York;  Mary  Jane,  married  to  William  T.  Anderson  of  Brooklyn;  Adelaide, 
married  to  Knowlton  Ames  of  Chicago,  and  two  unmarried  daughters,  Alice  and 
Frances.  Mr.  Schroeder  has  traveled  much  with  his  family  and  is  an  unusually  well-; 
informed  man.  He  belongs  to  the  Riding  &  Driving  club,  The  Institute  of  Arts  and 
Sciences,  and  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society. 

JACKSON  5.  SCHULTZ,  merchant,  born  in  Hyde  Park,  Dutchess  county^ 
Nov.  9,  1815,  the  son  of  a  farmer,  died  at  No.  303  East  i?th  street  in  this  city,  March 
i,  1891.  In  1824,  his  father,  Abraham  I.  Schultz,  went  out  into  the  woods  at  Middle- 
town,  Delaware  county,  and  built  the  Lafayette  tannery  and  there  the  son  toiled  fo: 
three  years  to  learn  the  trade.  In  1827,  the  lad  went  to  New  York  to  enter  the  sto 
of  Smith  &  Schultz,  his  father's  firm.  No  leather  came  to  New  York  in  the  winter 
months,  and  this  enabled  the  youth  to  attend  Gould  Brown's  Academy  for  six  seasons| 
He  then  spent  two  years  in  Waterville  College  in  Maine,  returned  to  Smith,  Schults 
&  Co.  in  1836,  and  when,  in  1837,  the  firm  failed,  he  became  the  assignee.  He  settled 
all  debts  at  about  98  cents  on  the  dollar.  In  1838,  with  $5.000  which  he  had  saved, 
he  joined  Edmund  M.  Young,  formerly  bookkeeper  for  Smith  &  Schultz,  who  had 
borrowed  $3,000  for  the  purpose,  and  established  the  leather  and  tanning  firm  of 
Young  &  Schultz.  Union  sole  leather  originated  with  Mr.  Schultz.  His  combination 
of  hemlock  and  oak  bark,  enough  of  the  latter  being  used  to  give  the  leather  a  beau- 
tiful color,  proved  a  happy  conception  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the  fortunes  of 
the  house,  of  which  for  forty-seven  years  Mr.  Schultz  was  the  master  spirit.  In 
1861,  John  C.  South  wick  was  admitted  to  Young,  Schultz  &  Co,  and  warehouses  were 
opened  at  No.  in  Cliff  street.  After  Mr.  Young's  death  in  1864,  Theodore  Schultz 
joined  the  firm,  which  became  known  as  Schultz,  South  wick  &  Co.  Through  all 
changes,  the  house  kept  extending  its  btisiness  to  all  parts  of  the  world  under  the 
guiding  genius  of  Mr.  Schultz.  In  May,  1882,  Mr.  Schultz  established  the  business  of 
extracting  tannin  from  hemlock  bark  at  Daguscahonda,  Pa.  Oct.  17,  1883,  he  retired 
from  business.  His  son,  Louis  H.,  succeeded  him,  and  the  firm  took  the  name  of 
Schultz,  Innes  &  Co.  Mr.  Schultz  was  a  man  of  massive  build,  tall  and  well  formed.  He 
wore  no  beard.  He  was  unselfish,  public  spirited  and  always  highly  respected.  During 
the  Civil  War,  he  performed  valuable  work  in  promoting  the  cause  of  the  Union,  giving 
liberally  from  his  means  and  being  active  in  organizing  two  negro  regiments,  the 
2oth  and  26th.  In  March,  1866,  he  was  appointed  by  the  Governor  a  Sanitary  Com- 
missioner for  the  Metropolitan  Police  District,  was  president  of  the  Board,  and  later 
became  a  member  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy  which  overthrew  the  Tweed  Ring. 
Originally  a  Democrat,  he  became  a  Republican  later  and  was  for  many  years  a 
member  of  the  Union  League  club,  at  one  time  its  president,  and  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Reform  club.  While  a  Commissioner  to  the  Vienna  International  Exposition  in 
1873,  Mr-  Schultz  upheld  the  dignity  of  his  country  with  sincere  earnestness  and 
refused  to  dine  with  the  Emperor  on  one  occasion,  'because  the  Emperor  would  not 
receive  Mr.  Schultz's  official  associate,  a  Hebrew.  He  was  married  twice,  and  his 
second  wife,  Mary  F.,  and  three  children  survived  him,  the  latter  being-  Louis  H. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SC.  581 

Schultz,  Kate  C.,  wife  of  E.  W.  Richardson,  and  Gertrude,  wife  of  William  K.  Baxter. 

QUSTAV  SCHWAB,  merchant,  born  in  Stuttgart,  Germany,  Nov.  23,  1822,  who 
died  at  his  home  near  Morris  Heights,  Aug.  21,  1888,  came  from  a  family,  well  known 
both  in  America  and  Germany  for  their  attainments  in  science  and  literature.  His 
grandfather,  John  Christopher  Schwab,  was  called  by  Frederick  the  Great  to  be 
a  member  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Sciences  and  professor  in  the  Military  School  at 
Berlin,  but  declined,  preferring  to  remain  professor  of  philosophy  and  mathematics  in 
Stuttgart.  The  father  of  Mr.  Schwab  was  well  known  to  Germans  as  a  writer  of  prose 
and  verse  and  the  center  of  a  circle  of  literary  men.  At  the  age  of  seventeen,  young 
Mr.  Schwab  entered  the  counting  house  of  H.  H.  Meier  &  Co.,  merchants  of  Bremen. 
In  1844,  became  to  New  York  to  enter  the  employment  of  Oelrichs  &  Kruger,  who 
were  closely  connected  with  the  German  firm,  and  about  five  years  later,  established 
himself  in  business  in  the  firm  of  Wichelhausen,  Recknagel&  Schwab.  In  1859,  he  en- 
tered as  a  partner  in  Oelrichs  &  Co.,  successors  of  Oelrichs  &  Kruger,  who  soon  after- 
ward became  agents  of  the  North  German  Lloyd  Steamship  line.  The  original  suc- 
cess of  that  company  in  this  country  was  largely  due  to  Mr.  Schwab,  who  was  an  able, 
active  and  competent  man.  While  business  engaged  the  most  of  his  attention,  he 
found  time,  nevertheless,  to  interest  himself  in  The  German  Hospital  and  other  phil- 
anthropic works.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  at  one  time  Com- 
missioner of  Education,  one  of  the  managers  of  the  Produce  Exchange  and  a  trustee 
of  its  gratuity  fund,  and  a  director  of  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Washington  Life  In- 
surance Co.,  and  The  Orient  Mutual  Insurance  Co  ,  and  the  oldest  director  and  vice 
president  of  The  Merchants'  National  Bank,  and  warden  of  St.  James'  Protestant  Epis- 
copal Church  in  Fordham.  In  1850,  he  married  Catherine  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  the 
late  L.  H.  von  Post,  of  New  York,  who  with  a  large  family  survived  him. 

ALFRED  BOWNE  SCOTT,  merchant,  born  Feb.  i,  1846,  in  Orange  county,  N.  Y., 
is  a  son  of  Thomas  B.  Scott,  a  farmer,  and  descends  from  English  ancestry.  Begin- 
ning 1ife  as  a  farmer's  boy  and  gaining  his  education  in  country  schools  near  his  home, 
he  came  to  New  York  in  1867  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  to  seek  his  fortune.  In  1873, 
he  established  the  firm  of  Scott  &  Bowne,  druggists  and  chemists.  Their  means  were 
small,  not  exceeding  $1,000,  but  after  several  years  of  experiment  and  labor,  they 
made  a  commercial  success  of  an  agreeable  preparation  of  cod  liver  oil,  known  as 
Scott's  Emulsion,  and  thereafter  rose  rapidly  to  prominence.  They  have  since  added 
,  to  their  catalogue  several  other  medicinal  preparations  and  have  copyrighted  a  number 
of  valuable  trade  marks.  The  sale  of  their  preparations  now  extends  virtually  to 
every  part  of  the  civilized  world.  The  London  business  finally  became  so  large,  that, 
in  1892,  their  branch  house  there  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  of  $500,000.  They 
have  factories  in  London,  Paris.  Barcelona,  Oporto,  and  Milan.  Scott  &  Bowne  now 
consume  about  one-half  of  all  the  medicinal  cod  liver  oil,  imported  from  Norway. 
The  success  of  their  preparations  is  due  to  their  excellence  and  to  persistent,  ingenious 
and  lavish  advertising.  It  is  said  that  they  have  spent  over  half  a  million  a  year,  for 
this  purpose  alone.  The  firm  have  recently  completed  a  building  at  the  corner  of  Rose 
and  Pearl  streets,  at  an  expense  of  about  $600,000,  and  now  occupy  the  premises  with 
their  laboratory  and  sales  rooms.  Mr.  Scott  is  a  member  of  the  Colonial  club  and  a 
supporter  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  In  1873,  he  married  Ella,  daughter 
of  A.  D.  Puffer,  of  Boston,  and  they  have  two  children,  Alice  and  Alfred.  Mr.  Scott 

I 
I 


582  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

has  recently  retired  from  the  active  management  of  the  firm  and  taken  up  his  residence 
abroad,  leaving  its  affairs  entirely  under  the  control  of  his  partner,  Samuel  W.  Bowne. 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER,  publisher  and  bookseller,  born  in  New  York  city  in  1821, 
died  at  Luzerne,  Switzerland,  Aug.  26,  1871.  His  grandfather  was  a  Congregational 
minister  and  a  graduate  of  Yale  College,  and  his  father,  Uriah  R.  Scribner,  a  prosper- 
ous merchant  of  this  city.  After  graduating  from  Princeton  College  in  1840,  Mr.  Scrib- 
ner spent  three  years  in  the  sttidy  of  law.  Owing  to  delicate  health,  he  reluctantly  gave 
up  the  profession  and,  in  1846,  formed  a  partnership  with  Isaac  D.  Baker  for  the  publi- 
cation of  books.  The  firm  of  Baker  &  Scribner  occupied  a  store  on  the  site  of  the  old 
Brick  Church  property,  where  The  Times  office  now  stands.  Mr.  Baker  died  in  1850, 
and  Mr.  Scribner  carried  on  the  business  alone  until  1857.  when  he  purchased  the  Eng- 
lish importing  trade  of  Banks,  Merwin  &  Co. ,  taking  in  Charles  Wclford  as  a  partner. 
His  sales  steadily  increased  until  the  business  became  one  of  the  largest  in  the  country. 
Under  the  name  of  Charles  Scribner  &  Co. ,  the  firm  engaged  largely  in  the  publication 
of  American  books,  while  as  Scribner,  Welford  &  Co. ,  they  ranked  as  the  chief  house 
importing  the  productions  of  the  English  press.  In  1865,  Mr.  Scribner  began  the  pub- 
lication of  a  monthly  magazine  entitled  Hours  at  Home,  which  in  1870  was  merged  into 
the  well-known  Scribner 's  Monthly,  the  latter  being  founded  by  Scribner  &  Co. ,  a  stock 
company  in  which  Dr.  J.  G.  Holland  and  Roswell  Smith  were  also  interested.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Scribner  in  1871  came  as  a  shock  to  hundreds  of  literary  and  business 
men,  who  had  learned  to  honor  him  for  his  intelligence,  uprightness  and  sympathetic 
temperament.  In  1848,  he  married  Emma  C.,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  John  I.  Blair,  of 
New  Jersey.  To  them  were  born  John  Blair  Scribner;  Emma  L.,  who  married  Walter 
C.  Lamed;  Charles  and  Arthur  H.  Scribner,  and  Isabella,  now  Mrs.  Carter  H.  Fitz- 
Hugh. 

GEORGE  J.  SEABURY,  manufacturing  chemist  and  pharmacist,  born  Nov.  10, 
1844,  was  reared  and  educated  in  New  York  city.  His  ancestors  were  of  the  revolu- 
tionary class,  which  has  contributed  its  share  to  human  progress  and  modern 
civilization. 

After  graduating  from  the  public  schools,  the  young  man  studied  medicine, 
chemistry  and  pharmacy.  When  the  Civil  War  threatened  the  life  of  the  nation,  he 
enlisted  in  1861,  served  in  the  New  York  Volunteers  in  several  positions  a^id  was  twice 
wounded  in  the  Peninsular  campaign  at  the  battles  of  Games'  Mills  and  Malvern  Hill. 
After  the  war,  he  continued  his  studies  at  home  and  abroad,  and  became  in  the  course 
of  a  few  years  the  pioneer  of  an  original  American  industry,  founding  the  firm  of 
Seabury  &  Johnson,  of  which  he  is  president,  and  which  is  known  to-day  throughout 
the  world  as  manufacturers  of  medical,  surgical  and  antiseptic  materials  of  exception- 
ally excellent  quality. 

Mr.  Seabury  will  be  known  in  history  as  the  father  and  organizer  of  his  branch  of 
pharmaceutical  chemistry,  chiefly  for  his  original  work,  inventions  and  improvements 
on  old  methods.  The  great  success  achieved  by  him  has  made  his  name  familiar  to 
every  physician,  surgeon  and  druggist  throughout  the  world.  His  firm  have  invariably 
received  the  highest  awards  over  all  American  and  European  competitors,  notably  in 
Paris,  London,  Vienna,  Philadelphia,  New  York,  Chicago,  Liverpool,  Melbourne, 
Montreal  and  at  many  other  world's  exhibitions,  forty-nine  gold  medals  and  special 
diplomas  having  thus  far  been  awarded.  The  Seabury  pharmacal  laboratories  are 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SE.  583 

larger  and  better  equipped  than  any  others  known  in  their  class.  In  1885,  Mr.  Seabury 
became  the  sole  owner  of  the  works  and  trade  marks  of  the  firm.  He  also  introduced 
in  this  country  the  lithographing  on  tin  for  commercial  purposes  and  organized  the 
successful  firm  of  The  Mersereau  Manufacturing  Co.  in  that  specialty,  of  which  he  is 
president. 

He  is  an  aggressive  Republican,  and  a  member  of  the  Republican  City  and  State 
clubs,  and  was  one  of  the  Committee  of  Thirty  which  re-organized  the  Republican 
party  in  the  city  of  New  York  into  a  solid  phalanx  by  election  districts.  He  has  been 
a  delegate  to  National,  State  and  County  conventions  and  is  a  member  of  a  score  of 
scientific,  educational  and  benevolent  societies,  having  held  every  position  within  their 
gift  from  committeeman  to  president.  He  was  president  of  The  Drug,  Chemical  and 
Paint  Organization  during  the  centennial  celebration  and  a  vice  president  of  the 
Republican  Business  Men's  Association,  which  has  paraded  in  Presidential  years  over 
60,000  strong. 

The  demoralized  relations  betwen  the  pharmacist  and  the  public  and  the  public  and 
the  pharmacist  led  Mr.  Seabury  into  labors,  which  resulted  in  the  creation  of  pharmacy 
laws  in  nearly  every  State  in  the  Union,  so  that  to-day  no  person  can  practice  unless 
he  has  graduated  from  a  college  of  pharmacy  or  passed  an  examination  before  a  legally 
appointed  board  of  druggists  For  this  service,  he  has  been  made  an  honorary  member 
of  many  State  societies.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  College  of  Pharmacy  and 
president  of  The  New  York  State  Pharmaceutical  Association.  He  is  a  voluminous  and 
versatile  writer  on  economic,  trade,  political  and  public  questions  and  problems  and 
has  won  reputation  as  an  author  on  the  protection  of  industrial  and  productive  interests. 
Several  forcible  and  convincing  pamphlets  have  been  written  by  him,  notably:  "The 
Tariff  Bugbear,"  "Prosperity  versus  Poverty,"  "The  Tariff  is  Not  a  Tax,"  "How  a 
Protective  Tariff  Protects  the  Farmer  and  Wage  Earner,  and  Cheapens  the  Cost  of 
Home  Products  to  the  Consumer,"  and  "Low  Tariff  Destroys  our  Manufactures  and 
Introduces  Fraud  and  Undervaluations  by  Importers,"  as  well  as  many  articles  on 
allied  topics. 

Mr.  Seabury  is  a  sharpshooter  and  enthusiastic  rifleman,  and  was  honorary  secre- 
tary and  a  director  of  The  National  Rifle  Association  when  Generals  Grant  and  Han- 
cock were  its  presidents.  He  was  instrumental  in  bringing  rifle  practice  in  the  National 
Guard  to  its  present  state  of  perfection,  and  took  great  interest  in  the  Creedmoor 
range.  He  is  a  member  of  the  New  York  Athletic  club  and  of  the  famous  "Old 
Guard  "  of  New  York  city. 

With  all  of  his  devotion  to  practical  affairs,  he  is  nevertheless  gifted  with  the  attri- 
butes of  the  poet  and  has  worshipped  the  muse  in  an  "Ode  to  Black  Bass,"  in  two 
cantos,  to  the  delight  of  every  true  disciple  of  Isaak  Walton.  His  affection  for  pisca- 
torial pleasures  has  called  forth  many  meritorious  articles  on  the  protection,  behavior 
and  habits  of  game  fish. 

His  life  thus  far  has  been  an  unusually  busy  one,  overflowing  with  energy  and 
vivacity.  He  is  popular,  liberal  in  every  direction,  enthusiastic  in  art  and  music,  of 
sterling  character,  one  of  the  successful  men  of  affairs,  whose  "word  is  as  good 
as  his  bond,"  aggressive  in  a  good  cause,  and  an  orator.  Summed  up,  he  represents 
a  typical  New  Yorker,  and  one  of  the  characteristic  products  of  self-made  metro- 
politan life. 


584  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 


CLARENCE  WALKER  SEAMANS,  manufacturer,  the  son  of  Abner  Clark  Sea- 
mans,  also  a  manufacturer,  was  born  in  Ilion,  N.  Y.,  June  5,  1854.  He  attended  school 
in  his  native  town  until  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  then  secured  employment  with  The 
Remington  Arms  Co. ,  the  principal  industry  of  the  village  and  then  the  main  source 
of  its  prosperity.  He  has  since  attained  celebrity  in  the  firm  of  Wyckoff,  Seamans  & 
Benedict,  formed  in  1882  to  manage  the  sale  of  the  Remington  typewriter.  When,  in 
1886,  his  associates  and  he  incorporated  under  the  old  title,  Mr.  Seamans  became 
treasurer  and  later  general  manager  of  the  concern.  Since  the  recent  death  of  Mr. 
Wyckoff,  senior  partner  in  the  old  firm  and  president  of  the  incorporated  company, 
Mr.  Seamans  and  Mr.  Benedict  have  been  the  principal  managers  of  the  business 
The  story  of  the  house  is  told  more  fully  elsewhere  in  these  pages. 

JOSEPH  SEIDENBERQ,  one  of  the  leading  manufacturers  of  cigars  in  the  United 
States  and  pioneer  of  the  industry  in  Key  West,  Fla. ,  originated  in  the  northern  part 
of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  Germany,  in  the  little  town  of  Schwetzingen,  where  he 
was  born,  Nov  2,  1832.  His  early  youth  was  .spent  quietly  in  the  fatherland,  but  in 
the  early  forties  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean,  located  in  New  York  city,  and  soon  found 
occupation  here  in  the  cigar  business.  To  this  industry,  he  has  applied  himself  ever 
since  and  with  marked  success,  and  he  now  occupies  a  strong  position  in  the  front  rank 
of  those  energetic  sons  of  old  Germany,  who  have  made  New  York  city  their  home. 

Mr.  Seidenberg  began  life  with  a  good  store  of  physical  health,  mental  energy, 
and  common  sense.  Feeling  a  very  strong  desire  to  make  a  good  place  for  himself  in 
the  business  world,  he  soon  created  by  diligent  enterprise  an  excellent  trade  in  cigars, 
imported  them  in  considerable  quantity  from  Germany,  soon  became  able  to  extend  his 
enterprise  to  other  channels,  and  finally  became  extensively  interested  in  the  industry 
in  Florida. 

Through  his  relations  with  the  sponge  fishing  industry  on  the  Florida  coast  and 
the  shipment  of  groceries  to  the  then  small  island  city  of  Key  West,  his  attention  was 
at  length  attracted  to  the  quality  of  the  cigars,  which  were  being  made  upon,  a  small 
scale  from  Cuban  tobacco  in  Key  West. 

Mr.  Seidenberg  was  an  excellent  judge  of  a  good  cigar,  and  when,  after  a 
careful  study  of  the  subject,  he  realized  the  fact  that  Key  West  possessed  special 
advantages  for  the  manufacture  of  Cuban  tobacco,  he  established  upon  the  island,  in 
1867,  its  first  regular  cigar  factory.  It  may  be  said  here  that  this  bold  venture  was 
regarded  with  curiosity  and  interest  by  the  whole  tobacco  trade  of  the  country,  and  the 
example  of  Mr.  Seidenberg,  being  promptly  followed  by  other  manufacturers,  led  in 
a  few  years  to  the  development  of  a  great  cigar  making  industry  in  Key  West.  Before 
that  time,  the  population  of  Thompson's  Island,  upon  which  the  city  is  located,  had 
derived  their  subsistence  chiefly  from  the  sponge  and  coral  industries  and  the  gathering 
of  other  products  of  the  sea.  A  new  and  valuable  industry  was  now  established  among 
them,  which  came  in  time  to  give  employment  to  more  than  6,000  operatives  and 
sustain  perhaps  half  of  the  residents  of  the  city  of  Key  West. 

At  first,  Mr.  Seidenberg  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in  Key  West  in  personal 
supervision  of  the  factory  and  organization  and  management  of  its  operations.  The 
sale  of  his  productions  was  carried  on  wholly  by  the  firm  of  Seidenberg  &  Co., 
in  New  York  city.  The  energy,  skill  and  good  judgment  of  the  head  of  the 
firm  made  the  new  enterprise  prosper  exceedingly,  and  Seidenberg  &  Co.  rapidly  rose 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — SE.  585 

to  a  prominent  position  among  the  leading  and  most  reputable  purveyors  of  cigars  in 
the  United  States  They  were  among  the  first  to  manufacture  pure  Havana  cigars  in 
the  United  States,  and  while,  as  above  intimated,  various  energetic  men  resolved  that 
Seidenberg  &  Co.  should  not  occupy  this  field  alone,  yet  they  have  been  able  easily  to 
maintain  the  lead;  and  their  immense  factories  in  Florida  and  New  York  city  have 
finally  come  to  manufacture  more  cigars,  all  grades  considered,  than  any  other  firm  in 
the  country,  perhaps  in  the  world. 

For  more  than  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Seidenberg  carried  on  the  industry  in  Key 
West  with  great  profit  to  the  town,  and  with  results  satisfactory  to  himself.  But,  in 
1894,  foreseeing  a  broader  field,  Mr.  Seidenberg  resolved  to  remove  the  Florida  branch 
of  the  industry  to  the  city  of  Tampa,  Fla.  Ground  was  broken  for  a  large  new  brick 
factor}-  there,  and,  pending  its  completion,  a  frame  building  on  Lafayette  street  was 
occupied  for  the  making  of  clear  Havana  cigars,  and  in  another  building  on  Franklin 
street  a  large  force  was  set  to  work  producing  Sumatra  wrapper  cigars.  The  new  factory 
was  supplied  with  the  best  of  modern  facilities  and  the  Florida  industry  is  now  consoli- 
dated in  this  structure.  The  entire  product  is  forwarded  to  New  York  city  for  sale. 

In  Tampa,  Seidenberg  &  Co.  now  employ  about  six  hundred  excellent  operatives 
and  manufacture  about  15,000,000  cigars  a  year  from  the  finest  Havana  tobacco,  which 
the  money  and  experience  of  a  skillful  and  well  informed  buyer  can  secure  from  the 
planters  in  the  famous  Vuelta  Abajo  district  of  Cuba.  In  Havana,  at  171-5  Estrella 
street,  they  maintain  a  large  warehouse  and  employ  about  two  hundred  operatives  in 
stripping  the  enormous  amount  of  raw  material,  required  for  the  manufacture  of 
50,000,000  cigars  a  year  by  the  Tampa  and  New  York  houses.  It  has  been  discovered 
that  the  aroma  of  the  leaf  is  improved  by  stripping  the  tobacco  in  Havana.  The  New 
York  factory,  located  at  the  corner  of  First  avenue  and  East  74th  street,  now  employs 
about  twelve  hundred  operatives  and  manufactures  about  40,000,000  cigars  from  mixed 
tobacco  every  year.  While  low  priced  cigars  are  made  at  the  New  York  establishment, 
the  Seidenbergs  allow  none  to  go  out  of  inferior  quality.  The  filler  of  every  cigar 
consists  of  pure  Havana  tobacco,  the  wrapper  being  made  from  Sumatra  leaf.  The 
Figaro  five  cent  cigar,  made  by  Seidenberg  &  Co.  in  New  York,  has  proved  a  popular 
brand  and  the  sale  now  reaches  about  25,000,000  a  year.  The  Lillian  Russell  and  Duke 
Orlando  cigars,  also  made  in  New  York  from  pure  Havana  tobacco,  both  enjoy  a  large 
sale.  In  Tampa,  La  Rosa  Espanola  is  the  principal  brand  and  has  given  the  house  a 
special  reputation,  but  Librador  and  Lorenzo  cigars  are  also  made  in  large  quantities, 
all  from  the  purest  Havana  leaf. 

Success  in  the  commercial  field  does  not  depend  entirely  upon  the  excellence  of  the 
goods  sold  by  a  particular  firm,  although  quality  is,  of  course,  an  important  element. 
In  modern  times,  great  success  depends  partly  upon  the  vigor,  ingenuity  and  extent  of 
the  advertising  done  by  the  firm.  It  is  a  fact  of  interest  that  Seidenberg  &  Co.  are 
undoubtedly  the  greatest  advertisers  among  cigar  manufacturers  in  the  United  States, 
and  there  are  probably  no  brands  of  cigars  more  extensively  and  ingeniously  pressed 
upon  the  public  notice  than  the  Lillian  Russell,  Figaro,  La  Rosa  Espanola,  Librador, 
and  Lorenzo.  The  name  of  Seidenberg  is  borne  upon  at  least  ninety-five  per  cent. 
of  the  boxes  and  is  now  known  in  every  part  of  the  United  States. 

In  recent  years,  Mr.  Seidenberg  has  made  his  home  in  New  York  city.  William 
J.  Seidenberg,  his  son,  is  an  active  member  of  his  firm. 


586  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Mr.  Seidenberg  married  Theresa  M.  Dooley,  daughter  of  John  Dooley  of  St.  John, 
.N.  B.,  and  to  them  have  been  born  seven  daughters  and  one  son. 

JAMES  SELIQMAN,  banker,  born  in  Baiersdorf,  Bavaria,  April  14,  1824,  is  one 
•of  the  eight  notable  sons  of  David  Seligman,  a  woolen  merchant.  In  1841,  he  canie  to 
America  at  the  suggestion  of  his  brother  Joseph  and  engaged  in  business.  In  1848, 
several  of  this  remarkable  group  of  brothers  removed  from  widely  separated  parts  of 
the  country  to  New  York  city,  James  among  the  number,  and  here  established  the 
importing  firm  of  Seligman  &  Stettheimer.  Beginning  life  with  no  advantage  of  cir- 
cumstances but  guided  by  conspicuous  native  ability,  Mr.  Seligman  aided  materially 
in  making  the  new  enterprise  successful.  In  1865,  the  Seligmans  retired  from  mercan- 
tile life  and  transferred  their  capital  to  a  banking  business  on  Wall  street.  The  name 
of  J.  &  W.  Seligman  &  Co.,  then  adopted,  has  been  retained  until  the  present  day.J 
Branches  were  established  in  Europe,  with  various  of  the  brothers  in  charge  of  each. 
Joseph,  James  and  Jesse  remained  in  New  York.  Leopold  and  Isaac  took  charge  of 
the  London  branch,  William  the  one  in  Paris,  and  Henry  and  Abraham  the  bank  in 
Frankfort  on  the  Main.  James  is  now  the  head  of  the  New  York  house.  In  1851,  he  i 
married  Rosa,  daughter  of  Simon  Content,  and  is  the  father  of  eight  children :  De  Witt 
J.,  Samuel,  Washington,  Eugene,  Jefferson,  Fannie,  Angeline  and  Florette. 

JESSE  SELIQflAN,  banker,  born  in  Baiersdorf,  Bavaria,  Aug.  1 1,  1821,  died  at  the 
Coronado  Beach  Hotel,  Coronado  Beach,  Cal.,  April  23,  1894.  He  was  fourth  of  eight 
notable  brothers  and  came  to  America  in  1841.  Investing  his  little  means  in  a  peddler's 
outfit,  he  started  to  sell  small  goods  through  the  suburbs  of  New  York  city.  By  hard 
work  he  saved  $1,000,  and  joining  his  brother  Joseph,  then  went  to  Selma,  Ala.,  tc 
open  a  general  store.  In  1848,  he  came  north  to  Watertown,  N.  Y  ,  where  he  remaine 
a  short  time,  and  then,  settling  in  New  York,  opened  a  wholesale  clothing  store  or 
Church  street  In  1850,  upon  the  discovery  of  gold,  he  opened  a  general  store  in  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  soon  amassing  a  fortune.  While  on  the  coast,  he  became  a  member 
of  the  famous  committee  of  twenty-one,  formed  to  obtain  clean  and  efficient  govern- 
ment in  San  Francisco.  In  1854,  in  Munich,  he  married  Miss  Henrietta  Hellman. 
After  his  return  to  California,  he  saw  a  wider  field  in  New  York  city  and  in  185; 
joined  his  brothers,  Joseph  and  James,  here  in  the  wholesale  clothing  and  importing 
business.  Although  the  Civil  War  contracted  their  business,  the  firm  did  not  suffer 
severely,  because  they  took  a  number  of  army  contracts.  In  1865,  the  brothers 
joined  in  organizing  the  banking  house  of  J.  &  W.  Seligman  &  Co.  They  paid  particular 
attention  to  national  finance  and  soon  became  known  among  the  ablest  bankers  of 
their  time.  Jesse  Seligman  took  a  personal  interest  in  many  of  the  financial  schemes 
of  the  Government,  and  was  a  trusted  adviser  of  more  than  one  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury.  He  was  largely  concerned  in  placing  United  States  bonds  abroad,  and 
when,  in  1879,  Secretary  Sherman  offered  $150,000,000  of  refunding  bonds  for  sale, 
the  Seligman  brothers  took  $20,000,000.  They  have  since  been  prominent  in  every  im- 
portant syndicate.  In  the  '703,  Mr.  Seligman  invested  some  of  his  means  in  prominent 
commercial  enterprises.  He  was  a  prominent  Republican  and  for  many  years  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Union  League  club,  a  trustee  and  patron  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of 
Art  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History  and  a  member  of  The  American 
Geographical  Society.  In  religion,  a  conscientious  Hebrew  and  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Temple  Emanu-El,  he  helped  to  found  The  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum  and  gave 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW    YORK. SE.  587 

liberally  to  the  charities  maintained  by  the  people  of  his  faith.  Well  known  and  liked 
in  social,  club,  charitable  and  business  circles,  he  left  many  friends.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  his  wife,  Henrietta,  daughter  of  A.  Hellman,  and  six  children,  David  Theodore, 
Max  Henry,  Joseph  Albert,  Frances  Alice,  Emma  and  Madeline. 

JOSEPH  SELIQMAN,  founder  of  the  Seligman  banking  house,  born  in  Baiersdorf, 
Bavaria,  Nov.  19,  1819,  died  in  New  Orleans,  La.,  April  25,  1880.  A  graduate  of  the 
University  at  Erlangen,  he  came  to  this  country  in  1838,  the  pioneer  of  his  family. 
Finding  first  a  place  as  private  secretary  with  Asa  Packer,  who  was  then  entering  upon 
his  career  as  a  contractor  at  Neshquehoning,  Pa. ,  he  became  later  cashier  of  a  small 
bank  owned  by  Mr.  Packer.  When  of  age,  he  embarked  in  mercantile  business 
in  Greensborough,  Ala.  As  soon  as  he  had  the  means,  he  generously  sent  home  for 
three  of  his  brothers,  whom  he  urged  to  come  to  America.  Others  came  later.  Jesse 
and  Henry  settled  in  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  Joseph  remaining  in  the  South.  In  1848.  the 
brothers  all  gave  up  their  business  in  small  cities,  and  opened  an  importing  clothing 
house  in  New  York  city,  and  after  the  Civil  War  established  the  banking  house  of  J.  &W. 
Seligman  &  Co.,  which  soon  became  famous.  Joseph  was  the  head  and  inspiring  genius 
of  this  enterprise.  In  1872,  he  went  to  San  Francisco,  and  for  a  time  conducted  a 
branch  office,  which  subsequently  united  with  The  Anglo-Californian  Bank.  As  the 
counsellor  and  leader  of  the  brothers  and  the  founder  of  their  great  banking  house,  Mr. 
Seligman  illustrated  many  phases  of  personal  character  which  excited  admiration.  He 
was  a  director  of  The  St.  Louis  &  San  Francisco  Railroad,  The  Equitable  Life  Assur- 
ance Society,  The  Real  Estate  Trust  Co.,  The  German  American  Bank,  The  Shoe  & 
Leather  Bank,  and  The  Home  Fire  Insurance  Co.  Generous  in  charity,  he  founded 
the  Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum,  gave  §70,000  to  The  Society  of  Ethical  Culture,  and  pro- 
moted industrial  schools  and  kindergartens,  and  was  a  genial,  refined  and  courteous  man. 
At  one  time,  vice  president  of  the  Union  League  club,  he  also  joined  the  Harmonie 
club  as  a  member.  He  was  married  in  1848,  and  to  him  were  born  David  J.,  George 
W.,  Isaac  N.,  Edwin  R. ,  and  Alfred  L.  Seligman;  Frances,  wife  of  Theodore  Hell- 
man, of  New  Orleans;  Helen,  wife  of  E.  Spiegelberg,  of  New  York;  Sophia,  wife  of 
M.  Walter,  of  New  York;  and  Isabella,  wife  of  Ph.  Lilienthal,  of  San  Francisco. 

ISRAEL  SHELDON,  merchant,  born  March  22,^  1797,  originated  in  Pawtucket, 
R.  I.,  and  died  in  Orange,  N.  J.,  Sept.  23,  1884.  The  descendant  of  an  old  and  patriotic 
family,  he  graduated  from  the  academy  in  Woodstock,  Conn.,  and  entered  mercantile 
life  first  in  Providence  and  then  in  Wilmington,  N.  C  ,  as  clerk  for  S.  &  A.  B.  Arnold, 
shipping  merchants.  Energy,  good  sense  and  honesty  secured  for  him  speedy  recogni- 
tion, and  caused  him  to  be  sent  while  young  to  the  West  Indies  as  supercargo  of  a  pro- 
vision ship.  Trading  expeditions  to  South  American  countries  led  to  exciting  adven- 
tures, owing  to  local  revolutions  He  was  once  taken  prisoner.  Returning  to  North 
Carolina,  he  made  his  name  there  a  synonym  for  honesty,  sagacity  and  energy.  Dur- 
ing eight  years,  he  was  clerk  of  the  court  in  Hyde  county,  N.  C.,  and  in  1834,  emi- 
grated to  Alabama,  and  engaged  in  business,  with  success.  The  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  sent  him  North  and  he  lost  much  of  his  property  in  consequence.  In  New  York, 
he  resumed  business  with  characteristic  energy  and  his  knowledge  of  the  cotton  market 
and  the  value  of  corporate  shares  enabled  him  to  gain  a  second  fortune.  He  was  a  large 
operator  in  Western  lands  and  gas  stocks.  Mr.  Sheldon  was  married  several  times. 
He  had  no  son.  Four  daughters  were  born  to  him,  Mrs.  Robert  W.  Aborn,  who  died 


588  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

in  1860;  Mrs.  Woolsey  R.   Hopkins,  Mrs.  William  M.    Franklin,   and  Georgianna  E., 
wife  of  John  S.  Tilney. 

JAMES  OWEN  SHELDON,  merchant,  banker  and  farmer,  retired,  descends  from 
an  old  and  excellent  family  of  the  State  of  Connecticut,  planted  in  the  beautiful  village 
of  Windsor  in  the  early  days  by  a  lineal  descendant  of  Archbishop  Sheldon,  founder  of 
the  Sheldonian  Theatre  at  Oxford,  England.  He  was  born  in  Windsor,  June  25,  1823. 
During  early  youth,  he  studied  the  text  books  of  the  period  first  in  the  schools  of  Wind- 
sor and  Suffield,  Conn.,  and  later  in  New  York  city,  to  which  place  his  father,  James 
Sheldon,  a  merchant,  had  removed  to  enter  business  life.  The  senior  Sheldon  was 
active  in  affairs  here  and  well  known  to  all  the  older  generation  of  merchants. 

The  best  opportunities  of  that  time  were  afforded  by  mercantile  life  in  New  York 
city,  and  Mr.  Sheldon  entered  upon  a  practical  career  and  received  his  first  instruction 
in  business  principles  as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  house,  with  which  he  remained 
until  the  age  of  twenty-one. 

Connecticut  has  been  frequently  called  the  "  land  of  steady  habits,"  but  this  pithy 
phrase  does  not  entirely  indicate  why  it  was  that,  during  the  period  in  which  the 
subject  of  this  sketch  made  his  entrance  into  affairs,  there  came  forth  from  the 
ranks  of  the  Connecticut  men,  who  came  to  New  York  city  in  such  large  numbers,  so 
many  merchants,  who,  during  their  active  and  useful  lives,  became  conspicuous  for 
success  and  the  qualities  which  ennoble  human  nature.  Steady  habits  are  good,  but 
that  which  promoted  them  was  the  character  of  the  old  American  element  in  Connecti- 
cut, its  intelligence  and  religious  earnestness,  the  sound  home  training  the  people  gave 
their  sons  and  the  spirit  which  led  them  to  fasten  the  minds  of  the  young  upon  mental, 
moral  and  physical  excellence,  as  of  far  more  importance  than  wealth.  During  the 
first  half  of  the  present  century,  a  throng  of  young  and  capable  men  came  to  New  York 
from  Connecticut,  among  them  Edwin  D.  Morgan,  the  Meads,  the  Hoyts,  Junius  S. 
Morgan,  and  others,  who  became  conspicuous  for  their  character,  energy  and  position. 
Mr.  Sheldon  began  in  the  same  modest  way  as  did  the  other  sons  of  his  native  State, 
and,  in  the  same  short  time,  displayed  the  soundness  of  his  training,  the  vigor  of  his 
mind  and  body,  and  the  perfect  probity  of  his  character. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr.  Sheldon  entered  mercantile  life  on  his  own  account 
as  member  of  a  wholesale  grocery  firm,  and  succeeded  so  well  that,  five  years  later,  he 
became  a  banker  and  commission  merchant.  In  this  field,  also,  he  conducted  his 
business  with  energy,  skill  and  profit,  and  was  rapidly  rising  into  prominence,  when, 
in  1855,  illness  in  his  family  compelled  him  to  give  up  his  residence  in  New  York 
city  and  retire  to  a  rural  home  in  the  central  part  of  the  State. 

In  the  year  named,  he  purchased  the  celebrated  White  Spring  farm  near  Geneva, 
N.  Y.,  upon  which  he  dwelt  for  sixteen  years.  Here,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  improve- 
ment of  his  property  and  the  breeding  of  Short  Horn  cattle  from  his  own  importations 
and  from  purchases  from  other  American  herds.  About  1856,  he  bought  the  bull,  Grand 
Duke  of  Oxford,  from  Lord  Ducie  of  England,  who  owned  the  finest  herd  of  Short 
Horns  then  existing,  and  in  1867  Mr.  Sheldon  acquired  for  $42,300  about  forty  animals 
from  Samuel  Thorne  of  Thornedale,  N.  Y.,  whose  herd  also  was  derived  from  that  of 
Lord  Ducie.  Mr.  Sheldon  purchased  other  Short  Horn  cattle  from  Lewis  G.  Morris. 
He  was  very  successful  in  the  business  part  of  this  enterprise  and  accomplished  a  great 
deal  for  the  improvement  of  the  breed  of  cattle  in  this  country.  His  splendid  herd  of 


59°  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Short  Horns  gained  a  world  wide  reputation.  The  sales  made  therefrom  are  historic 
and  should  be  referred  to. 

Mr.  Sheldon  sold  nine  sound  and  excellent  young  heifers  and  bulls  from  the  herd 
of  Mr.  Thome  to  go  to  England  for  from  $2,000  to  $3,000  each,  and,  in  1867,  to  English 
buyers  the  young  bull,  3d  Duke  of  Geneva,  for  $2,750,  the  white  heifer,  7th  Duchess 
of  Geneva,  for  $3,500,  and  six  Oxford  heifers  at  an  average  of  $2,290  each.  Owing 
to  the  heavy  mortality  among  English  Short  Horns  during  this  period,  the  stock  upon 
Mr.  Sheldon's  farm  suddenly  attained  great  value.  Breeders  in  the  British  Isles  looked 
to  his  farm  as  the  source  upon  which  they  could  recruit  their  own  stocks.  In  1870, 
he  sold  the  roan  bull  calf,  8th  Duke  of  Geneva,  for  $4,000,  and  two  heifers,  Duchesses 
of  Geneva,  for  $2,500  each  in  gold  coin,  gold  being  then  at  a  premium  of  40  per  cent. 
These  large  prices  were  for  the  cattle  delivered  on  board  the  ship  in  New  York  harbor. 
Two  other  animals  of  Mr.  Sheldon's  breeding  were  sold  at  auction  to  go  to  England, 
one  for  $40,600  and  the  other  for  $35,000,  while  several  brought  from  $20.000  to 
$30,000  each.  Late  in  1870,  the  entire  herd  was  bought  by  a  firm  at  New  York 
Mills,  Oneida  county,  at  an  average  of  about  $1,000  each  for  eighty  head. 

While  opportunities  so  profitable  as  that  which  made  Mr.  Sheldon's  farm  historic 
do  not  often  come  to  American  farmers,  yet  the  story  here  narrated  should  remind  them 
that  he  who  works  his  farm  with  brains  is  likely  to  attain  the  best  results. 

While  a  resident  at  Geneva,  Mr.  Sheldon  took  an  active  part  in  the  management 
of  the  State  Agricultural  College  and  was  for  several  years  one  of  its  trustees.  He 
also  devoted  considerable  time  to  the  management  of  the  State  Agricultural  Society, 
being  a  vice  president  and  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  for  some  time  and  in 
1864  accepting  election  as  president  of  the  society.  The  farming  interests  of  the  State 
were  fortunate  in  enlisting  the  interest  of  a  man  so  capable  and  of  such  extended 
experience  in  affairs. 

In  1870,  having  parted  with  his  herd  of  Short  Horns,  Mr.  Sheldon  sold  the  White 
Spring  farm,  constrained  so  to  do  by  the  health  of  his  family,  and  spent  several  years 
thereafter  in  Europe. 

In  1878,  he  returned  and  made  his  home  in  New  York  city,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  While  not  now  engaged  in  active  business,  he  is  sufficiently  occupied  with 
corporate  enterprises  and  is  a  trustee  of  The  Manhattan  Trust  Co.  and  The  Kings 
County  Elevated  Railroad,  in  which  he  has  investments.  He  is  too  vigorous  a  man 
to  remain  idle  and  devotes  much  time  to  public  spirited  work  and  is  a  governor  of  The 
New  York  Hospital  and  The  Bloomingdale  Asylum,  trustee  of  the  Institution  for  the 
Instruction  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  and  The  Protestant  Half  Orphan  Asylum  and  the 
promoter  of  other  philanthropic  enterprises.  Strong  and  sturdy  in  frame,  a  gentleman 
of  courtly  demeanor  and  spotless  character,  his  mind  stored  with  entertaining  informa- 
tion, and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  Down  Town  clubs  and  New  England  So- 
ciety, he  enjoys  the  friendship  and  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  cultivated  acquaintances. 

ELLIOTT  FITCH  SHEPARD,  lawyer  and  publisher,  born  in  Jamestown.  N.  Y., 
July  25,  1833,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  24,  1893.  He  came  from  old  American 
stock,  and  was  a  grandson  of  Theodore  May,  a  surgeon  in  the  American  Revolution, 
and  son  of  Fitch  Shepard,  who  rose  to  be  cashier  of  The  Jamestown  National  Bank  and 
president  of  The  National  Bank  Note  Co.  of  New  York  city.  Mr.  Shepard  graduated 
from  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York  in  1855,  studied  law,  and  being  admitted  to 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SH.  591 

practice  in  1858,  devoted  himself  to  his  profession.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  was 
appointed  an  aid  upon  the  staff  of  Gov.  Edwin  D.  Morgan  and  given  charge  of  the 
recruiting  station  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.  While  Colonel  Shepard  held  this  position,  40,000 
men  were  enrolled  and  sent  to  the  front.  He  presented  a  flag  to  the  5ist  New  York 
Vols.,  which  took  the  name  of  the  Shepard  Rifles.  Declining  a  commission  as  Brigadier 
General  tendered  by  President  Lincoln,  he  spent  much  time  in  recruiting  for  the  gth  ' 
Army  Corps,  and  aided  in  securing  laws  permitting  soldiers  to  vote  in  the  field  and  the 
allotment  of  their  pay  to  their  families.  He  also  promoted  the  great  Fair  in  New  York 
city,  which  earned  $1,300,000  for  the  Sanitary  Commission.  After  the  War,  he  prac- 
ticed mercantile  and  municipal  law,  and  with  E.  B  Shafer  codified  the  city  ordinances, 
their  version  going  into  effect  Jan.  i,  1881.  In  his  latter  years,  Colonel  Shepard  was 
known  as  an  editor.  He  bought  The  Mail  and  Express,  March  26,  1888,  from  Cyrus 
W.  Field."  The  management  of  this  Republican  journal  excited  his  enthusiastic  inter- 
est, and  he  was  its  real  as  well  as  nominal  head.  It  was  he  who  introduced  the  idea 
of  printing  a  text  from  Scripture  every  day  upon  the  editorial  page.  He  was 
liberal  in  charity,  a  Presbyterian,  and  a  strong  advocate  of  Sunday  observance.  Active 
in  the  formation  of  The  Bar  Association,  he  became  its  president  in  1884,  and  helped 
secure  the  legislation  to  create  the  Court  of  Arbitration  of  the  Chamber  of  Commeice, 
of  which  he  was  a  member.  Colonel  Shepard  made  several  visits  to  Europe,  explored 
his  native  land  thoroughly,  and  frequently  related  the  story  of  his  travels  in  public 
lectures.  He  wrote  several  pamphlets,  one  of  which,  entitled  ' '  Labor  and  Capital  are 
One,"  was  translated  into  various  languages  and  had  a  circulation  of  250,000  copies. 
Among  his  clubs  were  the  Union  League,  Republican,  Lawyers',  Twilight,  Riding, 
Congregational,  Pi'ess,  New  York  Athletic,  New  York  Yacht  and  Adirondack  League, 
and  he  also  joined  the  Bar  Association,  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  Presby- 
terian Union  and  The  New  England  Society  of  this  city  and  the  Union  League  club  of 
Brooklyn.  He  married  Feb.  18,  1868,  Margaret  Louisa,  daughter  of  William  H.  Van- 
derbilt,  who  survived  him  with  five  children,  Maria  Louisa,  wife  of  William  Jay  Schieffe- 
lin;  Edith;  Alice  Vanderbilt,  wife  of  David  Hennon  Morris;  Margaret  and  Elliott  F. 
Shepard,  jr.  By  his  will,  he  left  $100,000  each  to  the  Presbytery  of  New  York  city  and 
St.  Paul's  Institute  at  Tarsus,  Asia,  and  $50,000  to  the  Seventh  Presbyterian  Church. 

FREDERICK  MICHAEL  SHEPARD,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Norfolk,  Conn., 
born  Sept.  24,  1827,  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  A.  Shepard,  farmer,  hotel  keeper  and 
postmaster,  and  of  Margaret  J.  Mills,  his  wife.  Edward  Shepard  came  from  old  England 
with  his  family  in  1638  and  settled  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  and  one  of  his  sons,  removing 
to  Hartford,  Conn.,  there  established  the  branch  of  the  family  from  which  Frederick 
M.  Shepard  springs.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  spent  his  ear'ylife  in  Norfolk,  attend- 
ing school,  aiding  his  father  and  serving  as  clerk  in  a  country  store.  Finally,  how- 
ever, Norfolk  became  too  small  for  a  young  man  of  his  motive  power  and  he  found  em- 
ployment in  Hartford  and  later  in  New  York  city.  In  1853,  he  was  elected  treasurer 
and  secretary  of  The  Union  India  Rubber  Co.,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  has 
been  active  in  the  manufacture  of  rubber  goods.  He  is  president  of  the  company  now 
and  of  The  Rubber  Clothing  Co.,  The  Goodyear  Rubber  Co.,  of  New  York,  and  The 
Goodyear  Rubber  Co.,  of  Middletown,  Conn.,  all  of  which  are  owned  and  controlled 
by  him,  and  a  director  of  The  United  States  and  The  National  Rubber  Go's.  He  is 
also  a  director  of  The  Mutual  Benefit  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Orange  Water  Co.,  The 


592  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

East  Orange  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Co. ,  The  East  Orange  National  Bank,  and  The 
Norfolk,  Conn.,  Water  Co.  and  has  been  Commissioner  of  Juries  and  of  Parks  in  Essex 
county,  N.  J.  Mr.  Shepard  has  proved  a  very  able  manager  of  the  large  interests  con- 
centrated in  his  hands.  He  has  read  THE  NEW  YORK  TRIBUNE  from  the  day  of  its  first 
publication.  Sept.  28,  1854,  he  married  Annie  C.  Rockwell  and  is  the  father  of  six 
children,  Annie  Rockwell,  Frederick  M.,  Clara  Margaret,  Joseph  Minott,  John  Andrus, 
and  Edith  Mills. 

SIDNEY  SHEPARD,  capitalist,  long  prominent  in  the  commercial  life  of  Buffalo 
but  in  later  years  closely  identified  with  financial  affairs  in  New  York  city,  was  born  in 
the  village  of  Cobleskill,  Schoharie  county,  N.  Y. ,  Sept.  28,  1814.  He  died  in  New 
Haven,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  26,  1893.  He  was  descended  from  a  line  of  hale  and  upright 
ancestors,  which  reached  back  to  the  earliest  days  of  the  settlement  of  the  new  world. 
Ralph  Shepard,  the  first  of  his  father's  family  to  remove  from  England  to  this  country, 
came  in  1635.  William  Hamilton,  his  mother's  ancestor,  a  Scot,  came  later,  and 
emigrated  from  Glasgow  in  1668.  His  grandfather,  Hosea  Hamilton,  in  this  line,  was 
a  surgeon  in  the  American  Revolution  and  a  personal  friend  of  George  Washington. 
Jesse  Shepard,  Sidney's  father,  was  a  physician,  who  practiced  the  healing  art  for  many 
years  in  Cobleskill  and  the  farming  towns  surrounding.  A  worthy  representative  of 
these  two  families,  the  young  man  thus  had  the  good  fortune  to  begin  life  with  a 
vigorous  nature,  an  upright  character,  and  a  strong  intellectuality,  inherited  from  a 
sound  ancestry.  During  boyhood,  he  gained  only  the  education  which  falls  to  the 
usual  lot  of  the  youth  of  a  country  town,  but  he  was  compensated  in  subsequent  years 
for  lack  of  a  college  education,  by  his  receptive  mind,  constant  reading,  extended 
travel,  alert  observation  and  retentive  memory. 

The  lad  found  his  first  employment  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  as  clerk  in  a  hardware 
store  in  Dansville,  N.  Y.  He  entered  upon  his  duties  there  with  youthful  enthusiasm, 
was  quick  to  learn  and  faithful  to  duty,  and  the  liking  which  he  gained  then  and  there 
for  the  hardware  trade  decided  his  vocation.  After  additional  experience  in  a  store  in 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  he  went  to  Bath,  in  1831,  and  associated  himself  for  three  years  with 
his  brother. 

He  made  his  first  mercantile  venture  on  his  own  account  in  1835,  when  not  yet 
twenty-one  years  old,  assuming  the  responsibilities  of  a  merchant,  by  purchasing  a 
hardware  store  in  the  same  town.  From  the  very  beginning,  he  showed  his  quality, 
by  energetically  devoting  to  his  business  all  the  time  which  was  necessary  to  ensure 
success.  He  was  resolute  in  a  determination  to  make  his  way,  honest  in  all  transac- 
tions, and  able  to  deny  himself  the  luxuries,  upon  which  many  other  young  men,  less 
wise  than  he,  expended  their  savings.  Five  years  of  mercantile  life  in  Bath  brought 
him  a  little  capital. 

Aspiring  to  a  larger  field,  he  then,  in  1836,  removed  to  Buffalo.  He  first  bought 
an  interest  in  a  hardware  store  on  Main  street,  the  oldest  business  house  in  that  city, 
which  was  changed  to  Crane  &  Shepard.  In  the  following  year,  he  became  sole  pro- 
prietor under  his  own  name.  This  enterprise  soon  developed  into  the  firm  of  Sidney 
Shepard  &  Co.,  which  rose  from  local  to  much  wider  distinction.  A  manufactory  of 
sheet  metal  ware  was  established  at  the  corner  of  Clinton  and  Union  streets.  The  young 
merchant  soon  won  the  good  opinion  of  other  men  in  the  hardware  trade  and  pushed 
the  sale  of  his  productions  with  such  persistency  and  energy,  that  before  ten  years  had 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. SH. 


593 


passed  his  business  had  become  thoroughly  established.  Not  only  did  the  thriving  city 
of  Buffalo  and  the  counties  tributary  thereto  supply  him  with  a  ready  market,  but  the 
West  spread  out  before  him,  inviting  him  to  extend  his  enterprise  in  that  direction 
also.  During  his  early  years,  he  made  several  prolonged  trips  through  this  region  and 
established  business  connections  in  the  then  comparatively  uninhabited  but  rapidly 
growing  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan,  opening  business  houses  in 
Detroit  and  Milwaukee.  About,  1840,  he  made  one  tour  by  way  of  Chicago  and  St. 
Louis  to  New  Orleans,  returning  through  Mobile,  Savannah  and  Charleston.  In  1849, 
he  became  the  proprietor  of  The  Shepard  Iron  Works,  on  Ohio  street,  and  thereafter 
gradually  added  to  his  undertakings,  until  he  finally  became  one  of  the  largest  im- 
porters of  tin  plate,  manufacturers  of  stamped  metal  ware,  and  dealers  in  hardware  and 
tinners'  supplies  in  the  United  States. 

Mr.  Shepard's  activity  was  not  confined  to  his  industry  in  Buffalo.  As  he  gained 
the  means,  he  embarked  in  other  important  enterprises.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  to 
realize  the  advantages  of  the  electric  telegraph  to  the  merchants  of  the  country,  and  he 
not  only  promoted  some  of  the  pioneer  lines  in  the  West,  but,  by  gradual  investment, 
became  one  of  the  largest  owners  of  the  stock  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co., 
tinder  which  the  earlier  lines  were  consolidated.  Until  within  a  few  weeks  of  his  death, 
he  was  a  director  in  that  corporation,  resigning  on  account  of  his  illness.  He  was 
prominent  also  in  railroad  affairs  and  for  many  years  a  large  stockholder  and  director 
in  The  Alabama  Central,  The  Mobile  &  Ohio,  and  The  New  Jersey  Central  Railroads, 
having  declined  a  similar  position  in  many  others  of  equal  prominence.  He  accepted 
only  a  few  of  the  proffered  places  of  trust  in  religious,  banking  and  other  institutions. 

He  was  married  June  12,  1851,  in  Buffalo,  to  Elizabeth  De  Angelis  Wells,  daughter 
of  Chester  R.  Wells.  This  union  brought  them  three  children,  Elizabeth  Wells  Shep- 
ard,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten;  Charles  Sidney  Shepard;  and  Ralph  Hamilton  Shepard, 
who  survived  his  farther  a  few  months  only. 

In  1865,  Mr.  Shepard  relinquished  the  active  supervision  of  the  details  of  his 
business  to  his  partners  and  spent  several  years  with  his  family  in  foreign  travel  and 
recreation.  He  visited  nearly  every  capital  in  Europe,  besides  Egypt,  the  Holy  Land 
and  Asia  Minor.  Upon  the  family's  return,  the}r  settled  in  the  homestead  of  his  wife  in 
the  village  of  New  Haven,  Oswego  county,  N.  Y.,  and  made  that  his  country  residence 
the  remainder  of  his  days.  In  1885,  he  transferred  to  C.  Sidney  Shepard,  his  son,  his 
interest  in  the  old  firm.  Though  urged  to  be  a  candidate  for  important  offices,  he 
studiously  avoided  such  publicity. 

Mr.  Shepard's  success  should  be  an  inspiration  to  every  young  man  cf  ability  and 
character.  It  was  due  to  the  good  name  which  he  established  early  in  life,  a  clear  head, 
sound  judgment  and  untiring  energy.  Keen  powers  of  observation  guided  him  in  his 
enterprise  and  investments  and  his  habit  of  mastering  every  new  question  thoroughly 
saved  him  from  errors.  His  capacity  for  organization  amounted  almost  to  genius.  His 
judgment  of  men  was  remarkable  and  he  was  seldom  deceived  in  his  estimates.  In  integ- 
rity, he  was  rigid  and  unswerving.  Capable  of  continued  exertion,  his  courage  also 
was  equal  to  even-  emergency.  In  private  life,  he  was  a  sincere  Christian  gentleman 
His  faith  in  divine  things  was  strong  and  for  about  twenty -five  years  he  was  an  elder 
in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Buffalo.  Wealth  brought  him  the  ability  to  bestow 
happiness  on  others  less  fortunate  and  he  did  so  freely  but  quietly  and  with  the  same 


594  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

discretion  which  had  regulated  his  whole  life,  often  in  such  a  way  that  even  the  recipi- 
ents did  not  know  the  source.  He  aided  liberally  several  institutions  in  Buffalo,  but  his 
principal  benefactions  were  distributed  over  this  and  other  countries,  while  his  private 
charities  were  large.  His  name  is  greatly  honored. 

ISAAC  SHERMAN,  manufacturer  and  banker,  born  in  North  Adams,  Mass.,  died 
in  this  city,  Jan.  21,  1881,  in  his  sixty-third  year.  After  studying  law  in  Albion.  N.  Y., 
for  a  year,  Mr.  Sherman  abandoned  the  prospect  of  a  legal  career  and  went  into  busi- 
ness. He  became  interested  at  an  early  age  in  the  making  of  staves  in  Buffalo  for  ex- 
port, and  was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  Michigan  and  making  contracts  for  the  purchase 
of  staves,  while  the  timber  stood  in  the  forests.  If  there  were  sufficient  snow  to  haul 
the  staves  from  the  woods,  they  were  drawn  out  in  the  winter  time.  If  not,  they  some- 
times remained  standing  for  a  year  or  two.  This  practice  led  to  a  discussion  on  taxa- 
tion with  the  Attorney  General  of  Michigan.  The  statutes  of  the  State  exempted  prop- 
erty in  transit  and  Mr.  Sherman  claimed  that  his  staves  were  legally  in  that  condition, 
until  they  were  taken  out  of  the  woods  and  started  for  Port  Huron,  his  usual  point  of 
shipment  to  the  East.  He  finally  induced  the  Attorney  General  to  accept  his  view  of 
the  matter  and  frequently  referred  to  this  case  as  one  of  his  earliest  triumphs.  He  re- 
tired from  business  in  Buffalo,  at  the  age  of  thirty,  with  large  means.  Coming  to  New 
York  about  1856,  he  then  established  a  private  bank,  remaining  in  its  management  until 
1865,  after  which  time  he  devoted  himself  to  investments.  The  only  railroad  securities 
he  ever  bought  were  first  mortgage  bonds.  His  knowledge  of  railroad  law  was  inti- 
mate and  extensive.  In  politics  originally  a  Democrat  and  prominent  in  the  Barn- 
burner movement,  Mr.  Sherman  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  founding  of  the  Repub- 
lican party.  During  Mr.  Lincoln's  administration,  he  was  one  of  the  President's  con- 
fidential advisers,  and  it  is  generally  understood  that  he  declined  the  offer  of  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury.  He  was  a  genial  and  courteous  man,  generous  in  charities  and  very 
modest.  His  wife  and  one  daughter,  the  latter,  Mrs.  Bradley  Martin,  survived  him. 

WATTS  SHERHAN,  banker,  born  in  Utica,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  22,  1809,  died  on  the 
Island  of  Madeira,  Feb.  20,  1865.  A  descendant  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  the 
State,  his  first  important  position  was  that  of  cashier  of  a  bank  in  Geneseo.  Removing 
to  Herkimer,  he  conducted  a  banking  institution  there.  Later,  he  removed  to  Albany 
and  became  cashier  and  general  manager  of  The  Albany  City  Bank,  which  became  one 
of  the  soundest  institutions  in  the  country  xmder  his  management.  In  1851,  he  came 
to  New  York  and  in  partnership  with  Alexander  Duncan  founded  the  well  known  bank- 
ing house  of  Duncan,  Sherman  &  Co.,  in  the  active  management  of  which  he  continued 
until  about  eighteen  months  before  his  death.  Cultivated  and  refined  in  mind  and 
liberal  in  disposition,  he  had  a  large  circle  of  devoted  friends.  In  politics,  he  sided 
with  the  Democrats.  His  wife,  Sarah  M.,  a  daughter  of  Henry  B.  Gibson  of  Canan- 
daigua,  N.  Y.,  with  four  sons  survived  him,  the  latter  being  William  Watts,  Duncan, 
Harry  Gibson  and  Frederic  Sherman.  Mrs.  Sherman  died  in  March,  1878. 

JOHN  HINF1AN  SHERWOOD,  merchant  and  realty  owner,  a  native  of  Guilford, 
Chenango  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  3,  1816,  died  in  New  York  city,  March  17,  1887. 
Energetic  from  youth,  he  began  life  at  home  as  a  shoemaker.  At  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  established  a  hide  and  leather  business  in  Monroe,  Mich.  Three  years  later,  he 
returned  to  Greene  in  Chenango  county,  and  carried  on  a  dry  goods  store,  but  removed 
in  1852,  to  New  York,  to  enter  the  firm  of  Wesson,  Vanderhoff  &  Co.,  in  the  boot  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SH.  595 

shoe  trade.  In  1857,  he  withdrew  and  opened  a  real  estate  office,  applying  his  means 
to  operations  which  ultimately  made  him  a  rich  man.  First  and  last,  more  than  a 
hundred  business  and  residence  houses  were  erected  by  him.  The  Sherwood  apart- 
ment house  was  one  of  his  ventures  and,  with  several  associates,  he  built  the  block  of 
houses  on  Fifth  avenue  between  43d  and  44th  streets,  upon  the  site  of  the  Colored 
Orphan  Asylum,  burned  by  the  mob  during  the  draft  riots  of  1863.  Some  of  his  prop- 
erty lay  north  of  the  Park.  Principal  owner  and  an  officer  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank, 
he  also  shared  in  the  management  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co. ,  The  Washington 
Life  Insurance  Co. ,  and  The  Real  Estate  Exchange,  and  was  a  stockholder  of  The 
New  York  Sun,  being  a  warm  friend  of  Mr.  Dana.  An  Episcopalian,  a  Republican, 
liberal  in  his  charities  and  a  man  of  sound  qualities,  he  was  highly  esteemed.  His 
wife,  Nancy  L. ,  and  one  daughter,  Mary  E.,  wife  of  J.  H.  A.  Blodgett,  survived  him. 

HENRY  F.  SHOEMAKER,  banker  and  railroad  president,  had  the  advantage  in 
his  earh-  career  of  an  influential  and  prosperous  father,  but  his  great  success  in  life  is 
due  mainly  to  his  own  undisputed  ability.  He  was  born  March  28,  1845,  in  Schuylkill 
county,  Pa.  His  ancestors  came  from  Germany,  landing  in  Philadelphia,  June  20, 
1683,  and  forming  part  of  the  settlement  of  Pastorius,  the  German  Quaker  and  friend  of 
William  Penn.  The  family  has  been  prominent  in  Philadelphia  and  the  Schuylkill  and 
Wyoming  valleys  of  Pennsylvania  for  several  generations.  John  Shoemaker,  his  great 
grandfather,  served  in  the  American  Revolution ;  both  his  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
of  1812  ;  while  Henry  F.  Shoemaker  himself  was  a  Union  volunteer  in  the  Civil  War. 
The  men  of  the  family  engaged  at  an  early  period  in  the  mining  for  anthracite  coal, 
and  Col.  George  Shoemaker,  of  Pottsville,  Pa. ,  a  great  uncle,  was  the  first  to  introduce 
this  fuel  to  market,  bringing  it  to  Philadelphia  by  wagon.  His  father  was  John  W. 
Shoemaker,  an  operator  of  anthracite  coal  mines  at  Tamaqua,  Pa  ,  his  mother  being 
Man-  A.  Brock,  daughter  of  William  Brock. 

Mr.  Shoemaker  was  fitted  for  an  active  career  by  education  in  the  schools  at 
Tamaqua,  Pa.,  and  in  the  Genesee  Seminary  in  Lima,  N.  Y.  He  acquired  a  liking 
for  the  coal  business  at  an  early  day,  boyish  curiosity  leading  him  to  visit  his  father's 
colliery  almost  daily  during  his  vacations.  He  was  a  young  man  of  great  promise  and 
his  manly  nature  was  shown  in  1863.  when  Pennsylvania  was  invaded  by  General  Lee 
and  the  Confederate  army.  Governor  Curtin  called  for  volunteers  to  defend  the  State. 
The  young  man,  then  only  eighteen  years  of  age,  went  to  his  father's  mines,  gathered 
together  a  company  of  sixty  volunteers  and  took  them  in  haste  to  Harrisburg  Although 
elected  captain  of  the  company,  he  exercised  the  good  judgment  characteristic  of  him 
in  after  life,  and  declined,  owing  to  his  youth,  in  favor  of  an  older  man,  accepting 
the  rank  of  first  lieutenant  instead.  The  company  was  mustered  into  the  Federal 
sen-ice  as  part  of  the  2 7th  Pa.  Vols.  attached  to  the  6th  Corps,  and  served  until  the 
Confederate  army  had  been  beaten  at  Gettysburgh  and  retreated  south  of  the  Potomac. 
The  emergency  over,  the  detachment  from  the  mines  returned  to  their  homes. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  Mr.  Shoemaker  went  to  Philadelphia  and  entered  the 
wholesale  coal  shipping  house  of  Hammet,  Van  Dusen  &  Co.,  where  he  mastered  the 
mercantile  department  of  the  coal  business.  He  then  began  the  coal  shipping  business 
on  his  own  account  under  the  firm  name  of  Shoemaker  &  Mclntyre,  succeeding  from  the 
start.  A  progressive  man,  he  formed  in  1870  the  firm  of  Fry,  Shoemaker  &  Co.,  and 
engaged  in  the  mining  of  anthracite  coal  at  Tamaqua,  Pa.  The  property  consisted  of 


/ 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — SH.  597 

the  Newkirk  colliery,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  locality.  Mr.  Shoemaker  continued  to 
reside  in  Philadelphia  in  charge  of  the  shipping  and  sales  branch  of  the  business,  while 
his  partners  devoted  themselves  to  operating  the  mines.  The  Philadelphia  &  Reading 
Railroad  Co.  having  entered  upon  a  policy  of  acquiring  control  of  the  mining  of  anthra- 
cite coal  along  its  lines  by  an  ownership  in  the  collieries,  Mr.  Shoemaker  disposed  of 
his  coal  interests  to  the  railroad  company  in  1875. 

Early  in  1877,  he  entered  the  world  of  transportation  as  secretary  and  treasurer  of 
The  Central  Railroad  of  Minnesota,  and  late  in  that  year  removed  to  New  York  city. 
In  1878,  he  became  interested  in  the  construction  of  The  Rochester  &  State  Line  Rail- 
road, now  known  as  The  Buffalo,  Rochester  &  Pittsburgh,  and  was  largely  instrumental 
in  its  extension  to  the  coal  fields  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1881,  he  embarked  in  Wall  street 
and  established  the  banking  house  of  Shoemaker,  Dillon  &  Co.  The  firm  made  a 
specialty  of  large  issues  of  railroad  bonds  and  met  with  great  success  in  several  exten- 
sive negotiations.  In  1886,  Mr.  Shoemaker  entered  a  syndicate  which  assumed  control 
of  The  Wheeling  &  Lake  Erie  Railroad,  and  thereafter  he  pushed  on  and  became  an 
active  spirit  in  a  number  of  important  roads.  In  1887,  he  was  elected  president  of  The 
Mineral  Range  Railroad,  and  in  1888,  he  bought  a  large  interest  in  the  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad,  and  later,  with  others,  became  one  of  the  dominant 
spirits  in  the  company  and  was  made  chairman  of  its  executive  committee.  In  1893, 
for  himself  and  associates,  he  purchased  a  majority  of  the  shares  of  The  Cleveland, 
Lorain&  Wheeling  Railroad,  which  under  the  new  management  has  become  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  coal  roads  in  Ohio.  Several  lines  in  which  he  is  interested  are  coal 
carrying  roads,  and  Mr.  Shoemaker  is  largely  interested  in  the  mines  adjacent  thereto. 

He  has  been  successful  in  his  undertakings  and  is  now  president  of  the  The  Day- 
ton &  Union  and  The  Cincinnati,  Dayton  &  Ironton  Railroads;  chairman  of  the 
executive  committee  of  The  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad,  and  a  director 
in  The  Cincinnati,  Hamilton  &  Indianapolis,  The  Cincinnati,  New  Orleans  &  Texas 
Pacific,  and  The  Cleveland,  Lorain  &  Wheeling  Railroads,  and  The  Alabama  Great 
Southern  Railroad,  Limited,  of  London,  England.  He  was  also  at  one  time  engaged  in 
the  mining  of  bituminous  coal  in  the  Kanawha  valley,  W.  Va.  He  was  a  large  owner 
and  director  in  The  New  Jersey  Rubber  Shoe  Co.,  whose  factories  are  located  at  New 
Brunswick,  N.  J.,  with  a  capacity  of  10,000  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes  per  day  which 
has  now  become  a  part  of  The  United  States  Rubber  Co. ,  one  of  the  largest  mercantile 
and  manufacturing  corporations  in  the  country. 

Mr.  Shoemaker  was  married  April  22,  1874,  to  Miss  Blanche,  daughter  of  the  late 
Hon.  James  W.  Quiggle  of  Philadelphia,  at  one  time  Consul  at  Antwerp  and  later 
Minister  to  Belgium.  As  a  result  of  this  union,  there  are  three  children,  two  sons  and 
one  daughter.  He  resides  in  New  York  city,  and  by  reason  not  only  of  his  financial 
standing,  but  his  refinement  of  character,  courteous  manners  and  spotless  record,  has 
gained  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  business  world. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Lotos,  Riverside  Yacht  and  American 
Yacht  clubs  of  New  York  city,  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution,  and  Lafayette  Post,  No. 
140,  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

JOHN  H.  SHOENBERQER,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Huntington  county,  Pa., 
died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  12,  1889,  in  his  eightieth  year.  He  was  a  son  of  Dr. 
Peter  Shoenberger,  who  began  the  manufacture  of  iron  in  Pittsburgh  in  1824.  The 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

son  succeeded  to  the  business,  owned  The  Huntington  furnace  and  was  for  many  years 
the  head  of  John  H.  Shoenberger  &  Co.,  and  a  driving,  able  and  successful  man. 
For  several  years,  he  managed  The  Exchange  National  Bank  of  Pittsburgh  as  its  presi- 
dent, and  became  largely  interested  in  The  Pittsburgh,  Fort  Wayne  &  Chicago  and 
The  Allegheny  Valley  Railroads.  He  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church 
in  Pittsburgh,  and  the  wealth  due  to  his  incessant  enterprise  enable  him  to  make  large 
gifts  in  its  interest  and  help  build  St.  Peter's  and  Trinity  churches.  About  1880,  he 
removed  to  New  York  city.  By  his  will  he  left  $35,000  each  to  The  Church  Home  in 
Pittsburgh  and  The  Bishop  Seabury  Mission  in  Minnesota;  $30,000  for  Episcopal  mis- 
sionary work  in  Pittsburgh;  and  $50,000  for  The  Domestic  and  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  church,  as  well  as  $900,  ooo  and  a  large  tract  of  ground 
in  Pittsburgh  for  St.  Margaret  Memorial  Hospital,  in  memory  of  his  deceased  wife. 

GEORGE  GARRETT  SICKLES,  merchant,  born  in  William  street,  New  York 
city,  Sept.  10,  1800,  died  in  New  Rochelle,  March  18,  1887.  After  an  experience  in 
this  city  as  a  printer  and  dry  goods  clerk,  he  went  to  Philadelphia  at  the  age  of  twenty 
to  enter  the  employment  of  The  A  urora,  one  of  the  best  known  papers  of  that  period. 
Subsequently,  he  started  a  newspaper  of  his  own  in  Belvidere,  N.  J.,  called  The  Bclvi- 
dere  Apollo.  Later,  he  made  a  little  money  in  New  York  in  the  publishing  business  at 
Broadway  and  Liberty  street,  but  lost  it  all  in  a  mercantile  venture  in  Glens  Falls, 
N.  Y.  When  he  returned  to  New  York,  he  had  only  ten  cents  in  his  pocket.  Making 
a  new  start,  he  entered  the  real  estate  business  and  followed  it  for  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury, realizing  a  fortune.  He  gradually  came  to  own  about  thirty  houses  in  New  York 
and  Brooklyn  and  various  other  properties,  including  a  farm  at  New  Rochelle.  For- 
tunate operations  in  Wall  street  added  to  his  means.  When  about  forty  years  of  age,  he 
studied  law  and  practiced  it  for  twenty-five  years,  becoming  an  expert  in  patent  cases. 
The  Democratic  party  won  his  earnest  allegiance  and  he  was  one  of  the  oldest  Free 
Masons  in  the  city,  being  a  charter  member  of  Kane  Lodge.  By  his  first  marriage 
with  Miss  Susan,  daughter  of  Edgar  Marsh,  he  became  the  father  of  Gen.  Daniel  E. 
Sickles.  In  1881,  he  married  Mrs.  Henry  Sheridan  Sawyer,  and  their  children  are 
Roma  Meade,  Perie  A.  and  Alta  H.  Sickles. 

BENJAHIN  DOUGLAS  SILLIMAN,  LL.D.,  lawyer,  was  born  in  Newport,  R.  I., 
Sept.  24,  1805.  His  family  removed  to  New  York  when  he  was  a  child,  and  since  that 
time  he  has  been  a  resident  mainly  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn.  He  descends  from  Pil- 
grim stock,  and  on  the  side  of  his  father's  mother,  traces  his  lineage  to  John  Alden  and 
Priscilla  Mullins.  Gen.  Gold  Selleck  Silliman  of  Connecticut  was  his  grandfather. 
Gold  S.  Silliman,  his  father,  died  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ,  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one. 
Benjamin  D.  Silliman  was  sent  in  1820  to  Yale  College,  received  his  diploma  in  1824, 
and  is  now  sole  surviving  member  of  that  notable  class.  Having  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Chancellor  Kent  and  his  son,  Judge  William  Kent,  Mr.  Silliman  was  admitted 
to  the  bar  in  1829,  and  began  practice  in  New  York  city.  Among  the  clients  who 
placed  their  legal  business  in  his  hands  were  large  corporations,  and  in  the  course  of  his 
sixty  years  of  active  professional  life,  Mr.  Silliman  ranked  among  the  leaders  of  the 
bar  and  practiced  both  in  the  highest  courts  of  the  State  and  the  United  States.  His 
industry  was  remarkable,  his  success  almost  unbroken.  It  is  said  that  he  never  lost  his 
temper  in  court  and  he  won  his  cases  by  none  except  dignified  and  honorable  methods. 
The  esteem  of  his  professional  associates  was  exhibited  at  the  time  of  his  retirement  by 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SI.  599 

the  voluntary  tender  of  a  public  banquet  at  Delmonico's,  May  24,  1889.  In  early  life  a 
Whig,  Mr.  Silliman  represented  his  party  in  the  Legislature  from  Brooklyn  in  1838 
and  was  often  a  delegate  to  local,  State  and  National  conventions.  In  1854,  as  a 
Republican,  he  accepted  the  office  of  United  States  District  Attorney  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  New  York,  but  resigned  in  1866,  because  the  duties  of  the  office  interfered 
with  his  practice.  In  1872,  he  became  a  member  of  the  commission  for  revision  of 
the  State  Constitution,  and  in  1873  was  defeated  as  candidate  for  Attorney  General. 
In  1873,  Columbia  College,  and  in  1874,  Yale  College,  conferred  upon  Mr.  Silliman  the 
degree  of  LL.D.  He  is  a  director  of  numerous  literary  and  benevolent  associations, 
and  was  for  nearly  twenty  years  a  manager  of  The  House  of  Refuge  for  Juvenile 
Delinquents-  in  New  York  city,  as  well  as  one  of  the  founders  and  vice  president  of  the 
Bar  Association.  He  was  for  twenty  years  president  of  the  Brooklyn  club  and  long 
president  of  the  Yale  Alumni  Association.  He  is  unmarried. 

J.  EDWARD  SIMMONS,  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  highly  respected  bankers 
of  New  York  city,  began  life  with  the  intention  of  devoting  himself  to  the  law. 
There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  he  would  have  reached  a  high  position  in  that 
profession,  but  his  tastes  led  him  into  the  field  of  practical  business  and  he  has  made 
therein  a  record  of  which  he  may  be  proud. 

He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in  1841.  The  remote  paternal  ancestor 
of  the  family  came  from  Holland  and  settled  in  the  new  world  about  150  years  ago. 
On  his  mother's  side,  his  descent  is  from  an  old  New  Hampshire  family,  his  great 
grandsire  having  been  one  of  the  sturdy  supporters  of  Independence  in  that  State  and 
a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution. 

Mr.  Simmons  was  educated  first  in  the  public  schools  and  the  academy  in  Troy. 
He  spent  three  years  at  a  well  known  boarding  school  ?.t  Sand  Lake,  and  then  enjoyed 
the  advantage  of  a  four  years'  course  at  Williams  College,  graduating  in  1862.  Thus 
fitted  for  the  battle  of  life,  he  studied  law  at  the  Albany  Law  School.  The  Bachelor 
of  Arts  of  Williams  College  then  became  a  Bachelor  of  Laws  ;  and  it  may  be  said  that, 
later,  in  compliment  to  his  services  in  the  cause  of  education,  he  became  a  Doctor  of 
Laws  by  act  of  a  New  England  university. 

Until  1867,  Mr.  Simmons  lived  in  the  growing  city  of  Troy.  He  practiced  law  for 
two  years,  and  then  engaged  with  his  father  in  the  more  profitable  business  of  a  whole- 
sale grocer.  Ambitious  to  rise,  he  finally  determined  to  settle  in  New  York  and  try 
his  metal  in  the  field  of  banking  and  brokerage  Locating  in  Wall  street,  he  succeeded 
from  the  start  but  in  1872  a  too  devoted  application  to  business  compelled  him  to  seek 
rest  from  overwork  in  Florida.  In  that  pleasant  clime,  he  gained  renewed  vigor. 

In  1874,  he  returned  to  Wall  street  thoroughly  restored  in  health  and  devoted  him- 
self anew  with  all  the  ardor  of  a  vigorous  mind  to  his  old  business  of  banking  and 
brokerage.  His  transactions  in  the  exciting  field  of  finance  were  remarkable  for  sturdy 
integrity,  ability  and  honor.  A  sound,  successful  man,  with  large  resources  which  he 
had  accumulated  by  his  own  efforts,  he  soon  became  one  of  the  most  respected  and 
popular  members  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  June  2,  1884,  he  was  elected  president  of 
the  Exchange.  He  was  chosen  for  this  place  at  a  time  when  the  country  was  trembling 
upon  the  verge  of  a  crisis,  owing  to  a  panic  wrhich  had  taken  place  in  the  street  and 
the  suspension  of  the  firm,  of  which  the  previous  president  of  the  Exchange  was  a 
member.  So  great  was  the  confidence  felt  in  Mr.  Simmons,  that  he  was  elected  by 


600  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

a  vote  remarkably  large.  His  services  restored  confidence  and  won  the  most  cordial 
approbation.  He  occupied  the  position  of  president  for  two  terms,  and  was  asked  to 
accept  it  for  a  third,  but  declined.  His  intense  application  to  business  then  compelled 
him  to  rest  and  he  spent  some  time  in  foreign  travel  to  recruit  his  health. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Simmons  was  called  to  the  presidency  of  The  Fourth  National  Bank, 
one  of  the  most  important  financial  institutions  in  the  country,  having  a  capital  of  over 
$3,000,000  and  deposits  averaging  the  enormous  sum  of  $30,000,000.  His  services  as 
president  of  this  bank  have  been  brilliant  and  successful. 

Partly  because  of  his  legal  training  and  partly  from  natural  predilection,  Mr.  Simmons 
has  always  been  greatly  interested  in  public  affairs.  He  is  an  ardent  Democrat  of  the 
old  school  of  Jefferson  and  the  fathers  of  the  Republic.  In  1881,  he  consented  to  serve  the 
city  as  a  Commissioner  of  common  schools  of  New  York  city,  and  in  1886,  he  was  made 
president  of  the  Board  of  Education,  in  which  capacity  he  served  for  five  successive  terms. 

He  has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  the  larger  politics  of  the  day,  especially  in 
national  contests,  but  has  persistently  refused  to  hold  office. 

In  his  chosen  profession  of  banking,  Mr.  Simmons  has  made  an  unusual  record.  He 
has  never  failed  to  keep  a  contract,  never  suspended,  and  never  been  sued.  In  the 
exciting  field  of  Wall  street  finance  nothing  is  said  except  to  his  credit.  In  the  panic 
of  1890,  he  was  one  of  the  valued  members  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Clearing 
House,  and  in  the  panic  of  1893  a  member  of  its  Loan  Committee.  His  high  standing 
led  to  his  selection  as  receiver  of  The  American  Loan  &  Trust  Co.,  when  that  organ- 
ization was  forced  to  suspend. 

Mr.  Simmons  is  president  of  The  New  York  Infant  Asylum,  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  beautiful  charities  of  the  city.  He  is  also  a  governor  of  the  New  York  Hospital, 
vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  president  of  The  Panama  Railroad,  and 
of  the  Columbian  Line  of  steamships,  and  a  director  in  some  of  the  largest  and  most 
successful  corporations  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Simmons  is  a  Free  Mason  of  high  rank.  In  1883,  he  was  chosen  unanimously 
Grand  Master  for  the  State  of  New  York,  and  in  1885  was  advanced  to  the  Thirty-third 
Degree,  the  highest  degree  known  to  the  Masonic  order. 

In  this  city,  his  social  position  is  indicated  by  membership  in  some  of  the  most 
exclusive  of  its  first-class  clubs,  including  the  Manhattan,  Riding,  Metropolitan, 
Players',  University,  Lawyers',  and  New  York  Athletic.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  St. 
Nicholas  Society,  The  New  England  Society  and  of  the  Williams  Alumni  Association. 

He  was  married  in  1866  to  Julia,  daughter  of  George  Greer,  of  New  York  city. 
Of  the  seven  children  born  to  them  two  survive  :  a  son,  Joseph  Ferris  Simmons,  and 
a  daughter,  Mabel  Simmons. 

A  man  of  serious  aims,  shrewd  in  business,  broad  in  views,  cherishing  generous 
ideals,  entertaining  in  society,  conscious  of  the  dignity  of  life- — these  are  traits  which 
shine  in  his  character  and  make  him  an  object  of  universal  esteem. 

WILLIAH  SIHPSON,  pawnbroker,  born  May  2,  1837,  at  No.  21  Chatham  street 
(now  Park  Row),  New  York  city,  upon  the  site  of  the  present  entrance  to  Brooklyn 
Bridge,  is  a  son  of  the  late  William  Simpson,  a  native  of  Cumberland,  England,  and  of 
Ximena  Hains,  his  wife.  William  Simpson,  sr.,  came  to  America  about  1827  with  his 
brother,  John  B.,  and,  after  a  short  experience  as  a  dry  goods  merchant  on  Chatham 
street,  bought  from  a  cousin,  about  1836,  a  small  money  loaning  business,  which  had 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SI.  6oi 

been  established  as  early  as  1822  by  Walter  S.  Simpson,  his  uncle.  The  new  proprietor, 
with  his  brother  John  B.,  who  soon  joined  him,  developed  the  business  greatly.  Both 
men  became  famous  and  from  their  loan  offices  on  Chatham  street  and  the  Bowery 
realized  fortunes  which  they  invested  largely  in  real  estate.  William  died  at  West 
Farms  in  Westchester  county,  April  8,  1879.  William  Simpson,  jr.,  received  a  private 
school  education,  and  at  first  engaged  in  the  furniture  business  and  later  in  the  manage- 
ment of  a  general  store  in  New  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  in  importing  and  breeding  Jersey 
cattle.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  saw  service  in  the  Union  army.  In  1865,  he  embarked 
in  the  loan  business  in  New  York  city,  at  No.  27  Chatham  street  and  No.  181  Bowery, 
and  has  ever  since  followed  this  occupation.  "Simpson's,"  seen  on  more  than  one  sign 
board,  is  now  certainly  one  of  the  best  known  names  in  the  city.  Mr.  Simpson  retains 
his  breeding  business  on  a  farm  of  1,200  acres  at  New  Hudson,  with  training  stables  at 
Cuba,  both  in  Allegany  county,  N.  Y.,  but  now  devotes  the  establishment  in  part  to 
trotting  horses,  under  the  name  of  the  Empire  City  stud.  He  also  owns  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  acres  at  Hunt's  Point,  N.  Y.  He  is  a  veteran  of  the  7th  Regiment  and 
a  member  of  Lafayette  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  a  Republican  and  in  religion  an  Episco- 
palian. In  1864,  he  married  at  Dryden,  N.  Y.,  Sarah  Jane  McGraw,  who  died  in  1876, 
leaving  two  sons,  William  J.  and  Frederick  B.  In  1887,  he  married  Teresa  L.  Allen 
of  this  city. 

JOHN  SINCLAIR,  merchant,  originated  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  where  he  was  born 
Jan.  4,  1841.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Thomas  Sinclair,  merchant  of  meats  and  pro- 
visions. The  family  are  of  Scottish  and  Irish  ancestry.  Thomas  Sinclair  gave  his  son 
a  careful  education  in  Belfast  and  Liverpool  and  then  an  apprenticeship  in  the  pro- 
visions business  in  Belfast,  which,  while  it  had  not  yet  attained  the  magnitude  of  these 
later  years,  was  already  well  established.  A  ready,  earnest,  capable  young  man,  Mr. 
Sinclair  learned  every  requirement  rapidly  and,  after  a  few  years,  took  a  place  in  the 
office  of  a  large  firm  in  Liverpool  in  order  to  increase  his  range  of  experience.  It  was 
during  this  period  that  Great  Britain  began  to  depend  upon  the  United  States  of 
America  for  supplies  of  food.  Ireland  had  produced  immense  quantities  of  meats  and 
grain  for  generations,  but  the  low-priced  lands  of  America  developed  new  sources  of 
supply,  which  England  could  not  overlook,  and  her  merchants  found  it  to  their  ad- 
vantage to  establish  connections  in  the  United  States.  Accordingly,  in  1862.  the 
parent  house  of  the  Sinclairs  in  Belfast  sent  Thomas  Sinclair,  jr.,  and  Thomas  M. 
Sinclair  to  New  York  city,  where  they  established  the  firm  of  Sinclair  &  Co. ,  for  the 
exportation  of  produce  to  England.  In  1864,  John  Sinclair  came  to  New  York  and 
associated  himself  with  the  business.  Here  he  quickly  made  his  mark.  In  1866,  the 
present  firm  of  John  Sinclair  &  Co.,  composed  of  John  and  Thomas  M.  Sinclair,  suc- 
ceeded to  the  one  first  established.  They  are  now  extensively  engaged  in  packing 
meats  in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa,  the  house  there  having  been  started  in  1871,  by  the 
junior  partner  of  the  firm.  Mr.  Sinclair  is  an  upright,  driving,  straightforward  and 
capable  merchant.  He  has  entered  heartily  into  the  spirit  of  the  life  of  the  metropolis, 
has  gained  the  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends,  and  while  a  member  of  those  excel- 
ent  social  organizations,  the  Century,  Reform,  City,  Riding,  Presbyterian  and  Down 
Town  clubs,  has  shown  his  public  spirit  by  joining  Good  Government  Club  A. 

WILLIAM  LL'DLAM  SKIDflORE,  at  present  the  oldest  coal  merchant  of  the  city, 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  Foster's  Meadows,  beyond  Jamaica,  Long  Island,  Sept.  25,  1822. 


602  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Jeremiah  Skidmore.  his  father,  a  native  of  Valley  Stream,  then  known  as  Rockaway, 
born  March  23,  1797,  had  moved  into  New  York  city  the  early  part  of  the  century  and 
become  a  coal  merchant.  The  youth  of  William  L.  Skidmore  was  spent  partly  on  the 
farm,  partly  at  the  family  home  in  this  city  on  Orchard  street.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools,  he  began  life  at  the  age  of  thirteen  in  the  employment  of  his  father's  coal  firm 
of  Lang  &  Randolph.  He  ran  on  errands,  swept  the  office,  and  performed  a  variety 
of  other  modest  duties.  When  the  senior  Skidmore  succeeded  to  the  business,  he  took  his 
boys  Joseph  and  William  into  partnership,  as  Jeremiah  Skidmore  &  Sons.  In  1877,  the 
young  men  became  the  proprietors  and  thereafter  adopted  the  title  of  Jeremiah  Skid- 
more's  Sons,  which  is  yet  preserved.  Joseph  died  Dec.  30,  1882,  and  William  L.  Skidmore 
then  became  head  of  the  house.  He  retired  a  few  years  ago  but  retains  a  special  interest, 
and  is  the  only  one  of  the  thirteen  partners  of  the  three  coal  firms  above  named  who 
is  living,  as  well  as  the  only  member  of  his  branch  of  the  Skidmore  family.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  in  personal  appearance  closely  resembles  the  late  James  G. 
Elaine.  Until  about  1890,  Mr.  Skidmore  held  many  directorships  in  the  city  and  had 
declined  similar  positions  in  many  others.  He  resigned  from  all  about  five  years  ago. 
He  has  also  been  a  member  of  many  prominent  public  institutions  and  charities.  He 
married,  June  "15,  1847,  and  became  the  father  of  two  sons,  Alfred  Tremont  Skidmore, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  and  Jeremiah,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-three. 
Mr.  Skidmore  became  early  in  life  a  member  of  the  old  Rutgers  Street  Presbyterian 
Church,  but  in  later  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  Dr.  John  Hall's  church  on  Fifth 
avenue.  He  is  liberal  in  his  gifts,  and  has  done  much  to  promote  the  happiness  of 
his  fellow  men. 

HENRY  BARTHOLOMEW  SLAVEN,  capitalist,  who  has  won  fame  and  fortune 
by  his  wonderful  enterprise  and  work  in  connection  with  the  great  Panama  Canal,  was 
born  near  Pictou,  Ontario,  Oct.  19,  1853.  He  is  a  son  of  Patrick  Slaven,  a  farmer 
and  stock  raiser,  and  his  early  education  was  gained  in  the  common  schools. 

Leaving  the  farm  when  he  was  thirteen  years  of  age,  he  secured  a  posjtion  as 
druggist's  assistant,  and  after  his  day's  work,  spent  the  evenings  in  study  at  the  local 
school.  He  was  a  graduate  of  the  Ontario  College  of  Pharmacy  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, and  in  order  to  take  a  further  course  in  medicine,  he  went  to  Philadelphia  and 
attended  a  university  there  for  nearly  two  years,  but  was  too  young  to  graduate. 

He  then  accepted  a  position  in  a  large  wholesale  and  retail  drug  house  in  the 
Quaker  City,  which  gave  him  his  first  experience  in  mercantile  life.  Returning  to 
Canada  in  1873,  he  took  the  management  of  a  large  wholesale  drug  concern  there, 
remaining  with  it  for  a  period  of  three  years.  Early  in  1876,  the  young  man  joined  a 
party  of  engineers,  who  were  making  a  trip  to  the  British  Northwest.  The  journey  was 
made  by  way  of  the  great  lakes  to  what  is  now  Port  Arthur,  and  thence  to  Winnipeg, 
Manitoba.  As  this  was  an  entirely  unexplored  country,  inhabited  only  by  Indians,  the 
dangers  and  hardships  of  the  undertaking  were  great,  but  Mr.  Slaven  and  his  party  of 
twenty-five  men  arrived  safely  at  their  destination.  Making  a  short  stay  in  Winnipeg, 
he  traveled  further  west  through  Manitoba  and  the  British  Northwest,  returning  again 
to  Winnipeg  and  journeying  thence  to  St.  Paul.  From  the  last  named  place  he  went 
to  San  Francisco,  where  he  arrived  in  the  fall  of  1876. 

In  San  Francisco,  he  established  a  large  drug  and  manufacturing  business, 
which  proved  to  be  a  successful  venture.  The  business  grew  with  amazing  rapidity 


604  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and  in  time  became  the  most  widely  known  concern  of  its  kind  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Slaven  became  interested  in  public  works,  with  his  brother,  M.  A. 
Slaven,  who  was  a  successful  contractor  in  California  and  the  far  West.  It  was  about 
this  period  that  Ferdinand  De  Lesseps  paid  a  visit  to  San  Francisco  in  the  interests  of 
the  Panama  Canal.  The  fame  of  the  Slaven  Brothers,  as  successful  contractors,  having 
reached  his  notice,  he  determined  to  seek  their  aid  in  carrying  out  the  vast  and  diffi- 
cult work  he  had  in  hand.  The  acceptance  of  this  proposition  practically  shaped  Mr. 
Slaven's  future  life.  The  brothers  assumed  entire  control  of  the  American  Pacific 
coast  business,  besides  contracting  for  the  buildings  and  other  preliminary  work  on  the 
Isthmus,  which  involved  millions  of  dollars. 

Mr.  Slaven  went  to  Panama  in  1880,  to  initiate  the  work,  taking  a  large  force  of 
men  and  sent  supplies  and  materials  sufficient  to  fill  two  steamers.  Work  was  at  once 
begun  on  the  line  of  the  canal.  The  undertaking  was  attended  with  great  hardships 
and  suffering  on  the  part  of  the  men,  who  were  afflicted  with  malaria,  of  which  many 
died,  while  others  sickened  and  returned  to  their  homes  in  the  States.  Their  places 
being  filled  with  native  labor,  the  great  work  prospered. 

In  the  year  1882,  the  firm  of  Slaven  Brothers  closed  a  contract  for  the  actual  con- 
struction of  the  Atlantic  division  of  the  Panama  Canal  from  Colon  or  Aspinwall  to 
Bohio  Soldado,  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  as  well  as  for  the  difficult  and  seemingly 
impossible  task  of  changing  the  course  of  the  great  Chagres  River  for  a  similar  dis- 
tance. The  magnitude  and  importance  of  this  contract  rendered  it  necessary  for  the 
contractors  to  remove  their  headquarters  to  New  York  city. 

In  September  of  the  same  year,  they  organized  The  American  Contracting  & 
Dredging  Co.,  and  associated  with  them  the  late  Eugene  Kelly.  The  officers  of  the 
company  were  H.  B.  Slaven,  president;  Eugene  Kelly,  treasurer;  M.  A.  Slaven, 
general  manager,  and  Jas.  J.  Phelan,  secretary.  They  began  work  on  the  construction 
of  the  plant,  which  was  necessary  to  the  successful  carrying  out  of  the  contract,  the 
principal  piece  of  machinery  being  what  is  known  as  the  Slaven  dredge,  the  largest, 
most  effective  and  most  expensive  dredge  ever  built.  Eight  of  these  mammoth  ma- 
chines were  constructed  at  an  average  cost  of  $150,000  each.  The  plant  was  completed 
and  placed  on  the  Isthmus  in  a  few  months  and  the  actual  digging  of  the  Panama 
Canal  was  begun  by  an  American  company.  During  the  period  of  seven  years,  from 
1882  to  1889,  most  of  Mr.  Slaven's  time  was  spent  on  the  isthmus,  where  he  personally 
superintended  the  enormous  enterprise. 

The  result  of  his  operations  constituted  one  of  the  greatest  industrial  and  financial 
successes  of  modern  times.  The  stock  of  The  American  Contracting  &  Dredging  Co. 
became  worth  more  than  four  times  its  face  value,  and  shares  which  were  at  one  time 
offered  and  sold  for  $30  were  in  great  demand  at  $400  and  over. 

When  a  crisis  came  in  the  affairs  of  The  Panama  Canal  Co. ,  and  it  failed  in 
1889,  Mr.  Slaven  had  successfully  completed  his  contract  and  his  company  had  been 
paid  about  $25,000,000  and  was  about  to  be  awarded  a  contract  for  finishing  the  entire 
canal.  After  the  failure,  all  work  having  come  to  an  end  in  Panama,  Mr.  Slaven 
removed  his  great  plant  to  Nicaragua  and  became  treasurer  of  the  company  there. 

The  Panama  Canal  scheme  takes  rank  among  the  greatest  engineering  and  con- 
tracting enterprises  in  the  history  of  the  world,  and  the  progress  of  the  work  was 
watched  with  absorbing  interest  by  every  civilized  nation.  Had  the  other  interests  in 


THE     CITY  OF     NEW       YORK. SL.  605 

connection  with  the  project  been  handled  as  skillfull}-  and  judiciously  as  the  part 
operated  by  Mr.  Slaven  and  his  company,  the  canal  would  have  been,  in  the  judgment 
of  Mr.  Slaven,  carried  to  a  successful  completion  and  have  resulted  in  revolutionizing 
the  shipping  and  commercial  interests  of  many  countries. 

Mr.  Slaven  has  been  heavily  interested  in  American  railroads  and  a  director  in 
several  banking  and  financial  institutions,  but  of  recent  years  has  largely  withdrawn 
from  active  connection  with  these  concerns.  He  is  president  of  The  Chase  Granite  Co. 
Bluehill,  Maine,  and  is  the  principal  owner  and  a  director  in  The  American  Union  Life 
Insurance  Co. 

Mr.  Slaven,  who  is  in  the  prime  of  life,  is  a  man  of  quiet  and  domestic  tastes.  He 
has  been  an  extensive  traveler,  both  at  home  and  abroad,  and  there  are  few  parts  of 
the  world  which  he  has  not  visited.  He  speaks  several  languages.  His  career  has 
certain!}-  been  full  of  unusual  interest,  and  the  great  success  that  has  attended  his 
labors  has  been  the  result  of  his  untiring  enterprise  and  remarkable  ability. 

WILLIAfl  SLOANE,  merchant,  born  in  Kilmarnock,  Ayrshire,  Scotland,  who  died 
in  this  city,  May  23,  1879,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year,  came  to  America  in  1834  and  founded 
here  an  important  mercantile  house  and  a  conspicuous  and  influential  family.  He 
began  life  modestly  in  the  employment  of  a  carpet  firm  in  this  city.  Nine  years  of  dili- 
gent attention  to  business  made  him  a  proficient  merchant  and  enabled  him  to  accumu- 
late sufficient  means  to  start  a  carpet  house  of  his  own  in  1843  on  Broadway.  A  few 
years  later,  he  admitted  his  brother  John  to  partnership,  and  the  firm  name  of  W.  &  J. 
Sloane,  then  adopted,  has  never  since  been  changed.  Ability,  good  character,  great 
natural  shrewdness  and  persistent  enterprise  brought  the  brothers  a  growing  and  prosper- 
ous trade.  The  uptown  movement  led  them  finally  to  No.  501  and  then  to  No.  597  Broad- 
way, and  in  1867,  they  erected  an  excellent  building  at  649-655  Broadway,  which  they 
occupied.  Mr.  Sloane  retired  about  1 864,  but  his  brother  carried  on  the  business  until 
within  a  few  years  of  his  death.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  Mr.  Sloane  was  a  director 
and  shareholder  in  The  Bigelow  Carpet  Co.  and  in  The  Alexander  Smith  &  Sons  Carpet 
Co.,  t\vo  of  the  leading  establishments  in  the  country.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Fifth 
Avenue  Presbyterian  Church  after  1845,  and  during  his  last  four  years  was  its  treasurer. 
He  steadfastly  refused  to  accept  positions  in  the  management  of  corporations,  on  the 
ground  that  he  could  not  allow  his  name  to  appear,  unless  he  were  in  a  position  to  vouch 
for  the  entire  management.  A  just  man,  of  spotless  character,  he  was  highly  esteemed. 
His  wife  survived  him  with  five  children,  John,  William  D.,  Henry  T.  and  Thomas  C. 
Slone,  and  Euphemia,  wife  of  Edmund  Coffin,  jr.  Mr.  Sloane  left  $140,000  to  philan- 
thropic objects.  The  old  firm  has  in  recent  years  become  incorporated  with  a  capital  of 
$3,000,000.  John  Sloane  is  president,  William  D.  Sloane,  treasurer,  and  Henry  T. 
Sloane  a  director.  Thomas  C.  Sloane  was  a  member  of  the  firm,  but  died  June  17, 
1890,  leaving  $200,000  to  Yale  College  and  other  institutions. 

GEN.  HENRY  WARNER  SLOCUfl,  lawyer,  a  native  of  Delphi,  N.  Y.,  born 
Sept.  24,  1826,  died  April  14,  1894,  in  Brooklyn.  He  was  the  son  of  Matthew  B.  and 
Mary  O.  Slocum  and  the  family  had  originally  for  three  generations  lived  in  Newport, 
R.  I.  A  school  teacher  and  clerk  in  a  post  office  in  early  life,  he  graduated  from  West 
Point  in  1852,  entered  the  army,  and  while  on  duty  at  Fort  Moultrie,  S.  C.,  read  law. 
He  resigned  in  1857  to  practice  law  in  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  where  he  soon  attained  a  reputa- 
tion. From  the  manufacture  of  salt  in  that  city,  he  gained  some  capital  and  Syracuse 


606  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

gave  him  a  seat  in  the  Legislature  in  1858.  The  Civil  War  called  him  to  the  front  in 
1861  as  colonel  of  the  27th  N.  Y.  Vols.  He  proved  to  be  a  gallant,  fearless  and  able 
officer.  Severely  wounded  at  Bull  Run,  he  was  then  promoted  to  be  a  Brigadier  General 
and  commanded  a  brigade  under  General  McClellan.  After  the  seven  days'  fight 
before  Richmond,  he  received  a  commission  as  Major  General  and  took  part  in  the 
historic  actions  of  South  Mountain,  Antietam  and  Gettysburgh.  Later,  in  consequence 
of  consolidation  of  the  i2th  Corps  with  another  as  the  2oth,  he  was  placed  in  command  of 
the  Department  of  the  Mississippi  at  Vicksburgh.  He  marched  into  Atlanta  at  the  head 
of  the  2oth  Corps,  led  Sherman's  left  wing  in  the  march  to  the  sea,  and  commanded  the 
army  of  Georgia  until  the  end  of  the  war.  In  1865,  he  resigned  and  in  1866,  after  declin- 
ing a  colonelcy  in  the  regular  army,  made  his  home  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  he  re- 
siimed  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  thrice  sent  to  Congress  from  Brooklyn, 
namely  in  1868,  1870  and  1883,  the  last  time  as  Congressman  at  large.  In  1876,  Mayor 
Schroeder  appointed  him  president  of  the  Department  of  City  Works  of  Brooklyn. 
He  was  one  of  the  stockholders  in  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  and  in  1875  entered  the  board 
of  trustees  of  the  bridge,  being  reappointed  several  times.  In  local  corporations,  he 
was  especially  active  and  served  as  president  of  The  Cross  Town  Railroad  of  Brooklyn 
for  several  years,  besides  being  director  of  The  Chatham  National  Bank,  The  Wil- 
liamsburgh  City  Fire  Insurance' Co. ,  The  Brooklyn  City  Railroad,  The  Hecker-Jones- 
Jewell  Milling  Co. ,  The  Coney  Island  &  Brooklyn  Railroad  and  The  Phenix  Insurance 
Co.  By  his  marriage  with  Clara  R. ,  daughter  of  Israel  Rice,  he  was  the  father  of 
Henry  W.,  Clarence  R.,  and  Florence  E.  Slocum.  General  Slocum  was  popular 
and  a  member  of  the  Hamilton  and  Brooklyn  clubs  and  The  New  England  Society. 

ADON  SMITH,  merchant,  born  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  June  4,  1804,  died  in  New  York 
city,  March  23,  1874.  The  son  of  Samuel  Smith  and  a  descendant  of  a  pioneer  who 
came  to  America  from  Scotland  in  1662  and  settled  near  Boston,  Mass.,  Mr.  Smith 
was  educated  at  the  public  schools  and  began  life  as  a  farmer.  Later,  he  came  to 
New  York  city  and  engaged  in  business  ar:  a  produce  merchant.  Energetic,  t:ntiring 
and  shrewd,  he  made  his  way  with  great  success  and  retired  a  few  years  before  his 
death,  a  man  of  fortune.  A  love  of  liberty,  inherited  from  his  ancestors,  made  him 
prominent  and  active  as  an  abolitionist  from  the  beginning  of  that  movement.  For 
many  years,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Tabernacle  Congregational  Church.  He  was  also 
president  of  The  Hamilton  Bank  of  Hamilton,  N.  Y.,  from  its  organization  until  his 
death.  He  married  Louisa  Fuller  of  Troy,  and  left  five  children,  Jonah  D.  F.  Smith 
of  Hamilton,  Mrs.  Dr.  McMurtrie,  and  Adon,  Harlan  P.  and  J.  Hunt  Smith. 

CHARLES  STEWART  SMITH,  merchant,  long  senior  partner  in  the  dry  goods 
commission  firm  of  Smith,  Hogg  &  Gardner,  is  a  progressive  and  highly  respected  resi- 
dent. He  began  life  a  poor  boy,  and  by  talent,  industry,  and  honorable  methods  has 
bravely  won  his  way  to  fortune,  position  and  the  highest  honor  in  the  gift  of  the  mer- 
chants of  New  York,  the  presidency  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

His  family,  founded  by  English  emigrants,  settled  in  the  valley  of  the  Connecticut 
in  early  times.  His  mother  was  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Aaron  Dickinson  Woodruff,  of 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  a  distinguished  lawyer,  for  many  years  Attorney  General  of  that  State, 
and  his  father  was  a  minister  of  the  Congregational  church  in  Exeter,  N.  H.  In  the  city 
last  named,  Charles  was  born,  March  2,  1832.  He  had  the  advantage  of  early  training 
in  a  cultivated  family  of  superior  minds  and  character,  and  from  his  father  learned 


"; "• " 


608  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Latin  and  Greek.  After  a  course  at  the  public  school  and  the  academy,  the  youth  at 
fifteen  years  of  age  taught  a  district  school  in  Connecticut.  Coming  then  to  New  York, 
he  secured  a  place  as  clerk  in  a  dry  goods  jobbing  house.  He  proved  industrious, 
learned  the  business  thoroughly  and  rose  rapidly.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  was 
admitted  to  partnership  in  the  well  known  house  of  S.  B.  Chittenden  &  Co.  For  sev- 
eral years,  he  lived  abroad  as  their  European  buyer.  His  experience  in  Europe  has 
proved  of  great  value  to  him  in  later  life  as  a  man  of  affairs. 

Returning  to  America,  he  formed  the  firm  of  Smith,  Hogg  &  Gardner,  which  came 
by  succession  into  the  dry  goods  commission  business  of  A.  &  A.  Lawrence  of  Boston, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  was  actively  and  successfully  identified  with  the  whole- 
sale dry  goods  trade  in  New  York  and  Boston.  In  1887,  he  retired  from  active 
labor,  although  retaining  his  interest  in  the  firm. 

Interested  in  public  policies,  though  never  desirous  of  office,  Mr.  Smith  has 
labored  always  for  the  welfare  of  the  metropolis.  His  ability  was  recognized  in  1884 
by  his  election  as  vice  president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  In  1887,  he  became 
the  twenty-sixth  president  of  that  influential  body  and  was  unanimously  elected  to  the 
office  seven  times.  At  one  time  tendered  a  nomination  to  the  Mayoralty  of  New  York, 
he  declined  the  honor. 

An  excellent  financier,  Mr.  Smith  has  been  prominently  connected  with  a  number 
of  prominent  corporations.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank 
and  of  The  German  American  Insurance  Co.  He  is  a  director  in  The  United  States 
Trust  Co.,  The  Fourth  National  Bank,  The  Merchants'  National  Bank,  The  Fifth 
Avenue  Bank,  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank,  and  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance 
Society.  He  is  also  trustee  of  The  Presbyterian  Hospital  and  of  the  Broadway 
Tabernacle  Church. 

Mr.  Smith  belongs  to  many  of  the  most  exclusive  clubs,  being  vice  president  of 
the  Union  League  club  and  a  member  of  the  Merchants',  Metropolitan,  City,  Law, 
Players',  and  the  Century,  and  of  The  New  England  Society.  He  is  highly  esteemed 
in  them  all,  possesses  the  savoir  faire  in  a  marked  degree,  and  has  repeatedly  been 
called  to  preside  at  public  dinners  at  that  famous  old  resort,  Deimonico's. 

Mr.  Smith  owns  a  small  but  choice  and  well  known  collection  of  paintings, 
including  fine  examples  of  the  old  masters.  He  is  a  life  member  of  The  National 
Academy  of  Design  and  a  trustee  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  On  a  recent 
visit  to  Japan,  he  purchased  the  remarkable  collection  of  Japanese  porcelains  and  other 
objects,  made  by  Captain  Brinkley  during  a  residence  of  twenty-five  years  in  Tokio,  and 
presented  them  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum. 

Mr.  Smith  is  one  of  the  regular  writers  for  The  North  American  Review.  His 
topics  are  those  which  would  naturally  be  looked  for  from  a  man  of  affairs.  They 
relate  to  emigration  and  public  policies,  and  indicate  close  observation,  sound  judg- 
ment, and  an  ardent  patriotism.  He  has  two  sons. 

FRANCIS  S.  SfllTH,  publisher,  born  on  Division  street  in  New  York  city,  Dec. 
29,  1819,  died  in  town,  Feb.  i,  1887.  Capt.  Moses  Rogers  Smith,  his  father,  a  native 
of  Huntington,  L.  I.,  followed  the  sea  from  the  age  of  nineteen,  became  a  large  ship 
owner,  married  Mary  Reed  Wall  and  during  the  War  of  1812  served  as  a  paymaster  in 
the  Navy.  Anxious  to  earn  his  own  living,  Francis  S.  Smith  learned  the  trade  of  a 
printer,  beginning  in  1833  m  the  office  of  The  Albion,  a  literary  and  political  weekly, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SP.  609 

and  practiced  it  in  the  composing  rooms  of  The  Spirit  of  the  Times,  THE  NEW  YORK 
TRIBUNE,  The  Globe,  and  The  Sunday  Dispatch.  Of  the  latter  newspaper,  he  became  a 
reporter  and  his  vivid  narrative  style  soon  gained  many  compliments  from  his  employer, 
Amor  J.  Williamson,  and  opened  his  own  eyes  to  the  possibility  of  a  literary  career. 
Promoted  to  an  editorial  chair,  he  wrote  many  poems  and  stories  in  addition  to  his 
editorials  Later,  Mr.  Smith  became  the  editor  of  The  New  York  Weekly,  a  paper 
devoted  to  fiction  of  a  high  order,  founded  in  1843  by  Amor  J.  Williamson,  as  The 
Weekly  Universe,  and  later  known  as  The  Weekly  Dispatch.  With  the  bookkeeper  of 
the  establishment,  Francis  S.  Street,  Mr.  Smith  bought  the  paper  in  1859  for  $40,000, 
without  payment  of  cash.  The  two  men  could  muster  scarcely  $100  in  cash  between 
them,  but  Mr.  Williamson  agreed  to  wait  for  his  money  until  the  new  proprietors  had 
earned  it.  Street  &  Smith  devoted  themselves  with  the  greatest  energy  to  their  paper, 
Mr.  Smith  being  the  editor,  and  paid  their  debt  before  five  years  had  elapsed.  After 
1859,  especially,  they  met  with  great  success,  having  in  that  year  bought  from  Mrs. 
Mary  J.  Holmes,  for  their  paper,  the  story  of  "Marian  Grey,"  at  an  expense  of  $50,000. 
This  story  increased  their  circulation  in  two  months  time  from  n,ooo  to  47,000  copies 
a  week.  They  were  printing  about  100,000  copies  when  the  Civil  War  broke  out. 
Their  sales  fell  off  during  the  War,  but  on  the  return  of  peace,  a  rapid  expansion  fol- 
lowed and  they  printed  200,000  copies  a  week.  Circulation  was  promoted  by  securing 
famous  writers  and  paying  them  enormous  prices.  The  firm  also  printed  a  weekly, 
Good  News,  and  various  serial  issues  of  books.  In  1853,  Mr.  Smith  married  Mary 
Jellette  Duff,  daughter  of  George  C.  Duff,  and  was  the  father  of  Francis  S.,  George  C., 
Ormond  G.  and  Cora  A.  Smith.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  devoted  Christian,  and  his  poems  and 
stories  bore  the  stamp  of  a  fertile  fancy  and  manly,  charitable  and  sympathetic  nature. 
His  poems  will  be  long  remembered.  Artless  and  ingenuous  as  a  child,  with  many 
merits  and  few  faults,  a  staunch  friend,  detesting  shams  and  meanness,  fearless  for  the 
right  and  an  affectionate  husband  and  father,  he  played  well  his  part,  and  is  borne  in 
affectionate  memory  by  a  multitude  of  friends. 

HENRY  FOSTER  SPAULDING,  merchant,  born  in  Brandon,  Vt,  April  24,  1817, 
died  July  17,  1893,  universally  regretted  in  business  and  social  circles  in  this  city.  He 
was  a  son  of  Samnel  G.  and  Anne  Grey  Spaulding.  Arriving  in  New  York  city  at  the 
age  of  fifteen,  with  less  than  $20  of  capital,  he  sought  employment  from  store  to  store 
and  found  it  in  the  house  of  Clark,  Weyman  &  Co.,  importers  of  woolen  goods.  Hav- 
ing thus  secured  a  foothold,  he  rose  by  unsparing  labor  from  one  position  to  another. 
About  1850,  his  name  appeared  in  the  title  of  the  firm,  which  then  became  Weyman, 
Spaulding  &  Co.  When  the  firm  reorganized  as  Spaulding,  Vail  &  Fuller,  the  clerk 
had  at  last  risen  to  the  head  of  a  house  into  whose  employment  he  had  entered  a  poor 
lad.  Owing  to  changes  in  the  partnership,  the  house  was  known  later  as  Spaulding, 
Hunt  &  Co.,  and  Spaulding,  Swift  &  Co.  Mr.  Spaulding  was  the  first  president  of 
The  Central  Trust  Co.,  and  held  the  office  for  eight  years.  His  salary  went  entirely  to 
charity.  He  remained  a  director  the  rest  of  his  life  and  was  also  a  director  of  The  Con- 
tinental Insurance  Co.  and  The  Mechanics'  National  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  and  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy.  The  stone  upon  which  the  bronze 
statue  of  Washington  stands  at  the  Sub-Treasury  building  is  the  identical  one,  upon 
which  Washington  stood  at  his  first  inauguration.  It  was  traced  and  rescued  by  Mr. 
Spaulding  from  a  place  in  the  walls  of  Bellevue  Hospital.  He  was  exceedingly  phil- 


6io  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

anthropic  and  served  as  treasurer  of  the  fund  for  the  pedestal  of  Bartholdi's  statue  of 
Liberty,  president  of  The  Home  for  Incurables  and  Commissioner  for  Appraisal  of 
Lands  for  the  new  Croton  Aqueduct,  and  belonged  to  the  Century,  Manhattan,  Reform, 
Country  and  Down  Town  clubs  and  New  England  Society,  and  aided  in  the  support  of 
the  public  museums  of  the  city.  In  1850,  he  married  Rose  Thompson,  of  Penn's 
Manor,  Pa.,  who  died  four  years  afterward.  Of  her  three  children,  two  are  living, 
Thomas  Hunt  Spaulding  and  Margaret  Thompson,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  M.  Schley.  In  1857, 
he  married  Miss  Kate  Devereux  Beckwith,  of  Petersburgh,  Va. 

ELIHU  SPICER,  shipping  merchant,  born  in  Mystic,  Conn.,  April  13,  1826,  died 
Feb.  15,  1893,  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  He  was  a  son  of  Elihu  Spicer,  shipmaster,  and 
Jemima  Fish,  his  wife,  both  members  of  old  Connecticut  families  of  English  descent. 
At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  young  man  sailed  as  a  cabin  boy  from  the  same  pier  in  the 
East  River,  at  which  he  subsequently  located  to  engage  in  business,  on  the  ship  John 
Minturn,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  given  command  of  the  bark  Fanny,  owned 
by  Charles  Mallory  and  others,  which  sailed  in  the  Mobile  line  of  packets.  In  1850, 
this  bark  was  chartered  by  A.  A.  Low  &  Co.,  and  Captain  Spicer  sailed  in  the  Califor- 
nia and  China  trades  until  1862.  Having  bought  an  interest  meanwhile  in  several 
vessels,  he  then  left  the  sea  to  engage  in  the  management  of  ships  in  partnership  with 
Charles  H.  Mallory.  During  the  War,  he  was  a  captain  of  government  transports.  In 
1865,  Mr.  Mallory  and  he  established  the  Galveston  line  of  steamers  as  The  New  York 
&  Texas  Steamship  Co.  Of  this  company,  Mr.  Spicer  was  president  at  his  death.  The 
line  was  well  managed  and  brought  the  owners  good  returns.  By  his  marriage  with 
Mary  M.,  daughter  of  Lyman  Dudley  of  Mystic,  Conn.,  Captain  Spicer  was  the  father 
of  three  children,  none  of  whom  survived  him.  He  was  noted  for  his  shrewd,  keen, 
kindly,  sensible  character,  his  charities  and  public  spirit.  He  belonged  to  the  Oxford, 
Brooklyn  and  Hamilton  clubs  and  New  England  Society  of  Brooklyn  and  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  and  Produce  and  Maritime  Exchanges  of  New  York.  He  was  at  one 
time  a  Pilot  Commissioner  and  a  trustee  of  Sailors'  Snug  Harbor.  He  gave  away  a 
great  deal  of  money,  including  $30,000  to  the  Polytechnic  Institute  in  Brooklyn,  a  $25,000 
library  to  Mystic,  Conn.,  and  a  farm  with  buildings  at  Groton,  Conn.,  for  the  Indigent 
Poor.  Various  other  sums  were  granted  to  public  objects  by  his  will. 

PAUL  SPOFFORD,,  merchant,  son  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Chaplin  Spofford,  farmers, 
born  in  Georgetown,  Mass.,  Feb.  18,  1792,  died  at  Elmwood,  his  country  home,  Oct. 
28,  1869.  John  Spofford,  his  first  American  ancestor,  a  descendant  in  the  twenty- first 
generation  from  Gamelbar  de  Spofford,  whose  estates  in  England  were  confiscated  by 
William  the  Conqueror,  occupied  a  farm  in  Massachusetts,  a  part  of  which  has  been 
owned  by  the  family  for  250  years.  Paul  Spofford  began  life  as  a  clerk  in  Haverhill, 
Mass.,  and  in  1818,  with  his  friend,  Thomas  Tileston,  an  editor  of  the  same  place, 
came  to  New  York  and  established  the  commission  house  of  Spofford  &  Tileston.  The 
export  of  domestic  manufactures  to  Cuba  brought  them  almost  immediately  an  import 
trade  in  coffee,  sugar,  etc. ,  and  resulted,  first,  in  their  employment  of  the  vessels  of 
other  merchants  and  next  in  the  possession  of  several  of  their  own.  The  firm  sold 
large  quantities  of  cotton  from  the  Southern  States  and  in  1846  launched  the  steamship 
Southerner,  which  they  employed  in  the  trade  with  Charleston,  adding  the  Northerner 
and  two  other  steamers  to  the  line  soon  afterward.  This  was  the  first  successful  ven- 
ture with  an  American  line  of  ocean  steamers.  In  1848,  they  bought  the  Liverpool 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SP.  6ll 

packets  Roscius,  Garrick,  Siddons  and  Sheridan  and  increased  the  fleet  by  the  addition 
of  the  Webster,  Henry  Clay,  Calhoun,  Orient  and  other  large  and  handsome  clippers. 
The  firm  had  now  become  one  of  the  most  influential  shipping  houses  of  this  port. 
When  gold  was  discovered  in  California,  they  were  among  the  first  to  send  their  ships 
and  an  agent  to  San  Francisco,  and  during  the  Civil  War  they  established  a  steamship 
line  to  New  Orleans.  During  the  War,  their  steamship  Nashville  was  captured  by  the 
Confederates.  Mr.  Spofford  was  an  energetic  man,  keen  in  judgment,  quick  in  move- 
ment, slow  of  speech,  but  telling  in  repartee.  Closely  devoted  to  his  business  and 
always  opposed  to  taking  part  in  public  life,  he  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  director  of  several  financial  corporations.  His  wife,  a  daughter  and 
five  sons  survived  him. 

COL.  NATHAN  TURNER  SPRAQUE,  banker,  born  in  Mount  Holly,  Yt,  June  22, 
1828,  is  the  son  of  a  father  of  the  same  name,  a  merchant,  bank  president,  and  long  a 
member  of  the  Vermont  Legislature.  The  family  descends  from  William  Sprague, 
who  came  from  Dorsetshire,  England,  to  Salem,  Mass.,  in  1629.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen,  young  Mr.  Sprague  took  charge  of  a  general  country  store  in  Brandon,  Yt  , 
but  abandoned  mercantile  business  in  1851,  and  for  five  years  from  1852  devoted  him- 
self to  farming.  Then  he  returned  to  Brandon  to  aid  his  father  in  the  management  of 
the  latter's  property,  but  continued  to  farm  and  maintained  his  interest  in  agriculture, 
being  president  of  the  Brandon  Farmers'  &  Mechanics'  club  for  nine  years  and  of  The 
Vermont  Merino  Sheep  Breeders'  Association  five  years.  In  1864,  he  helped  organize 
The  First  National  Bank  of  Brandon  In  1867,  he  succeeded  his  father  as  its  president 
and  holds  the  office  down  to  the  present  time.  In  1870,  he  took  part  with  H.  H. 
Baxter  and  others  in  organizing  The  Baxter  National  Bank  in  Rutland,  and  held  a  seat 
in  the  directorate  for  twelve  years.  For  ten  years  after  1867,  he  was  the  successful 
president  of  The  Brandon  Manufacturing  Co.,  now  known  as  The  Howe  Scale  Co.,  and 
was  for  a  time  president  of  The  Northwest  &  Florida  Railroad,  whose  shares  doubled 
in  value  under  his  management.  Colonel  Sprague's  financial  undertakings  having 
brought  him  constantly  to  the  metropolis,  he  finally  became  a  resident,  and  in  1883 
established  The  Sprague  National  Bank  of  Brooklyn,  of  which  he  is  president,  and  in 
1886  The  City  Savings  Bank  of  Brooklyn.  He  now  divides  his  time  about  equally  be- 
tween Brooklyn  and  Brandon, Vt.,  having  a  home  in  each  city.  He  owns  real  estate  in 
Brooklyn,  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  in  New  York,  president  of  The 
East  Greenwich,  R.  I.,  Water  Supply  Co  ,  and  interested  in  the  water  company 
which  supplies  Patchogue,  Sayville,  Islip,  Bay  Shore  and  Bayport  with  water,  and  in 
several  other  companies  of  this  class.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Vermont  Legis- 
lature for  several  terms,  was  elected  a  State  Senator  in  1872,  and  has  been  a  colonel 
on  the  Vermont  military  staff.  Colonel  Sprague  has  been  thrice  married,  first  on  Nov. 
i,  1849,  to  Minerva  M.  Hull  of  Wallingford,  Yt.,  who  died  in  1856  leaving  one  daugh- 
ter; then  to  Melinda  J.  Evans  of  Springfield,  O.,  in  October,  1857,  who  died  Jan.  28, 
1885,  leaving  one  son.  Colonel  Sprague's  present  wife  is  Miss  Elizabeth  Harrison. 

JOHN  HENRY  STARIN,  proprietor  of  Starin's  City,  River  &  Harbor  Transporta- 
tion Co.,  was  born  in  Sammonsville,  N.  Y  ,  Aug.  27,  1825.  Nicholas  Starin  (or  Stern, 
as  he  spelled  his  name),  who  founded  the  family  in  America,  an  emigrant  from  Ger- 
many in  1720,  settled  in  the  Mohawk  valley  upon  the  German  Flats.  Ten  of  his 
lineal  descendants  fought  in  the  American  Revolution  under  Washington.  Myndert 


Oi2  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Starin,  father  of  John  H.  Starin,  born  in  Glen,  Montgomery  county,  in  1786,  an  enter- 
prising man,  built  the  factories  which  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  village  of  Sammonsville, 
and,  later,  laid  out  and  established  Fultonville,  now  one  of  the  most  charming  places 
of  residence  in  the  State.  His  wife  Rachel,  whom  he  married  in  1810,  was  a  daughter 
of  Maj.  Thomas  Sammons  of  Johnstown,  N.  Y.  The  Sammons  family  supplied  many 
soldiers  for  the  War  for  Independence.  The  subject  of  this  biography  left  the  Esper- 
ance  Academy  in  Schoharie  county  to  study  medicine  under  Dr.  C.  C.  Yates  of  Albany, 
but  his  tastes  tended  in  a  different  direction  and  he  finally  accepted  a  clerkship  in  the 
drug  store  of  his  brother  Delancy  at  Fultonville.  He  was  postmaster  of  the  village 
1848-52.  In  1856,  he  came  to  New  York  city  and  began  the  manufacture  of  medicines 
and  toilet  articles,  and  next  conceived  a  general  agency  in  New  York  to  solicit  freight 
for  the  trunk  lines.  This  innovation  was  welcomed  by  the  railroad  managers,  and  Mr. 
Starin  succeeded  so  well  therein,  that  he  soon  sold  his  drug  business  and  devoted  himself 
to  freighting  and  harbor  transportation  By  re-investment  of  his  earnings,  Mr.  Starin 
gradually  came  into  the  possession  of  a  fleet  of  harbor  and  river  vessels,  now  second  in 
extent  probably  to  no  other  in  the  world.  It  includes  steam  tugs,  passenger  steam- 
boats, propellers,  lighters,  barges,  floats,  grain  boats  and  other  vessels.  His  fleet 
of  excursion  boats  is  operated  in  conjunction  with  several  parks  and  picnic  grounds  on 
the  Hudson  river  and  Long  Island  Sound,  which  are  under  his  control.  To  maintain 
his  fleet,  Mr.  Starin  has  established  a  ship  yard,  dry  dock  and  iron  works  on  Staten 
Island.  He  has  retained  a  home  at  Fultonville,  N.  Y.,  with  an  observatory,  a  farm  of 
about  800  acres,  and  a  stock  raising  establishment.  The  district  in  which  Fultonville 
is  situated  sent  him  to  Congress  as  a  Republican  in  1876  and  1878.  In  New  York  city, 
he  has  long  served  on  the  Rapid  Transit  Commission,  and  is  conspicuous  by  reason  of 
opposition  to  schemes  in  the  interest  of  the  elevated  railroad  monopoly.  Mr.  Starin's 
liberality  is  well  known.  Every  summer,  he  gives  free  excursions  to  veterans  of  the  late 
War,  to  newsboys  and  bootblacks,  and  to  other  classes  of  the  population,  and  his  private 
acts  of  generosity  are  numerous.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lawyers',  Down  Town,  New 
York  Athletic  and  New  York  Yacht  clubs,  New  England  and  Holland  Societies,  and  The 
Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  helps  support  the  public  museums  of  the  city. 

WILLIAM  STEINWAY,  a  man  of  marked  ability  and  purity  of  character,  and 
president  of  the  old  house  of  Steinway  &  Son,  is  one  of  the  best  known,  most  useful  and 
most  highly  respected  citizens  of  New  York.  He  was  born  in  Seesen,  near  the  city  of 
Brunswick,  Germany,  March  5,  1836,  and  came  from  a  family  of  good  reputation,  some 
of  whose  members  had  served  their  country  with  distinction  as  soldiers  and  magistrates. 
His  father,  Henry  Engelhard  Steinway,  was  a  prosperous  piano  manufacturer  of  Seesen. 
William  was  educated  at  the  excellent  and  thorough  schools  of  his  native  town,  finish- 
ing at  the  celebrated  Jacobsohn  High  School.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  was  proficient 
in  English  and  French  as  well  as  in  German  and  had  already  begun  to  display  remark- 
able aptitude  for  music,  a  trait  which,  in  practical  America,  is  often  a  token  of  weakness 
in  a  busy  man,  but  with  him  was  an  indication  of  genius.  At  fourteen,  he  could  play 
the  most  difficult  compositions  upon  the  piano,  and  his  unerring  ear  enabled  him  to 
tune  the  instrument  perfectly. 

His  father,  Henry  E.  Steinway,  a  successful  artisan  and  manufacturer  of  pianos  in 
Seesen,  a  man  of  active  mind  and  extended  reading,  was  awake  to  opportunities,  and 
he  conceived  the  idea  of  transferring  his  business  to  the  new  world.  In  1849,  nc 


614  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

his  second  son,  Charles,  to  the  United  States  to  investigate.  Charles  returned  with  a 
favorable  report.  After  full  consideration,  Mr.  Steinway  removed  his  business  and  his 
family  to  New  York  city,  leaving  his  oldest  son,  C.  F.  Theodore  Steinway,  to  succeed 
him  in  the  business  in  Seesen.  They  reached  New  York,  June  9,  1850,  and  became 
residents  of  a  city  in  which  they  were  destined  to  win  fortune  and  a  world  wide  renown. 
William  Steinway,  then  fourteen  years  of  age,  was  offered  the  choice  of  a  trade  or  an  edu- 
cation as  a  musician.  He  preferred  the  former  and  was  apprenticed  to  William  Nunns 
&  Co.,  of  88  Walker  street.  March  5,  1853,  his  seventeenth  birthday,  he  joined  his 
father  and  his  brothers,  Charles  and  Henry,  in  founding  the  house  of  Steinway  &  Sons. 

Father  and  sons  had  sufficient  capital  to  manufacture  on  an  extended  scale,  but 
they  wisely  began  in  a  small  way  in  a  rear  building  on  Varick  street,  rented  for  the 
purpose.  Many  cultivated  people  then  thought  no  piano  good  which  was  not  imported 
from  Europe.  With  four  or  five  workmen,  the  Steinways  built  one  square  piano  a 
week,  father  and  sons  taking  part,  as  artisans,  in  their  production.  William  made  the 
sounding  boards.  Their  pianos  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  musicians  and  the  pub- 
lic, and  the  beauty,  power  and  fine  workmanship  shown  in  the  instruments  were  recog- 
nized at  once.  The  Steinway  pianos  conquered  their  way  by  their  own  indisputable 
merits,  and  the  demand  for  them  rapidly  increased.  More  extensive  quarters  soon 
became  necessary  and  were  engaged  in  1854  at  No.  88  Walker  street.  Mr.  Nunns  had 
failed  and  the  Steinways  rented  the  quarters  he  had  occupied.  It  may  be  said  here 
that  William  Steinway  lost  $300  by  Mr.  Nunns'  failure.  He  forgave  the  debt,  how- 
ever, and  through  affection  and  respect  even  assisted  Mr.  Nunns  with  monthly 
contributions  until  the  latter's  death  about  1864,  at  the  age  of  eighty,  thus  early 
in  life  displaying  the  largeness  of  heart  and  generosity  of  character,  which  have 
always  been  conspicuous  traits. 

The  growing  magnitude  of  the  business  now  compelled  father  and  sons  to  resign 
the  fascinating  work  at  the  bench  and  to  devote  their  whole  attention  to  the  general 
management  of  the  affairs  of  the  rising  house.  It  fell  to  the  lot  of  William  Steinway 
to  conduct  the  mercantile  and  financial  affairs  of  the  firm  ;  and  he  brought  to  his 
department  an  ability  and  force  which  insured  the  continual  triumphant  growth  of  the 
business.  In  1859,  the  Steinways  built  their  present  factory  on  Fourth  avenue  from 
52d  to  53d  street,  taking  possession  in  April,  1860.  In  March,  1865,  Charles  and  Henry, 
jr.,  died;  and  Theodore,  giving  up  the  flourishing  business  in  Brunswick,  Germany, 
came  to  New  York  and  became  a  partner  in  the  New  York  house.  In  1866,  the  firm 
began  the  construction  of  the  large  marble  building,  known  as  Steinway  Hall,  on 
i4th  street,  to  be  used  as  headquarters  offices  for  the  firm  and  containing  a  large  Music 
Hall,  which,  until  1890,  when  the  space  was  rebuilt  for  their  growing  business,  was 
famous  in  musical  annals. 

The  Steinway  pianos  soon  began  to  challenge  the  attention  of  the  world.  After 
being  awarded  thirty-five  American  medals,  they  won  a  first  prize  medal  at  the  World's 
Fair  in  London  in  1862.  In  1867,  at  the  Paris  Exposition,  they  won  the  first  of  the 
grand  gold  medals  of  honor  for  their  square,  upright  and  perfect  grand  pianos,  after  a 
close  and  exciting  contest  with  the  best  makers  of  Europe.  This  was  a  remarkable 
success;  and  the  Steinway  system  of  construction  thereupon  became  the  standard  with 
the  piano  makers  of  the  world.  Not  only  did  large  orders  for  Steinway  pianos  but 
distinguished  honors  now  pour  in  upon  the  firm  from  all  quarters.  The  Steinways 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST. 

became  successively  the  court  piano  manufacturers  to  the  Queen  of  England,  the  Queen 
of  Spain,  the  Emperor  of  Germany,  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales  and  the  Queen  of 
Italy.  Illustrious  composers  and  artists  bought  and  used  their  instruments,  inchiding 
Liszt,  Wagner,  Helmholtz,  Rubinstein,  Paderewski,  Theodore  Thomas,  Patti,  Gerster, 
Joseffy  and  others.  The  public  of  America  were  conquered,  and  the  firm  prospered 
in  fortune  and  in  reputation  with  each  succeeding  year. 

The  completion  of  piano  N,o.  25,000,  made  for  the  Czarowitz  of  Russia,  was  cele- 
brated by  the  firm  and  its  one  thousand  workmen,  May  4,  1872.  Piano  No.  50,000, 
believed  to  be  the  finest  grand  ever  produced  by  the  house  up  to  that  time,  was  bought 
by  Baron  Nathaniel  de  Rothschild  of  Vienna,  and  dispatched  by  the  Hamburg  steamer 
Bohemia,  Sept.  15,  1883. 

Henry  E.  Steinway  died  in  1871,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  and  Albert  Steinway, 
the  youngest  son,  died  in  1877.  The  firm  have,  however,  admitted  the  grandsons  of 
the  founders  to  membership,  one  after  the  other,  and  have  always  retained  the  time- 
honored  name  of  Steinway  &  Sons.  C.  F.  Theodore  died  in  1889,  and  William  now 
remains  alone  at  the  head  of  the  house. 

In  1872,  the  firm  were  compelled  to  establish  additional  works  in  Steinway,  Astoria, 
for  the  constant  open  air  and  kiln  drying  of  7,000,000  feet  of  the  finest  lumber  for  the 
cases  of  their  pianos,  and  for  making  each  grand  piano  case  of  bent  wood  of  one  con- 
tinuous length,  as  also  the  vibrating  parts  of  each.  Model  houses  have  since  been, 
erected  with  good  ventilation,  pure  water,  perfect  drainage  and  gas.  Always  high 
minded  and  public  spirited  in  the  treatment  of  their  men,  the  firm  built  a  public  school 
for  one  thousand  children  in  Long  Island  City  in  1877  and  have  maintained,  at  their 
own  expense,  in  addition  to  the  English  course  of  instruction,  which  is  furnished  by 
the  city,  a  teacher  for  free  tuition  in  the  German  language  and  music.  There  are  also 
a  free  circulating  library  and  a  model  free  kindergarten.  In  1881,  a  public  bath  was 
built  at  the  expense  of  the  firm  at  Steinway,  Long  Island  City,  with  fifty  dressing 
rooms,  and,  surrounding  the  same,  a  fine  park  was  opened,  with  a  fountain  of  drinking 
water,  the  whole  lighted  by  gas.  The  Protestant  LTnion  Church  there  has  also  been 
endowed  by  the  firm  and  presented  with  the  cathedral  organ  from  Steinway  Hall. 

Besides  his  educational  benefactions  at  Steinway,  Long  Island  City,  William  Stein- 
way has,  by  his  influence  and  pecuniary  assistance,  made  it  possible  for  many  young 
people  of  both  sexes  to  enjoy  a  thorough  musical  training.  In  his  native  town  of 
Seesen,  he  has  founded  six  annual  prizes  for  the  best  three  male  and  three  female 
students,  and  pays  the  annual  school  money  for  the  children  of  no  less  than  seventy-five 
parents.  He  has  also  presented  that  city  with  a  lovely  park,  which  the  grateful  in- 
habitants, by  official  vote,  call  "Steinway  Park,"  besides  making  William  Steinway  an 
honorary  citizen. 

William  Steinway  has  also,  in  1894,  founded  two  annual  prizes,  gold  watches  of  $75 
value  each,  one  to  be  awarded  to  the  most  proficient  student  in  German,  and  the  other 
to  the  student  showing  the  greatest  progress  in  the  same  language.  He  has  also 
founded  two  annual  prizes  of  $30  and  $20  at  St.  Paul's  School,  in  Garden  City,  Long 
Island.  Besides  a  number  of  charitable  societies,  he  is  also  assisting  schools  and 
libraries  with  annual  contributions  in  money  and  has  presented  many  educational 
institutes  with  piano  fortes. 

The  relations  between  Mr.  Steinway  and  his  great  army  of  employes  are  pleasant 


616  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

and  harmonious.  The  mechanics  are  all  highly  skilled  and  intelligent,  and  they  appre- 
ciate the  fatherly  care  which  he  bestows  upon  them  and  their  families. 

It  is  an  important  and  striking  fact  that  the  success  of  the  Steinways  has  put  an 
end  completely  to  the  importation  of  pianos  to  America.  It  is  also  a  remarkable  fact 
that  seventy  per  cent,  of  the  pianos  now  exported  to  Europe  are  made  by  the  Steinways. 
The  house  has  created  a  large  foreign  trade,  and  is  compelled  to  maintain  warehouses 
in  London,  Hamburg  and  other  European  cities. 

It  would  fill  a  goodly  sized  book  to  mention  and  describe  the  many  honors  and 
distinctions,  which  have  been  showered  upon  William  Steinway  in  person.  Want  of 
space  prevents  the  mention  of  more  than  a  few  of  them. 

In  1867,  after  the  close  of  the  Paris  Exposition,  William  Steinway  and  his  brother, 
C.  F.  Theodore  Steinway,  were  unanimously  elected  members  of  the  Royal  Prussian 
Academy  of  Fine  Arts  at  Berlin,  Germany. 

In  the  same  year,  the  Grand  Gold  Medal  was  bestowed  upon  William  by  His  Majesty, 
King  Charles  of  Sweden,  accompanied  by  an  autograph  letter  of  Prince  Oscar  of 
Sweden,  now  King. 

June  12,  1892,  Emperor  William  II.  of  Germany,  appointed  William  Steinway 
piano  forte  manufacturer  for  the  imperial  court  of  Germany.  During  a  pleasure  trip 
abroad,  an  audience  was  granted  to  him  by  the  Emperor  and  Empress  of  Germany,  in 
the  marble  palace  in  Potsdam,  Sept.  n,  1892.  The  Emperor  presented  Mr.  Steinway 
with  his  portrait  and  the  imperial  autograph,  "Wilhelm,  German  Emperor  and  King 
of  Prussia,  Marble  Palais,  n-ix,  1892,"  written  in  the  presence  of  his  guest.  The 
Empress  also  wrote  him  an  autograph  letter,  thanking  him  for  his  gift  to  the  Emperor 
William  I.  Memorial  Church  building  at  Berlin.  This  honor  was  followed,  June  12, 
1893,  by  the  bestowal  upon  him  by  the  Emperor  of  the  Order  of  the  Red  Eagle,  third 
class,  the  highest  distinction  ever  conferred  upon  a  manufacturer. 

In  April,  1894,  William  Steinway  was  elected  Member  of  the  Royal  Italian 
Academy  of  St.  Cecilia  of  Rome,  the  oldest  and  most  renowned  academy  in  the  Old 
World,  having  been  founded  by  Palestrina,  the  celebrated  composer,  in  1584.'  The 
diploma  of  membership  is  in  itself  a  work  of  art. 

Mr.  Steinway  has  prospered  in  his  individvial  fortune  with  the  growth  of  the  great 
house,  which  he  has  done  so  much  to  establish.  But  he  has  never  been  so  closely 
identified  with  practical  business  affairs  as  to  be  oblivious  to  the  public  interests  of  the 
city  and  country  in  which  he  became  a  resident  June  9,  1850.  Always  a  lover  and  a 
patron  of  the  fine  arts,  he  has  also  taken  an  active  and  successful  part  in  public  affairs. 
In  1871,  he  was  an  active  member  of  the  Committee  of  Seventy,  appointed  by  the 
citizens  of  New  York,  to  bring  to  justice  the  Tammany  ring,  which  had  robbed  the 
city  of  millions  of  money.  The  magnificent  success  of  the  prosecutions  of  William  M. 
Tweed  and  his  associates  is  now  a  part  of  the  permanent  history  of  New  York  city. 

Oct.  29,  1886,  Mr.  Steinway  presided  at  an  immense  meeting  of  citizens  at  Cooper 
Institute,  which  endorsed  the  nomination  of  Abram  S.  Hewitt  for  Mayor.  He  made  a 
fine  address  and  conducted  the  meeting  with  great  tact  and  success.  The  triumphant 
election  of  Mr.  Hewitt  crowned  its  efforts. 

In  1888,  he  was  the  member  of  the  Democratic  National  Committee  of  the  United 
States,  representing  the  State  of  New  York,  and  a  delegate  to  the  convention  which 
nominated  Mr.  Cleveland  for  a  second  term. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  617 

In  February,  1889,  under  his  guidance  as  president,  a  large  fair  was  held  at  the 
American  Institute  for  the  benefit  of  the  German  Hospital.  This  enterprise  was  a 
most  unprecedented  success.  The  receipts  were  $i  18,000,  and  the  net  profits  $i  12,000. 

In  February,  1890,  he  was  one  of  the  committee  of  the  citizens  of  Xew  York 
appointed  to  secure  the  World's  Fair  of  1893  for  New  York  city.  At  a  meeting  at  the 
City  Hall,  he  opened  the  subscription  list  for  a  fund  to  secure  the  Fair  with  a  subscrip- 
tion for  $50,000.  When  Congress  finally  decided  that  the  Fair  should  be  held  in 
Chicago,  his  patriotism  and  liberality  were  exhibited  by  a  subscription  of  $25,000, 
which  he  subsequently  paid,  toward  the  success  of  the  great  exhibition  there. 

Oct.  27,  1892,  Mr.  Steinway  presided  at  the  immense  mass  meeting  of  German 
Americans  at  Cooper  Institute,  Grover  Cleveland,  Carl  Schurz,  Oswald  Ottendorfer 
and  Dr.  Joseph  Senner  being  the  other  speakers.  Upwards  of  20,000  people  were 
assembled.  Mr.  Steinway 's  speech  was  reported  in  full  all  over  the  United  States 
and  in  synopsis  cabled  to  Europe. 

In  the  Presidential  election  of  1892,  Mr.  Steinway  was  one  of  the  Democratic 
electors  for  the  State  of  New  York ;  and  he  was  unanimously  elected  president  of  the 
Electoral  College  at  the  capitol  at  Albany,  when  it  met  Jan.  9,  1893,  to  cast  the  vote  of 
the  State  of  New  York  for  President  of  the  United  States.  His  activity,  influence  and 
ability  were  recognized  by  President  Cleveland  by  the  offer  of  a  number  of  important 
Federal  offices,  which,  however,  he  preferred  not  to  accept. 

Of  the  grand  Music  Festival  in  New  York,  at  Madison  Square  Garden,  June  24-28, 
1894,  he  was  the  honorary  president,  and  on  June  23  made  a  splendid  opening  address, 
and  introduced  Gov.  Flower  and  Mayor  Gilroy  to  the  audience. 

As  Rapid  Transit  Commissioner  of  the  city  of  New  York,  the  name  of  Mr.  Stein- 
way has  been  on  every  tongue  in  this  population  of  nearly  2,000,000  souls  for  several 
years.  The  problem  the  Commissioners  have  been  called  upon  to  solve  is  one  of  the 
utmost  public  importance.  It  is  a  difficult  problem.  A  number  of  rival  interests 
have  presented  conflicting  propositions.  Patient,  far  seeing  and  patriotic,  Mr.  Stein- 
way has  given  to  them  all  a  profound  and  willing  study.  The  labors  of  the  Commis- 
sion are  far  from  being  ended ;  but  it  is,  meanwhile,  the  verdict  of  the  public,  that  the 
Commission  has  been  the  gainer  by  the  uprightness,  ability  and  discretion  which  Mr. 
Steinway  has  shown  in  its  counsels. 

In  the  new  Rapid  Transit  act,  which  became  a  law  Ma}'  22,  1894,  among  other 
things  abolishing  the  old  Commission.  Mr.  Steinway  was  unanimously  reappointed  by 
the  Legislature  as  a  member  of  the  new  Commission. 

Mr.  Steinway  has  been  twice  married.  He  lost  his  first  wife  by  death  in  1876.  His 
second  wife,  Elizabeth  C.  Ranft,  died  March  4,  1893,  while  he  was  himself  confined  to 
his  bed  by  a  severe  illness.  His  married  life  has  been  a  happy  one.  His  children  are 
George  A.  Steinway;  Paula,  wife  of  Louis  von  Bernuth;  William  R.,  Theodore  E.  and 
Maud  S.  Steinway. 

A  man  of  strong  financial  standing  and  of  varied  talents,  his  activities  in  the  busi- 
ness world  have  not  been  confined  to  the  labors  of  Steinway  &  Sons.  He  was 
one  of  the  founders  of  The  Bank  of  the  Metropolis,  and  is  is  now  a  director.  He  is  also 
vice  president  of  The  German  Savings  Bank,  New  York,  and  The  Queens  County  Bank 
of  Long  Island  City,  a  director  in  The  Steinway  Railroad  Co.  of  Long  Island  City  and 
The  New  York  &  College  Point  Fern-  Co.  He  is  also  president  of  The  New  York 


618  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Pianoforte  Manufacturers'  Society.  His  social  standing  is  illustrated  by  his  member- 
ship in  the  Manhattan  club;  the  Liederkranz  Society,  of  which  he  has  been  twelve 
times  president;  the  Arion,  of  which  he  is  an  honorary  member;  The  American  Geo- 
graphical Society,  and  the  Royal  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  of  Berlin.  More  than  a  dozen 
musical  societies  have  elected  him  an  honorary  member. 

A  sound,  enterprising,  clear-headed,  benevolent  and  versatile  man,  and  a  ready 
speaker  in  both  English  and  German,  the  metropolis  is  constantly  the  gainer  by  his 
remarkable  abilities. 

PARAN  STEVENS,  hotel  man,  born  in  Claremont,  N.  H.,  in  1803,  died  in  New 
York  city,  April  25,  1872.  Modest  circumstances  compelled  Mr.  Stevens  to  rely  upon 
himself  from  early  youth,  and  discipline  and  natural  gifts  made  him  shrewd,  sensible, 
practical  and  energetic.  Having  learned  the  hotel  business  in  Boston,  he  acquired  con- 
trol of  the  Revere  House  there  and  conducted  it  successfully,  and  then  extended  his 
enterprise  to  the  management  of  the  Tremont  House  in  Boston,  the  Continental  Hotel 
in  Philadelphia  and  the  Battle  House  in  Mobile,  Ala.  In  1858,  with  associates,  he 
leased  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  New  York  city  and  from  this  fashionable  and  success- 
ful house  derived  a  large  income  for  many  years.  New  York  became  his  permanent 
home  after  1862",  and  he  purchased  the  residence  at  No.  244  Fifth  avenue,  which  after- 
ward became  one  of  the  centres  of  the  fashionable  life  of  the  city.  As  Tie  accumulated 
means,  he  invested  them  mainly  in  real  estate.  One  of  the  first  to  adopt  the  fire  proof 
plan  of  construction,  he  built  shortly  before  his  death  the  Fifth  Avenue  apartments  on 
2  ad  street,  from  Fifth  avenue  to  Broadway,  which  were  notable  for  beauty  and  solidity. 
This  building  took  the  name  afterward  of  the  Stevens  Apartment  House  and  later  of 
the  Victoria  Hotel.  He  also  owned  a  large  amount  of  other  city  real  estate  as  well  as 
property  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  and  a  house  in  Newport.  He  was  a  liberal  man,  refined  in 
tastes,  a  patron  of  art  and  a  kind  and  genial  gentleman.  At  his  death,  he  gave  $40,000  to 
Claremont,  N.  H.,  for  a  Stevens  High  School.  Mr.  Stevens  was  twice  married.  His 
first  wife  died  while  he  was  yet  a  young  man  and  left  one  daughter,  Ellen,  wife  of  John 
Lowell  Melcher.  A  few  years  later,  he  married  Miss  Marietta  Reed  of  Lowell,  who 
survived  him  for  many  years,  dying  in  New  York,  April  3,  1895,  after  a  long  and  event- 
ful life.  She  made  her  home  the  scene  of  many  fashionable  entertainments  and  had 
become  a  leader  in  social  life.  Her  two  children  were  a  son,  Henry  Leiden  Stevens, 
and  a  daughter,  Mary  Fiske,  who  married  Col.  Arthur  H.  F.  Paget  of  England. 

DAVID  STEVENSON,  brewer,  born  in  New  York  city,  Aug.  2,  1846,  died  at  No. 
7  East  26th  street,  Oct.  6,  1892.  He  grew  up  in  the  Ninth  Ward  and  at  an  early  age 
went  to  work  in  his  father's  brewery  at  39th  and  4oth  streets  and  Tenth  avenue.  On 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  became  sole  heir  of  the  property  and  managed  the  brewery 
with  great  success  the  rest  of  his  life.  He  owned  a  malt  house  in  Oswego,  and  pro- 
duced about  175,000  barrels  of  beer  annually.  He  was  one  of  the  founders  of  The 
Mutual  Bank  and  its  president  from  its  organization  in  June,  1890,  until  his  death. 
He  was  also  a  trustee  of  The  Excelsior  Savings  Bank  and  a  member  of  the  Man- 
hattan, Phoenix  and  Lotos  clubs.  Mr.  Stevenson  invested  his  savings  largely  in  real 
estate,  especially  on  and  near  West  sgth  street.  He  left  a  widow,  Sewannee  M.,  and 
several  young  children. 

ALEXANDER  TURNEY  STEWART,  merchant,  in  his  day  one  of  the  richest  men 
in  New  York  city,  born  Oct.  12,  1803,  in  Lisburn,  near  Belfast,  Ireland,  died  in  New 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  619 

York  city,  April  10,  1876.  While  of  Irish  birth,  he  descended  from  Scottish  ancestry. 
Left  an  orphan  before  the  age  of  eight  by  the  death  of  both  his  parents,  he  lost  his 
other  near  relatives  also  before  he  left  Trinity  College  in  Belfast  at  the  age  of  twenty. 
The  lonely  young  man  then  emigrated  to  America,  arriving  in  New  York  in  1823. 
Being  entirely  without  experience  in  business,  he  began  life  as  teacher  in  a  private 
school  in  Roosevelt  street.  At  the  end  of  the  year,  he  spent  his  vacation  in  Ireland, 
obtained  a  small  inheritance,  and  returned  to  New  York  in  1825  with  a  carefully 
selected  stock  of  Belfast  laces,  opening  a  store  at  283  Broadway  at  a  rental  of  $250  a 
year,  Sept.  2,  1825.  Success  came  to  Mr.  Stewart  from  the  first  as  a  consequence  of 
his  indefatigable  labor  and  his  keenness  as  a  merchant.  In  1826,  he  moved  to  a  larger 
store  at  No.  262  Broadway  and  shortly  afterward  to  No.  257  Broadway.  From 
the  start,  he  established  the  rule  of  fair  but  invariable  prices  and  made  a  great  hit 
therewith. 

In  1848,  having  gained  a  fortune,  he  built  the  handsome  marble  store  at  the  corner 
of  Broadway  and  Chambers  and  Reade  streets.  This  was  the  most  notable  building  in 
the  city  at  the  time  and  proved  a  tremendous  advertisement  for  him.  Mr.  Stewart 
was  a  large  importer  of  the  finest  qualities  of  foreign  goods  and  gradually  added  an 
extensive  wholesale  business  to  his  operations.  In  1862,  the  center  of  retail  trade 
having  moved  up  town,  Mr.  Stewart  completed  a  retail  store  on  the  site  bounded  by 
Broadway,  Fourth  avenue,  gth  and  loth  streets,  at  a  cost  of  nearly  $2,750,000  and  this 
magnificent  building  for  many  years  ranked  as  one  of  the  finest  retail  stores  in  the 
world.  After  this  time,  Mr.  Stewart  was  perhaps  the  wealthiest  and  most  influential 
merchant  in  the  country.  He  established  branch  stores,  warehouses  or  mills  in  all  of 
the  principal  trade  centers  of  the  world  and  for  many  years  until  his  death  carried  on 
an  enormous  and  profitable  business.  In  his  later  years,  he  invested  large  sums  in 
business  and  residence  property  in  the  city  and  owned  the  Grand  Union  Hotel  in  Sara- 
toga Springs.  His  marble  mansion  on  Fifth  avenue  at  34th  street,  considered  a 
wonder  in  its  day,  was  adorned  with  one  of  the  finest  art  collections  in  the  country. 

During  the  Civil  War,  he  was  a  supporter  of  the  Union  and  an  admirer  of  Gen- 
eral Grant.  In  1867,  he  went  to  the  Paris  Exposition  as  chairman  of  the  United  States 
Commission.  This  was  the  only  public  office  he  ever  held.  He  was  nominated  in 
1869  by  President  Grant  for  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  but  declined  the  office,  because 
of  the  law  prohibiting  an  importer  in  active  business  from  holding  that  position  In 
his  public  charities  he  was  always  liberal.  At  the  time  of  the  Irish  famine  in  1846,  he 
chartered  a  ship  and  sent  it  to  Ireland  loaded  with  provisions,  bringing  back  a  cargo 
of  selected  emigrants,  for  most  of  whom  he  had  provided  situations  before  they 
reached  New  York.  After  the  Franco-German  war,  he  sent  a  cargo  of  3,800  barrels  of 
flour  to  the  sufferers  in  the  manufacturing  districts  of  France.  He  gave  $50,000  for  the 
relief  of  the  sufferers  in  Chicago,  after  the  great  fire,  and  in  many  other  ways  displayed 
the  philanthropy  of  his  nature.  Shortly  before  his  death,  he  built  the  iron  building  on 
Fourth  avenue,  now  known  as  the  Park  Avenue  Hotel,  which  he  designed  originally  as 
a  home  for  working  women,  and  he  expended  large  sums  of  money  in  purchasing  the 
land  and  developing  the  village  of  Garden  City  on  Long  Island,  which  he  designed  for 
the  benefit  of  the  working  classes.  Here  he  built  schools  and  other  structures.  The 
village  has  since  become  a  place  of  residence  for  the  prosperous.  In  early  life  he 
married  Cornelia,  daughter  of  Jacob  Clinch.  His  wife  survived  him,  without  children. 


620  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

JOHN  AIRMAN  STEWART,  banker,  was  born  in  Fulton  street,  New  York  city, 
Aug.  22,  1822.  John  Stewart,  his  father,  a  native  of  Lewis  Island,  in  the  Hebrides, 
and  descendant  of  the  famous  Highland  clan  of  Stewart,  emigrated  from  Stornaway  to 
the  new  world,  in  1815,  worked  for  a  while  as  a  ship  carpenter  and  then  established 
himself  in  business.  He  died  in  1849,  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight.  John  A.  Stewart 
graduated  from  Columbia  College  in  1840  in  the  literary  and  scientific  course  and 
found  occupation  in  an  engineering  corps,  engaged  in  building  The  New  York  &  Lake 
Erie  Railroad.  In  1842,  he  was  appointed  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Education  and 
remained  in  this  position  until  1850.  After  three  years'  service  as  actuary  of  The 
United  States  Life  Insurance  Co.,  Mr.  Stewart  resigned  in  1853  and  devoted  himself  to 
organizing  The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  which  he  has  since  made  a  sound,  conserva- 
tive and  influential  corporation.  A  charter  was  secured  from  the  Legislature  largely 
through  Mr.  Stewart's  labors  and  he  became  secretary  of  the  company.  Well  fitted 
for  this  position,  he  devoted  himself  with  fidelity  and  great  energy  to  the  opera- 
tions of  his  company  and  became  known  as  a  careful  and  successful  financier  during 
his  eleven  years  in  this  position.  Thrice  urged  to  accept  appointment  as  Assistant 
Treasurer  of  the  United  States,  Mr.  Stewart  complied  in  June,  1864,  at  the  sacrifice  of 
personal  interests,  solely  as  a  patriotic  duty,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  able  to 
perform  public  services  of  value.  After  the  War,  Mr.  Stewart  felt  anxious  to  return 
to  his  former  occupation.  At  this  time,  Joseph  Lawrence,  president  of  The  United  States 
Trust  Co.,  having  resigned  his  office  on  account  of  age  arid  impaired  health,  Mr. 
Stewart  was  in  1865  unanimously  elected  to  the  place  and  thereupon  withdrew  from 
public  life.  He  has  remained  at  the  head  of  the  institution  down  to  the  present  time. 
He  is  a  director  of  The  Equitable  Life  Assurance  Society,  The  Merchants'  National 
Bank,  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank,  The  London  &  Liverpool  &  Globe  Insurance  Co., 
The  Bank  of  New  Amsterdam  and  The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Co.,  and  a  vice 
president  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  His  interest  in  religion  and  education,  a 
marked  trait,  has  led  him  into  the  directorate  of  The  New  York  E)  e  &  Ear  Infirmary 
and  he  is  a  trustee  of  The  John  F.  Slater  Fund,  The  Brick  Presbyterian  Church,  and 
Princeton  College.  His  clubs  are  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  Lawyers'  and 
Riding.  In  May,  1845,  Mr.  Stewart  was  married  to  Sarah  Youle  Johnson  of  New 
York.  To  them  were  born  William  A.  W.  and  John  A.  Stewart ;  Mary,  wife  of  George 
S.  Sheffield;  Emily  S.,  wife  of  Robert  Waller,  and  a  child  who  died  in  infancy.  Mr. 
Stewart  was  married  again  in  1894  to  Mary  Olivia  Capron  of  Baltimore. 

JAFIES  STILLMAN,  merchant,  a  native  of  Brownsville,  Texas,  was  born  June  9, 
1850,  during  a  temporary  stay  of  his  parents  in  that  city.  He  traces  his  line  to  George 
Stillman,  who,  born  in  London  in  1654,  came  to  Hadley,  Mass.,  removing  later 
to  Wethersfield,  Conn.  His  maternal  ancestor,  John  Goodrich  of  Bury  St.  Edmonds, 
Suffolk  county,  England,  emigrated  to  Wethersfield,  Conn.,  in  1640.  All  four  of  his 
great  grandfathers  fought  for  Independence  in  the  War  of  the  American  Revolution, 
two  as  officers,  and  his  father,  George  G.  Stillman,  made  a  fortune  as  a  merchant  and 
operator  in  Southern  railroads.  Mr.  Stillman's  youth  was  spent  in  Hartford,  Conn., 
and  at  a  private  school  in  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.  In  1871,  he  joined  the  firm  of  Smith, 
Woodward  &  Stillman,  commission  cotton  merchants  in  this  city,  and  in  1873,  their 
successors,  Woodward  &  Stillman.  Mr.  Stillman  is  now  the  senior  partner.  He  has  been 
successful  as  a  merchant,  and  now  has  various  additional  interests,  being  president  of 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  621 

The  National  City  Bank  and  director  of  The  United  States  Trust  Co.,  The  Farmers'  Loan 
&  Trust  Co.,  The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Hanover  National  Bank,  The 
Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  The  Consolidated  Gas  Co.,  and  The 
Queen  Insurance  Co.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Cotton 
Exchange,  and  the  Union,  Metropolitan,  Century,  Union  League,  Manhattan,  Reform, 
New  York  Yacht,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  Eastern  Yacht,  St.  Augustine 
Yacht,  Jekyl  Island  and  Storm  King  clubs,  The  New  York  Historical  Society,  and 
the  Metropolitan  club  of  Washington. 

GEORGE  WASHINGTON  STOCKLY,  retired  manufacturer,  born  in  Cleveland, 
O.,  Dec.  20,  1843,  is  a  son  of  the  late  John  Gait  Stockly  and  a  descendant  of  John 
Stockly,  who  came  from  England  and  settled  in  Virginia  in  1609  at  the  first  occupation 
by  John  Smith.  Ayres  Stockly  of  this  family  settled  in  Philadelphia  about  1783,  where 
John  G.  Stockly  was  born  in  1799,  the  latter  going  to  Cleveland  in  1838  and  dying  there 
in  1863.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  left  the  public  schools  of  Cleveland  to  spend  five 
years  in  the  law  office  of  Willey  &  Cary  and  in  the  transportation  business  in  Cleveland. 
For  seven  years,  he  served  as  teller  of  The  Commercial  National  Bank.  In  1873,  he  gave 
up  banking  to  undertake  the  management  of  The  Telegraph  Supply  &  Manufacturing 
Co.,  of  which  afterward  he  became  president.  In  1876,  Mr.  Stockly  called  the  atten- 
tion of  Charles  F.  Brush  to  the  subject  of  illumination  and  subsequently  arranged  with 
him  to  undertake  the  production  of  a  system  of  electric  arc  lighting.  The  first  Brush 
plant  was  made  and  tested  in  the  factory  and  at  the  expense  of  The  Telegraph  Supply 
Co.,  and  an  arrangement  was  made  whereby  the  company  took  active  control  of  the 
business  under  the  Brush  patents,  paying  Mr.  Brush  a  royalty.  During  the  next  four- 
teen j'ears,  The  Brush  Electric  Co. ,  which  succeeded  The  Telegraph  Supply  Co. ,  with 
Mr.  Stockiy  as  president  and  manager,  achieved  immense  success  as  pioneers  of  public 
electric  lighting.  During  1880-90,  the  profits  exceeded  $2,000,000  in  cash.  In  1890, 
the  proprietors  sold  the  entire  stock  of  the  concern  to  The  Thomson-Houston  Electric 
Co.,  of  Massachusetts,  for  about  $3,000,000  in  cash.  The  business  has  since  been 
merged  in  The  General  Electric  Co.,  of  New  York.  Mr.  Stockly  was  probably  the  first 
man  of  business  to  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  telephone.  Long  before  the  first 
practicable  instrument  was  publicly  exhibited,  he  applied  to  Gardiner  G.  Hubbard  for 
and  obtained  control  of  the  business  in  Ohio  and  Indiana.  He  introduced  the  telephone 
in  Ohio  and  built  and  operated  the  first  telephone  exchange  in  the  country.  The  Brush 
Electric  Co.  was  also  a  pioneer  in  electric  railways,  and  built  the  first  experimental  line 
in  Cleveland.  There  are  now  over  a  thousand  such  railways  in  the  country,  represent- 
ing an  investment  of  about  $600,000,000.  In  1890,  Mr.  Stockly  retired  from  business 
and  removed  to  Lakewood,  N.  J.  Of  too  active  a  nature  to  remain  idle,  he  has  latterly 
resumed  business  in  New  York  city.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lotos  club  here,  The 
Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers  and  The  Society  of  Electrical  Engineers. 

JAHES  STOKES,  merchant,  born  at  No.  45  Wall  street,  New  York  city,  Jan.  31, 
1804,  died  at  his  home  on  Orange  Mountain,  N.  J.,  Aug.  i,  1881.  His  father,  Thomas 
Stokes,  a  wealthy  merchant  in  England  and  founder  of  The  London  Missionary  Soci- 
ety, emigrated  to  America  in  1803,  coming  in  his  own  ship.  He  settled  in  New  York 
city,  led  a  quiet  life  for  many  years,  and  lost  the  greater  part  of  his  fortune  by  lend- 
ing money  on  bad  security.  Later,  he  opened  a  clothing  store  on  Broadway  and  took 
his  son  James  into  partnership.  About  1837,  James  Stokes  married  Caroline  Phelps,  a 


622  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

daughter  of  Anson  G.  Phelps,  senior  partner  in  Phelps,  Dodge  &  Co.,  metal  import- 
ers, and  about  a  year  later  became  a  member  of  the  firm.  In  1879,  he  withdrew  to 
form  the  banking  house  of  Phelps,  Stokes  &  Co.,  the  firm  consisting  of  Isaac  N. 
Phelps,  James  Stokes,  Anson  Phelps  Stokes,  and  Frederic  P.  Olcott.  He  was  a  man  of 
marked  ability  and  energy  and  prospered  in  all  his  business  transactions.  Public  life 
never  tempted  him  from  the  field  of  practical  pursuits  and  in  1857  he  declined  the 
nomination  for  Mayor  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  He  was  at  first  a  strong  Whig  and 
afterward  a  Democrat.  With  Peter  Cooper  and  other  citizens,  he  did  much  to  promote 
the  old  Public  School  Society.  In  religion  at  first  a  Baptist,  he  afterward  became 
a  Presbyterian.  The  charities  of  the  city  and  of  the  religious  body  to  which  he 
belonged,  received  from  Mr.  Stokes  liberal  gifts.  He  was  at  one  time  president  of  The 
Ansonia  Brass  &  Copper  Co.,  and  The  Ansonia  Clock  Co. ,  and  had  an  interest  in  several 
other  firms,  being  also  director  of  The  Liberty  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Mercantile 
Trust  Co.  He  had  a  house  in  Ansonia,  several  stores  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city  and 
lands  in  Michigan  and  Pennsylvania.  His  wife  survived  him  with  seven  children, 
Anson  G.  Phelps  Stokes,  James  Stokes,  jr.,  Col.  Thomas  Stokes  and  William  E.  Dodge 
Stokes;  Dora,  now  deceased,  wife  of  Henry  Dale,  and  Caroline  Phelps  and  Olivia  Stokes. 
There  were  numerous  bequests  to  charity  in  his  will. — His  son,  WILLIAH  EARL 
DODGE  STOKES,  realty  owner,  born  Jan.  5,  1884,  descends  through  the  maternal  line 
from  Lieut.  Thomas  Phelps  of  the  Continental  army  in  the  American  Revolution. 
Graduating  from  Yale  College  in  1874,  Mr.  Stokes  received  his  first  training  as  a  clerk 
in  the  New  York  branch  of  The  Canadian  Bank.  He  was  then  admitted  to  the  count- 
ing room  of  Phelps,  Stokes  &  Co.,  and  later  to  partnership,  remaining  a  member  until 
the  house  retired  from  Wall  street  and  went  into  liquidation.  Mr.  Stokes  was  born  to 
fortune  and  prepared  himself  carefully  for  the  responsibilities  which  were  to  fall  upon 
him.  A  large  property  came  into  his  possession  in  due  time  by  devise  from  his  father 
and  mother.  He  has  shown  ability  in  its  management  and  made  a  fortune  for  himself 
by  aiding  to  develop  that  now  attractive  part  of  the  city  lying  west  of  Central  Park. 
When  city  lots  in  that  region  ranged  in  value  from  $4,000  to  $5,000  each,  he  "bought 
largely  and  has  since  built  many  residences  for  rental  to  substantial  residents.  Prop- 
erty in  that  part  of  the  city  has  more  than  tripled  in  value  since  he  began  operations. 
Mr.  Stokes  was  among  those  who  labored  for  the  location  of  the  World's  Fair  in  1893 
in  New  York  city  and  was  secretary  of  the  local  Committee  on  Organization  and  Site. 
He  helps  sustain  the  great  public  museums  of  the  city,  and  is  the  father  of  the  plan  of 
introducing  asphalt  pavements  to  this  metropolis.  Jan.  3,  1895,  Mr.  Stokes  was  married 
to  Miss  Rita  Hernandez  De  Alba  De  Acosta,  daughter  of  Ricardo  De  Acosta.  He  is  a 
man  of  cultivated  tastes  and  courteous  manners  and  a  number  of  the  best  clubs  have 
been  glad  to  admit  him  to  membership,  including  the  Union  League,  Manhattan, 
Colonial,  Country,  St.  Nicholas,  New  York  Yacht,  Meadow  Brook,  Seawanhaka 
Corinthian  Yacht,  Down  Town  and  Lawyers'.  He  is  also  a  member  of  The  Sons  of 
the  Revolution  and  The  New  England  Society. 

AUGUSTUS  STORRS,  merchant,  born  in  Mansfield,  Conn.,  June  4,  1819,  died  at 
Oak  Grove  Farm,  Mansfield,  March  3,  1892.  Early  in  life,  he  became  a  merchant  and 
carried  on  business  in  Mansfield,  Willimantic  and  Hartford,  Conn.,  until  1851,  when 
he  removed  to  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Shortly  afterward,  in  1854,  he  united  with  his 
brothers,  Charles  and  Royal  O.  Storrs,  under  the  firm  name  of  Storrs  Bro's,  to  carry 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  623 

on  a  commission  business  in  staple  American  goods  in  New  York  city.  This  business 
was  conducted  by  him  and  his  brother  Charles,  under  the  same  firm  name  for  twenty- 
five  years,  with  excellent  and  enlarging  success.  Agriculture  awoke  in  Mr.  Storrs  an 
enthusiastic  interest  and  led  him  to  purchase  and  cultivate  the  old  homestead  at  Mans- 
field, Conn.,  comprising  over  500  acres.  The  Storrs  Agricultural  School  at  that  place, 
which  owes  its  foundation  to  him  and  to  his  brother  Charles,  lies  just  north  of  this 
farm,  its  lands  adjoining;  and  his  well  managed  country  home  showed  its  students  what 
care  and  tillage  would  do  for  Connecticut  fields.  Soon  after  coming  to  Brooklyn, 
Mr.  Storrs  united  with  Plymouth  Church,  of  which  for  many  years  he  was  treasurer 
and  a  trustee,  being  an  intimate  and  trusted  friend  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  He  also 
contributed  liberally  to  the  church  at  Mansfield.  He  left  one  daughter,  Mrs.  Marie  A. 
Storrs  Valentine,  wife  of  Benjamin  Eyre  Valentine.  Their  home  is  in  Brooklyn. 

CHARLES  STORRS,  merchant,  born  in  Mansfield,  Conn.,  Jan.  24,  1822,  died  in 
Brooklyn,  Sept.  i,  1884.  He  was  the  son  of  Royal  Storrs,  a  hard  working  farmer,  and 
gained  what  little  schooling  he  could  in  the  intervals  of  farm  work.  For  one  or  two 
winters,  he  taught  school  himself.  In  1842,  six  months  before  he  was  of  age,  he 
obtained  a  substitute  to  take  his  place  on  the  farm,  and,  without  a  dollar  of  capital, 
engaged  in  the  sale  of  American  made  sewing  silk  on  commission,  his  native  town  of 
Mansfield  being  then  one  of  the  chief  places  of  its  manufacture.  He  was  so  engaged 
for  three  years,  and  his  success  in  this  venture  laid  the  foundation  of  a  subsequent  large 
fortune.  Removing  to  Hartford,  Conn. ,  he  became  agent  for  a  large  manufacturing 
and  commission  house,  and  in  1850,  transferred  his  residence  to  Brooklyn,  retaining 
the  agency.  The  firm  made  him  a  partner  in  1853,  but  the  panic  of  1854  overwhelmed 
the  house,  whereupon  Mr.  Storrs  assumed  its  liabilities  of  over  $300,000,  and  paid 
them  in  full.  In  December,  1854,  he  began  business  for  himself  as  a  commission  mer- 
chant, forming  a  partnership  with  his  brothers,  Augustus  and  Royal  O.,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Storrs  Bro's.  The  latter  remained  in  the  firm  only  a  short  time,  but  the 
others  continued  a  large  and  profitable  business,  with  Charles  Storrs  as  the  active  head, 
until  1879.  Then,  his  health  having  become  impaired  by  the  many  years  of  active 
work,  Mr.  Storrs  retired  from  business.  A  warm  friendship  existed  between  Horace 
Greeley  and  the  subject  of  this  memoir,  and  when  the  former  died,  Mr.  Storrs  was  one 
of  his  executors  and  helped  settle  the  complicated  estate.  He  was  a  man  of  cultivation 
and  charity  and  great  nobility  of  character.  His  home  in  Brooklyn  was  a  storehouse 
of  rare  works  of  art  and  literature,  and  his  library,  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city,  became 
a  favorite  resort  for  literary  men.  He  gave  to  the  State  of  Connecticut  an  endowment 
fund,  which  his  brother  Augustus  supplemented  with  lands  and  buildings,  to  establish 
and  maintain  the  Storrs  Agricultural  School  in  Mansfield,  his  native  town.  July  4, 
1844,  he  married  Miss  Maryett  M.  Cook  of  Coventry,  Conn.,  who,  with  one  daughter, 
Sarah  Maria,  wife  of  David  Choate  Proctor  of  Henniker,  N.  H  ,  survived  him. 

RUFUS  STORY,  merchant,  born  in  Milan,  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb  ,  6,  1813, 
died  at  his  home  at  Bergen  Point,  N  J.,  Oct.  6,  1887.  When  a  boy  of  thirteen,  Mr. 
Story  came  to  New  York  city  and  entered  a  grocery  house  as  a  clerk  and  in  a  very 
short  time  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  for  himself,  later  giving  his  attention 
mainly  to  the  trade  in  pepper  and  spices.  His  energy  made  him  one  of  the  leading 
merchants  of  the  city.  Judicious  purchases  of  real  estate  which  he  made  proved 
for  him  a  profitable  investment.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Broadway  National  Bank, 


624  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  conspicuous  in  a  test  lawsuit  against  The  Manhattan  Elevated  Railway,  brought  in 
consequence  of  the  elevated  roadway  shutting  out  the  light  from  his  buildings.  The 
case  was  carried  through  several  courts  and  finally  won  by  Mr  Story.  Although  never 
in  politics,  Mr.  Story  was  always  ready  to  uphold  the  cause  of  good  government.  He 
was  twice  married,  first  to  Eliza  Rue  and  later  to  Ursula  Ayres.  Four  daughters  sur- 
vive him,  Mary  Elizabeth,  wife  of  the  late  Walter  B.  Palmer,  and  Emily  Louise,  wife 
of  John  Paret,  daughters  of  his  first  wife,  and  Alice,  wife  of  David  Hall  Rowland,  and 
Abbie,  wife  of  Charles  Marshall. 

ANDREW  VARICK  STOUT,  merchant  and  banker,  a  native  of  this  city,  died  in 
Bernardsville,  N.  J.,  Sept.  5,  1883,  in  his  seventy-first  year.  At  the  age  of  eighteen, 
Mr.  Stout  was  appointed  an  assistant  teacher  in  old  Public  School  No.  2,  and  of 
Public  School  No.  13,  in  Madison  street.  After  several  years  of  pedagogy,  he  accepted 
the  management  of  the  New  York  Orphan  Asylum  for  a  few  years.  He  then  entered 
business  life  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale  shoe  trade  in  Stout  &  Ward,  later  known  as 
A.  V.  Stout  &  Co. ,  and  in  this  vocation  met  with  excellent  success.  While  yet  a  merchant, 
he  accepted  the  vice  presidency  of  The  Shoe  &  Leather  Bank,  and  on  April  3,  1855, 
the  presidency.  Retiring  from  mercantile  life,  he  held  the  position  of  bank  president 
for  twenty- eight  years,  failing  health  then  compelling  his  resignation.  Among  his 
other  trusts  were  seats  in  the  directorates  of  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light  Co., 
The  Phenix  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  American  Bank  Note  Co.,  The  New  York  and 
Brooklyn  Ferry  Co.,  The  Broadway  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  and  The  Loan  &  Improvement 
Co.  He  was  at  one  time  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  while  Fernando 
Wood  was  Mayor,  City  Chamberlain.  During  the  disturbances  over  the  police 
force  at  that  time,  he  had  the  spirit  to  pay  the  salaries  of  the  policemen  from  his 
private  funds,  being  afterward  reimbursed  by  the  city.  Originally  a  Democrat,  during 
the  War  he  became  a  Republican  and  was  ever  afterward  a  staunch  supporter  of  that 
party.  A  few  years  before  his  death,  he  gave  $40,000  each  to  Wesleyan  University 
and  Drew  Theological  Seminary,  of  which  institutions  he  was  a  trustee.  He  was  also 
a  member  and  trustee  of  St.  Paul's  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Fourth  avenue  arid 
22d  street.  The  survivors  of  his  family  were  his  wife,  Almira  H.;  a  son,  Joseph  S. 
Stout,  head  of  the  firm  of  Stout  &  Co.,  brokers,  and  two  daughters,  Jane  K. ,  who 
married  John  N.  Ewell,  a  banker  of  New  York,  and  Almira  H.,  who  married  A. 
Francis  Southerland.  Mrs.  Stout  died  July  26,  1890. — His  son,  JOSEPH  SUYDAH 
STOUT,  banker  and  stockbroker,  born  at  the  home  of  the  family  on  Ridge  street,  New 
York  city,  Dec.  27,  1846,  attended  the  local  schools  during  boyhood  and,  for  two  years, 
the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York.  Before  the  age  of  seventeen,  he  was  given  a 
clerkship  in  The  Shoe  &  Leather  Bank  and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  was  made  assistant 
cashier.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  he  began  business  for  himself  in  Wall  street  and  has  ever 
since  followed  the  vocation  of  banking.  Successively  a  member  of  the  firms  of  Wiley 
&  Co.,  Stout  &  Dickinson,  and  Ewell,  Stout  &  Co.,  he  has  been  since  1876  the  capable  head 
of  Stout  &  Co.  His  reputation  has  never  been  tarnished  by  wrong  doing,  and  he  has 
on  the  contrary  won  the  confidence  and  regard  of  the  whole  financial  world  by  excellent 
abilities  and  elevated  character.  He  is  vice  president  of  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light 
Co. ,  and  a  director  of  The  National  Shoe  &  Leather  Bank,  The  American  Bank  Note  Co. , 
The  Broadway  Insurance  Co.,  The  Holland  Trust  Co.,  The  Toledo,  and  The  St.  Louis 
&  Kansas  City  Railroads.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and  Metropolitan 


THE     CITY     OF      NEW     YORK. ST.  625 

clubs,  The  New  England  Society,  the  Stock  and  Produce  Excnanges  and  the  Chamber 
Commerce,  and  The  Methodist  Episcopal  Hospital  of  Brooklyn.  While  devoted  to 
Dusiness  pursuits,  Mr.  Stout  has  given  important  aid  to  education  and  the  Christian 
religion.  He  is  a  trustee  of  Wesleyan  University  and  Drew  Theological  Seminary, 

reasurer  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  of  the 
Madison  Avenue  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  by  no  means  passive  in  the  work  of 
those  institutions.  April  21,  1868,  he  married  Julia  Francis  Purdy  of  this  city,  and  is 
the  father  of  Newton  E.,  Andrew  V.,  Joseph  S.  and  Arthur  P.  Stout. 

JAflES   SAFIUEL   THOHAS  STRANAHAN,  financier,  whose  name  is  identified 

rith  the  creation  of  Prospect  Park  and  Brooklyn  Bridge,  is  in  so  many  respects  the 
foremost  resident  of  the  city  of  his  home,  that  the  "  First  Citizen  of  Brooklyn"  is  his 
recognized  title  in  the  leading  newspapers  as  well  as  in  ordinary  allusion. 

Pre-eminent  influence  in  the  history  of  the  United  States  is  due  not  to  the  Puritan 
ilone.  Without  detracting  from  the  qualities  which  the  austere  followers  of  Cromwell 
lisplayed  in  founding  a  new  nation,  due  credit  must  also  be  given  to  the  hardy  and 

idustrious  Scotch-Irish,  who,  at  the  close  of  the  seventeenth  century,  fled  to  the  new 

rorld  in  considerable  numbers  from  the  increasing  oppression  of  the  British  crown. 

?hey  settled  in  the  New  England  colonies  and  what  are  now  the  Middle  States.  They 
brought  to  the  struggling  communities  of  the  new  world  those  three  secrets  of  success 
which  have  made  the  Scotch-Irish  famous  the  world  over :  skilled  labor  in  its  truest 
sense,  unflagging  industry,  and  deep  and  intelligent  religious  conviction.  From  this 
sturdy  stock  have  sprung  many  large  minded  and  large  hearted  men,  whose  names  are 
prominently  identified  with  American  progress,  among  them,  James  S.  T.  Stranahan. 
His  ancestor,  James  Stranahan,  born  in  1699,  settled  in  Scituate,  R.  I.,  in  1725,  and 
removed  later  to  Plainfield,  Conn. ,  where,  a  prosperous  farmer,  he  died  at  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety-three.  Samuel,  the  fifth  son  of  James  of  the  second  generation,  removed 
to  Peterboro  in  Madison  county,  N.  Y.,  then  a  wilderness,  and  there  amid  the  rude 
surroundings  of  a  pioneer's  life,  his  son  James  Samuel  Thomas  Stranahan  was  born, 
April  25,  1805.  Samuel  Stranahan  died  in  1816. 

Early  in  life,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  awakened  to  the  stern  necessities  of  his 
career.  His  boyhood  was  spent  in  school  and  upon  the  farm.  Later,  he  attended  the 
local  academies.  The  first  money  he  ever  earned  came  from  teaching.  He  fitted  him- 
self for  the  profession  of  a  civil  engineer,  but  this  pursuit  he  abandoned,  in  1827-28, 
to  become  a  frontier  trader,  and  he  made  a  trip  to  the  great  lakes,  then  the  far  western 
wilderness.  After  several  interviews  with  Hon.  Lewis  Cass,  then  Governor  of  the 
Territory  of  Michigan,  and  after  several  adventurous  explorations  of  the  forest  regions, 
during  which  he  found  no  desirable  field  for  his  enterprise,  he  resolved  to  return  east. 
In  1832,  there  was  presented  to  the  young  man  an  opportunity  for  the  display  of 
his  especial  talent  for  organization.  Gerrit  Smith,  the  well  known  land  owner  and 
famous  abolitionist,  invited  young  Stranahan  to  aid  him  in  founding  a  manufacturing 
village  in  a  town  owned  by  the  former  in  Oneida  county.  The  flourishing  village  of 
Florence  to-day  attests  Mr.  Stranahan's  success.  From  this  village,  in  1838,  the 
tireless  young  founder  was  sent  to  the  Assembly,  having  been  elected  on  the  Whig 
ticket  from  a  Democratic  county.  In  the  Legislature,  he  was  associated  with  many 
men  of  exceptional  ability,  who  afterward  became  eminent  in  public  affairs. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Stranahan  removed  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  engaged  extensively  in  rail- 


626  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

road  construction,  in  which  he  was  exceedingly  successful.  By  shrewdly  accepting  a 
portion  of  his  compensation  in  the  stock  of  his  various  roads,  he  laid  the  foundation  of 
a  subsequent  large  fortune.  In  1844,  he  removed  to  Brooklyn,  where  he  has  since  re- 
sided and  with  whose  interests  he  has  become  intimately  identified  Here  he  engaged 
largely  in  real  estate  improvements.  A  man  of  striking  ability  and  exceptional  popu- 
larity, he  was  elected  to  the  Board  of  Aldermen  in  1848;  nominated  but  defeated  for 
Mayor  in  1850,  and  elected  to  Congress  in  1854.  In  1857,  when  the  first  Metropolitan 
Police  Commission  was  organized,  covering  New  York  city,  Brooklyn  and  Staten 
Island,  Mr.  Stranahan  became  a  member  of  the  board  and  was  a  participant  in  the 
famous  struggle,  which  took  place  between  the  new  regime  and  the  old  municipal 
police,  the  latter  led  by  Fernando  Wood,  then  Mayor  of  the  city.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Republican  National  Convention  of  1860  and  urged  the  nomination  of  Abraham 
Lincoln.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Convention  of  1864,  again  voting  for  Mr.  Lin- 
coln, and  later  a  Lincoln  and  Johnson  Presidential  Elector.  The  cause  of  the  Union 
received  his  ardent  support  during  the  War  and  he  was  chosen  to  the  position  of  presi- 
dent of  the  War  Fund  Committee  of  his  city.  His  wife  was  at  the  same  time  president 
of  the  Woman's  Relief  Association.  These  organizations  were  of  enormous  service  to 
the  country.  They  not  only  raised  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  for  the  Union 
cause,  but  they  performed  a  much  more  notable  service  in  rallying  public  opinion,  en- 
couraging enlistments,  rendering  practical  aid  to  the  volunteers,  and  sustaining  the 
government  in  its  efforts  to  carry  on  the  War.  The  War  Fund  Committee  was  com- 
posed of  one  hundred  of  the  most  prominent  and  loyal  men  of  Brooklyn.  From  its 
councils,  originating  in  the  determination  that  there  should  be  at  least  one  loyal  news- 
paper in  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  was  called  into  existence  The  Brooklyn  Union  newspaper. 
Since  1865,  Mr.  Stranahan  has  been  identified  with  almost  every  important  im- 
provement in  his  adopted  city.  He  was  at  the  head  of  the  Brooklyn  Park  Commission 
for  twenty-two  years,  becoming  its  president  by  act  of  the  Legislature  in  1860.  He 
remained  at  the  head  of  the  Commission  until  1882.  To  him,  Brooklyn  is  indebted 
more  than  to  any  other  man  for  Prospect  Park,  the  Ocean  Parkway,  Eastern  Parkway 
and  the  city's  beautiful  system  of  boulevards.  The  plans  were  matured  entirely  tinder 
his  direction  and  carried  out  by  him.  As  president  of  the  Commission,  which  laid  out 
and  developed  the  Park,  he  displayed  a  foresight  and  a  capacity  of  patient  waiting  for 
results,  which  revealed  a  remarkable  nature — a  "longanimity"  it  has  been  aptly  termed. 
His  management  of  the  Park  employes  for  twenty-one  years  was  a  practical  exhibition 
of  civil  service  reform.  Many  who  began  service  in  its  opening  work  were  found  yet 
employed  at  the  end.  No  man  ever  won  an  unsolicited  tribute  to  his  public  services 
by  labor  more  disinterested  than  Mr.  Stranahan;  and  it  was  no  more  than  a  proper 
recognition  of  hard  endeavor  in  many  lines  of  benefit  for  his  city,  that  on  June  6,  1891, 
a  bronze  statue  of  Mr.  Stranahan  of  heroic  size  was  unveiled  at  the  entrance  of  Pros- 
pect Park.  Designed  by  Frederick  McMonnaies,  a  pupil  of  St.  Gaudens,  and  erected 
by  the  gratified  citizens  of  Brooklyn,  it  stands  for  all  time  a  permanent  memorial  of 
useful  service  wisely  performed.  The  founder  of  the  Park  and  his  wife  were  both 
present  at  the  unveiling. 

Mr.  Stranahan  also  foresaw  the  future  of  Coney  Island  as  a  seaside  resort ;  and  it 
was  due  to  his  energy  and  arguments,  that  in  spite  of  much  opposition,  Brooklyn 
claimed  the  Atlantic  Ocean  as  her  southern  boundary.  Coney  Island  Boulevard  and 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  627 

the  Concourse  are  tributes  to  his  sagacity,  judgment  and  public  spirit.  Mr.  Strana- 
han's  genius  for  large  planning  and  undaunted  effort  to  attain  results  evident  to  his 
foresight,  are  now  prompting  him  to  the  consolidation  of  the  group  of  towns  lying 
adjacent  to  New  York  harbor  into  the  'greater  New  York. " 

For  many  years,  he  was  president  of  The  Union  Ferry  Co.,  which  owned  the  ferry 
franchise  between  New  York  and  Brooklyn  and  transacted  an  enormous  business, 
being  one  of  the  most  profitable  companies  of  its  class  in  the  harbor  of  New  York. 

The  Atlantic  Docks,  on  the  lower  water  front  of  Brooklyn,  and  the  warehouses 
surrounding  the  same  were  built  at  his  suggestion  and  by  a  corporation,  which  he 
was  successful  in  organizing  and  in  which  he  was  the  largest  owner.  It  was  always 
characteristic  of  the  man,  that  he  should  engage  in  operations  which,  while  judiciously 
planned  as  commercial  ventures,  should  confer  upon  the  community  in  which  he  dwelt 
even  larger  benefits  than  upon  the  stockholders.  Thus,  appreciating  the  value  of  the 
enterprise  to  his  adopted  city,  although  its  construction  would  be  injurious  to  his  own 
business  interests,  he  was  one  of  the  first  subscribers  to  the  stock  of  the  Brooklyn 
Bridge.  He  became  a  member  of  its  first  board  of  directors,  and  also  served  continu- 
ously as  trustee  and  president,  after  the  bridge  came  under  the  more  immediate  con- 
trol of  the  two  cities,  until  1885.  In  the  work  of  the  board  he  exerted  great  influence. 
His  ideas  were  always  original  and  far  reaching.  Among  other  improvements  upon 
the  earlier  plans  of  which  he  is  the  author,  was  the  raising  of  the  middle  trusses  of  the 
bridge  to  a  height  sufficient  to  permit  the  passage  of  a  Pullman  palace  car  of  full  size. 
He  has  been  associated  as  director  with  various  financial  institutions. 

Mr.  Stranahan  was  married  in  1837  to  Mariamne  Fitch,  daughter  of  Ebenezer  R. 
Fitch  of  Westmoreland,  Oneida  county,  N.  Y.  This  union  brought  them  two  children. 
Mrs.  Stranahan  was  active  in  patriotic  enterprises  during  the  war  and  figured  promi- 
nently in  charitable,  religious  and  social  circles  for  many  years.  Her  noble  nature 
and  philanthropic  toil  hastened  her  death,  which  occurred  in  August,  1866.  The 
present  Mrs.  Stranahan  was  Miss  Clara  C.  Harrison,  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  Prior 
to  her  marriage,  she  was  well  known  in  Brooklyn  as  one  of  the  principals  of  an  import- 
ant private  seminary  for  young  ladies.  Possessed  of  fine  natural  powers  developed  by 
a  most  careful  and  thorough  education,  combined  with  great  executive  ability  and 
a  desire  to  serve,  as  she  may,  in  promoting  human  welfare,  Mrs.  Stranahan  has  filled 
important  roles  in  philanthropic,  civic  and  social  relations.  Some  of  her  receptions 
take  historic  rank  in  the  social  life  of  Brooklyn.  She  is  a  trustee  of  Barnard  College; 
vice  president  of  the  alumnae  association  of  her  alma  mater,  Troy  Female  Seminary, 
the  pioneer  in  the  higher  education  of  women ;  president  of  The  State  Charities  Aid 
Association  for  Kings  county,  and  vice  president  general  for  New  York  State  of  The 
Daughters  of  the  Revolution.  She  was  also  vice  president  of  the  New  York  State 
Board  of  Women  Managers  for  the  Columbian  Exposition.  Mrs.  Stranahan  has  also 
won  honor  as  an  author,  her  chief  work,  "A  History  of  French  Painting,"  having 
received  complimentary  notice  in  both  Europe  and  America,  one  English  quarterly 
giving  it  thirty-six  pages  of  review.  A  critic  says,  "Were  it  called  '  The  History  of 
French  Painting, '  it  would  abundantly  sustain  the  title. "  It  occupies  the  rank  of  a 
classic  on  the  subject. 

At  the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six,  Mr.  Stranahan,  in  vigorous  health,  retains  an 
active  interest  in  the  financial  and  political  affairs  of  his  city  and  country.  His  long 


628  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

life  has  included  the  rise  of  his  country  from  infancy  to  its  present  marvellous  pros- 
perity. To  this,  beginning  as  a  frontier  trader  in  the  wilderness  of  the  Northwest,  he 
has  contributed  in  no  mean  degree.  A  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  of  a  nature 
so  genial  and  sympathetic  as  to  possess  a  rare  magnetism,  refined  and  ctiltivated,  his 
business  life  free  from  the  slightest  blemish,  he  has  long  enjoyed  the  absolute  confidence 
and  highest  esteem  of  the  community. 

WILLIAfl  THOMAS  ALBERT  STRANGE,  manufacturer,  known  in  business 
circles  by  the  shorter  name  of  William  Strange,  was  born  March  i,  1838,  in  Chichester, 
England.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late  Albert  B.  Strange,  well  known  in  this  city  as  a 
merchant  and  manufacturer,  who  removed  to  the  United  States  to  engage  in  business.  As 
a  youth,  William  Strange  received  a  sound  and  thorough  education  in  America,  France 
and  Germany.  He  made  his  first  acquaintance  with  the  elements  of  business  manage- 
ment as  clerk  in  the  employment  of  Naylor  &  Co.,  merchants,  on  John  street,  New 
York.  A  few  years  later,  he  became  identified  with  the  firm  of  Strange  &  Bro. 

The  wholesale  house  of  Strange  &  Bro.  was  started  in  1838,  at  the  corner  of 
William  and  Beaver  streets,  New  York,  and  is  at  present  located  at  No.  96-98  Prince 
street,  to  which  premises  it  removed  from  those  formerly  occupied  at  Park  Place,  the 
corner  of  Broadway  and  Reade  street,  Walker  street,  and  No.  423  Broome  street 
respectively.  In  the  incipient  stages,  the  proprietors  of  the  house  were  E.  B.  and 
Albert  B  Strange,  the  latter  the  father  of  William  Strange. 

After  thirty  years  of  mercantile  experience  as  silk  importers  and  dealers,  the 
Stranges  became  manufacturers  of  silks,  convinced  that  they  could  successfully  produce 
in  this  country  the  class  of  goods  which  they  had  been  importing.  Their  first  factory, 
started  in  1863,  occupied  a  site  in  Williamsburg.  Five  years  later,  the  works  were 
transferred  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and  there  conducted  under  the  name  of  William  Strange 
&  Co.,  and  the  management  of  William  Strange.  At  the  death  of  A.  B.  Strange,  in 
1887,  E.  B.  Strange  having  died  previously,  the  firm  incorporated  under  the  style  of 
The  William  Strange  Co.  William  Strange  has  always  been  the  president  _of  this 
concern,  and  William  C.  Kimball  is  treasurer,  Mr.  Strange  being  also  now  the  sole 
representative  of  the  firm  of  Strange  &  Bro.  in  this  city. 

An  anecdote  exemplified  the  habitual  and  just  confidence  of  the  Stranges  in  the 
future  of  their  business  undertakings.  While  the  great  Paterson  factory  was  yet  in  its 
infancy,  William  Strange  attempted  to  sell  its  products  to  a  leading  New  York  ribbon 
house,  but  was  told  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  as  good  ribbons  in  Paterson  as  abroad 
and  that  there  was  no  use  in  seeking  the  custom  of  the  concern  for  such  goods,  because 
they  purchased  only  the  best  quality.  To  this  objection,  Mr.  Strange  replied:  "All 
right,  gentlemen,  we  shall  see  in  the  future."  The  event  justified  his  expectations. 
For  many  years  now,  the  concern  which  then  declined  to  buy  American  goods  has 
ceased  buying  ribbons  exclusively  from  abroad  and  has  purchased  largely  from  the 
Strange  factory  in  Paterson. 

The  growth  of  America  during  the  last  century  has  been  marvellous.  In  the 
transformation  which  has  taken  place,  no  incident  has  been  more  remarkable  and  no  in- 
fluence more  potent  in  producing  the  result,  than  the  creation  of  new  American  indus- 
tries and  the  transplanting  of  foreign  branches  of  manufacture  to  this  continent.  The 
United  States  have  now  passed  from  the  condition  of  buyers,  dependent  upon  other 
countries  for  articles  of  necessity  or  luxury,  to  that  of  independent  producers,  relying 


N 

THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  629 

on  the  skill  of  their  own  citizens  and  upon  native  materials  for  supplies.  One  of  the 
most  striking  of  the  new  industries  is  that  of  the  manufacture  of  silks  During  the 
past  few  years,  American  products  have  attained  such  excellence  as  to  dispute  the  palm 
with  those  of  the  most  celebrated  establishments  of  Lyons  and  other  manufacturing 
centers  in  the  old  world.  These  industrial  transplantations  have  not  been  the  result  of 
chance  or  the  accidental  outcome  of  the  labors  of  adventurous  tyros  in  the  realm  of 
mercantile  endeavor.  They  are  the  fruit  of  the  deliberate  and  patriotic  enterprise  of 
men  of  great  experience,  who  have  seen  an  opportunity  of  saving,  for  American 
account,  the  profits  which  had  been  made  by  foreign  manufacturers  in  the  American 
market.  In  the  silk  industry,  Mr.  Strange  and  his  father  ranked  amorg  the  pioneers 
and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  now  one  of  the  leading  men  in  the  trade. 

Mr.  Strange  devotes  his  time  mainly  to  the  industry,  founded  by  his  house,  but  is 
also  part  proprietor  of  The  Read  &  Lovatt  Co  ,  and  a  director  of  The  Paterson  National 
Bank  and  The  Paterson  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Co.  He  is  a  man  of  cultivated  mind 
and  agreeable  manners  and  in  social  life  exceedingly  popular,  a  fact  which  is  illustrated 
in  part  by  his  membership  in  the  Union  League,  Republican,  German  Liederkranz, 
United  Service,  Princess  Anne,  Orange  County  Country,  Merchants'  Central,  Hamilton 
and  Amebelish  Fishing  clubs,  and  The  Blooming  Grove  Park  Association,  Joppa  Lodge, 
Xo.  29,  F.  &  A.  M.  and  Cataract  City  Chapter,  No.  10,  R.  A.  M.  In  consequence  of 
his  interest  in  their  objects,  he  is  also  connected  with  The  American  Protective  Tariff 
League,  The  Paterson  Board  of  Trade,  The  Paterson  Ribbon  Manufacturers'  Associa- 
tion, The  Silk  Association  of  America,  and  The  Washington  Association  of  New  Jersey. 
He  is  president  of  the  Park  Commission  of  Paterson  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  of  the 
Division  staff  of  the  National  Guard  of  New  Jersey.  Mr.  Strange  married  Mary 
Elizabeth  Read  and  is  the  father  of  Albert  Breslin  and  Blanche  Louise  Strange 

ISIDOR  STRAUS,  merchant,  oldest  son  of  Lazarus  and  Sara  Straus,  was  born  in 
Rhenish  Bavaria,  Feb.  6,  1845,  and  came  to  this  country  with  the  family  in  1854.  At 
the  age  of  sixteen,  in  Georgia,  he  enlisted  in  the  volunteers  and  was  chosen  lieutenant, 
but  the  Confederacy  refused  to  accept  him  on  account  of  his  age.  A  clerk,  first  in  a 
paper  mill  in  Columbus,  Ga.,  and  later  in  his  father's  store,  he  finally  went  to  Europe 
as  secretary  for  Hon.  John  E.  Ward,  of  Savannah,  whom  the  Confederacy  had  dis- 
patched to  purchase  supplies  for  the  army.  In  1864,  Mr.  Straus  took  a  clerkship  in  the 
office  of  a  ship  owner  in  Liverpool,  but  in  1865  joined  his  father  in  New  York  city  to 
engage  in  the  china  and  crockery  business  of  L.  Straus  &  Son.  In  1874,  this  firm  en- 
larged their  operations  by  taking  charge  of  a  glassware  and  china  department  in  the 
store  of  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co.  on  i4th  street.  This  venture  met  with  much  success  and 
in  1888  Mr.  Straus  and  his  brother  Nathan  became  partners  in  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co., 
with  Charles  B.  Webster  as  head  of  the  house.  Mr.  Straus  retains  his  interest  in  the 
old  china  and  crockery  firm,  but  devotes  considerable  attention  to  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co., 
and  has  helped  develop  the  i4th  street  establishment  into  a  large  department  store. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  committee  of  fifty  New  York  importers,  who  went  to 
Washington  in  June,  1890,  to  protest  against  the  McKinley  bill.  Mr.  Carlisle,  then  a 
Senator  but  now  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  declared  that  the  speech  of  Mr.  Straus 
was  the  best  made  by  an  opponent  of  the  McKinley  bill.  During  the  silver  agitation, 
Mr.  Straus  addressed  the  Coinage  Committee  of  the  House  ably  in  favor  of  a  sound 
currency.  A  member  of  the  original  World's  Fair  Commission  in  New  York  and 


t>3°  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

of  the  committee  in  charge  of  the  local  Columbian  celebration  of  1893,  he  has  also  been 
a  Hudson  River  Bridge  Commissioner  from  the  beginning.  For  his  active  part  in  the 
campaign  of  1892  in  favor  of  Mr.  Cleveland,  he  was  prominently  named  for  the  place 
of  Postmaster  General,  a  position,  however,  for  which  he  had  no  aspirations.  He 
was  led  finally,  in  1893,  owing  to  the  fight  over  the  Wilson  tariff  bill,  then  at  its  hot- 
test, to  accept  a  nomination  at  a  special  election  for  member  of  Congress,  and  after  a 
hotly  contested  campaign  was  elected.  In  1892,  Mr.  Straus  became  a  partner  in  the 
dry  goods  house  of  Abraham  &  Straus  in  Brooklyn.  He  is  a  memher  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  president  of  The  Pottery  &  Glassware  Board  of  Trade,  a  director  in  The 
Hanover  National  Bank  and  The  New  York  County  National  Bank,  vice  president  of 
The  Birkbeck  Investment,  Savings  &  Loan  Co.,  and  a  member  of  the  Manhattan, 
Reform,  Commonwealth,  Nineteenth  Century  and  Free  Trade  clubs.  He  married  in 
1871,  and  has  six  children,  Jesse  Isidor,  Percy  S.,  Sara,  Minnie,  HerbertN.  and  Vivian. 

LAZARUS  STRAUS,  merchant  and  a  prominent  Hebrew,  comes  from  a  learned 
family,  his  father  having  been  one  of  the  Sanhedrim  selected  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte 
as  advisers,  when  that  emperor  was  considering  the  emancipation  of  the  Hebrew  race 
in  his  dominions.  Born  in  Otterberg,  Rhenish  Bavaria,  in  1809,  Mr.  Straus  began  life 
as  a  farmer  and  prospered  in  this  occupation  until  the  revolution  of  1848.  That 
struggle  awakened  his  sympathy  and  absorbed  most  of  his  property.  He  gained  many 
recruits  for  the  revolution,  and  was  one  of  a  committee  to  assist  Carl  Schurz  and  Pro- 
fessor Kinkel,  when  they  came  to  Otterberg  in  the  interest  of  a  famous  uprising.  Mr. 
Straus  made  a  patient  effort  to  regain  his  prosperity,  but  in  vain,  and  in  1854,  he  landed 
in  America,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  four  children.  Settling  in  the  little  village 
of  Talbotton,  Ga.,  he  began  business  there  as  a  dry  goods  merchant,  made  money,  and 
in  1862  removed  to  Columbus,  Ga.  In  1865,  he  came  to  New  York,  the  most  of  his 
modest  fortune  having  been  swept  away  by  the  Civil  War.  He  brought  with  him  about 
$25,000,  however,  paid  his  debts,  and  for  the  third  time,  began  the  world  anew.  In 
1865,  almost  without  capital,  he  started  a  china  and  crockery  store  at  No.  165  Chambers 
street.  Close  attention  to  his  business,  untiring  labor  and  the  good  will  won  by 
honest  payment  of  debts,  soon  brought  him  a  large  reward.  To  his  stock  of  staple 
goods,  he  soon  added  costly  foreign  china,  clocks,  vases  and  bronzes.  The  firm  of 
L.  Straus  &  Sons  now  control  three  large  factories  in  Europe,  which  produce  fine  ware, 
namely  at  Rudolstadt,  Carlsbad  and  Limoges.  They  have  also  entered  upon  the  do- 
mestic manufacture  of  cut  glass.  The  business  has  expanded  to  large  proportions 
and  the  warehouses  on  Warren  street  occupy  several  buildings.  Although  advanced 
in  years,  Mr.  Straus  yet  takes  an  active  interest  in  his  business  and  visits  the  store 
daily.  His  sons,  Isidor,  Nathan  and  Oscar  S.  Straus  are  members  of  the  firm  and 
relieve  him  from  much  of  the  labor  of  actual  management. 

NATHAN  STRAUS,  merchant  and  philanthropist,  was  born  in  Otterberg,  Rhen- 
ish Bavaria,  in  1848.  He  came  to  America  with  his  father,  Lazarus,  and  his  brothers, 
Isidor  and  Oscar,  in  1854.  His  education  was  obtained  at  Collinsworth  Institute,  at 
Talbotton,  Ga.,  and  Packard's  Business  College  in  New  York.  He  then  entered  the 
china  business  with  his  father  and  brother,  Isidor,  and  the  name  of  L.  Straus  &  Son  then 
became  L.  Straus  &  Sons.  His  early  work  in  the  interest  of  the  firm  was  as  a  travel- 
ling agent.  He  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co.,  in  1888,  and  of 
Abraham  &  Straus  in  Brooklyn  in  1893.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan  club,  was 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  631 

made  one  of  the  Park  Commissioners  of  New  York  city  by  Mayor  Grant,  and  had  pre- 
viously been  offered  a  seat  in  the  Board  of  Education,  which  he  declined.  Among  the 
well  known  charities  which  Mr.  Straus  has  originated  and  maintained  at  his  own  ex- 
pense is  the  providing  of  stations  in  various  parts  of  the  city,  where  the  poor  can  obtain 
at  less  than  cost  sterilized  milk  and  modified  milk  sterilized  for  infants.  This  work  has 
reduced  the  mortality  among  infants  in  the  tenement  house  district,  and  Mr.  Straus 
intends  that  it  shall  be  permanent.  In  the  winter  season,  Mr.  Straus  maintains  stations 
where  the  poor  can  obtain  coal  at  cost  price.  He  has  also  opened  cheap  grocery  houses 
and  supported  numerous  other  charitable  enterprises.  At  one  time  he  owned  a  number 
of  fast  horses,  including  the  well  known  Majolica.  His  horses  were  frequent  winners, 
and  all  the  profit  he  made  from  them  he  devoted  to  charity.  He  has  built  a  cottage  at 
the  Trudeau  Sanitarium,  at  Saranac  Lake,  X.  Y.,  which  is  devoted  to  invalids.  The 
hotel  at  Lakewood,  N.  J.,  owned  by  The  Lakewood  Hotel  Co.,  of  which  he  is  the 
president,  was  built  because  the  other  hotels  at.  that  winter  resort  excluded  a 
certain  class  of  guests,  thus  depriving  many  invalids  who  were  compelled  to  go  to 
Lakewood  for  their  health  of  suitable  accommodation.  Mr.  Straus's  indignation  was 
so  thoroughly  aroused  that  he  invested  a  large  sum  in  the  Lakewood.  which  is  open  to 
all  respectable  persons,  irrespective  of  race  or  religion.  He  is  an  energetic  man,  and 
his  brain  is  constantly  devising  new  schemes,  which  he  puts  into  shape  for  practical 
purposes.  In  1894,  he  was  made  the  Democratic  candidate  for  Mayor  of  New  York 
city,  but  declined  to  run  because  David  B.  Hill  insisted  that  his  name  should  remain 
at  the  head  of  the  Independent  Democratic  ticket.  On  this  ticket  wras  a  name,  similar 
to  Straus  at  a  hasty  glance,  and  Mr.  Straus  concluded  that  this  deal  would  defeat  the 
Democratic  municipal  ticket  if  he  remained  upon  it. 

WlLLIAfl  A.  STREET,  merchant,  a  native  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. ,  born  in  1843, 
descends  from  the  Rev.  Nicholas  Street,  a  dissenting  clergyman  of  England,  who  came 
to  the  new  world  in  1630.  The  Rev.  Samuel  Street,  son  of  the  latter,  was  a  graduate 
of  Harvard  College,  receiving  his  degree  in  1661.  Caleb  Street,  great  grandfather  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was  a  merchant  in  New  York  city.  Through  the  maternal 
line,  Mr.  Street  derives  descent  from  Joseph  Reade,  his  great  grandfather,  who  was  a 
warden  in  Trinity  Church  from  1721  to  1770.  His  father  was  a  well  known  lawyer 
and  brother  of  Albert  B.  Street,  the  poet,  while  on  his  mother's  side  he  is  related  to 
the  Stuyvesant,  Watts,  Livingston  and  Kearny  families.  Major  Gen.  Phil.  Kearny 
was  his  second  cousin.  The  sister  of  Mr.  Street  married  Levi  P.  Morton.  After  a 
proper  education,  and  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  Mr.  Street  entered  the  office  of  R.  W. 
Cameron,  shipping  merchant  in  this  city,  as  a  clerk.  The  modest  salary  of  $50  a  year 
was  paid  at  the  start,  but  young  Street  displayed  so  much  interest  in  the  labors  of  the 
house  and  was  so  honest  and  capable,  that  the  firm  were  repeatedly  obliged  to  write  a 
larger  sum  against  his  name  in  recognition  of  his  merits.  In  1862,  he  visited  Australia 
to  fulfill  certain  missions,  and  spent  three  years  in  travelling  to  China,  the  Straits 
Settlements,  Singapore,  Java,  the  Malayan  Islands,  New  Zealand  and  South  America. 
This  excursion  resulted  in  greater  knowledge  of  the  world,  which  has  since  proved  of 
service.  In  1870,  his  employer  and  he  established  the  shipping  and  commission  firm 
of  R.  W.  Cameron  &  Co.,  and  have  since  been  actively  engaged  in  trade,  mainly  with 
Australia  and  New  Zealand.  Mr.  Street  is  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
and  the  Union  club,  and  a  supporter  of  several  important  public  institutions. 


632  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

WILLIAH  L.  STRONG,  merchant,  born  on  a  farm  in  Richland  county,  O.,  March 
22,  1827,  began  life  as  a  dry  goods  clerk  in  the  employ  of  Lake  &  Jones  in  Wooster, 
O.,  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  After  two  years  in  the  trade  in  Wooster  and  eight  more  in 
Mansfield,  O. ,  he  came  to  New  York,  arriving  in  December,  1853.  Here,  he  made  a 
start  as  a  salesman  for  L.  G.  Wilson  &  Co.,  dry  goods  commission  merchants,  to  whose 
affairs  he  gave  the  closest  attention,  mastering  every  detail  of  the  business.  In  1857, 
his  employers  were  swept  down  by  the  panic.  Next  year,  Mr.  Strong  entered  the 
commission  dry  goods  store  of  Farnham,  Dale  &  Co.,  a  highly  successful  firm,  and  re- 
mained with  them  until  the  close  of  1869.  Jan.  i,  1870,  he  engaged  in  the  dry  goods 
commission  business  upon  his  own  responsibility,  founding  the  firm  of  W.  L.  Strong  & 
Co.,  which  succeeded  to  the  trade  of  Farnham,  Dale  &  Co.  He  has  met  with  excellent 
success  and  the  house  has  branches  in  Boston  and  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Strong  is  a 
Republican  and  has  always  taken  a  lively  interest  in  public  affairs,  but  until  recently 
has  refused  public  office.  Preferring  to  work  in  the  ranks,  he  has  been  especially 
active  in  the  organization  of  campaign  clubs.  In  1894,  a  combination  of  the  Repub- 
licans and  reform  Democrats  of  the  city  elected  him  Mayor  of  New  York.  Mr.  Strong 
is  president  of  The  Central  National  Bank,  The  Homer  Lee  Bank  Note  Co.  and  The 
Griswold  Worsted  Co.,  vice  president  of  The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co  ,  and  a 
director  in  The  New  York  Life  Insurance  Co. ,  The  New  York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western 
Railroad,  The  Adirondacks  Railroad,  The  Hanover  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Plaza 
Bank,  The  Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  The  Nassau  Fire  Insurance  Co.  and  other  corpora- 
tions, and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  Merchants',  Republican,  Ohio, 
Colonial,  Law,  Riding,  Racquet  and  Players'  clubs.  His  sympathy  with  men  who 
must  earn  their  living  by  labor  has  been  repeatedly  shown  in  arbitrations  of  disputes 
between  labor  and  capital.  The  fairness  of  his  decisions  have  never  been  questioned. 

JOSEPH  STUART,  banker,  born  in  County  Armagh,  Ireland,  Nov.  25,  1803,  died 
in  New  York  city,  Nov.  18.  1874.  Emigrating  to  this  country  in  1827,  Mr.  Stuart 
settled  in  Philadelphia  and  established  the  dry  goods  firm  of  Stuart  Bro's  in  1828.  In 
1833,  he  removed  to  New  York  and  took  charge  of  the  house  of  J.  &  J.  Stuart  &  Co., 
which  had  been  started  here  in  1831,  showed  himself  to  be  an  excellent  merchant  and 
prospered  through  diligence,  force  and  sagacity.  In  1851,  the  firm  changed  their  occu- 
pation to  banking.  Mr.  Stuart  was  trustee  of  The  Emigrant  Savings  Institution  until 
the  passage  of  the  law  prohibiting  the  holding  of  official  positions  in  more  than  one 
institution.  He  was  a  director  of  The  National  Mercantile  Bank  and  connected  with 
The  Hanover  National  Bank,  and  was  vice  president  of  The  Fourth  National  Bank  and 
various  insurance  companies.  A  large  circle  of  friends  esteemed  him  highly.  By  his 
marriage  with  Anna,  daughter  of  Robert  Watson,  he  was  the  father  of  Anna  Whiteside 
and  Margaret  Stuart  Eakin  and  Joseph  and  Robert  Watson  Stuart. 

ROBERT  L.  STUART,  sugar  refiner,  born  at  No.  40  Barclay  street,  in  this  city, 
July  21,  1806,  died  in  town  Dec.  12,  1882.  Kinloch  Stuart,  hisfather,  was  a  Scot,  anda 
manufacturer  of  candy,  who,  failing  in  business  in  Edinburgh,  came  to  America  in 
September,  1805,  and  resuming  business  here  with  a  capital  of  $7,000,  had  the  satis- 
faction of  finally  paying  his  debts,  and,  at  his  death  in  1826,  of  leaving  about  $100,000 
and  a  profitable  business  to  his  two  sons.  Robert  was  the  older  one,  Alexander  Stuart 
being  the  younger.  The  latter  was  born  about  1810,  and  died  at  his  home,  No.  167 
Chambers  street,  Dec.  23,  1879. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ST.  633 

Robert  had  not  yet  attained  his  majority  when  his  father  died,  but  he  took  charge 
of  the  business  as  administrator  of  the  estate,  and,  when  legally  free  to  do  so,  organized 
with  his  brother  the  firm  of  R.  L.  &  A.  Stuart,  which  became  in  time  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  in  the  city.  To  candy  making,  they  added,  in  1832,  the  refining  of  sugar 
by  steam,  and,  after  1855,  the  latter  industry  engaged  their  entire  attention.  The  use 
of  steam  in  refining  was  an  innovation  and  called  forth  predictions  of  disaster  from 
friends.  They  made  the  process  work,  however,  and  carried  it  on  successfully  for 
forty  years.  Their  office  at  169  Chambers  street  occupied  a  building  erected  by  them 
in  1831,  the  first  dwelling  in  the  city  into  which  gas  was  introduced.  The  business  in- 
creased so  rapidly,  however,  that  they  were  compelled  to  build  extensive  quarters, 
first  at  the  corner  of  Greenwich  and  Chambers  streets,  and  in  1849,  at  Greenwich  and 
Reade  streets.  They  were  aided  in  their  enterprise  by  the  fact  that  their  product  ranged 
in  price  from  twenty-two  to  twenty-four  cents  per  pound  only,  while  imported  sugar, 
no  better  in  quality,  cost  forty-four  cents  a  pound.  Three  stores  on  the  north  side  of 
Reade  street,  and  a  large  warehouse  on  the  south  side  of  Chambers  street,  were  finally 
aided  to  their  plant.  Their  force  of  300  men  manufactured  about  40,000,000  pounds  of 
refined  sugar  annually.  When  the  store  houses  at  the  Atlantic  Docks  were  unroofed 
by  a  storm,  they  had  §1,000,000  worth  of  sugar  there.  Alexander  had  charge  of  the 
actual  work  of  manufacture ;  Robert,  of  the  finances  of  the  firm.  In  1872-73,  both 
brothers  retired  with  large  fortunes.  They  were  always  kind  and  considerate  to  em- 
ployes, and  at  the  time  of  the  draft  riots  in  1863,  their  men  stood  by  them  and  pre- 
pared the  sugar  houses  against  a  threatened  assault,  which,  however,  was  not  made, 
owing  to  the  precautions  taken.  During  the  War,  the  Stuarts  were  staunch  supporters 
of  the  Government  and  large  subscribers  to  the  first  million  of  the  War  loan. 

After  1852,  the  brothers  set  aside  a  certain  sum  each  year  for  charitable  purposes. 
Up  to  1879,  they  had  given  §1,390,000  in  benefactions,  and,  after  that  year,  Robert 
L  Stuart  gave  over  §500,000  more,  devoting  himself  almost  entirely  to  philanthropy. 
He  was  a  Presbyterian,  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  from  its  organization 
and  of  the  Century  and  Union  clubs,  an  officer  of  various  public  institutions  and  a 
liberal  patron  of  art.  Alexander  Stuart  never  married,  and  lived  during  his  whole 
life  in  the  old  fashioned  three  story  brick  dwelling  at  No.  167  Chambers  street.  His 
fortune  descended  to  his  brother  Robert.  The  wife  of  the  latter  was  Mary,  daughter 
of  Robert  Macrae,  an  old  merchant  of  New  York,  who  had  a  different  partner  in 
several  different  cities  of  the  United  States.  Mrs.  Stuart  died  Dec.  31,  1891.  She 
had  made  large  gifts  to  public  institutions  during  her  life  time,  amounting  to  about 
$1,500,000,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  her  fortune  of  about  §8,000,000  was,  at  her  death, 
distributed  among  schools,  colleges,  religious  bodies  and  charities. 

JOHN  JAY  STUDWELL,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  North  Salem,  West- 
Chester  county,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  2,  1813,  died  in  Brooklyn,  Dec.  12,  1884.  Baird's  History 
of  Rye,  N.  Y.,  records  the  fact  that  his  earliest  American  ancestor,  Studwell,  was  one 
of  the  eighteen  original  proprietors  of  Rye.  His  father,  Joseph  Studwell,  was  a  car- 
penter, and  his  mother,  Rebecca  Mead,  who  came  from  the  Mead  family  of  Greenwich, 
a  type  of  New  England  character,  full  of  faith  and  good  works.  Trained  to  his  father's 
trade,  he  went  from  the  plain  old  homestead  with  a  Puritan  mother's  blessing  and  in- 
junctions, and  by  his  own  labors,  coupled  with  a  good  constitution  and  equally  sound 
principles,  rose  to  position  and  fortune.  Occupied  with  his  trade  above  the  Harlem 


•634  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

River,  he  finally  received  an  offer  of  capital  and  influence  from  a  resident  of  Harlem, 
and  availed  himself  thereof  to  the  pecuniary  advantage  of  both.  Early  in  the  '405,  he 
became  a  lumber  merchant  on  Third  avenue,  near  12 8th  street,  selling  his  business 
later  to  William  Colwell,  who  continued  it  for  about  fifty  years.  In  1842,  Mr.  Studwell 
moved  to  Brooklyn  and  resumed  there  the  lumber  business,  which  he  managed  with 
profitable  results.  About  1857,  he  became  president  of  The  Montauk  Insurance  Co., 
and  later  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  The  National  City  Bank  of  Brooklyn,  of  which 
he  was  president  until  his  death.  He  was  also  one  of  the  original  directors  and 
vice  president  of  The  Mechanics'  Bank  of  Brooklyn  and  a  director  of  The  Brooklyn 
Gas  Light  Co.,  The  Atlantic  Avenue  Railroad,  and  The  Citizens'  Gas  Light  Co.  He 
joined  no  clubs  and  was  for  more  than  forty  years  a  member  of  Sands  Street  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  steward  and  trustee  at  his  death  as  well  as  trustee  of  The  Brook- 
lyn Hospital.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  served  on  the  local  Committee  of  Relief.  For 
twelve  years  he  sat  in  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  Kings  county,  being  most  of  the 
time  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Accounts.  In  1836,  Mr.  Studwell  married 
Elizabeth  La  Farge  Moore,  daughter  of  Peter  Moore,  of  Woodbridge,  N.  J.  Their 
only  child,  Sarah  Frances,  is  the  wife  of  George  W.  Mead,  the  lawyer. 

JONATHAN  STURQES,  merchant,  born  in  Southport,  Conn.,  March  24,  1802, 
died  in  New  York,  Nov.  28,  1874.  His  family  was  founded  in  this  country  by  a 
pioneer  from  England  prior  to  1640.  After  a  period  of  probation  in  the  employment 
of  R.  &  L.  Reed,  grocers  in  Front  street  in  this  city,  beginning  in  1821,  Mr.  Sturges 
became  a  partner  in  1828,  the  house  taking  the  name  of  Reed  &  Sturges.  In  1843,  the 
firm  name  was  changed  to  Sturges,  Bennett  &  Co.,  and  in  1865  to  Sturges,  Arnold  & 
Co.  Mr.  Sturges  was  an  excellent  merchant,  reached  the  position  of  leader  in  the  tea 
and  coffee  trade,  and  retired  in  1868  with  large  means.  He  promoted  several  enter- 
prises with  his  capital  and  was  a  founder  and  director  of  The  Bank  of  Commerce,  The 
Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hartford  Railroad.  A 
strong  Union  man  during  the  Civil  War,  he  was  active  in  organizing  the  Union  League 
club,  served  as  its  president  in  1863,  and,  like  other  prominent  business  men,  labored 
actively  to  break  up  the  Tweed  Ring.  He  was  twice  elected  vice  president  of  the 
Chamber  of  Commerce  and,  loving  fine  art,  became  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Century 
club.  During  his  whole  life,  he  gave  liberally  to  Christian  work  and  charities.  In 
1829,  he  married  Mary,  daughter  of  John  Cady,  and  was  the  father  of  Virginia  R.. 
wife  of  William  H.  Osborn;  Frederick  Sturges;  Amelia,  first  wife  of  J.  Pierpont  Mor- 
gan ;  Edward,  Arthur  P.  and  Henry  C.  Sturges.— His  son,  FREDERICK  STURGES, 
merchant  and  financier,  born  June  i,  1833,  was  educated  in  the  local  schools.  In 
1849,  he  entered  the  office  of  his  father  and  followed  mercantile  life  prosperously  until 
1868,  when  he  retired  simultaneously  with  his  father.  He  has,  however,  since  been 
active  in  financial  affairs  and  is  a  director  of  The  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  The 
Atlantic  Trust  Co.,  and  The  Seamen's  Bank  for  Savings,  and  was  for  many  years  direc- 
tor of  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad.  'This  family  has  always  been  noted  for  its  good 
works,  and  Mr.  Sturges  devotes  much  time  to  the  Presbyterian  Hospital,  The  Hospital 
for  the  Ruptured  and  Crippled,  The  American  Bible  Society,  The  Seamen's  Fund 
Society  and  other  institutions.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Century,  Down  Town,  and 
Grolier  clubs.  In  1863,  he  married  Mary  Reed,  daughter  of  Dudley  B.  Fuller,  and  is 
the  father  of  Jonathan,  Emily  M.,  Arthur  P.,  Mary  Fuller  and  Frederick  Sturges. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. SU.  635 

ALFRED  SULLY,  capitalist,  a  gentleman  of  education,  refinement  and  marked 
ability,  has  risen  by  his  own  exertions  to  an  enviable  position  in  the  financial  world. 
The  majority  of  men  who  climb  to  the  top  are  those  who  begin  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Early  disadvantages  serve  merely  to  inspire  an  ambitious  spirit  and  forceful  character 
with  heroic  energy  and  unconquerable  resolution  to  overcome  all  obstacles.  In  such 
cases,  the  man  is  trained  from  his  youth  to  the  subjugation  of  adverse  circumstances, 
and  he  usually  becomes  a  capable,  progressive,  and  successful  figure  in  his  field  of 
action.  There  are  few  more  conspicuous  examples  of  this  among  prominent  men  of 
affairs  in  Wall  street,  than  is  furnished  by  Alfred  Sully.  He  was  not  born  rich,  nor 
was  his  path  in  life  smoothed  by  good  luck  and  favorable  circumstances.  He  blazed 
his  own  way  from  the  first  step  he  took,  and  can  look  back  over  a  life  of  endeavor, 
which  courage,  energy,  and  ambition  have  made  triumphant. 

Mr.  Sully  was  born  in  Ottawa,  Canada,  May  2,  1841.  His  first  salary  was  six 
dollars  a  week,  when,  although  a  mere  boy,  he  served  as  night  watchman  in  a  railroad 
yard.  He  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Bellamy  Storer  in  Cincinnati,  afterward  gradu- 
ated from  the  Cincinnati  Law  School,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Ohio  bar  in  1863.  He 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  succeeding  Austin  Corbin  in 
the  old  law  firm  of  Corbin,  Dow  &  Brown,  Mr.  Corbin  retiring  from  the  firm  and  from 
the  practice  of  law  at  that  time  to  enter  the  banking  business  Mr.  Sully  remained 
active  in  the  law  in  Davenport  until  1872,  enjoying  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  He 
came  to  New  York  in  1872  as  cashier  and  general  manager  of  The  Corbin  Banking  Co. 

His  first  connection  with  railroads  was  as  counsel  to  The  Davenport  &  St.  Paul, 
now  part  of  the  St.  Paul  system.  In  1878,  he  became  connected  with  The  Indiana, 
Bloomington  &  Western  Railroad  as  secretary,  and  soon  afterward  became  one  of  its 
principal  owners  and  chief  managers. 

In  1876  and  for  several  years  thereafter,  he  was  largely  interested  in  building  and 
operating  The  Manhattan  Beach  Railroad,  and  in  connection  therewith  organized  The 
Eastern  Railroad  of  Long  Island,  for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  Manhattan  Beach 
road  the  entire  length  of  the  Island.  In  this  enterprise,  Austin  Corbin  was  associated 
with  him.  After  two  years  of  continual  warfare  with  The  Long  Island  Railroad 
people,  Mr.  Corbin  and  Mr.  Sully  united  in  buying  a  control  of  the  entire  Long  Island 
Railroad  system  from  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.  The  stock  of  the  road  was  then  selling 
at  from  1 8  to  20  cents  a  share.  The  property  was  in  the  hands  of  a  receiver  and  utterly 
bankrupt.  Nearly  all  the  different  issues  of  its  bonds  were  in  default.  The  equipment 
was  almost  worthless  and  the  track  in  dangerous  condition,  and  it  was  thought  impos- 
sible to  resuscitate  the  road  without  a  complete  reorganization.  But  as  soon  as  Mr. 
Sully  and  his  associates  obtained  control,  a  new  §5,000,000  mortgage  was  placed  upon 
the  property  and  the  proceeds  therefrom  used  in  putting  the  road  into  first-class  condi- 
tion. The  stock  was  at  the  same  time  increased  from  $3,200,000  to  $10,000,000  and 
has  paid  regular  dividends  ever  since,  despite  the  increased  capitalization.  These 
operations  brought  Mr.  Sully  large  profits. 

In  1 88 1,  he  purchased  a  coal  road  in  Ohio,  about  130  miles  in  length,  reorganized 
it  as  The  Ohio  Southern,  put  the  property  into  first  class  physical  condition,  and  estab- 
lished it  on  a  paying'basis.  He  was  elected  president  in  1883  and  held  that  position 
until  his  retirement  in  April,  1892.  What  he  accomplished  by  a  wise  and  vigorous 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  this  company  is  best  illustrated  by  the  statement  that, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — SU.  637 

without  any  addition  to  the  mileage,  the  net  earnings  of  The  Ohio  Southern  were 
increased  from  a  surplus  at  the  close  of  the  first  fiscal  year  of  $599  in  excess  of  first 
mortgage  interest,  to  a  surplus  of  nearly  $200,000  in  excess  of  such  interest  in  the  final 
year,  the  annual  net  earnings  being  nearly  trebled  in  the  space  of  eight  years.  Upon 
the  retirement  of  Mr.  Sully  and  his  associates  from  the  management  of  this  property, 
the  stockholders,  in  annual  meeting  assembled,  embodied  in  resolutions  an  unqualified 
expression  of  their  appreciation,  of  the  high  standard  of  credit  and  efficiency  resulting 
from  the  ability,  zeal  and  fidelity  of  the  retiring  management. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Sully  went  into  the  Reading  property  and  was  at  one  time  the 
largest  individual  owner  of  its  stocks  and  bonds.  At  that  time,  Franklin  B.  Gowen 
was  president  and  Mr.  Sully  his  principal  supporter.  Mr.  Gowen's  remarkable  fight 
with  the  Drexel-Morgan  syndicate,  which  proposed  to  reorganize  that  property  on  a 
plan,  which  he  thought  was  without  due  regard  to  the  rights  and  interests  he  repre- 
sented, attracted  much  attention  among  railroad  men  all  over  the  United  States.  The 
property  involved  was  second  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  its  actual  cash  value  being  esti- 
mated at  nearly  $200,000,000.  More  than  §160,000,000  have  been  expended  in  the 
Reading  Railroad  and  its  coal  and  iron  properties.  After  a  year  of  bitter  warfare,  the 
Drexel-Morgan  syndicate  were  brought  to  terms  by  Mr.  Sully  and  Mr.  Lauterbach, 
who  represented  Mr.  Gowen,  and  the  security  owners  of  the  Reading  property,  elated 
by  this  victory,  initiated  a  boom  in  Wall  street  which  lasted  for  months. 

In  1886,  The  West  Point  Terminal  Co.,  then  capitalized  at  §15,000,000,  was  in 
debt  over  §3,000,000,  and  the  president,  William  P.  Clyde,  had  given  notice  to  the 
stockholders  that  unless  they  supplied  him  with  means,  the  property  would  have  to  be 
sold  for  its  debts.  Mr.  Clyde  and  all  the  directors  of  the  Terminal  were  members  of 
The  Richmond  &  Danville  syndicate  and  also  members  of  The  Richmond  &  Danville 
board  of  directors,  and  it  seemed  to  them  that  the  Terminal  Company  had  become  a 
useless  appendage.  A  committee  of  Terminal  stockholders  worked  for  over  a  year  to 
re-establish  their  property,  but  made  no  progress.  Seeing  the  stock  in  imminent  dan- 
ger of  being  annihilated  by  a  trustees'  sale  of  its  assets,  these  stockholders  induced 
Mr.  Sully,  through  mutual  friends,  to  join  their  committee  as  chairman,  and,  within 
ninety  days  thereafter,  The  Terminal  Company  was  renewed  in  its  strength  and  credit. 
Soon  afterward,  The  Richmond  &  Danville  and  The  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  & 
Georgia  Railroads  were  merged  into  the  company,  which  thus  became  the  greatest 
railroad  power  in  the  South,  absolutely  owning,  controlling  and  operating  over  four 
thousand  seven  hundred  miles  of  railroad.  In  acknowledgment  of  his  valuable  ser- 
vices and  consummate  ability,  Mr.  Sully  was  elected  president  of  the  entire  Terminal 
System,  from  which  position  he  retired  early  in  1888,  finding  himself  opposed  on  ques- 
tions of  policy  to  a  majority  of  the  board  of  directors.  Subsequent  events  demon- 
strated fully  the  wisdom  of  Mr.  Stilly's  views. 

In  recent  years,  Mr.  Sully  has  devoted  himself  quietly  to  the  development  of  sev- 
eral properties  in  which  he  is  a  large  owner  with  his  associates,  notably  The  Cincinnati, 
Hamilton  &  Dayton  Railroad,  The  Cleveland,  Lorain  &  Wheeling  Railway,  and  The 
New  York,  Susquehanna  &  Western  Railroad. 

To  give  anything  like  a  comprehensive  account  of  Alfred  Sully  is  not  to  the 
present  purpose.  Who  and  what  he  is  have  been  hinted  at  only.  The  breadth  of  his 
usefulness,  the  scope  of  his  influence,  the  brilliancy  of  his  success  and  the  strength  of 


AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

his  character  cannot  be  dwelt  upon  within  the  limits  of  the  present  work.  He  is  a 
man  of  ample  fortune  and  possesses  the  talent  for  accumulating  more.  He  is  generous 
but  not  prodigal.  He  has  no  extravagant  tastes  but  on  the  contrary  delights  in  habits 
and  mode  of  life  extremely  modest.  In  manner,  he  is  reserved  and  thoughtful.  In 
talk,  he  is  impressive  but  never  wasteful  of  words.  He  is  patient  and  untiring  in  work- 
ing out  a  plan.  He  has  no  special  aptitude  for  unimportant  and  minute  details,  but  his 
genius  asserts  itself  in  solving  the  perplexing  problems  of  conflicting  interests  and  ad- 
justing wisely  the  controlling  forces  for  gigantic  organizations.  These  combined  qual- 
ities fit  him  for  large  undertakings  and  positions  of  high  trust  and  grave  responsibility. 
WILLIAH  J.  SYriS,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  who  died  in  town  April  2,  1889, 
in  his  seventy-first  year,  was  a  son  of  John  Syms  and,  when  a  youth,  became  a  member 
of  the  firm  of  Blunt  &  Syms,  for  many  years  well  known  gunmakers.  After  thirty 
years  of  successful  prosecution  of  this  industry,  the  partnership  dissolved  and  Mr.  Syma 
retired.  While  actively  engaged  in  business,  Mr.  Syms  helped  found  The  Metropolitan 
Gas  Co.,  and  The  42d  Street  &  Grand  Street  Railroad.  In  later  years,  he  was  presi* 
dent  of  The  Franklin  Telegraph  Co.,  vice  president  of  The  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Railroad 
Co.  and  a  director  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  being  at  the  time  of  his  death 
a  large  stookholder  in  each  of  these  concerns.  His  profits  were  invested  largely  in. 
real  estate,  of  which  he  owned  a  large  quantity.  He  was  liberal  to  charities  and  re. 
spected  for  his  judgment  in  art  matters.  During  his  later  years,  he  traveled  exten. 
sively  in  Europe.  He  was  twice  married,  and  his  second  wife,  Catherine  E.,  survive? 
him.  He  left  no  children  and  Roosevelt  Hospital  received  a  legacy  of  $350,000. 


T. 

EDWARD  NEUFVILLE  TAILER,  merchant,  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  July 
20,  1830,  is  a  grandson  of  Sir  William  Tailer,  for  seventeen  years  lieutenant  governor 
of  the  colony  of  Massachusetts  before  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  He  is  a  son  of 
Edward  N.  Tailer,  born  at  the 'family  home  on  lower  Broadway  in  1796,  and  of  Ann 
Amelia  Bogert,  his  wife.  The  ancestors  of  the  latter  came  from  Harlem  in  Holland, 
settled  in  Harlem  on  the  upper  part  of  the  Island  of  Manhattan,  and  had  large  poses- 
sions  in  land  in  that  vicinity  in  the  i8th  century.  Mr.  Tailer's  father,  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Tailer  &  White,  brokers  in  WTall  street,  retired  with  a  fortune  in  1837. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  was  educated  at  Penquest's  famous  French  school  in 
Bank  street  in  this  city,  which  was  resorted  to  not  only  by  the  children  of  New  Yorkers 
but  by  the  sons  of  prominent  families  from  Cuba  and  South  America. 

He  began  his  mercantile  career,  Dec.  8,  1848,  as  a  clerk  with  the  well  known  firm 
of  Little,  Alden  &  Co.  at  No.  29  Broad  street.  This  region  was  then  the  center  of 
the  wholesale  dry  goods  trade  of  New  York  and  was  occupied  by  the  stores  of  many 
merchants,  famous  in  their  day  and  active  factors  in  establishing  the  commercial 
supremacy  of  this  metropolis.  During  his  early  business  career,  Mr.  Tailer  was  con- 
nected as  buyer  and  salesman  with  the  firms  of  W.  &  S.  Phipps  &  Co.,  of  Boston  and 
New  York,  Fanshaw,  Milliken  &  Townsend,  Reimer  &  Meche,  and  Sturges,  Shaw  & 
Co. ,  and  the  experience  gained  in  those  concerns  enabled  him  in  due  time  to  found  the 
successful  importing  and  commission  house  of  Winzer  &  Tailer,  now  known  as  E.  N.  & 
W.  H.  Tailer  &  Co.  During  his  business  career  of  thirty-six  years,  he  has  witnessed  great 
changes  upon  the  lower  part  of  this  island,  not  the  least  notable  of  them  being  the 
removal  of  the  wholesale  dry  goods  trade  from  Broad,  Pine,  Cedar  and  Pearl  streets, 
Exchange  place  and  lower  Broadway,  to  its  present  location,  extending  from  Duane  to 
Spring  streets. 

After  a  business  life  of  great  activity,  Mr.  Tailer  retired  from  practical  affairs, 
Jan.  i,  1892,  not,  however,  worn  out  in  the  service,  but  to  give  the  benefit  of  his  busi- 
ness experience  to  the  management  of  some  important  trusts  and  large  estates,  of 
which  he  is  the  executor. 

His  first  business  voyage  to  Europe  was  made  in  the  steamer  Arago  of  the  Fox 
&  Livingston  Line  in  1857;  his  last  one  with  Captain  McMicken  in  the  Umbria.  He 
has  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean  more  than  forty  times. 

In  December,  1855,  Mr.  Tailer  married  Miss  Agnes  Suffern,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Suffern,  who  lived  for  over  fifty  years  at  No.  1 1  Washington  Square.  Mr.  Tailer  is 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Henry  L.  Burnett,  Mrs.  Robert  R.  Livingston,  Miss  Fannie  B. 
Tailer  and  Mr.  T.  Suffern  Tailer.  He  has  never  held  political  office,  but  is  a  director 
in  The  German-American  Bank  and  The  Northern  Dispensary  and  a  member  of  the 
vestry  of  Ascension  Church.  His  social  standing  is  shown  by  his  membership  in  the 
Union,  Union  League,  Tuxedo,  Country,  Westchester  Polo,  and  Merchants'  clubs  and 
The  New  England  and  St.  Nicholas  Societies.  In  1874,  he  joined  the  Patriarchs, 
succeeding  the  late  James  A.  Hamilton,  who  was  one  of  the  founders  of  that 
organization. 


< 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TA.  641 

FREDERICK  LYflAN  TALCOTT.  born  Feb.  22,  1813,  who  died  in  New  York  city, 
Nov.  i,  1884,  was  a  member  of  the  Connecticnt  family  which  gave  birth  to  Noah 
Talcott,  Governer  of  Connecticut,  17  24-41.  Graduating  from  Columbia  College  in 
1832,  he  was  in  1834  with  a  brother,  Daniel  W.,  taken  into  partnership  by  his  father, 
Noah  Talcott,  an  old  merchant  of  cotton,  sugar,  coffee,  hides,  etc.  The  sign  of  Noah 
Talcott  &  Sons  indicated  a  store  in  which  gentle  manners,  keen  business  ability  and 
great  enterprise  characterized  the  proprietors.  Noah  Talcott  died  in  1839,  and  the  sons 
continued  the  business  until  1858,  when  Frederick  retired.  He  acquired  the  title  of 
"cotton  king  "from  the  fact  that,  before  1850,  he  was  the  only  man  who  had  ever  "cor- 
nered "  the  cotton  market.  About  1859,  with  two  of  his  sons,  Frederick  L.  and  August 
Belmont  Talcott,  he  established  the  stock  brokerage  and  banking  house  of  Talcott  &  Sons, 
which  continued  in  business  until  1880,  when  Frank  Staley  and  Edward  B.  Talcott  be- 
came partners.  A.  B.  and  E.  B.  Talcott  are  members  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  Mr. 
Talcott  was  at  one  time  a  director  of  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.,  and  president  of 
the  organization  of  cotton  merchants,  which  finally  developed  into  the  Cotton  Ex- 
change. In  1842,  he  married  Mrs.  Harriet  Newell  Burnham  and  his  family  consisted 
of  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  Frederick  L.,  August  Belmont,  Edward  Baker  and 
James  Carleton  Talcott,  and  Mary  Alice,  wife  of  Charles  F.  Palmeter,  Harriet  Elliott 
and  Florence  Louise.  They  are  all  now  married. 

JAMES  TALCOTT,  merchant,  a  native  of  West  Hartford,  Conn.,  born  in  1835,  is 
the  son  of  a  manufacturer  and  farmer.  The  family  traces  its  line  to  John  Talcott,  of 
Colchester,  England,  1558.  John  Talcott,  third  of  the  name,  came  from  Braintree  to 
Massachusetts  in  the  ship  Lion  in  1632  and  was  one  of  the  founders  of  Hartford,  Conn. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  James  Talcott  left  the  farm  and  established  himself  in  New  York 
city,  without  previous  apprenticeship,  as  agent  for  a  knitting  mill  in  New  Britain, 
Conn.,  managed  by  his  older  brother.  The  present  dry  goods  commission  house  of 
James  Talcott,  which  originated  in  this  modest  manner,  forty-one  years  ago,  having  then 
only  a  single  account,  now  includes  nine  distinct  departments,  devoted  to  underwear, 
domestic  hosiery,  woolens,  cotton  goods,  satinets,  broad  silks,  ribbons,  dress  goods,  etc., 
represents  a  number  of  the  leading  mills  of  the  United  States,  and  maintains  stores  at 
1 08  Franklin  and  66  Greene  streets  and  several  warehouses.  Mr.  Talcott  is  a  member 
of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  a  director  of  The  Manhattan,  The  Broadway  National, 
and  The  Broadway  Savings  Banks,  and  a  member  of  the  Republican,  Riding  and  Patria 
clubs  and  The  New  England  Society.  In  1860,  he  married  Henrietta  E.,  daughter  of 
the  Rev.  Amzi  Francis,  of  Bridgehampton,  L.  I.,  and  has  five  children  living,  the  Rev. 
J.  Frederick,  Francis  Edgar,  Grace,  Edith  Charlotte  and  Arthur  W.  Talcott. 

J.  HONROE  TAYLOR,  manufacturer,  born  in  Pompey,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  13,  1818, 
died  in  New  York  city,  May  22,  1892.  He  was  a  son  of  Richard  and  Phoebe  Clark 
Taylor,  farmers,  and  came  from  Norman  stock,  which  emigrated  from  Count}-  Kent 
in  England  to  London  and  thence  to  New  Jersey  in  1692,  where  the  family  owned  a 
large  possession  in  land  including  Sandy  Hook.  Judge  John  Taylor,  grandfather  of 
the  subject  of  this  memoir,  was  a  prominent  jurist  and  politician  of  Saratoga  county, 
N.  Y.  At  a  very  early  age,  Mr.  Taylor  began  to  earn  his  own  support,  engaging  while 
a  minor  in  business  for  himself  as  a  dry  goods  merchant,  finally  establishing  and  carry- 
ing on  at  the  same  time  several  stores  in  Onondaga  county  and  the  first  wholesale  gro- 
cery store  in  Syracuse,  as  well  as  the  first  saleratus  factory  in  this  country.  Beginning 


642  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

life  at  a  time  when  energy,  self  dependence,  and  personal  activity  were  of  more  impor- 
tance than  capital,  he  successfully  overcame  all  difficulties  and  when  necessary  prac- 
ticed the  most  rigid  economy  with  an  energy  which  overcame  temporary  reverses.  He 
was  a  natural  born  trader,  shrewd  and  quick  in  judgment.  Indomitable  will  made  him  a 
leader  in  all  his  enterprises.  The  saleratus  industry  proved  so  successful  that  Mr. 
Taylor  finally  removed  it  to  New  York  city.  While  in  Syracuse,  he  served  as  Alder- 
man for  four  years  for  some  local  personal  object.  In  New  York,  he  founded  The  J. 
Monroe  Taylor  Chemical  Co.,  and  his  large  soda  factory  in  Brooklyn,  erected  in  1878, 
grew  into  a  valuable  industry.  While  interested  in  various  enterprises,  he  devoted 
himself  during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  to  real  estate  in  this  city,  owning  at  the  time  of 
his  death  the  handsome  twelve  story  Taylor  office  building  on  the  site  of  the  old  Mer- 
chants' Hotel  at  39-41  Cortlandt  street,  constructed  in  1892,  and  several  apartment 
houses,  including  the  Gramercy  Park  Hotel,  where  he  lived.  He  was  also  one  of  the 
largest  owners  in  the  Gramercy  apartment  house.  Mr.  Taylor  was  a  lover  of  fine 
horses,  and,  being  conspicuous  on  account  of  his  striking  resemblance  to  the  late  Henry 
Ward  Beecher  and  the  old  fashioned  blue  coat  with  brass  buttons  and  ruffled  shirt, 
which  he  always  wore,  became  a  familiar  figure  on  the  drives  in  this  city.  He  was 
married  Jan.  15,  1840,  in  Delphi,  N.  Y.,  to  Charlotte  E.,  daughter  of  William  Davis, 
and  was  survived  by  one  child,  Laura  Maria,  wife  of  Charles  C.  Pope.  Charlotte  E., 
wife  of  George  Doheny,  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y. ,  is  now  deceased. 

flOSES  TAYLOR,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  New  York  city,  at  the  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Morris  street,  Jan.  n,  1806,  died  here  May  23,  1882.  He  was  in  the 
third  generation  of  descent  from  an  Englishman  of  the  same  name,  who  came  to 
America  from  London  in  1736.  Mr.  Taylor,  his  father,  and  his  grandfather,  carried  on 
business  all  their  lives  practically  within  a  stone's  throw  of  one  spot  in  this  city.  Mr. 
Taylor's  father  started  in  business  as  a  cabinet  maker,  and  in  later  years  became  known 
as  the  confidential  agent  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  in  whose  service  he  died.  Moses  Taylor 
began  life  at  fifteen  as  a  clerk  and  was  soon  transferred  to  the  firm  of  G.  G.  &  S..  How- 
land,  a  conspicuous  mercantile  house.  Always  active,  zealous  and  self-reliant,  he 
started  for  himself  about  1832,  as  a  broker  of  Cuban  sugar.  The  cholera  epidemic 
retarded  his  success  the  first  year  and  in  1835  the  great  fire  swept  away  his  store. 
While  saving  nothing  except  his  books,  he  opened  an  office,  nevertheless,  the  next  day 
and  was  ready  for  business  among  the  first.  In  the  profitable  years  which  followed,  he 
prospered  so  rapidly  that  he  was  finally  able  to  turn  aside  to  other  fields  of  enterprise. 
During  this  period,  he  became  a  large  owner  of  vessels.  In  1855,  he  was  elected  pres- 
ident of  The  City  Bank,  a  position  he  retained  until  his  death.  During  the  war,  Mr. 
Taylor  was  a  warm  supporter  of  the  Government  and  chairman  of  the  loan  committee 
of  the  Clearing  House  Association  in  1861.  It  is  said  that  he  was  offered  the  posi- 
tion of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Chase,  but  refused  it. 

A  prominent  trait  of  his  character  was  reluctance  to  enter  into  any  enterprise  until 
after  exhaustive  investigation.  If  the  venture  commended  itself  to  his  judgment,  he 
stood  ready  to  back  it  to  the  full  extent  of  his  ability.  Such  matters  he  regarded  as 
permanent  investments,  not  as  speculations,  and  the  results  proved  the  wisdom  of  his 
course.  His  interest  in  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western  Railroad,  amounting 
to  virtual  ownership,  was  gained  by  the  purchase  of  large  amounts  of  the  stock  at  a 
low  price,  some  of  it  at  $5  per  share.  Within  seven  years,  the  shares  were  worth  $240 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TE.  643 

each.  He  operated  also  in  The  Lackawanna  Coal  &  Iron  Co.,  and  The  Manhattan  Gas 
Light  Co.,  with  similar  success.  Mr.  Taylor  had  many  business  transactions  with 
Commodore  Vanderbilt  but  was  never  associated  with  him  in  any  large  operations. 
He  had  investments  in  banks  and  many  other  companies  and  was  one  of  the  five  men 
who  formed  the  company  to  lay  the  Atlantic  cable.  Throughout  life,  Mr.  Taylor  was 
noted  for  the  close  attention  he  gave  to  the  affairs  in  which  he  was  interested.  He 
was  remarkable  for  activity  and' promptness,  being  always  at  the  bank  by  9  A.M.,  unless 
prevented  by  sickness.  Although  known  to  be  a  man  of  large  wealth,  it  was  not  until 
after  his  death  that  the  public  learned  that  he  had  amassed  a  fortune  of  $36,000,000. 
In  1832,  he  married  Catherine  A  Wilson,  who,  with  five  children,  survived  him,  the 
latter  being  Albertina  S.,  wife  of  Percy  S.  Pyne;  Mary  Lewis,  Catherine  Winthrop, 
George  C.  and  Henry  A.  C.  Taylor.  Mrs.  Taylor  died  Dec.  31,  1892. 

CHARLES  HENRY  TENNEY,  merchant,  a  native  of  Salem,  N.  H.,  bora  July  9, 
1842,  descends  from  an  old  and  excellent  family,  founded  upon  this  continent  in  1638 
by  Thomas  Tenney  and  his  wife  Anne,  who  sailed  from  the  port  of  Hull,  England,  in 
the  company  of  the  Rev.  Ezekiel  Rogers  and,  landing  at  Salem,  made  a  settlement  in 
Rowley,  Mass. ,  so  named  after  their  former  home  in  Yorkshire.  The  descendants  of 
the  hardy  pioneer  assisted  in  subduing  the  wilderness  and  the  red  man  and  in  creating 
amid  the  primeval  forests  the  commonwealths  of  Connecticut,  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
mont. They  took  a  prominent  part  both  in  civil  and  military  affairs.  Gen.  Daniel  J. 
Tenney,  a  soldier  of  the  American  Revolution,  who  left  Connecticut  to  make  his  home 
in  Xew  Hampshire,  was  a  lineal  ancestor  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  The  father  of 
the  latter  was  John  F.  Tenney,  merchant  and  farmer. 

A  sturdy,  wide  awake  and  wholesome  lad,  young  Mr.  Tenney  gained  his  prelimi- 
nary education  in  the  Xew  Hampshire  Conference  seminary  in  the  then  village  of  Til- 
ton,  and,  until  the  age  of  sixteen,  was  employed  in  his  father's  pursuits  Then,  for  a 
business  training,  he  entered  the  thorough  primary  school,  from  which  have  graduated 
hundreds  of  the  best  business  men  of  the  United  States,  namely,  a  general  country 
store.  After  five  years  therein,  Mr.  Tenney  determined  to  learn  the  art  of  manufactur- 
ing hats  of  wool.  This  industry  engaged  his  attention  until  the  age  of  twenty-five, 
when,  in  1868,  having  become  intimately  acquainted  with  the  trade,  he  established  him- 
self in  the  city  of  Xew  York  as  a  commission  merchant  of  woolen  hats.  His  success  in 
this  city  has  been  almost  unexampled.  Thoroughly  versed  in  methods  of  production,  a 
close  observer  of  the  markets,  clear  headed,  enterprising,  sagacious,  and  prompt,  he  has 
added  to  these  qualifications  an  attractive  presence  and  genial  nature  and  his  progress 
has  been  rapid  from  the  start.  While  owning  an  interest  in  the  hat  industry,  he  is  pre- 
eminently a  commission  merchant ;  and  in  this  capacity,  he  now  represents  upward  of 
forty  hat  manufacturing  concerns,  among  them  the  largest  not  only  in  the  United  States 
but  in  the  world.  He  occupies  a  large  store  at  No.  8  Washington  Place  and  is  among 
the  most  enterprising  and  highly  respected  merchants  of  the  metropolis.  Mr.  Tenney 
displays  excellent  public  spirit  as  a  citizen  and  supports  every  movement  which  com- 
mends itself  to  his  judgment,  without  regard  to  partisan  considerations.  He  is  an 
active  member  of  the  Union  League,  Manhattan,  Reform,  and  New  York  Athletic 
clubs,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  New  England  Society ,  and  many  scientific  and 
benevolent  associations  and  contributes  to  sustain  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 

The  town  of  Methuen,  his  summer  home,  has  been  largely  benefited  by  his  gener- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TE.  645 

osity  and  public  spirit.  This  lovely  town,  a  few  miles  from  Lawrence,  already  orna- 
mented by  the  library  building  erected  by  the  Nevins  family,  has  been  greatly  beautified 
by  Mr.  Tenney.  His  magnificent  estate,  laid  out  by  the  best  masters  of  modern  land- 
scape, is  a  beautiful  park,  which  extends  over  a  large  area  and  is  always  open  to  the 
public.  The  mansion,  modeled  after  the  chateau  Yquem,  the  ancestral  seat  of  the 
learned  Montaigne,  crowns  the  crest  of  a  hill  and  is  approached  by  a  terraced  drive- 
way, half  a  mile  in  length,  winding  by  easy  grades  up  the  slope.  Southwest  of  the 
mansion  is  an  unenclosed  quadrangle  in  the  Italian  style,  two  sides  of  which  form  an 
open  corridor,  its  roof  supported  upon  pillars  of  richly  colored  marble,  from  which  a 
wide  expanse  of  beautiful  country  is  seen,  the  view  stretching  over  and  beyond  Law- 
rence and  the  historic  Andovers.  Prominent  in  the  town  is  a  shaft  in  granite  and  bronze, 
erected  by  Mr.  Tenney,  at  a  cost  of  $20,000,  to  commemorate  the  memory  of  the  men 
of  Methuen  who  fell  on  Southern  battlefields.  The  town  supplied  a  company  of  the 
6th  Mass.  Inf.,  the  first  regiment  to  pass  through  Baltimore  for  the  defense  of  Wash- 
ington upon  the  outbreak  of  the  war. 

Nov.  23,  1866,  Mr.  Tenney  was  married  to  Fannie  H.  Gleason,  daughter  of  Daniel 
Gleason,  and  has  one  child,  Daniel  G.  Tenney. 

JOHN  TAYLOR  TERRY,  banker,  a  native  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  born  Sept.  9,  1822, 
comes  from  the  best  Puritan  stock,  being  descended  through  both  parents  directly  from 
Gov.  William  Bradford,  of  Mayflower  fame.  He  also  traces  his  line  to  John  Haynes, 
Governor  of  Massachusetts  in  1635  an^  Governor  of  Connecticut  in  1639,  and  to  Samuel 
Wyllys,  Governor  of  Connecticut  in  1642.  Various  others  of  his  lineal  ancestors  were 
conspicuous  in  official  life  in  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  as  Senators  and  Represen- 
tatives and  as  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  War  of  the  Revolution  from  the  two  States 
named.  His  father,  Roderick  Terry,  was  a  merchant  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  Presi- 
dent of  The  Exchange  Bank. 

The  young  man  gained  an  excellent  education  in  the  schools  of  Hartford,  West- 
field,  Mass. ,  and  Ellington,  Conn. ,  and  then  with  the  thrift  and  resolution,  which  char- 
acterize the  best  type  of  the  people  of  New  England,  applied  himself  to  work,  as  clerk 
for  his  father,  in  Hartford.  After  a  trip  to  Europe,  he  came  to  New  York  city  in 
December,  1841,  to  enter  the  employment  of  E.  D.  Morgan,  who  was  then  engaged  in 
extensive  commercial  enterprises,  and  made  such  rapid  progress  that  he  was  admitted 
to  partnership  in  1844,  and  has  now  rounded  out  a  full  half  century  as  an  active  spirit 
in  this  great  house,  having  been  a  partner  since  the  date  above.  In  time,  the  opera- 
tions of  this  house  were  extended  to  banking,  the  negotiation  of  railroad  securities,  and 
the  reorganization  and  promotion  of  important  lines  of  transportation,  in  addition  to 
the  importation  of  merchandise  from  every  part  of  the  wrorld. 

Mr.  Tern-  has  taken  a  conspicuous  and  successful  part  in  many  large  transactions. 
It  was  he  who  aided  Cyrus  W.  Field,  during  the  latter's  famous  speculation  in  Manhat- 
tan Elevated  Railway  stock,  in  obtaining  the  friendly  support  of  Jay  Gould,  which 
saved  Mr.  Field's  fortune  at  the  time  from  annihilation.  He  is  vice-president  of  The 
Mercantile  Trust  Co.,  and  director  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Ameri- 
can Exchange  National  Bank,  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Co.,  The  Bank  of  New  Amster- 
dam, The  American  Fire  Insurance  Co.,  The  Texas  &  Pacific  Railroad,  The  Wabash, 
St.  Louis  &  Pacific  Railroad,  The  International  Ocean  Telegraph  Co. ,  The  American 
Telegraph  &  Cable  Co.,  The  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  &  Southern  Railroad,  The 


tHE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TE.  647 

Commercial    Insurance  Co.,  of  London,  The  American  Fire    Insurance    Co.,  of  New 
York,  and  other  corporations. 

While  Mr.  Terry  was  not  burdened  in  his  earlier  life  with  the  serious  struggles 
which  retard  the  progress  of  many  young  men,  his  success  is  not  due  to  that  fact,  but 
to  the  purity  of  character,  the  self  reliance,  clearness  of  mind,  sound  judgment  and 
energy,  which  were  the  noteworthy  features  of  his  subsequent  career.  He  has 
made  his  own  way,  borne  many  responsibilities  and  passed  many  critical  periods  with 
entire  prudence,  calmness  and1  success.  Few  among  the  bankers  of  the  city  now  enjoy 
so  completely  the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  financial  world.  He  is  a  strong  sup- 
porter of  philanthropic  work  in  town,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Presbyterian  Hospital  and 
The  New  York  Institute  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb,  as  well  as  a  member  of  the  Union 
League  club,  The  New  England  Society,  and,  by  virtue  of  lineal  descent  from  several 
ancestors,  of  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution.  In  1846,  he  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Roe 
Peet,  of  Brooklyn,  and  has  two  sons  living,  the  Rev.  Roderick  Terry,  D.  D.,  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  John  T.  Terry,  jr. 

LEWIS  GREENE  TEWKSBURY,  banker,  a  native  of  Manchester,  N.  H.,  was  born 
March  31,  1862,  the  son  of  Elliott  Greene  Tewksbury,  a  bookseller,  and  Submit  Roberts, 
his  wife.  Graduating  from  the  local  High  School,  Mr.  Tewksbury  secured  a  place  as  clerk 
in  Perry's  drug  store  in  his  native  city,  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  at  $100  a  year  salary,  and 
entered  upon  labors,  which  kept  him  busy  about  sixteen  hours  a  day.  Three  years 
later,  by  means  of  a  loan  of  $9,000  from  his  family  physician,  he  bought  the  store, 
\\orked  harder  than  ever,  paid  off  the  loan,  and  built  up  the  second  largest  prescription 
trade  in  New  England  and  probably  the  largest  drug  business  in  New  Hampshire. 
Then,  selling  on  favorable  terms,  he  made  a  tour  through  the  West,  investing  most  of 
his  money  in  real  estate  in  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  Later,  he  settled  in  New  York  city, 
where  he  opened  a  stock  brokerage  office  on  New  street.  Beginning  with  no  assistants 
except  an  office  boy,  he  advertised  his  business  with  so  much  energy  that  in  a  few  years 
increasing  business  compelled  him  to  move  to  the  Tower  building  on  Broadway,  of 
which  he  was  the  first  tenant,  and  he  now  occupies  a  whole  floor  and  employs  a  force 
of  about  seventy-five  clerks.  He  now  conducts  an  extensive  and  lucrative  business 
and  is  a  man  of  fortune.  His  success  is  due  to  adherence  to  the  old  maxim  that  if  a 
man  does  not  attend  to  his  own  business  no  one  else  will  perform  that  favor  for  him. 
He  has  established  excellent  connections  abroad.  Mr.  Tewksbury  is  not  married  and 
is  a.  member  of  several  prominent  clubs  here  and  elsewhere. 

EDWARD  VINCENT  THEBAUD,  merchant,  born  at  the  corner  of  Greenwich  and 
Albany  streets,  New  York  city,  Jan.  29,  1824,  descends  from  an  old  family  of  shipping 
and  commission  merchants,  established  by  Joseph  Thebaud,  a  native  of  France,  who 
carne  to  America  about  1793,  as  agent  for  The  East  India  Co.  of  France  and  of  various 
other  French  merchants.  He  settled  first  in  Boston,  later  in  New  Haven,  where  he 
married  a  daughter  of  Philip  Le  Breton,  a  Martinique  merchant,  and  finally  removed 
tj  New  York  city.  Here  he  engaged  in  foreign  trade,  rose  to  high  rank  as  a  merchant, 
an.l,  in  his  home  on  Beekman  street,  became  noted  for  his  hospitality  and  passionate 
love  of  flowers.  He  owned  extensive  greenhouses  on  Orchard  street.  Of  his  two  sons, 
John  J.  and  Edward  Thebaud,  the  latter,  after  a  training  in  the  house  of  Gardner  G. 
Howland,  engaged  in  foreign  trade  with  Joseph  Bouchaud,  his  step  father,  in  the  firm 
of  Bouchaud  &  Thebaud.  The  firm  imported  native  goods  from  France,  shipped 


648  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

abroad  large  quantities  of  American  products,  and  also  owned  many  vessels  in  the 
trade  with  France  and  Mexico.  Edward  Thebaud  married  in  1823  Emma,  daughter 
of  Vincent  Classe  van  Schalkwyck  de  Boisaubin,  a  noble  exile  from  France,  member 
of  the  body  guard  of  Louis  XVI.,  who  settled  in  Madison,  N.  J.,  in  1793,  coming  from 
the  Island  of  Guadaloupe.  His  son,  Edward  V.  Thebaud  was  educated  in  St.  Mary's 
College  in  Baltimore  and  then  entered  the  counting  room  of  Bouchaud  &  Thebaud  in 
1841.  In  1850,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership,  the  firm  then  being  Bouchaud,  Thebaud 
&  Co.  The  senior  partner  retired  shortly  afterward,  when  the  house  took  the  name  of 
Edward  Thebaud  &  Son  and  in  1858  became,  through  the  retirement  of  the  then  senior 
partner  and  the  admission  of  Paul  L.  and  Delphin  E.  Thebaub,  Edward  Thebaud's 
Sons.  In  1859,  the  business  was  united  with  that  of  Moller  &  Rieva  as  Rieva  &  The- 
baud. The  connections  of  the  house  were  originally  with  France,  but  as  time  went  on 
their  operations  extended  gradually,  and  for  many  years  they  transacted  an  excellent 
trade  with  Mexico,  South  America,  etc.  Various  changes  took  place  in  the  personnel 
and  title  of  the  firm,  and  in  1874,  the  three  brothers  again  united  under  the  new  name 
of  Thebaud  Bro's.  These  gentlemen  have  commended  themselves  by  their  fine  char- 
acter and  excellent  abilities.  The  senior  partner  retired  Dec.  31,  1892,  and  now  spends 
his  time  in  well  earned  leisure  at  a  country  seat  in  Madison,  N.  J.,  near  which  place 
his  father  dwelt  before  him.  First  married  to  Julia  Moller,  he  had  three  children, 
Louisa,  Edward  and  Emilia.  In  1889,  Mr.  Thebaud  was  married  to  Elizabeth  Hewlett, 
daughter  of  Townsend  Scudder,  of  the  law  firm  of  Scudder  &  Carter,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Leo  Hewlett  Thebaud. 

GEN.  SAflUEL  THOnAS,  financier,  manufacturer  and  soldier,  is  a  native  of  Ohio. 
His  parents  were  from  Eastern  Virginia  and.  of  Scotch-Irish  descent.  Capt.  James 
Thomas,  his  father,  a  man  of  marked  ability  and  great  force  of  character,  settled  in 
Lawrence  county,  Ohio,  in  1807,  and  married  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Callihan, 
whose  family  emigrated  from  the  banks  of  the  Potomac  to  Ohio  soon  after  the  War 
of  1812,  in  which  he  was  engaged. 

After  his  school  life  in  Marietta,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, accepted  a  position  as  junior  clerk  with  The  Keystone  Iron  Co.  During  the  four 
years  of  his  service  with  the  company,  he  won  the  commendation  and  confidence  of 
his  employers  and  was  promoted  to  the  highest  position  except  one  in  the  service. 

The  exciting  political  questions  of  this  period,  from  Fremont's  campaign  in  1856 
to  that  of  Lincoln  in  1860,  made  politicians  of  the  young  men  of  the  State.  General 
Thomas  became  an  ardent  Republican  when  that  party  was  formed  and  has  been  a 
zealous  opponent  of  the  Democratic  party  and  its  principles  to  the  present  time.  Since 
his  removal  to  New  York,  he  has  been  prominently  connected  with  Republican  politics, 
as  a  member  of  State  and  National  conventions,  treasurer  of  the  State  Committee  and 
member  of  the  County  Committee. 

In  August,  1 86 1,  he  enlisted  with  one  hundred  of  his  associates,  most  of  whom 
had  occupied  positions  in  the  iron  works  under  his  control,  and  was  elected  First 
Lieutenant  of  the  company.  This  became  subsequently  a  part  of  the  27th  Ohio  Vol's, 
forming  afterward  a  part  of  the  famous  Ohio  brigade,  commanded  by  Gen.  John  W. 
Fuller.  General  Thomas  served  with  distinction  in  this  regiment  until  the  spring  of 
1863,  when  he  left  the  command,  having  in  the  meantime  become  a  Captain  by  pro- 
motion, to  engage  in  the  organization  of  colored  troops,  previously  authorized  by  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TH.  649 

War  Department.  In  Sherman's  famous  "march  to  the  Sea,"  he  was  with  the  reserve 
forces,  which  probably  did  more  hard  fighting  than  those  who  formed  the  victorious 
advance.  He  organized  the  6jd  and  64th  United  States  Colored  Infantry,  and  was 
promoted  to  the  Lieutenant-Colonelcy  of  the  former  and  afterward  to  the  position  of 
Colonel  of  the  latter  regiment.  So  successful  was  General  Thomas  as  Provost  Marshal 
and  commanding  officer,  that  he  was  warmly  recommended  by  Gen.  George  H. 
Thomas,  and  this  resulted  in  his  promotion  to  brevet  Brigadier  General.  When,  after 
the  War,  the  United  States  Government  appointed  a  Commission  for  the  care  and  pro- 
tection of  the  freedmen  in  the  Southern  States,  General  Thomas  was  made  Assistant 
Commissioner  for  Mississippi  and  acted  in  that  capacity  during  the  first  year  of  the 
reconstruction  period.  In  May,  1866,  he  became  Assistant  Adjutant  to  General  O.  O. 
Howard,  who  was  then  in  charge  of  the  Freedmen 's  Bureau  in  Washington,  which 
position  he  held  until  January,  1867,  when  he  resigned  and  returned  to  civil  life. 

He  began  business  again  with  Gen.  M.  Churchill,  who  was  extensively  engaged  in 
the  iron  industry  in  Zanesville,  Ohio. 

In  1872,  the  coal  and  iron  interests  of  the  Hocking  Valley  having  assumed  im- 
portant proportions,  he  was  selected  by  the  late  Governor  WTilliam  Dennison  to  go  to 
Columbus  and  take  control  of  the  construction  and  operation  of  rolling  mills  and  blast 
furnaces  at  that  point. 

He  soon  became  prominent  in  Columbus  as  a  member  of  the  city  government, 
banker  and  manufacturer,  and  was  active  in  all  efforts  to  promote  the  welfare  of  the 
city  and  State.  Through  the  management  of  large  iron  interests,  he  became  engaged 
in  mining  and  was  the  leading  spirit  in  developing  the  coal  and  iron  properties  of  the 
Hocking  Valley.  This  work  brought  him  into  contact  with  prominent  railroad  men, 
and,  in  1878,  he  joined  a  syndicate  of  Columbus  capitalists  and  engaged  in  railroad 
building  in  the  South  and  West.  He  was  one  of  the  originators  and  constructors  of 
the  "Nickel  Plate  "  road,  The  Ohio  Central  from  Toledo  to  Charleston,  the  roads  from 
Columbus  to  Toledo,  from  Columbus  to  Gallipolis,  Springfield  and  Pomeroy,  and  The 
Lake  Erie  &  Western,  as  well  as  many  other  lines  in  Kentucky,  Virginia  and  Georgia. 
Owing  to  his  large  interest  in  railroad  properties  in  the  South,  he  accepted -the  presi- 
dency of  The  East  Tennessee,  Virginia  &  Georgia,  The  Knoxville  &  Ohio  and  The 
Memphis  &  Charleston  Railroads,  and  saw  these  roads  grow  from  insignificant  prop- 
erties to  one  of  the  most  important  and  extensive  railroad  systems  in  the  country, 
reaching  almost  every  point  of  the  South  and  operating  over  3,000  miles  of  line.  He 
became  president  of  The  Cincinnati  Southern  and  The  Alabama  Great  Southern,  and  a 
director  in  The  Richmond  &  Danville,  The  Georgia  Central  and  The  Richmond  & 
West  Point  Terminal  systems.  He  took  an  active  part  in  the  reorganization  of  these 
properties  as  The  Southern  Railway  Co. 

During  this  period,  also,  he  became  a  leading  contractor  in  building  the  Croton 
Aqueduct  for  New  York  city,  and  in  connection  with  The  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  of 
which  he  is  a  director,  he  built  The  Duluth,  South  Shore  &  Atlantic  Railroad  and 
became  its  president.  He  is  also  president  of  The  Louisville,  New  Albany  &  Chicago 
Railway  -and  The  American  Straw  Board  Co. .  and  a  director  in  The  Texas  &  Pacific, 
The  Knoxville  &  Ohio,  The  New  York  &  New  England,  and  The  Southern  Railway 
companies,  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  and  The  National  Linseed  Oil  Co 

Business  interests  induced  General  Thomas,  in  1881,  to  remove  to  New  York  city, 


650  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

where  he  is  largely  engaged  in  banking.  He  is  a  director  in  The  Chase  National  Bank, 
and  The  Manhattan  and  The  Metropolitan  Trust  Go's,  and  a  member  of  the  Stock 
Exchange.  He  belongs  to  many  of  the  best  clubs  in  town,  including  the  Union  League, 
Republican,  Riding,  Lawyers',  New  York  Yacht,  and  Adirondack  League,  and  The  Ohio 
and  Southern  Societies,  as  well  as  the  Loyal  Legion  and  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

COL.  WILLIAM  P.  THOHPSON,  manufacturer  and  financier,  a  scion  of  one  of 
the  excellent  old  families  of  Virginia,  and  born  in  Wheeling,  then  in  Virginia,  Jan.  7, 
1837,  is  of  Irish  extraction.  His  father,  the  Hon.  George  W.  Thompson,  member  of 
Congress,  and  from  1852  to  1861  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court,  was  a  man  of  brilliant 
abilities,  being  not  only  a  jurist  but  a  student  of  philosophy,  an  extensive  reader  and 
the  author  of  refined  and  graceful  verse.  Although  a  supporter  of  the  Union  of  the 
States,  Judge  Thompson  came  into  conflict  with  the  Federal  authorities  in  1861  on 
questions  growing  out  of  the  Civil  War  and  was  in  consequence  deprived  of  his  judicial 
office.  The  mother  of  Colonel  Thompson,  a  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Daniel  Steenrod, 
long  a  member  of  Congress  from  the  Wheeling  district,  was  a  social  leader  in  her  city 
and  noted  for  her  beautiful  character  and  superior  talents. 

Colonel  Thompson's  delicate  health  during  boyhood  gave  no  promise  of  the  robust 
physical  vigor,-  into  which  he  grew  in  time.  He  possessed  an  active  mind  and  was  fond 
of  books  and,  in  the  Wheeling  public  schools  and  at  Jefferson  College  in  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  spent  one  term,  showed  a  marked  aptitude  for  study.  Failing  health  com- 
pelled him  to  leave  college  before  graduation  ;  and  he  then  spent  a  year  profitably  in 
recruiting  his  vitality  in  the  backwoods  life  of  Marshall  county,  Va.,  where  he  engaged 
in  lumber  operations.  The  woods  suited  his  adventurous  nature  and  gave  him 
agreeable  employment  until  larger  affairs  pressed  upon  his  attention. 

In  every  Southern  family,  politics  has  been  from  time  immemorial  a  theme  of  con- 
stant discussion,  but  Colonel  Thompson  was  especially  born  to  politics,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  his  father  and  uncle  had  been  Congressmen,  active  leaders  of  their  party,  and 
keenly  interested  in  public  affairs.  He  grew  up  in  an  atmosphere  in  which  politics 
was  constantly  talked  and  was  honored  with  his  father's  entire  confidence  in  these  mat- 
ters at  an  early  age.  While  in  Marshall  county,  the  young  man's  kindness  to  the  rough 
farmers  and  country  people  of  the  woodland  region  and  the  many  homely  services  he 
performed  for  them  in  writing  their  letters,  drawing  up  their  legal  documents,  and  aid- 
ing them  with  sagacious  advice,  so  endeared  him  to  the  people,  that  his  friends  volun- 
tarily brought  his  name  forward  in  1856,  for  a  nomination  to  Congress.  The  young 
man  was  in  reality  ineligible  to  the  office,  not  having  yet  attained  his  majority;  but  his 
friends  made  his  candidacy  a  serious  one.  As  a  result,  a  strong  combination  was 
formed  in  opposition  to  him,  and  the  usual  slanders  upon  a  rising  man's  reputation 
came  into  circulation.  When  he  heard  that  his  opponents  had  set  afloat  various  mis- 
representations, the  young  man  traded  a  work  horse  for  a  spirited  mare  and  galloped 
to  the  district  school  house  in  which  a  caucus  was  being  held,  determined  to  meet  his 
opponents  in  open  battle  and  have  it  out  with  them.  He  met  the  people  just  leaving 
the  school  house,  where,  in  response  to  hostile  oratory,  they  had  agreed  to  oppose 
Colonel  Thompson's  nomination.  At  his  request,  the  meeting  reconvened  to  hear  his 
defense.  He  declared  that  he  had  neither  sought  nor  desired  a  nomination,  but  that 
he  did  demand  a  vindication  of  his  character  from  those  who  knew  him.  The  meeting 
reversed  its  action.  Later,  after  a  spirited  contest,  the  Democratic  convention  of  the 


652  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

district  finally  placed  him  in  nomination  for  Congress.  Colonel  Thompson  then  came 
before  the  convention,  thanked  the  delegates  for  the  honor  conferred  upon  him,  but 
declined  to  accept,  and  commended  to  the  suffrages  of  his  friends  another  nominee. 
His  stiggestion  was  promptly  ratified,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  his  opponents. 

The  life  of  Marshall  county  having  restored  his  health,  Colonel  Thompson  fitted 
himself  in  Wheeling  for  practice  of  the  law  and  in  1857  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
Resolving  to  establish  his  office  in  a  part  of  the  State  over  which  his  father  had  no 
jurisdiction,  in  order  to  relieve  both  father  and  son  from  embarrassments  during  the 
trial  of  cases  in  court,  Colonel  Thompson  removed  to  Fairmont  in  Marion  county  and 
formed  a  law  partnership  with  Alpheus  F.  Raymond,  and  here  he  spent  the  next  four 
years  in  the  tranquil  pursuit  of  his  profession. 

The  agitation  which  preceded  the  Civil  War  found  both  Judge  Thompson  and  his 
son  strongly  opposed  to  secession.  They  favored  an  appeal  to  reason  and  a  fair  com- 
promise of  the  questions  at  issue  between  the  North  and  South.  When,  however,  Vir- 
ginia had  taken  the  decisive  step  and  declared  her  withdrawal  from  the  Union,  both 
father  and  son  cast  in  their  fortunes  with  their  native  State  and  Colonel  Thompson 
enlisted  in  the  Confederate  service.  His  first  service  took  place  upon  the  staff  of  Gen. 
Thomas  S.  Haymond  of  the  West  Virginia  militia,  as  aide  de  camp;  and  in  that  and 
other  positions  he  served  until  the  end  of  the  war.  It  was  he  who  bore  to  the  author- 
ities at  Richmond  the  suggestion,  made  by  a  private  conference  of  leading  citizens  of 
West  Virginia,  that  a  demonstration  should  be  made  to  save  their  part  of  the  State, 
which  ended  in  Stonewall  Jackson's  famous  descent  upon  Harper's  Ferry.  Returning 
from  Richmond  to  West  Virginia,  Mr.  Thompson  organized  the  Marion  Guards,  became 
their  captain  and  developed  a  boldness  and  energy,  which  foreshadowed  the  brilliant 
career  which  fate  had  in  store  for  him  after  the  War.  He  took  possession  of  Fetter- 
man  with  three  companies,  and  later  led  the  Marion  Guards  in  the  battle  of  Phillippi, 
and  took  part  in  the  engagements  at  Laurel  Hill,  Cheat  Mountain,  Greenbrier  River, 
and  Alleghany  Mountain.  In  this  last  battle,  his  brother,  Lewis  S.  Thompson,  was 
killed  while  gallantly  leading  a  charge.  He  served  in  the  memorable  campaigns  of 
Stonewall  Jackson,  Breckinridge  and  Early;  and,  as  colonel  of  the  igth  Va.  Cav., 
established  a  reputation  as  a  daring  and  brilliant  commander,  figuring  in  the  hottest 
engagements  in  Virginia  and  around  Richmond  until  the  return  of  peace. 

After  the  War,  he  resumed  the  practice  of  the  law  but  was  diverted  therefrom  by 
an  unexpected  difficulty.  West  Virginia  was  yet  moved  with  the  passions  of  the  civil 
conflict,  and  Colonel  Thompson's  sympathy  with  the  Confederacy  aroused  so  much  antag- 
onism that  Judge  Stewart  of  Doddridge  county  was  the  only  judge  in  the  State  who 
would  allow  him  to  practice;  and  when  the  residents  threatened  this  courageous  official 
with  impeachment,  Colonel  Thompson  withdrew,  unwilling  to  bring  persecution  upon 
his  friend.  But  this  unforeseen  occurrence  did  not  daunt  the  Colonel  or  compel  him  to 
retire  from  active  participation  in  affairs.  A  good  lawyer  is  always  more  than  half  a 
capable  business  man,  and  Colonel  Thompson  now  threw  himself  with  energy  into  com- 
mercial pursuits. 

In  July,  1866,  he  removed  to  Parkersburgh  and  engaged  in  the  petroleum  business 
in  company  with  his  brother-in-law,  the  Hon.  J.  N.  Camden,  United  States  Senator,  and 
with  W.  N.  Chancellor,  under  the  style  of  J.  N.  Camden  &  Co.  Owing  to  the  preoc- 
cupation of  Senator  Camden  and  his  necessary  absence  from  the  State  on  public  busi- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TH.  653 

ness,  the  practical  management  of  the  works  soon  devolved  almost  entirely  upon 
Colonel  Thompson.  Through  his  enterprise  and  excellent  management,  the  petroleum 
interests  of  the  firm  were  greatly  promoted.  When  a  vein  of  lubricating  oil  was  dis- 
covered near  Parkersburgh,  J.  N.  Camden  &  Co.  bought  the  land  and  soon  became  the 
largest  dealers  in  oil  suitable  for  lubricating  purposes  in  the  world.  They  established 
refineries  of  their  own,  and  rose  to  such  importance  in  the  industry  as  to  attract  the 
attention  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  In  1875.  the  firm  allied  their  interests  with  the  great 
corporation  named,  and  re-organized  their  own  business  under  the  name  of  The  Cam- 
den  Consolidated  Oil  Co. ,  Senator  Camden  taking  the  place  of  president  and  Colonel 
Thompson  that  of  vice  president.  The  latter  now  found  ample  scope  for  the  energy, 
organizing  ability  and  power  of  management,  the  possession  of  which  in  a  marked 
degree  had  been  disclosed  by  experience.  He  bought  practically  all  the  refineries  in 
Parkersburgh  and  Marietta,  aided  in  securing  desirable  connections  throughout  the 
West,  and  otherwise  greatly  extended  the  operations  of  his  company. 

In  1882,  Colonel  Thompson  became  secretary,  and  in  1884,  succeeded  Oliver  H. 
Payne  as  vice  president  of  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  having  general  charge  of  the  affairs 
of  the  company  throughout  the  States  west  of  Buffalo.  The  growing  business  of  the 
corporation  compelled  his  removal  to  New  York  city  in  1887,  and  \vhen  The  Standard 
Oil  Trust  was  formed  by  a  union  of  a  number  of  separate  companies,  he  became  chair- 
man of  the  Domestic  Committee,  having  charge  of  its  internal  affairs.  He  identified 
himself  heartily  with  the  financial  and  social  life  of  the  metropolis,  and  although  a  very 
busy  man  soon  gained  a  large  circle  of  friends  here.  In  1889,  he  sought  to  retire  from 
business,  but  this  intention,  long  cherished,  circumstances  forbade  him  to  carry  out. 

A  few  years  before,  arrangements  had  been  made  for  a  consolidation  of  all  the 
leading  factories  of  white  lead,  red  lead  and  litharge,  sheet  lead  and  lead  pipe,  and 
several  smelting  plants  and  linseed  oil  factories,  scattered  throughout  the  United  States, 
into  The  National  Lead  Trust.  But  the  affairs  of  the  combination  were  not  in  satis- 
factory condition,  and  the  leading  spirits  of  the  trust  united  in  inviting  Colonel  Thomp- 
son to  undertake  the  task  of  re-organizing  the  new  corporation.  Having  with  some 
reluctance  accepted  the  presidency  of  the  corporation,  with  its  enormous  responsibilities, 
he  engaged  in  the  very  delicate  and  important  task  entrusted  to  him.  The  trust  had 
been  capitalized  with  $90,000,000  of  stock,  a  sum  four  times  as  great  as  the  actual  value 
of  the  properties,  which  were  assessed  at  about  $23,000,000,  and  the  combination  had 
been  effected  under  an  agreement,  which  the  managers  feared  would  not  stand  in  law. 
The  duty  of  reorganization  involved  protracted  labor,  great  tact  and  a  talent  for  organi- 
zation, but  Colonel  Thompson  was  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  succeeded  in  reducing 
the  capital  stock  to  $30,000,000,  and  Jan.  i,  1892,  organized  The  National  Lead  Co. 
to  take  over  the  assets  of  The  National  Lead  Trust  and  carry  on  its  business. 
By  energetic  labors,  every  dollar  of  indebtedness  was  soon  liquidated,  and  the 
company  placed  on  a  solvent  basis;  and  dividends  have  since  been  paid  to  the  amount 
of  several  millions  of  dollars.  The  net  earnings  in  1892  were  over  $1,900,000.  The  corn- 
pan}'  now  controls  over  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  white  lead  production  of  the  United 
States,  and  a  number  of  allied  industries.  Unprofitable  plants  have  been  closed,  and 
matters  have  been  managed  with  so  much  prudence,  that  an  active  competition,  which 
was  at  one  time  threatened,  has  vanished. 

Colonel  Thompson  has  accepted  a  share  in  the  management  of  various  other  cor- 


654  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

porations  and  is  a  director  of  The  United  States  National  Bank,  The  Southern  National 
Bank,  The  Ohio  River  Railroad,  The  Monargough  Railroad,  The  Monauga  Coal  Co., 
and  The  Huntington  &  Big  Sandy  Railroad,  and  is  a  charter  member  of  The  American 
Pig  Iron  Warrant  Co. 

In  the  spring  of  1893,  he  bought  the  beautiful  estate  of  Brookdale,  in  Monmouth 
county,  N.  J.,  including  840  acres  of  land,  140  head  of  fine  horses,  and  a1  large  number 
of  cattle,  belonging  to  the  late  David  D.  Withers,  who  had  created  there  the  most  per- 
fect breeding  establishment  in  the  country.  The  present  proprietor  lays  aside  the 
cares  of  business  and  finds  recreation  in  the  agreeable  task  of  managing  this  property. 

In  1864,  Colonel  Thompson  was  married  to  Evelyn,  daughter  of  Col.  Henry  Moffat 
of  Virginia,  a  member  of  one  of  the  oldest  families  in  the  State.  Three  children  have 
been  born  to  them,  two  sons  and  a  daughter.  The  family  spend  their  summers  at 
Brookdale,  their  winters  at  their  home  on  Fifth  Avenue  in  this  city.  The  Colonel  is 
greatly  liked  in  social  life.  A  tall,  dignified,  affable  man,  eloquent  in  speech,  a  good 
deal  of  a  philosopher,  and  one  who  while  never  hesitating  a  moment  to  encounter  and 
defeat  opposition,  nevertheless  prefers  to  moderate  the  friction  of  life  as  far  as  possible, 
he  has  won  the  cordial  respect  and  affection  of  a  very  large  circle  of  friends.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Manhattan,  Lawyers',  Players',  Tuxedo  and  Racquet  clubs  and  The 
Southern  Society. 

JONATHAN  THORN E,  merchant,  a  native  of  Washington,  Dutchess  county, 
N.  Y.,  born  April  20,  1801,  died  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  9,  1884.  His  father,  Samuel 
Thome,  was  originally  a  merchant,  later  a  farmer,  living  at  Thornedale  in  Dutchess 
county.  The  family  were  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends.  Jonathan,  the  only  son, 
was  destined  for  a  mercantile  career  and  left  his  school  books  and  the  farm  to  learn 
the  dry  goods  business  in  the  city  of  New  York.  A  few  years  later,  the  leather  trade 
presenting  greater  opportunities,  in  consequence  of  his  marriage  with  a  daughter  of 
Israel  Corse,  he  learned  the  art  of  tanning  leather  and  devoted  the  larger  part  of  his 
active  life  to  the  management  of  large  tanneries  in  the  States  of  New  York  and  Penn- 
sylvania, and  the  sale  of  leather  in  this  city  in  that  part  of  the  municipality  known  as 
"the  swamp,"  first  in  Jacob  street,  where  the  firm  were  known  as  Israel  Corse  &  Son, 
and  finally  in  Ferry  street,  under  the  name  of  Thorne,  Watson  &  Co.  He  was  long  at 
the  head  of  the  latter  firm.  By  his  sound  judgment,  spotless  character  and  great 
ability,  Mr.  Thorne  commended  himself  to  the  entire  respect  of  the  business  community 
and  he  was  elected  to  the  direction  of  a  number  of  business  corporations.  Of  The 
Leather  Manufacturers'  National  Bank  he  was  forty  years  a  director.  The  Sixth  Avenue 
Railroad,  The  Central  Trust  Co. ,  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.  he  was  also  associated 
with  for  many  years,  as  well  as  The  Mutual  Gas  Co.  From  his  father  he  inherited  a 
large  farm  in  Dutchess  county  which  was  at  one  time  stocked  with  a  valuable  herd  of 
imported  cattle,  he  being  one  of  the  pioneers  of  their  introduction  into  this  country. 
Mr.  Thorne  was  survived  by  his  second  wife,  Eliza  Fox,  and  five  children  by  his  first 
marriage,  Edwin,  Samuel,  Jonathan,  William  and  Phebe  Anna  Thorne. — His  son, 
JONATHAN  THORNE,  jr.,  merchant,  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  April  5, 
1843.  After  graduating  from  Haverford  College  in  Pennsylvania,  he  went  into  the 
leather  business  in  this  city  with  James  McFarlan.  This  copartnership  lasted  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Then,  having  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  leather  industry, 
Mr.  Thorne,  with  his  brother  William,  established  the  firm  of  J.  &  W.  Thorne.  Highly 


THE     CITY     OF      NEW     YORK. TI.  655 

respected  for  his  character  and  abilities,  he  remained  an  active  and  successful  member 
of  the  firm  until  he  retired  from  business  two  years  ago.  The  firm  sold  their  tannery 
properties  at  that  time,  as  did  the  majority  of  others  in  the  trade,  to  The  Union  Tanning 
Co.,  a  union  of  twenty-seven  concerns  of  Pennsylvania.  Mr.  Thorne  is  a  gentleman  well 
known  among  substantial  residents  of  the  city  and  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan, 
Union  League  and  Down  Town  clubs.  His  summer  home  is  in  Black  Rock,  Conn. — 
SAflUEL  THORNE,  retired  merchant,  son  of  the  late  Jonathan  Thorne,  sr. ,  was  born 
in  Dutchess  county,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  6,  1835.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  New  York 
city  and  began  business  life  as  a  leather  merchant.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Mr. 
Thorne  succeeded  to  a  number  of  the  latter's  trusts  and  has  since  managed  them  with 
the  well  known  ability  of  this  conspicuous  family.  He  is  a  director  of  The  Sixth 
Avenue  Railroad,  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.,  The  Bank  of  America,  The  New  York 
Mutual  Gas  Light  Co.,  and  The  Central  Trust  Co.  In  1860,  he  was  married  to  Phebe, 
daughter  of  William  Van  Schoonhoven  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  their  children  are  Edwin, 
Margaret  B. ,  William  V.  S.,  Joel  W.,  and  Samuel  Thorne,  jr.  An  agreeable  com- 
panion, Mr.  Thorne  has  been  elected  to  membership  in  several  of  the  leading  clubs  of 
the  city,  including  the  Metropolitan,  Union  League,  Down  Town,  Riding,  Tuxedo,  and 
Westminster  Kennel. 

DANIEL  FAWCETT  TIEMANN,  manufacturer,  was  born  on  Nassau  street,  near 
Beekman,  in  this  city,  Jan.  9,  1805,  and  is  a  son  of  Anthony  Tiemann,  a  native  of  Hesse- 
Cassel,  Germany,  and  manufacturer  of  paints  in  this  city.  His  mother  came  from  Cam- 
bridgeport,  Mass  As  a  lad,  he  first  attended  the  school  of  the  old  Lutheran  Church  at 
Frankfort  and  William  streets,  and  later,  when  his  father  had  moved  up  to  a  small  farm  on 
23d  street,  the  school  of  Ebenezer  Whiting.  Jan.  31,  1818,  his  father  brought  him  to  the 
city  and  found  him  a  place  as  clerk  in  the  wholesale  drug  house  of  the  Schieffelins  at 
No.  193  Pearl  street.  There  he  remained  six  years,  boarding  in  the  meantime  with  the 
other  clerks  in  Mr.  Schieffelin's  house.  In  1824,  a  customer  of  the  Schieffelins  from 
Georgia  offered  him  a  clerkship  and  §250  a  year  with  his  board,  but  his  father  made 
him  a  similar  offer  and  he  therefore  entered  the  employment  of  A.  Tiemann  &  Co. 
After  a  year  of  carting  goods,  he  was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  factory  and  devoted  him- 
self earnestly  to  the  labor  of  learning  every  essential  detail  of  the  manufacture  of  paints 
and  colors.  He  increased  the  production  of  the  works  materially,  was  given  charge  of 
the  factory,  discharged  every  man  addicted  to  drinking,  and  in  1827,  when  his  uncle 
went  to  Germany,  became  a  partner  in  the  firm.  In  1848,  his  father  retired,  and  Mr. 
Tiemann  then  organized  the  firm  of  D.  F.  Tiemann  &  Co.  to  succeed  to  the  business. 
Their  factory  in  the  old  village  of  Manhattanville,  now  almost  indistinguishable  as  a 
locality  from  the  rest  of  the  city,  has  grown  into  a  large  establishment,  which  gives  em- 
ployment to  a  large  force  of  workmen  and  is  an  important  local  industry.  The  office 
is  on  West  Broadway.  Mr.  Tiemann  was  for  forty  years  or  more  greatly  interested  and 
active  m  local  politics  as  a  Democrat.  Elected  from  the  i6th  Ward  as  Assistant  Alder- 
man, he  became  an  Alderman  in  1839.  One  of  his  acts  was  to  stop  the  sale  of  liquor 
in  the  City  Hall.  In  1840,  he  moved  up  town  to  Manhattanville,  from  which  place, 
after  refusing  office  for  some  time,  he  was  elected  Assistant  Alderman  in  1849  and 
Alderman  in  1850,  holding  the  office  until  1855.  A  Governor  of  the  Alms  House, 
1854-57,  he  accepted  reluctantly  in  the  latter  year  a  nomination  for  Mayor  by  the 
Citizens'  Committee  and  defeated  Fernando  Wood  in  the  election.  As  Mayor,  he  was 


656  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

noteworthy  for  non-partisan  appointments  and  with  him  originated  placing  the  names 
of  streets  upon  street  lamps.  In  1871,  he  became  a  State  Senator.  Mr.  Tiemann  is  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  The  New  York  Historical  Society  and  The  St. 
Nicholas  Society,  and  a  trustee  of  The  Eye,  Ear  &  Throat  Infirmary  and  since  its  or- 
ganization of  Cooper  Union.  Aug.  30,  1826,  he  married  Martha  W.  Clowes,  a  niece 
of  Peter  Cooper.  The  names  of  their  children  are  Peter  Cooper,  Mary  Newell,  Julia 
Antoinette;  Mary  Clowes  and  John  Anthony,  both  deceased;  Sarah  Cooper;  Robert 
Pettigrew,  deceased;  Martha  Clowes,  Daniel  and  Benjamin  Field  Tiemann. 

CHARLES  LEWIS  TIFFANY,  founder  of  the  house  of  Tiffany  &  Co.,  a  man  of 
great  force  of  character  and  of  remarkably  quick  and  accurate  judgment,  is  a  prominent 
representative  of  the  sixth  generation  of  descent  from  Squire  Humphrey  Tiffany  of 
England.  The  family  lived  for  several  generations  in  Massachusetts.  Comfort  Tiffany, 
the  father  of  Charles  L.  Tiffany,  married  Chloe  Draper  and  moved  to  Danielsonville, 
Conn.,  to  engage  in  the  manufactiire  of  cotton  goods,  and  here  Charles  L.,  his  oldest 
son,  was  born,  Feb.  15,  1812.  He  received  his  primary  education  at  Danielsonville  in 
a  typical  New  England  school,  followed  by  a  course  at  the  Plainfield  Academy  and  the 
Brooklyn,  Conn.,  school.  His  first  business  training  young  Tiffany  received  in  his 
father's  cotton  mill  and  country  store.  In  1837,  at  the  age  of  twenty-five,  he  conceived 
the  idea  of  going  to  New  York,  then  a  city  of  200,000  inhabitants,  to  join  his  school- 
mate and  friend,  John  B.  Young,  who  had  six  months  before  obtained  employment  in 
a  stationery  and  fancy  goods  store  in  that  city.  Mr.  Tiffany's  father  agreed  to  loan  the 
young  men  $1,000,  and  they  formed  a  partnership.  Sept.  18,  1837,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Tiffany  &  Young,  in  the  face  of  perhaps  the  greatest  commercial  crisis  in  the  history 
of  the  metropolis,  they  opened  a  little  fancy  goods  and  stationery  store  at  No.  259  Broad- 
way, in  the  lower  half  of  an  old-fashioned  double  dwelling  house,  with  a  front  of  about 
fifteen  feet.  From  this  small  beginning  has  sprung  the  present  house  of  Tiffany  &  Co. 

Mr.  Tiffany  was  quick  to  see  the  artistic  and  popular  value  of  the  Chinese  and 
Japanese  goods,  which  at  that  time  began  to  be  imported  into  this  country  at  Boston, 
and  he  was  the  first  to  introduce  them  prominently  before  the  New  York  public.  In 
addition,  the  store  was  stocked  with  many  other  novel  and  unique  goods,  umbrellas, 
walking  sticks,  cabinets,  fans,  pottery  and  curiosities  of  every  description.  His  idea 
proved  a  success  from  the  start.  Although  the  first  three  days'  sales  amounted  only  to 
$4.98,  the  following  year  saw  a  steady  growth  of  the  business,  and  early  in  1841  it  was 
necessary  to  rent  an  adjoining  store  on  the  corner  of  Warren  street.  Bohemian  glass- 
ware, French  and  Dresden  porcelain,  cutlery,  clocks  and  fancy  Parisian  jewelry,  in  the 
order  named,  were  added  to  the  display. 

In  1841,  J.  L.  Ellis  was  admitted  to  the  firm,  which  then  took  the  name  of  Tiffany, 
Young  &  Ellis.  The  business  had  now  assumed  such  proportions  that  the  disadvantage 
of  importing,  without  thorough  personal  knowledge  of  the  European  markets,  made  it 
expedient  to  send  one  of  the  members  of  the  firm  abroad  annually,  to  secure  the  choicest 
novelties  for  their  exclusive  trade.  In  1847,  continued  growth  led  to  a  removal  to 
No.  271  Broadway.  The  firm  undertook  the  manufacture  of  their  own  jewelry  and 
silverware  in  1848,  and  soon  made  this  an  important  branch  of  their  business.  Their 
productions  were,  from  the  beginning,  unique,  fashioned  with  the  highest  skill,  and 
designed  to  appeal  to  the  best  taste. 

Diamond  jewelry,  watches,  clocks,  silverware  and  bronzes  soon  became  the  lead- 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TI.  657 

ing  elements  in  the  sales.  The  year  1848  was  a  notable  one  with  this  firm.  Political 
disturbances  in  Paris  caused  diamonds  to  depreciate  about  fifty  per  cent,  in  value.  All 
the  available  funds  of  the  house  were  invested  in  diamonds.  Large  and  valuable  pur- 
chases were  made  abroad,  and  Tiffany,  Young  &  Ellis  at  once  took  'first  rank  as  dia- 
mond merchants  in  the  United  States.  This  first  large  purchase  of  precious  stones  was 
followed  by  many  others.  In  1887,  at  the  sale  of  the  crown  jewels  of  France,  they 
bought  for  §500,000  one-third  of  th'e  entire  quantity  offered. 

In  1850,  Gideon  F.  T.  Reed,  formerly  of  Lincoln,  Reed  &  Co.,  the  leading  jewel- 
ers of  Boston,  was  admitted  into  partnership,  and  immediately  afterward  the  first 
branch  house  was  established  at  79  Rue  Richelieu,  Paris,  Mr.  Reed  becoming  the  resi- 
dent partner  and  conducting  the  branch  house  under  the  firm  name  of  Tiffany,  Reed 
&  Co.  This  branch  house  proved  an  invaluable  acquisition  to  the  firm,  Mr.  Reed's 
residence  abroad  enabling  him  to  take  prompt  advantage  of  fluctuations  in  foreign 
markets,  and  it  developed  a  large  and  profitable  local  trade  in  Paris.  The  Parisian 
branch  now  occupies  spacious  quarters  at  Avenue  de  1'Opera  36  bis.  Since  the  retire- 
ment of  Mr.  Reed,  it  has  been  continued  under  the  name  of  Tiffany  &  Co. 

One  of  the  first  of  Tiffany  &  Go's  innovations  was  to  use  the  highest  practicable 
grade  of  silver  in  all  their  productions.  They  introduced  the  English  standard  of 
sterling  siver,  925-1000  fine,  and  their  example  was  immediately  followed  by  all  the 
other  leading  silversmiths  of  that  period.  Under  the  direction  of  the  late  Edward 
C.  Moore,  the  originality  and  artistic  beauty  of  the  Tiffany  silverware  soon  became 
so  marked  that  prizes  and  extraordinary  commendation  were  won  at  every  successive 
World's  Fair.  At  the  recent  Columbian  Exposition,  the  house  received  fifty-six 
awards.  Mr.  Moore  was  a  thoroughly  practical  silversmith  and  an  artist  of  the  highest 
order.  His  work  created  a  new  school  of  art  metal  workers,  whose  products  were 
marked  by  an  individuality  and  strength  of  character  wholly  different  from  that  of  any 
other  manufacturer.  The  house  developed  a  large  business  in  the  making  of  special 
presentation  pieces.  The  modest  little  shop  in  which  manufacturing  was  begun  has 
grown  to  almost  an  entire  block  in  Prince  street,  giving  employment  to  about  five 
hundred  men. 

In  1853,  Mr.  Young  and  Mr.  Ellis  retired.  New  partners  were  then  admitted, 
and  from  that  day  the  firm  has  been  known  as  Tiffany  &  Co.  In  1854,  they  moved 
to  550  Broadway,  and  then,  in  1861,  leased  the  adjoining  building  at  No.  552.  During 
the  War,  Mr.  Tiffany  was  a  staunch  Union  man  and  his  store  became  a  large  depot 
for  military  supplies.  In  1868,  the  firm  were  incorporated,  with  Charles  L.  Tiffany, 
president  and  treasurer;  Gideon  F.  T.  Reed,  vice  president;  Charles  T.  Cook,  general 
superintendent  and  assistant  treasurer;  and  George  McClure,  secretary.  Upon  Mr. 
Reed's  retirement  in  1875,  Mr.  Cook  succeeded  as  vice  president.  Charles  T.  Cook's 
connection  with  the  house,  of  which  he  is  now  vice  president,  dates  back  to  1847,  and, 
with  forty-seven  years'  service  to  his  credit,  he  heads  the  list  as  the  oldest  employ^  of 
the  company.  He  entered  the  employ  of  Tiffany,  Young  &  Ellis  at  the  age  of  twelve, 
his  business  capital  consisting  of  an  extraordinary  capacity  for  work,  a  marvelous 
memory,  and  uniformly  good  health.  Since  the  incorporation  of  the  business,  he  has 
shared  with  Mr.  Tiffany  the  responsibility  of  its  general  management.  To  his  execu- 
tive abilities  and  judgment,  Mr.  Tiffany  attributes  much  of  the  success  which  has  come 
to  the  house. 


658  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

Tiffany  &  Co.  established  a  branch  house  in  London  in  1868.  In  1870,  they 
erected  their  present  building  at  Fifteenth  street  and  Union  Square.  Other  new  de- 
partments were  added  to  the  business,  and  the  manufacture  of  electro-plated  silverware 
was  undertaken  at  works  in  Newark,  N.  J.  There  seems  to  be  no  limit  to  the  expan- 
sion of  the  business  of  this  great  firm.  Its  operations  are  a  marvel  of  the  day.  They 
are  all,  however,  -simply  the  outgrowth  of  the  discriminating  sagacity,  the  originality, 
and  the  energy  exercised  in  the  management  of  the  business. 

Mr.  Tiffany  is  universally  esteemed.  He  has  never  aspired  to  public  office  but  has 
risen  to  a  high  position  in  the  financial  and  social  life  of  the  city.  A  founder  of  The 
New  York  Society  of  Fine  Arts  and  of  the  Union  League  club,  he  has  also  been  a 
patron  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  a  trustee  of  The  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History.  His  strong  financial  standing  has  caused  his  name  to  be  sought  by 
financial  institutions,  and  he  is  a  director  in  The  Bank  of  the  Metropolis,  The  Pacific 
Bank,  The  American  Surety  Co.,  and  The  State  Trust  Co.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
The  National  Academy  of  Design,  American  Geographical  Society,  New  York  His- 
torical Society,  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  other  organizations.  In  1878,  whea 
the  house  was  awarded  the  Grand  Prix  at  the  Paris  Exposition,  he  was  created 
Chevalier  of  the  National  Legion  of  Honor,  and  from  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  Mr. 
Tiffany  received  the  Gold  Medal  Praemia  Digno,  an  exceptional  tribute.  The  list  of 
royal  appointments  is  a  long  one,  and  practically  includes  all  the  royal  courts  of 
Europe. 

SAMUEL  JONES  T1LDEN,  lawyer,  born  in  New  London,  N.  Y..  March  15,  1814, 
died  Aug.  4,  1886,  at  Greystone  on  the  Hudson  river.  He  came  from  Saxon  stock  and 
Nathaniel  Tilden,  his  ancestor,  was  one  of  nine  Puritans,  who  sailed  from  Kent  for 
America  in  the  ship  Ann  in  1634,  and  as  commissioner  aided  in  locating  the  town  of 
Scituate,  Mass.  Joseph,  his  younger  brother,  was  one  of  the  consignors  of  the  May- 
flower. Mr.  Tilden  entered  Yale  College  in  1832  but  overtaxed  by  study  returned 
to  the  old  homestead.  An  open  air  life  restored  his  health  and  he  made  several  speeches 
upon  President  Jackson's  contest  with  The  Bank  of  the  United  States.  In  1834,  he 
entered  the  University  of  New  York.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1841,  began  prac- 
tice on  Pine  street,  and,  owing  to  his  interest  in  politics,  soon  made  his  office  the  resort 
of  the  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party  of  this  city.  In  1844,  with  John  L.  O'Siillivan, 
he  started  a  Democratic  newspaper  called  The  Morning  News  and  paid  personal  atten- 
tion to  that  journal  for  several  months.  After  election,  he  gave  his  interest  to  Mr. 
O'Sullivan,  declined  the  New  York  naval  office,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  Mr. 
Tilden  was  one  of  the  ablest  and  most  respected  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party  of  this 
State,  and,  although  defeated  for  Attorney  General  in  1855,  was  elected  Governor  by 
the  Democrats  in  1874,  in  recognition  of  his  services  to  the  party.  In  1876,  he  nar- 
rowly failed  of  election  as  President  of  the  United  States.  No  extended  account  of  the 
excited  controversy  over  that  famous  election  is  necessary  here.  But  mention  may  be 
made  of  the  fact,  that  Mr.  Tilden  and  his  friends  declared  indignantly  that  they  were 
beaten  in  1876  by  fraud  and  maintained  the  claim  so  strenuously  for  years,  that  the 
public  mind  was  in  doubt  as  to  the  right  of  the  matter  until  THE  NEW  YORK  TRIDUNE 
obtained  possession  of  several  hundred  cipher  dispatches,  which  had  passed  between  th< 
Democratic  leaders  North  and  South  during  the  campaign.  These  were  translated  b) 
THE  TRIBUNE  and  revealed  an  actual  attempt  to  buy  the  electoral  votes  of  severa 


r«E     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TI.  659 

States  in  favor  of  Mr.  Tilden.  During  his  active  business  career,  Mr.  Tilden  gave  his 
attention  chiefly  to  railroad  and  corporation  law.  He  received  large  fees  for  his  ser- 
vices and  by  operations  in  stocks  gained  a  large  fortune.  His  funds  sought  the  securi- 
ties of  The  Cleveland  &  Pittsburgh  Railroad,  The  International  &  Great  Northern  Rail- 
road, The  Delphic  Iron  Co,  and  other  corporations.  In  the  days  of  the  consolidation 
of  the  elevated  railroads,  he  was  a  heavy  owner  in  their  stocks  also,  but  sold  his 
shares  in  exchange  for  their  bonds.  He  also  invested  largely  in  mineral  lands  in  the 
Northwest,  and  being  remarkably  shrewd  in  investment,  rarely  lost  money.  He  was 
never  married.  Mr.  Tilden  left  a  part  of  his  fortune  for  a  public  library  in  this  city. 
The  will  was  not  sustained  by  the  courts,  but  by  agreement  among  the  heirs,  the  sum 
of  §2,000,000  was  set  aside  for  this  purpose. 

WILLIAfl  TILDEN,  manufacturer,  born  in  West  Lebanon,  N.  H.,  died  in  New 
York  city,  June  26,  1869,  at  an  advanced  age.  The  family  moved  to  Oneida  county, 
N.  Y.,  when  William  was  a  lad.  During  early  life,  he  was  a  trusted  friend  of 
DeWitt  Clinton,  and  aided  him  in  the  work  of  completing  the  Erie  canal.  In  later 
years,  he  became  widely  known  as  a  conspicuous  manufacturer  of  varnish  in  New 
York  city.  Previous  to  1830,  all  the  finer  varnishes  seen  in  America  came  from  Eng- 
land and  France,  but,  in  that  year,  Mr.  Tilden  began  their  manufacture  here  and  until 
1836  was  the  only  producer  of  varnishes  in  America.  As  the  pioneer  and  a  successful 
one,  he  maintained  the  lead  in  the  industry  during  a  long  period,  although  thirty  or 
more  competitors  sprang  up,  one  after  the  other,  as  soon  as  he  had  demonstrated  the 
possibilities  of  the  industry.  He  was  the  largest  consumer  of  copal  gum  from  Zanzibar 
and  Africa  and  the  first  exporter  of  American  varnish  to  South  America  and  Mexico. 
William  Tilden  Blodgett,  a  nephew,  was  admitted  to  partnership  in  1847,  under  the 
name  of  William  Tilden  &  Nephew.  After  1862,  a  branch  house  was  established  in 
Canada.  Mr.  Tilden  served  The  Pacific  Bank  for  many  years  as  its  president,  and  was 
largely  interested  in  real  estate,  doing  much  to  improve  many  of  the  newer  parts  of 
the  growing  metropolis.  His  greatest  service  to  the  public  was  the  establishment  of 
the  Tilden  Female  Institute  in  West  Lebanon,  N.  H. ,  his  birthplace. 

THOnAS  TILESTON,  merchant  and  banker,  born  in  Boston,  Mass.,  Aug.  13,  1793, 
died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  29,  1864.  He  was  born  amid  humble  circumstances,  and 
at  the  age  of  thirteen  learned  the  trade  of  a  printer  in  Boston,  beginning  on  a  salary  of 
$30  a  year  and  board.  He  grew  up  with  the  firm,  rose  to  positions  of  responsibility, 
and  when,  in  1815,  the  firm  became  embarrassed,  having  meanwhile  removed  to  Haver- 
hill,  he  took  charge  of  the  establishment.  By  energy  and  good  management,  the  debts 
were  paid  off  in  a  few  years'  time  and  the  business  placed  upon  a  profitable  basis.  In 
1818,  he  came  to  New  York  with  Paul  Spofford  to  represent  a  number  of  the  manu- 
facturers of  Haverhill  and  established  the  firm  of  Spofford  &  Tileston.  In  1822, 
Spofford  &  Tileston  accepted  the  agency  of  a  line  of  packet  vessels,  trading  between 
Boston  and  New  York,  and  soon  began  trading  on  their  own  account  to  Cuba  and  South 
America,  exporting  American  goods  and  importing  coffee  and  tropical  products. 
Next,  they  bought  vessels  of  their  own  for  this  trade,  many  of  them  clippers,  and  in 
1850  engaged  in  the  trade  with  Liverpool  as  owners  of  the  Dramatic  line  of  packets, 
for  which  they  constructed  many  beautiful  and  famous  clipper  ships  of  the  largest 
size.  They  were  among  the  first  to  employ  steamers  in  their  Southern  trade  and 
became  in  time  large  owners  of  ocean  tonnage,  well  known  in  Europe  and  America, 


660  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

both  partners  gaining  large  fortunes.  Upon  his  election  as  president  of  The  Phoenix 
Bank  in  1840,  Mr.  Tileston  entered  the  field  of  financial  affairs  and  was  as  succcessful 
therein  as  in  other  pursuits.  He  actively  promoted  the  formation  of  the  Clearing 
House  Association  and  was  long  a  director  of  The  Atlantic  Insurance  Co.,  whose 
affairs  he  closed  up  in  1859. 

FRANK  TILFORD,  merchant,  is  the  youngest  son  of  the  late  John  M.  Tilford,  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  widely  known  mercantile  corporation  of  Park  &  Tilford,  and  of 
his  wife  Jane,  daughter  of  William  White.  He  was  born  in  New  York  city,  July  22, 
1852.  He  attended  the  schools  of  the  metropolis,  completing  his  education  at  the 
Mount  Washington  Collegiate  Institute.  Inheriting  his  father's  aptitude  for  trade,  he 
manifested  a  proclivity  in  this  direction  in  his  early  youth ;  and  although  other  avenues 
of  usefulness  were  opened  to  him,  had  he  desired  to  pursue  them,  he  followed  the 
natural  bent  of  his  mind  in  selecting  the  field  in  which  his  father  had  gained  a  con- 
spicuous place  among  the  great  merchants  of  the  country. 

Animated  by  a  laudable  desire  to  emulate  his  father,  he  entered  the  store  of  Park 
&  Tilford,  at  the  corner  of  pth  street  and  Sixth  avenue,  accepting  the  humblest  position 
among  his  fellow  workmen.  The  value  of  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business,  such 
as  his  father  had  himself  acquired  by  systematic  apprenticeship,  was  so  great,  that  the 
son  of  the  proprietor  was  required  to  begin  at  the  right  place,  to  do  his  work  thoroughly 
and  to  look  for  advancement  only  when  he  had  become  perfectly  familiar  with  each 
successive  department.  In  this  practical  manner,  the  young  man  employed  his  time 
until  a  new  store  was  opened  at  the  corner  of  38th  street  and  Sixth  avenue,  in  October, 
1873.  He  was  placed  in  charge  of  this  store  and  found  himself  in  a  position  of 
responsibility,  such  as  was  well  calculated  to  try  the  mettle  of  a  young  merchant,  who 
was  then  only  twenty-one  years  of  age.  His  careful  training  had  well  fitted  him,  how- 
ever, for  the  task.  He  paid  the  closest  attention  to  the  business  and  proved  himself  a 
capable  and  successful  manager.  Mr.  Tilford  soon  attracted  attention  by  his  fine 
character  and  business  ability.  In  1874,  he  had  the  honor  to  be  elected  one  of  the 
directors  of  The  Sixth  National  Bank,  being  at  that  time  the  youngest  bank  director  in 
the  city.  For  ten  years,  he  served  in  this  capacity.  At  the  death  of  Francis  Leland, 
the  president  of  the  bank,  he  resigned. 

In  1876,  he  joined  the  Real  Estate  Exchange,  and,  from  that  time  to  the  present, 
has  been  an  extensive  operator  in  real  estate,  both  in  Harlem  and  on  the  West  Side 
above  59th  street,  displaying  in  this  field  a  keen  business  foresight  and  discriminating 
judgment,  which  have  been  rewarded  with  success.  In  1885,  he  was  elected  a  trustee 
of  The  North  River  Savings  Bank.  During  the  same  year,  Park  &  Tilford  opened  a 
branch  store  at  59th  street  and  Fifth  avenue,  and  Mr.  Tilford  was  placed  in  charge  of 
this  establishment.  Even  this  additional  increase  of  labors  was  not  sufficient  to  employ 
all  of  his  active  energies;  and  in  1889,  together  with  George  G.  Haven,  he  organized 
The  Bank  of  New  Amsterdam,  of  which  Thomas  C.  Acton  is  president.  Mr.  Tilford 
has  been  vice  president  of  the  bank  from  the  day  it  opened. 

The  business  of  Park  &  Tilford  had  developed  to  such  large  proportions  that,  in 
1890,  it  was  thought  advisable  to  conduct  it  thereafter  as  a  close  stock  corporation. 
The  change  was  consummated  in  October,  1890.  John  M.  Tilford  was  elected  vice 
president  of  the  company,  but  he  died  Jan.  7,  1891,  and  his  son  Frank  was  then  elected 
to  succeed  him. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TI.  66 1 

Mr.  Tilford  leads  a  busy  life,  but  his  work  is  congenial  to  his  tastes,  and  he  is  so 
well  adapted  both  mentally  and  physically  for  his  labors,  that  he  finds  nothing  except 
enjoyment  in  his  activity.  Besides  his  grocery,  banking,  and  real  estate  business,  he 
is  a  director  in  a  railroad  and  gas  company,  treasurer  of  The  Hancock  Memorial  Asso- 
ciation, president  of  The  New  Amsterdam  Eye  &  Ear  Hospital,  a  school  trustee,  and, 
since  1887,  an  active  member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  As  a  member  of  the 
Executive  Committee  of  The  Grant  Monument  Association,  Mr.  Tilford  did  much  able 
and  successful  work  in  raising  the  money  for  the  completion  of  the  monument.  For 
the  past  fifteen  years,  he  has  been  a  regular  attendant  and  vestryman  of  the  Rev.  R. 
Heber  Newton's  church.  He  is  also  a  trustee  of  two  summer  homes  for  children. 

As  a  business  man,  Mr.  Tilford  posesses  ability  of  a  high  order.  In  energy,  execu- 
tive force,  quickness  of  business  conception,  and  that  rare  power  necessary  to  the  suc- 
cessful management  at  the  same  time  of  complex  and  varied  interests,  he  has  shown 
himself  a  worthy  successor  of  his  father.  While  his  time  is  so  thoroughly  taken  up 
with  the  engrossing  demands  of  his  business,  he  treats  with  unfailing  courtesy  the 
humblest  claimant  upon  his  time  and  attention.  A  man  of  natural  kindliness  of  heart, 
his  sympathies  are  easily  excited  and  are  never  appealed  to  without  generous  response. 
He  finds  time  even  amid  business  cares  to  become  interested  in  public  questions,  and 
cheerfully  contributes  both  his  time  and  means  to  advance  whatever  in  his  opinion  is 
in  the  interest  of  the  public  good.  He  has,  however,  disregarded  all  suggestions  for 
entering  political  life,  preferring  the  more  congenial  field  of  a  strictly  business  career. 
He  is  of  a  social  and  happy  disposition  but  plain  in  his  tastes  and  avoids  everything 
which  partakes  of  the  least  appearance  of  ostentation. 

He  was  married  Nov.  16,  1881,  to  Miss  Julia  Greer,  daughter  of  the  late  James  A. 
Greer,  and  granddaughter  of  the  late  George  Greer,  who  was  for  many  years  a  sugar 
refiner  in  this  city.  They  have  two  daughters.  Domestic  in  his  tastes  and  devotedly 
attached  to  his  family,  Mr.  Tilford,  although  a  member  of  many  clubs,  can  always  be 
found  at  his  home  after  business  hours,  preferring  the  enjoyment  of  the  home  circle  to 
any  other  place  on  earth.  By  hard  work,  close  application  and  genuine  merit,  he 
gained  for  himself,  early  in  life,  a  well  recognized  position  in  the  mercantile  world. 
Not  only  has  he  proved  worthy  of  the  name  he  bears,  but  judged  by  his  past  he  will 
add  to  the  power  and  success  of  the  great  business  house  which  his  father  aided  to 
found  and  did  so  much  to  establish. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Colonial,  Republican,  Vaudeville,  Rocka- 
way  Hunting,  and  other  clubs  and  of  The  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 

WESLEY  HUNT  TILFORD,  director  in  The  Standard  Oil  Co.,  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  old  families  of  Kentucky,  was  born  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  July  14,  1850.  His 
father,  John  B.  Tilford,  was  a  banker  there  and  in  New  York  city  for  over  twenty-five 
years.  Wesley  came  to  the  metropolis  at  the  age  of  fifteen  and  attended  the  school  of 
George  Payne  Quackenboss,  well  known  on  account  of  his  numerous  school  text 
books,  and  afterward  became  a  student  at  Columbia  College.  He  engaged  in  business 
in  New  York  city  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  first  entering  the  employment  of  his  brother, 
who  was  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Bostwick  &  Tilford,  petroleum  merchants.  In  1872, 
the  firm  was  dissolved  and  a  new  one  succeeded  under  the  title  of  J.  B.  Tilford,  jr.  & 
Co.,  composed  of  the  two  brothers  Tilford.  They  transacted  a  large  business,  and  in 
1875,  had  become  of  so  much  importance  that  they  were  invited  to  identify  themselves 


662  AMERICA'S    SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

with  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  Mr.  Tilford  is  now  an  officer  and  director  in  a  number 
of  corporations,  which  act  in  harmony  with  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  Of  The  Standard 
Oil  Co.,  of  Indiana,  which  controls  petroleum  production  and  refining  in  Indiana 
and  Illinois,  he  is  the  president.  Mr.  Tilford  is  popular  among  his  associates,  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan  and  Manhattan  clubs  and 
The  Southern  Society. 

WILLIAM  JAY  TINGUE,  manufacturer,  born  in  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y.,  on  March  21, 
1837,  entered  the  arena  of  life  with  an  excellent  constitution  and  a  good  education 
received  at  Canandaigua  Academy.  The  school  of  experience  through  which  he  passed 
in  young  manhood  aided  him  to  attain  the  success  which  has  attended  his  later  years. 

His  father,  Simon  Tingue,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y.,  and  a 
leading  merchant  of  the  place,  was  one  of  the  foremost  in  all  enterprises  which  built  up 
that  village  and  gave  it^the  standing,  which  it  now  enjoys  as  the  most  successful  town 
of  the  Mohawk  Valley. 

Behind  the  counter  of  his  father's  store,  the  son  took  his  first  lessons  in  business, 
and  there  displayed  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  store  which  was  soon  appreciated. 
After  two  years'  trial,  his  father  gave  him  a  share  in  the  firm  and,  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, the  sign  of  S.  Tingue  &  Son  appeared. 

Business  grew  each  year  under  the  new  management.  Three  years  later,  the 
lather  retired  and  the  firm  became  Tingue  Bro's,  composed  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  his  younger  brother,  John  H.  Tingue.  The  retail  trade  having  become  the  largest 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  a  jobbing  trade  was  finally  added.  Jobbing  of  goods  then 
became  the  ambition  of  the  firm  and  New  York  city  was  to  be  the  point.  A  customer 
was  soon  found  to  take  the  stock  with  the  good  will  of  the  well  established  business  at 
a  fair  price,  and  this  accomplished  the  brothers  brought  their  capital  to  New  York  and 
the  firm  of  Tingue,  Harbison  &  Shiner,  jobbers  of  cloths,  was  established  in  1866. 
Five  years  of  success  led  the  subject  of  this  sketch  to  the  manufacturing  of  woolen 
goods.  The  mills  at  Glenville,  Conn.,  were  bought  from  Hoyt,  Sprague  &  Co.,  the 
firm  taking  the  name  of  Tingue,  House  &  Co.,  in  1874. 

The  purchase  of  the  mills  at  Glenville  caused  Mr.  Tingue  to  take  up  his  residence 
at  Portchester,  N.  Y. ,  in  order  to  be  near  his  works.  The  mills  had  been  standing 
idle  for  two  years  and  the  resumption  of  operations  was  felt  in  the  extra  trade  it  gave 
to  Portchester,  while  the  development  of  property  by  Mr.  Tingue  in  and  around 
Portchester  opened  up  some  of  the  most  beautiful  locations  for  country  residences 
which  are  to  be  found  about  New  York.  His  foresight  in  discovering  the  availability 
of  the  crags  and  rocks,  which  skirt  Long  Island  Sound  near  Portchester,  has  resulted 
in  the  construction  of  beautiful  suburban  residences,  which  grace  the  shore  and  which 
through  his  efforts  have  been  established  there.  Among  the  prettiest  of  these  is  the 
summer  residence  of  Mr.  Tingue.  "  Glen  Airlie  "  on  the  Sound  is  known  far  and  wide 
for  its  beauty  and  the  hospitality  of  its  occupants. 

Mr.  Tingue  is  senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Tingue,  House  &  Co. ;  president  of  The 
Hawthorne  Mills  Co.,  having  woolen  mills  at  Glenville,  Conn.,  and  The  Tingue  Manu- 
facturing Co. ,  having  plush  mills  at  Seymour,  Conn. ;  president  of  the  board  of 
trustees  of  the  Clinton  Liberal  Institute  at  Fort  Plain,  N.  Y  ,  and  the  Church  of  the 
Divine  Paternity  (formerly  Dr.  Chapin's),  New  York;  and  member  of  the  Union  League 
club.  New  York. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — Tl.  663 

CHARLES  ALMERIN  TINKER,  a  descendant  of  John  Tinker,  one  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Windsor,  Conn.,  was  born  in  Chelsea,  Vt.,  Jan.  8,  1838.  Taken  to  Michigan 
in  infancy,  he  grew  up  in  that  State,  tried  to  gain  a  good  education,  and  left  Seabuiy 
College  in  Vermont  before  graduation,  owing  to  illness.  Securing  a  place  as  post  office 
clerk  in  Northfield,  Vt.,  in  1852,  he  learned  telegraphy  and  after  1855  served  as  oper- 
ator successively  in  Boston,  on  Cape  Cod,  and  in  Pekin,  111.,  and  after  1857  in  the 
employment  of  The  Chicago  &  Rock  Island  Railroad.  In  1859,  he  became  bookkeeper 
and  operator  for  The  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad.  During  the  War,  he  declined 
a  Lieutenant  Colonelcy  and  served  as  operator  at  the  front  under  Generals  McClellan, 
Banks  and  Wadsworth,  later  becoming  in  turn  cipher  operator  at  Washington,  manager 
of  the  military  telegraph  lines,  and  manager  of  the  Washington  office  of  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.  In  January,  1872,  he  removed  to  St.  Albans.  Vt.,  to  take  charge 
of  dispatches  for  The  Vermont  Central  Railroad,  but  in  1875  was  called  to  the  higher 
position  of  general  superintendent  of  The  Atlantic  &  Pacific  Telegraph  Co.,  giving  this 
up  in  1879  to  become  superintendent  of  the  lines  of  The  Baltimore  &  Ohio  Railroad. 
He  aided  Jay  Gould  and  J.  N.  Bates  in  organizing  The  American  Union  Telegraph  Co. 
and  took  charge  of  one  of  its  divisions.  In  1881,  he  entered  the  service  of  The  Western 
Union  Telegraph  Co.,  with  which  he  has  since  remained.  He  is  interested  in  various 
telephone  and  telegraph  companies.  In  1863,  Mr.  Tinker  married  Miss  Lizzie  A.  Simp- 
kins  of  Ohio,  who  died  in  1890,  leaving  three  children. 

DANIEL  TORRANCE,  banker,  a  native  of  Montreal,  Canada,  died  in  New  York 
city,  Nov.  19,  1884.  His  father  was  an  importer  of  tea  in  Montreal  and  later  in  New 
York  city.  Daniel  grew  up  in  the  mercantile  business  of  his  father  and  carried  on  the 
trade  here.  He  was  a  capital  merchant  and  met  with  marked  success.  Through 
his  marriage  with  Sophia,  daughter  of  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  Mr.  Torrance  gradually 
came  to  take  an  interest  in  transportation  enterprises,  and  was  at  one  time  vice  presi- 
dent of  The  New  York  Central  Railroad,  but  gave  up  that  position  after  the  consolida- 
tion with  The  Hudson  River  Railroad.  Afterward,  he  was  president  of  The  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad.  He  retired  from  business  in  1876,  and  spent  his  latter  years 
principally  in  Europe.  He  was  a  man  of  excellent  ability  but  quiet  tastes,  and  spent 
most  of  his  spare  time  quietly  at  his  home  in  this  city  and  at  Newport.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him. 

SINCLAIR  TOUSEY,  president  of  The  American  News  Co.,  bora  in  New  Haven, 
July  18,  1815,  died  in  New  York  city,  June  16,  1887.  He  came  from  a  New  England 
family.  His  father  was  Zerah  Tousey,  and  one  of  his  ancestors  was  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Tousey,  a  graduate  from  Yale  College  in  1707,  the  first  clergyman  in  Newtown,  Conn., 
and  for  many  years  a  man  of  note.  Left  an  orphan  when  a  boy  and  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources,  Sinclair  received  a  common  school  education  only  and  at  different  times 
during  his  early  career  lived  in  Poughkeepsie  and  Pleasant  Valley,  N.  Y.  In  1853,  he 
became  a  wholesale  news  agent  and  bookseller  in  New  York,  in  the  firm  of  Ross,  Jones 
&  Tousey,  and  the  later  firm  of  Ross  &  Tousey,  afterward  becoming  sole  proprietor. 
In  1864,  Mr.  Tousey  helped  form  The  American  News  Co.,  which  bought  the  trade  of 
himself  and  several  other  wholesale  dealers.  Elected  president  of  the  new  company, 
Mr.  Tousey  occupied  the  office  until  his  death.  He  joined  the  Republican  party  when 
it  came  into  existence,  and  at  one  time  declined  the  nomination  for  Mayor  of  this  city. 
He  was  an  enthusiastic  anti-slavery  man  and  with  all  his  power  aided  the  cause  of  free- 


664  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

ing  the  slaves  He  enjoyed  the  acquaintance  and  friendship  of  Gerrit  Smith,  Horace 
Greeley  and  other  prominent  anti-slavery  men,  and  was  a  member  and  at  one  time 
vice  president  of  the  Union  League  club,  vice  president  of  The  Hahnemann  Hospital 
and  a  member  of  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Children  and  The 
Society  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to  Animals.  For  many  years,  he  was  chairman 
of  the  executive  committee  of  The  Prison  Association  and  devoted  a  large  portion  of 
his  time  to  its  work.  A  good  speaker  and  debater,  Mr.  Tousey  was  also  the  author  of 
"  Papers  From  Over  the  Water,"  a  series  of  letters  from  Europe,  and  of  "  Indices,"  the 
latter  being  letters  and  articles  on  questions  of  the  times. 

HENRY  ROBINSON  TOWNE,  manufacturer,  a  native  of  Philadelphia,  and  born 
Aug.  28,  1844,  is  a  son  of  John  Henry  Towne,  mechanical  engineer  and  proprietor  of 
the  Southwark  foundry  and  part  owner  of  the  Port  Richmond  Iron  Works,  both  of 
Philadelphia,  and  famous  for  having  given  $1,000,000  at  his  death,  in  1875,  to  the 
scientific  department  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania.  The  family  descends  from 
William  Towne,  who  emigrated  from  Yarmouth,  England,  to  Salem,  Mass.,  about 
1640.  Educated  in  a  private  school  and  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Towne 
entered  the  Port  Richmond  Iron  Works,  represented  the  firm  in  building  the  engines  of 
the  monitors  Monadnock  and  Agamenticus,  made  a  trip  to  Europe,  was  for  a  time  with 
William  Sellers  &  Co.,  of  Philadelphia,  and  then  rejoined  the  Port  Richmond  Iron 
Works.  In  October,  1868,  Linius  Yale,  jr.,  and  he  established  a  small  factory  in  Stam- 
ford, Conn.,  to  manufacture  the  inventions  of  Mr.  Yale.  The  Yale  &  Towne  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  whose  works  are  yet  located  in  Stamford,  with  others  in  Branford,  Conn., 
was  practically  founded  and  has  been  entirely  developed,  by  Mr.  Towne.  Mr.  Yale 
died  in  December,  1868.  The  principal  products  of  the  company  are  the  celebrated 
Yale  locks,  which  have  proved  a  safeguard  against  thieves,  are  immensely  popular,  and 
have  an  extended  sale.  The  present  works  cover  more  than  twenty  acres  of  ground,  and 
employ  about  1,200  men.  Mr.  Towne  is  interested  in  The  American  Dredging  Co.,  and 
is  a  director  in  several  corporations,  and  member  of  The  American  Society  of  Civil 
Engineers  and  The  American  Society  of  Mechanical  Engineers.  In  1868,  he'  was 
married  to  Cora  E.,  daughter  of  John  P.  White,  of  Philadelphia,  and  their  children  are 
John  Henry  and  Frederick  Tallmadge  Towne.  He  is  a  very  capable  and  clear  headed 
man.  He  spends  much  of  his  time  in  Stamford,  but,  since  1892,  his  winters  in  New 
York  city,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Century,  Engineers',  Reform,  St.  Anthony,  Lawyers 
and  Hardware  clubs. 

SAnUEL  TITUS  TOWNSEND,  realty  owner,  born  in  this  city  at  the  corner  of 
Duane  and  William  streets,  April  20,  1830,  died  at  his  home,  No.  108  Pierrepont  street, 
Brooklyn,  Jan.  29,  1893.  His  father,  Benjamin  Townsend,  was  a  general  provisions 
and  shipping  merchant,  an  Alderman  of  New  York  city  and  a  member  of  the  Tammany 
Society,  while  his  mother  was  Mary  A.  Bennett.  The  family  is  a  branch  of  the  one  in 
Norfolk  county,  England,  of  which  Marquis  Townshend  of  Raynham  Hall  is  the  head. 
The  American  founders  of  the  family  came  to  Massachusetts  Bay  early  in  the  seventeenth 
century  and  were  first  settlers  of  Oyster  Bay,  L.  I.,  and  prominent  during  the  Revo- 
lution and  subsequently.  Samuel  was  well  educated  at  Nazareth  Hall,  Bethlehem, 
Pa.  Being  left  an  orphan  before  reaching  his  majority,  he  devoted  himself  with  much 
good  judgment  and  foresight  to  the  care  and  development  of  the  family  estate,  com- 
posed in  part  of  many  pieces  of  business  property  in  the  lower  part  of  New  York  city, 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. TR.  665 

keeping  step  with  progressive  real  estate  advancement.  He  was  never  engaged  in 
purely  mercantile  pursuits,  but,  governed  by  faith  in  the  national  resources,  took  an 
active  interest  in  railroad  and  other  important  enterprises  and  was  the  holder  of  a  large 
amount  of  securities.  He  was  a  life  member  of  The  Long  Island  Historical  Society. 
April  20,  1852,  he  married  Antoinette  Augusta  Olmsted,  of  Hartford,  Conn.,  and  was 
the  father  of  Mar}-  E.  F. ,  wife  of  W.  G.  Frazee,  and  Nora  A.  and  Sherman  B.  Town- 
send.  A  gentleman  of  much  leisure,  he  partook  rationally  and  freely  of  the  pleasures 
of  travel  and  hospitality. 

WILLIAfl  R.  TRAVERS,  stock  broker,  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  July,  1819, 
died  at  Hamilton,  in  Bermuda,  March  19,  1887.  Educated  in  part  at  West  Point  and 
a  graduate  from  Columbia  College  in  1838,  Mr.  Travers  then  spent  some  time  upon 
a  farm  to  recruit  his  health.  Fully  recovered,  he  returned  to  New  York,  and  both 
here  and  in  Baltimore  carried  on  a  trade  with  the  West  Indies  and  South  America  as  a 
commission  merchant,  with  much  success.  In  1853,  reverses  came  and  he  was  forced 
to  discontinue.  He  then  came  to  New  York  and  connected  himself  with  a  stock 
brokerage  firm,  becoming  a  member  of  the  Exchange  in  1856  At  first,  success  did 
not  crown  his  efforts,  but  later,  in  partnership  with  Leonard  W.  Jerome,  he  gamed  a 
fortune.  He  continued  in  Wall  street  until  his  last  sickness.  Mr.  Travers  met  with 
as  much  success  in  the  social  world  as  in  Wall  street,  and  he  left  an  indelible  mark  on 
his  generation.  He  was  a  born  club  man,  and  to  him  the  Racquet  and  the  New  York 
Athletic  clubs  owed  much  of  their  prosperity.  He  was  a  member  of  about  twenty 
other  clubs  and  sporting  organizations  and  the  life  of  all.  Famous  as  a  raconteur,  re- 
markably quick  at  repartee,  his  slight  impediment  in  speech  brightened  the  wit  of  the 
numberless  anecdotes  told  by  him,  which  are  yet  current.  In  early  life,  he  married 
Maria  Louisa,  the  fourth  daughter  of  Reverdy  Johnson,  who,  with  a  family  of  nine 
children,  survived  him:  Man'  Mackall  Travers,  wife  of  John  G.  Hecksher;  Maria 
Louisa,  wife  of  James  W.  Wadsworth;  Harriet,  wife  of  George  R.  Fearing;  John 
Travers;  Ellen  T..  wife  of  William  A.  Duer;  Matilda  E.,  Susan  B.,  William  R.,  and 
Reverdy  J.  Travers. 

JOHN  BOND  TREVOR,  banker,  born  March  27,  1822,  in  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  died 
Dec.  22,  1890,  in  New  York  city.  His  father  was  John  B.  Trevor,  a  life  long  resident 
of  Philadelphia,  a  member  of  the  Legislature  for  several  terms  and  a  man  of  high 
character.  The  son  attended  private  schools  and  gained  a  knowledge  of  business 
methods  during  five  years  as  clerk  in  a  wholesale  dry  goods  house  in  Philadelphia. 
He  came  to  New  York  in  1849,  and,  Jan.  15,  1850,  obtained  a  seat  in  the  Stock  Ex- 
change, where  he  soon  gained  prominence  for  his  brilliant  abilities.  In  1852,  James 
B.  Colgate  and  he  associated  themselves  as  Trevor  &  Colgate,  stock  brokers  and  bank- 
ers. Five  years  later,  the  house  engaged  in  bullion  dealings  also  and  carried  on  bnsi- 
ness  for  nearly  thirty  years  at  No.  47  Wall  street,  upon  the  site  now  occupied  by  The 
United  States  Trust  Co.  Mr.  Trevor  was  an  adviser  of  many  prominent  capitalists, 
and,  while  adverse  to  acting  in  boards  of  directors,  his  influence  was  felt  in  the  mould- 
ing of  policies  and  the  promotion  of  financial  schemes.  He  was  charitable  in  disposition 
and  several  institutions  enjoyed  his  especial  benevolence,  the  principal  ones  being  the 
University  and  the  Theological  Seminary  of  Rochester.  The  Madison  University  also 
received  gifts  from  him,  and  in  conjunction  with  his  partner,  Mr.  Colgate,  he  contrib- 
uted the  funds  for  building  the  Warburton  Avenue  Baptist  Church  in  Yonkers,  of 


666  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

which  he  was  a  member,  one  of  the  most  handsome  places  of  worship  in  the  country, 
His  benefactions  amounted  to  several  hundred  thousand  dollars.  In  early  life,  he  was 
a  member  of  the  Sansom  Street  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  He  was  fond  of  liter- 
ature and  of  travel,  modest,  sagacious,  a  charming  companion  and  a  Christian  gentle- 
man. Mr.  Trevor  married  twice,  his  first  wife  being  a  daughter  of  Lispenard  Stewart. 
His  second  was  Emily,  daughter  of  A.  G.  Norwood  of  the  firm  of  Norwood  &  Lock- 
wood.  His  wife  and  their  four  children  survived  him,  the  latter  being  Henry  G. 
Trevor;  Mary  T.,  now  Mrs.  Grenville  L.  Winthrop;  Emily  H.  and  John  B.  Trevor. 
The  family  home  was  "  Glenview,"  Yonkers  on  the  Hudson,  which  he  built  in  1878. 
THOflAS  EDWARD  TWEEDY,  manufacturer,  born  Nov.  4,  1832,  in  Danbury, 
Conn.,  died  in  New  York  city,  Nov.  4,  1887.  He  started  in  business  with  his  father, 
who  was  an  extensive  manufacturer  of  hats  in  Danbury.  After  his  father's  death,  the 
business  was  carried  on  by  a  corporation  called  The  Tweedy  Manufacturing  Co. ,  and 
Mr.  Tweedy  was  treasurer  of  the  concern  until  his  death.  For  twenty-five  years,  he 
represented  the  business  in  New  York  city  as  head  of  the  sales  department.  For  the 
last  twenty  years  of  his  life,  he  was  an  invalid  and  unable  to  walk  but  was  well  known 
and  highly  esteemed  in  the  hat  trade.  In  1862,  he  married  Anna  M.,  daughter  of 
T.  P.  Richards,  of  New  York.  Their  daughter,  Edith,  married  James  W.  Pryor. 


u. 

EDMOND  URQUHART,  manufacturer,  one  of  the  pioneers  in  the  creation  of  the 
valuable  cotton  seed  oil  industry  in  the  United  States,  is  a  native  of  the  old  city  of 
Kingston,  in  the  province  of  Ontario,  Canada.  He  was  born  outside,  but  under  the 
guns,  of  Fort  Henry,  April  5.  1834.  His  father,  Edward  Urquhart,  was  a  conspicuous 
officer  in  the  British  army  and  held  the  rank  of  Quartermaster  General.  Both  the 
father  and  Elizabeth,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of  this  biography,  as  indeed  all  of  his 
ancestors,  were  natives  of  Scotland  and  Wales,  and  from  them  he  inherited  the  spirit  of 
restless  enterprise,  the  purity  of  character,  and  keenness  of  mind,  for  which  he  has 
always  been  distinguished. 

The  lad  applied  himself  to  his  books  in  the  district  schools  of  Kingston  until  he 
had  reached  the  age  of  twelve.  Destined  to  a  practical  career,  his  father  having  died 
when  the  boy  was  quite  young,  he  was  apprenticed  to  a  forwarding  and  shipping  firm 
in  Hamilton,  Ont.  This  early  start  in  practical  affairs  proved  of  very  great  advantage 
to  the  ambitious  youth,  because,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  when  his  apprenticeship  was 
over,  and  when  such  lads  as  are  favored  with  wealthy  parents  are  yet  attending  school, 
young  Mr.  Urquhart  had  already  become  well  grounded  in  the  requirements  of  busi- 
ness pursuits.  He  then  entered  upon  the  career  which  was  to  lead  him  on  to  fortune. 
At  the  end  of  his  five  years,  released  from  his  indenture,  he  secured  a  position  as  con- 
tractor's paymaster  during  the  construction  of  The  Great  Western  Railroad  from  Sus- 
pension bridge  at  Niagara  Falls  to  Detroit,  Mich.,  a  very  responsible  position  for  so 
young  a  man.  The  Great  Western  Railroad  is  now  the  Southern  division  of  The  Grand 
Trunk  Railroad.  During  the  three  years  of  this  service,  Mr.  Urquhart  gained  a  valua- 
ble experience  and  acquired  the  habit  of  accuracy  and  the  strength  to  endure  respon- 
sibility. After  leaving  The  Great  Western  Railroad,  he  established  the  shipping  house 
of  Urquhart  &  Bowen  in  St.  Catherine's,  Canada,  where  be  built  several  vessels  to 
engage  in  the  grain  trade  between  the  upper  lakes  and  Montreal. 

Mr.  Urquhart  then  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  engaged  in  the  rectifying  of 
liquors  until  1861,  when  he  went  to  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  which  city  he  remained  during 
the  great  four  years'  war.  After  the  surrender  of  the  Southern  armies  in  1865,  he  was 
one  of  the  first  to  apply  himself  toward  a  revival  of  the  prostrated  interests  of  the  South 
and  promptly  undertook  the  hardware  business  and  the  manufacture  of  cotton  seed  oil 
in  Memphis.  He  met  with  excellent  success  from  the  start.  For  the  latter  industry, 
he  utilized  an  old  government  building  in  the  Navy  Yard,  which  was  fitted  up  with 
special  machinery  for  crushing  and  extracting  oil  from  the  cotton  seed.  He  paid  the 
closest  attention  to  his  business,  developed  it  step  by  step,  spared  himself  no  labor  of 
any  kind,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing  the  constant  growth  of  his  trade. 

Finally,  finding  it  necessary  to  increase  his  operations,  he  removed  to  Little  Rock, 
Ark.,  in  1876,  and  there  established  The  Little  Rock  Oil  Works,  becoming  president 
of  the  company  and  among  the  pioneers  of  the  cotton  seed  oil  industry  in  Arkansas. 
His  energy  produced  an  effect  almost  electrical  in  this  old  State.  Cotton  fields 
covered  a  large  part  of  the  territory  of  Arkansas  and  cotton  seed  could  be  obtained 
in  ample  supply.  His  mill  in  Little  Rock  provided  a  local  market  for  the  seed,  gave 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. UR.  669 

employment  to  a  number  of  workmen,  and  by  its  expenditures  for  materials  and  labor 
quickened  every  other  form  of  business.  The  results  were  so  satisfactory,  that  the 
establishment  of  mills  in  other  parts  of  the  State  speedily  became  a  foregone  conclusion. 

In  1878,  Mr.  Urquhart  built  a  third  mill,  the  second  in  Arkansas,  under  the  name 
of  The  Argenta  Oil  Works  at  Argenta,  and  became  president  of  this  company  also. 
Even  this  did  not  suffice,  and  Mr.  Urquhart  then  rapidly  added  to  his  plant  a  fourth 
cotton  seed  oil  mill,  which  he  built  in  Arkansas  City  on  the  Mississippi  river,  in  1879; 
another,  under  the  ownership  of  The  Fort  Smith  Oil  and  Compress  Co. ,  in  1 880 ;  the 
mill  of  The  Texarkana  Oil  &  Manufacturing  Co.,  in  1881 ;  and,  in  1882,  the  mill  of  The 
Newport  Oil  &  Manufacturing  Co.  In  all  these  companies,  he  was  the  motive  power 
and  inspiring  spirit.  Refining  was  begun  at  the  Little  Rock  plant  in  1880.  At  several 
of  the  points  where  mills  were  located,  Mr.  Urquhart  established  cotton  compresses 
and  ginneries. 

Since  1882.  he  has  extended  his  manufacturing  interests  yet  further,  and  was 
elected  president  of  The  Anchor  Oil  Co.,  of  Helena,  Ark.,  in  1885;  of  The  Brinkley 
Oil  Co.,  of  Brinkley,  Ark.,  and  The  Emma  and  The  Xeel  Oil  Co's,  of  Pine  Bluff,  Ark., 
in  1886.  Mr.  Urquhart  is  now  president  of  no  less  than  twelve  excellent  companies  in 
this  industry,  having  an  aggregate  capital  of  $2.088,400.  All  of  them  have  been,  with 
numerous  others  in  the  United  States,  merged  into  The  American  Cotton  Oil  Trust, 
which  came  into  being  Oct.  i,  1885.  The  consolidation  of  the  cotton  oil  industry  into 
the  hands  of  this  trust  took  place  in  Mr.  Urquhart 's  office  in  Little  Rock,  and  he  has 
been  the  vice  president  and  a  trustee  of  the  trust  from  its  organization  down  to  the 
present  time.  He  is  also  at  present  vice  president  of  several  large  associations,  having 
a  combined  capital  of  many  millions.  At  the  time  of  the  consolidation,  his  Arkansas 
properties  were  utilizing  500  tons  of  cotton  seed  daily  and  producing  20,000  gallons  of 
oil  per  day,  250  tons  of  oil  cake  and  10,000  pounds  of  lint  cotton. 

This  industry  has  proved  of  immense  value  to  the  South  and  its  pioneers  and  pro- 
moters are  entitled  to  be  known  as  benefactors  of  their  race.  While  other  enterprising 
and  energetic  men  have  devoted  themselves  to  utilizing  the  immense  unexploited  mineral 
resources  of  the  South,  the  reconstruction  of  its  railroads,  the  operation  of  cotton  mills 
and  tobacco  factories,  and  the  revival  of  trade,  those  who  established  the  manufacture 
of  cotton  seed  oil  have  performed  a  service  of  direct  importance  to  those  engaged  in  the 
especial  branch  of  production  which  at  present  overshadows  all  others  in  that  region. 
Previous  to  the  building  of  oil  mills,  cotton  seed  was  thrown  away  by  all  the  planters. 
It  is  now  scrupulously  saved,  finds  a  ready  market,  and  it  is  so  valuable  that  it  repays 
planters  for  hauling  it  long  distances  by  wagon  to  shipping  points  and  for  transporta- 
tion by  rail  and  water  to  the  mills.  The  American  Cotton  Oil  Trust  now  grinds  about 
sixty  per  cent,  of  all  the  seed  ground  in  the  South,  which  amounts  to  millions  of  tons. 
The  additional  employment  given  to  workmen  in  the  South  and  the  new  forms  of  food, 
which  have  been  added  to  those  previously  known,  are  not  the  least  valuable  of  the 
benefits  conferred  by  the  cotton  seed  oil  industry. 

While  the  industry,  which  he  has  done  so  much  to  promote,  occupies  his  principal 
attention,  he  has  taken  an  active  part  in  organizing  other  important  enterprises. 

In  Memphis,  where  he  lived  for  fifteen  years,  Mr.  Urquhart  became  known  as  a  pro- 
gressive, public  spirited  and  valuable  man.  He  aided  in  organizing  and  for  a  number 
of  years  held  a  seat  in  the  directorates  of  The  Fourth  National  Bank  and  The  Home 


670  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Insurance  Co.  After  his  removal  to  Little  Rock,  the  impulse  of  his  energy  was  felt  in 
various  ways.  He  organized  and  served  as  president  for  several  years  of  The  Ladies' 
Building  &  Loan  Association,  one  of  the  most  successful  ever  known  in  Arkansas.  He 
also  organized  a  company  with  a  capital  of  $125,000,  became  its  president,  and  built 
the  Quapaw  Cotton  Mills,  and  served  for  some  time  as  a  director  of  The  First  National 
Bank.  He  was  also  drawn  into  extensive  cotton  planting  interests  and  yet  owns  the 
beautiful  Cummins  and  Maple  Grove  plantations  in  Lincoln  county,  Arkansas,  having 
an  area  of  10,000  acres  and  nine  miles  of  frontage  upon  the  Arkansas  River.  Here 
300  to  400  negroes  are  employed.  Some  extensive  sawmills  are  now  operated  upon 
this  property.  The  Varner  branch  railroad,  of  which  he  is  the  owner,  connects  the 
saw  mills  and  plantations  with  The  Missouri  Pacific  system  Mr.  Urquhart  is  also 
president  of  The  Wilcox  Lard  &  Refining  Co.,  having  offices  in  the  Produce  Exchange 
building,  New  York  city,  but  the  cotton  oil  industry,  in  which  he  has  a  large  pecuniary 
interest,  engages  his  principal  attention. 

Since  1887,  Mr.  Urquhart  has  found  it  necessary  to  live  in  New  York  city,  owing- 
to  the  magnitude  of  his  interests  in  the  Cotton  Oil  Trust,  of  which  he  is  one  of  the  active 
managers.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  in  view  of  his  distinguished  success,  that  he 
is  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  business  ability,  shrewd,  intelligent  and  systematic,  a 
born  organizer,  and  possessing  an  almost  boundless  capacity  for  work.  Although  he 
has  the  faculty  of  selecting  valuable  assistants  and  managers  for  his  own  properties,  the 
large  responsibilities  now  imposed  upon  him  exact  his  constant  attention.  He  wastes 
no  time  on  politics  or  clubs,  but  is  a  qualified  voter  of  New  York  City  and  casts 
his  ballot  in  every  election,  intelligently,  for  men  of  clean  records  irrespective  of  party. 

Oct.  12,  1864,  he  was  united  in  marriage  in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  to  Miss  Henrietta 
Blood,  who,  while  born  in  Hamilton,  Ont. ,  is  the  daughter  of  a  native  of  Worcester, 
Mass.  They  have  two  children,  Lizzie  Haywood  and  Maggie  Mackenzie  Urquhart. 
A  third  daughter,  Minnie  Simmons  Urquhart,  died  in  infancy. 


V. 

HENRY  HOBART  VAIL,    a   descendant   of  Jeremiah  Vail,   who  was  one  of  the 

early  settlers  of  Southold,  Long  Island,  N.  Y.,  was  born  in  Poinfret,  Vt.,  May  27. 
1839.  His  father,  Joshua  Vail,  was  a  farmer.  Henry  was  educated  at  Middlebury 
College,  taught  school  for  several  years,  and  served  one  summer  as  a  Union  soldier  in 
the  Civil  War.  In  1867,  he  entered  the  service  of  a  publishing  house  in  Cincinnati, 
O.,  and  later  became  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Wilson,  Hinkle  &  Co.,  publishers  of 
school  books,  and  one  of  the  partners  in  their  successors,  Van  Antwerp,  Bragg  & 
Co.  This  house  rose  to  great  prominence  in  the  West.  When  the  leading  school 
book  publishers  of  the  country  united  under  the  name  of  The  American  Book  Co.,  the 
Cincinnati  firm  joined  in  the  enterprise.  Mr.  Vail  is  now  a  director  and  chairman  of 
the  board  in  that  organization,  and  has  made  his  home  in  New  York  city  since  1890. 
He  is  president  of  the  Aldine  club,  and  a  member  of  the  Grolier,  Colonial  and  Twilight 
clubs,  and  The  New  England,  Ohio,  and  New  York  Geneological  and  Biographical 
Societies  and  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars. 

THEODORE  NEWTON  VAIL,  born  July  16,  1845,  in  Carrolton  county,  Ohio, 
belongs  to  the  Morris  county  family  of  Vails  in  New  Jersey,  descendants  of  John  Vail, 
a  Quaker  preacher,  who  settled  in  New  Jersey  in  1710.  The  family  has  always  been 
one  of  position  and  influence.  Lewis  Vail,  civil  engineer,  grandfather  of  Theodore  N. 
Vail,  early  went  to  Ohio  and  was  a  pioneer  in  the  building  of  canals  and  highways. 
Stephen  Vail,  an  uncle,  founded  The  Speedwell  Iron  Works,  near  Morristown,  N.  J., 
at  which  was  built  most  of  the  machinery  for  the  first  steamship  which  crossed  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  sailing  from  Savannah,  Ga.  Here,  also,  Morse  perfected  and  first 
successfully  operated  the  magnetic  telegraph,  Stephen  Vail  and  his  sons,  George  and 
Alfred,  supplying  Morse  with  the  money,  and  Alfred  the  mechanical  ingenuity. 
Alfred  Vail  invented  the  dot  and  dash  alphabet,  which  has  always  been  used  in  tele- 
graphing. William  P.  Vail  of  this  family  was  a  leading  physician  and  church  worker 
in  Northern  New  Jersey  at  Blairstown,  and  George  Vail  represented  his  section  in 
Congress  and  was  one  of  the  lay  Judges  of  the  New  Jersey  Court  of  Pardons. 

Davis  Vail,  son  of  Lewis  Vail,  and  father  of  the  subject  of  this  biography,  born  in 
Ohio,  came  East  at  an  early  age,  was  connected  with  The  Speedwell  Iron  Works,  and 
married  Phoebe  Quinby,  daughter  of  Judge  Isaac  Quinby  of  Morris  county.  By  this, 
marriage,  he  became  related  to  three  notable  brothers  in  law,  General  Quinby,  a  grad- 
uate of  West  Point,  a  leading  mathematician,  Professor  of  Mathematics  at  the  Roch- 
ester University,  and  general  in  the  Civil  War;  Dr.  William  Quinby;  and  Dr. 
Augustus  Quinby,  all  sons  of  Judge  Isaac  Quinby.  After  marriage,  Davis  Vail  went 
to  Ohio,  remaining  there  several  years.  His  son,  Theodore,  was  born  during  the  stay 
of  the  family  in  that  part  of  the  country.  When  the  lad  was  about  four  years  old. 
Davis  Vail  returned  to  the  East  and  was  again  connected  with  The  Speedwell  Iron 
Works.  In  1866.  he  removed  to  Iowa,  where  he  operated  a  large  farm. 

Theodore  N.  Vail  was  educated  in  the  old  academy  in  Morristown,  and  then 
studied  medicine  with  his  uncle,  Dr.  William  Quinby,  but,  having  learned  telegraphy 
at  the  telegraph  office  in  Headly's  drug  store  in  Morristown,  he  left  medicine  and  went 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  673 

to  New  York,  where  he  became  manager  of  a  local  office,  being  afterward  attached  to 
the  staff  of  J.  C.  Hinchman,  then  general  superintendent  of  the  metropolitan  and  east- 
ern divisions  of  The  United  States  Telegraph  Co.  He  went  West  with  his  father  in 
1866.  and  engaged  in  farming,  but  in  the  fall  of  1868,  went  yet  farther  west  and  was 
made  operator  and  afterward  agent  at  Pine  Bluffs,  Wyoming,  on  The  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  Pine  Bluffs  was  at  that  time  the  principal  supply  point  for  wood  for  The 
Union  Pacific,  which  had  not  then  been  completed. 

In  the  Spring  of  1869,  Mr.  Vail  received  an  appointment  as  clerk  in  the  railway 
mail  service  between  Omaha  and  Ogden,  and  in  August,  1869,  he  married  Miss  Emma 
Righter,  of  Newark,  N.  J.  He  devoted  himself  with  great  diligence  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  railway  mail  service,  then  in  its  infancy,  and  his  good  work  in  the  perfec- 
tion of  schemes  for  the  distribution  of  the  mails,  and  especially  his  services  in  forward- 
ing the  mails  during  the  long  snow  blockade  of  1870,  called  the  attention  of  the  Depart- 
ment to  him,  with  the  result  that  he  was  assigned  to  duty  between  Chicago  and  Iowa 
City  in  the  railway  post  office.  On  this  line,  the  entire  distribution  of  overland  mails 
was  made  prior  to  the  establishment  of  railway  post  office  cars  on  The  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  When  the  railway  post  office  was  established  on  The  Union  Pacific,  Mr. 
Vail  was  assigned  to  duty  as  head  clerk. 

In  March,  1873,  the  Department  called  Mr.  Vail  to  Washington  and  assigned  him 
to  duty  in  the  office  of  the  General  Superintendent  of  Railway  Mail  Service,  where  he 
was  charged  with  special  oversight  of  distribution  of  the  mails  and  arrangement  of 
"schemes"  or  charts  of  distribution.  During  this  period,  the  questions  of  the  compen- 
sation of  railroads  and  carriage  of  merchandise  in  the  mails  were  being  agitated  in 
Congress,  and  the  Department  placed  upon  Mr.  Vail  the  responsibility  of  preparing 
the  post  office  statements,  statistics  and  answers  to  Congressional  inquiries.  His 
intimate  knowledge  of  the  service,  energy  and  capacity  were  recognized  in  June,  1874, 
by  his  appointment  as  Assistant  Superintendent  of  Railway  Mail  Service.  In  1875,  ne 
was  assigned  to  duty  as  Assistant  General  Superintendent,  and  when,  in  February, 
1876,  Mr.  Bangs  resigned  to  go  into  other  business,  Mr.  Vail  was  appointed  General 
Superintendent.  He  had  thus  reached  the  highest  grade  in  this  branch  of  the  Federal 
employment.  Mr.  Vail  was  the  youngest  of  the  officers  of  the  Railway  Mail  Service, 
both  in  years  and  terms  of  service,  and  when  the  final  appointment  was  handed  to  him 
by  Marshall  Jewell,  Postmaster  General,  the  latter  said  that  his  only  objection  to  Mr. 
Vail  was  his  youth. 

As  General  Superintendent,  Mr.  Vail  established  upon  a  firm  basis  the  civil  service 
policy,  which  had  been  initiated  by  Mr.  Bangs.  The  superiority  of  the  results  attained 
under  the  rules  adopted  for  the  railway  mail  service  were  recognized  by  all  the  civil 
service  commissions  in  Washington,  to  the  extent  that  until  very  recently  the  employe's 
of  the  railway  post  offices  were  not  included  in  the  general  civil  service  laws  and  regu- 
lations. Mr.  Vail  established  the  system  of  six  months'  probationary  appointments, 
which  have  since  been  so  generally  adopted.  It  was  during  the  incumbency  of  Mr. 
Vail  that  a  reduction  took  place  in  the  pay  of  the  railroads  for  mail  transportation.  In 
the  controversy  which  followed,  some  of  the  railroads  threw  the  postal  cars  out  of  their 
trains.  Within  six  months,  however,  relations  were  re-established  with  all  the  leading 
lines  and  increased  car  and  train  service  obtained.  Thereafter,  more  cordial  relations 
existed  between  the  Post  Office  Department  and  the  railroad  managers. 


674  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

An  incident  of  this  time  may  be  referred  to.  Senator  Beck  of  Kentucky  was 
much  interested  in  having  the  southwestern  mails  go  over  Kentucky  routes,  and  made 
many  efforts  to  induce  the  Postmaster  General  to  order  them  so  sent.  Being  referred 
by  the  head  of  the  Department  to  Mr.  Vail,  Mr.  Beck  accused  Mr.  Vail  of  being  under 
the  influence  of  certain  railroads.  In  an  interview  with  Mr.  Beck,  Mr.  Vail  explained 
the  situation  and  gave  the  reasons  which  governed  him.  Mr.  Beck  left  apparently  not 
satisfied.  Soon  after,  however,  when  a  proposition  to  reduce  Mr.  Vail's  pay  was  pend- 
ing in  the  Senate,  Senator  Beck  took  occasion  to  compliment  Mr.  Vail  very  highly,  and, 
in  a  five  minutes  speech,  said  that  if  there  were  an  honest  and  efficient  officer  in  the 
employment  of  the  Government,  Mr.  Vail  was  the  man. 

After  the  invention  of  the  telephone  and  its  reduction  to  practice,  The  American 
Bell  Telephone  Co.  was  organized  by  Gardiner  G.  Hubbard,  father  in  law  of  Prof. 
Alexander  G.  Bell.  Mr.  Hubbard  had  been  engaged  against  the  Post -Office  Depart- 
ment before  Congress  on  the  question  of  merchandise  in  the  mails  and  was  chairman 
of  the  commission  appointed  by  Congress  to  investigate  methods  of  payment  to  rail- 
roads for  mail  transportation.  Believing  Mr.  Vail  to  be  the  right  man  for  the  place, 
he  tendered  him  the  position  of  general  manager  of  The  American  Bell  Telephone  Co. 
Believing  in  "the  futiire  of  the  "toy,"  as  it  was  then  termed,  and  against  the  protest 
of  all  his  friends,  he  accepted  the  position  in  1878  and  devoted  himself  to  the  work 
with  his  accustomed  zeal  and  ability.  The  task  was  at  times  discouraging.  The  public 
were  slow  to  recognize  the  great  value  of  the  instrument,  and  strong  opposition  was 
manifested  by  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  which  denied  that  Professor  Bell 
was  the  inventor  and  set  up  opposition  exchanges  at  every  point.  Mr.  Vail  introduced 
the  methods  which  have  proved  so  successful  and  have  resulted  in  The  American  Bell 
Telephone  Go's  phenomenal  growth.  A  settlement  was  finally  effected  with  The 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.  after  years  of  fighing  and  negotiating,  in  which  The 
Western  Union  conceded  every  point  of  importance. 

Mr.  Vail  established  the  long  distance  telephone  service,  against  the  opposition  of 
all  his  associates  in  the  company.  The  first  line  which  was  built  to  New  York  was 
called  the  "Vail's  side  show."  He  also  introduced  the  use  of  copper  wire  in  telephone 
and  telegraph  lines,  since  so  generally  adopted,  having  in  this  matter  the  assistance  of 
Mr.  Mason  of  Bridgeport,  whom  he  induced  to  experiment  with  drawing  copper  wire  in 
such  a  way  as  to  give  it  the  tensile  strength  necessary  to  withstand  the  stretching  from 
pole  to  pole. 

In  1888,  Mr.  Vail  retired  from  the  telephone  business  after  having  occupied  the 
managing  position  for  ten  years.  He  has  since  traveled  most  of  the  time  abroad  and 
has  introduced  the  telephone  in  many  countries.  Farming  in  Vermont  now  occupies  a 
part  of  his  time  and  upon  his  estate  of  1,500  acres,  called  the  "Speedwell  Farms,"  he 
raises  French  coach  horses,  including  some  of  the  finest  in  the  United  States,  Jersey 
cattle,  Shropshire  and  Dorsett  horned  sheep,  and  Welsh  ponies.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Union  League  club  of  New  York  and  the  Algonquin  club  of  Boston.  He  has  one 
son,  Davis  R.  Vail,  a  student  in  Harvard  Law  School  in  Cambridge. 

COL.  JOHN  DASH  VAN  BUREN,  lawyer  and  merchant,  born  in  New  York 
city,  March  18,  1811,  died  suddenly  at  his  home  in  Newburg,  N.  Y.,  Dec.  2,  1885.  His 
father,  Michael  Van  Buren,  was  a  merchant  on  Dey  street,  and  a  relative  of  President 
Van  Buren,  the  family  being  of  old  Dutch  pedigree.  John  graduated  from  Columbia 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA. 


675 


College,  studied  law  and  began  practice  as  early  as  1835  on  Pine  street.  The  same 
year,  he  married  Elvira  Lynch,  the  oldest  daughter  of  Benjamin  Aymar,  and  in  1836 
was  taken  into  the  firm  of  Benj.  Aymar  &  Co.,  and  identified  himself  with  the  ship- 
ping interests  and  West  India  trade  of  that  house.  In  1841-43,  he  became  secretary  of 
the  Chamber  of  Commerce.  Mr.  Van  Buren  prospered  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
retired  before  forty  years  of  age.  He  was  well  known  among  politicians  of  later  times, 
and  during  the  Civil  War  accepted  the  office  of  Paymaster  General  of  the  State  troops 
under  Governor  Seymour,  holding  that  office  from  May  26,  1863,  to  Jan.  2,  1865. 
The  New  York  Evening  Post  and  The  Albany  Argus  printed  many  contributions  from 
his  pen.  He  was  private  secretary  to  Governor  Hoffman  from  Jan.  i,  1869,  to  Jan.  i, 
1873,  and  served  under  Governor  Hoffman  as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Conven- 
tion of  1872.  John  D.  Van  Buren,  jr.,  was  State  engineer  from  Nov.  2,  1875,  to  Nov. 
5,  1877,  and  also  one  of  the  Commission  to  investigate  the  management  of  canals  in 
1875.  Another  son,  Robert,  was  chief  engineer  of  the  Department  of  City  Works  of 
Brooklyn,  1877-95.  His  other  children  were  Aymar,  who  became  a  farmer  on  account 
of  ill  health;  Frank  Roe,  a  lawyer,  now  deceased;  and  Elizabeth  A.,  who  married  Dr. 
Thomas  H.  White,  of  New  Haven,  Conn 

CORNELIUS  VANDERBILT,  railroad  president,  known  for  more  than  forty  years 
as  Commodore  Vanderbilt,  was  born  on  Staten  Island,  May  27,  1794.  Port  Richmond 
and  Stapleton  both  claim  the  honor  6f  having  been  his  birth  place,  but  there  is  no 
doubt  that  Port  Richmond  was  the  spot.  He  died  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  4,  1877. 

The  first  of  the  name  in  America,  Jan  Aertsen  Van  der  Bilt,  a  worthy  Protestant 
from  Holland,  settled  upon  a  farm  on  Long  Island  near  the  present  city  of  Brooklyn 
about  1650,  and  planted  there  the  race  of  farmers,  from  which  the  Vanderbilts  derived 
their  descent.  In  1715,  a  grandson  of  Jan,  great  grandfather  of  Commodore  Vander- 
bilt, removed  to  a  farm  on  Staten  Island  near  the  little  hamlet  of  New  Dorp  and  is 
said  to  have  owned  considerable  land.  In  religion,  he  became  a  Moravian  and  the 
cemetery  at  New  Dorp  now  occupies  a  field  on  the  Vanderbilt  farm. 

During  the  early  boyhood  of  Cornelius  Vanderbilt,  who  was  the  oldest  of  nine 
children,  his  father  changed  his  residence  to  Stapleton,  at  which  place  the  family  grew 
up.  The  senior  Vanderbilt  was  a  farmer,  who  owned  a  tract  of  land  near  by  and  who 
found  it  to  his  advantage  to  devote  his  fields  to  the  growing  of  vegetables  for  sale  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  then  a  rising  town  of  80,  ooo  inhabitants.  Like  other  market  gar- 
deners on  Staten  Island,  he  was  his  own  boatman;  but,  unlike  others,  he  had  the  thrift 
to  carry  to  New  York  not  only  his  own  produce  but  that  of  several  of  his  neighbors, 
and,  between  the  island  and  the  city,  an  occasional  traveller;  and  this  was  the  origin 
of  the  Staten  Island  Ferry.  Cornelius  made  many  trips  in  charge  of  his  father's  boat. 
The  young  man  was  one  of  the  most  handsome  lads  upon  the  island.  He  was  tall, 
athletic  and  brave,  not  over  fond  of  books,  but  devoted  to  open  air  life  and  sports,  a 
fine  swimmer  and  a  good  oarsman  and  horseman.  At  the  age  of  six,  he  had  already 
driven  a  race  horse  at  full  speed,  a  fact  which  he  often  referred  to  in  later  years.  In 
the  quiet  life  of  the  farm,  the  sailing  of  boats,  fishing  and  other  amusements,  the  future 
railroad  president  gained  the  physical  and  mental  vigor,  which,  added  to  his  striking 
appearance  and  a  steady  and  resolute  character,  made  him  a  prince  among  men. 

The  constraints  of  his  early  life  were  keenly  felt  by  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  and,  with  a 
view  to  gain  greater  independence,  he  finally  offered  to  plow,  harrow  and  plant  an 


676  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

eight  acre  lot  for  his  mother,  if  she  would  lend  him  $100,  with  which  to  buy  a  boat  of 
his  own.  His  mother,  the  financier  of  the  family,  had,  upon  one  occasion,  saved  her 
husband's  farm  from  sale  for  debt,  by  making  use  of  $3,000  from  her  own  savings. 
Mrs.  Vanderbilt  agreed  to  the  proposition  of  Cornelius,  provided  that  he  should  com- 
plete his  contract  before  his  seventeenth  birthday,  then  only  twenty-seven  days  away. 
The  time  was  short,  the  undertaking  a  physical  impossibility  for  one  youth ;  but 
Cornelius,  with  a  spirit  all  his  own,  quickly  secured  the  aid  of  a  number  of  playmates 
and  earned  in  1810  the  $100,  which  led  him  on  to  splendid  fortune.  His  new  boat,  a 
better  one  than  his  father's,  began  its  career  inauspiciously  by  running  against  a  rock 
on  its  first  trip ;  but  it  was  repaired,  and  by  sailing  it  back  and  forth  between  New  York 
and  Staten  Island,  its  owner  earned  in  three  years  over  $3,  ooo.  Most  of  this  money  he  gave 
to  his  mother,  but  a  small  part  being  retained  was  invested  in  two  other  boats;  and  Mr. 
Vanderbilt  thus  became  the  master  of  three  handy  vessels,  one  of  them  a  periagua,  one 
capable  of  carrying  twenty  people  and  the  best  of  her  class  in  the  harbor.  This 
'  'musquito' '  fleet  he  continued  to  operate  for  several  years.  The  fare  for  a  passenger  at  that 
time  was  eighteen  cents.  When  the  War  of  1812  occurred,  a  large  increase  of  travel  to 
Staten  Island  followed,  owing  to  the  placing  of  garrisons  at  the  Narrows.  In  1814,  Mr. 
Vanderbilt  secured  a  contract  to  carry  men  and  supplies  to  the  harbor  forts,  after  a 
lively  competition  with  others.  He  was  not  the  lowest  bidder  but  his  reputation  for 
energy  brought  him  the  contract;  and  trips  between  Ward's  Island,  Hell  Gate,  Harlem 
and  the  Narrows  occupied  him  constantly  for  many  months. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  married  Sophia  Johnson,  a  second  cousin,  and,  inducing 
his  mother  to  relinquish  her  claim  to  the  principal  part  of  his  earnings,  he  saved  $500 
and  moved  to  New  York  city.  He  continued  to  employ  his  sailing  boats  on  the  Staten 
Island  ferry  route ;  but  the  originality  and  vigor  of  his  mind  soon  displayed  itself  in 
plans,  which  he  made  and  carried  out,  for  employing  vessels  in  the  trade  to  various 
cities  on  the  Hudson  river  and  Long  Island  Sound.  His  first  schooner,  the  Charlotte, 
built  in  1815,  in  partnership  with  a  brother  in  law,  went  into  this  coasting  trade  and  in 
winter  he  sailed  the  vessel  himself.  He  owned  several  boats,  sloops  and  schooners, 
sailed  them  to  every  point  in  the  harbor  and  the  waters  contiguous  thereto  and  learned 
to  know  every  inch  of  the  geography  of  this  coast. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  Fulton  on  the  Hudson  and  Roosevelt  on  the  Ohio 
were  developing  the  steamboat  as  a  carrier  of  freight  and  passengers.  Nothing  which 
occurred  in  the  harbor  ever  escaped  the  eye  or  failed  to  awaken  the  interest  of  Mr. 
Vanderbilt.  When  the  steamboat  had  passed  the  experimental  stage,  he  saw  that  the 
time  had  come  to  adapt  himself  to  a  new  order  of  things.  In  1818,  therefore,  he  ac- 
cepted the  place  of  captain  of  the  steamboat  Bellona,  operated  by  a  company  of  which 
Thomas  Gibbons  of  New  Jersey  was  the  head.  The  salary  of  $1,000  a  year  was  less 
than  he  was  then  earning,  but  diminishing  receipts  from  his  Hudson  river  sloops 
warned  him  of  the  coming  triumph  of  steam.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Gibbons  for 
twelve  years.  The  Bellona  was  employed  in  conveying  passengers  from  New  York  to 
New  Brunswick  on  their  journey  to  Philadelphia,  the  rest  of  the  trip  being  made  in 
stage  coaches  to  Trenton  and  thence  by  boat  to  Philadelphia.  For  the  first  six  years, 
Mr.  Vanderbilt  had  many  exciting  experiences  The  State  of  New  York  had  granted 
to  Fulton  and  Livingston  the  exclusive  right  to  navigate  the  waters  of  this  State  with 
steamboats  and  trespassers  were  liable  to  arrest  and  their  boats  to  confiscation  The 


tHF.     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  677 

Gibbons  line  fought  the  grant  with  great  vigor,  carrying  the  case  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States,  where,  in  1824,  they  gained  a  decision  from  Chief  Justice 
Marshall,  declaring  the  grant  unconstitutional  and  void.  Mr.  Vanderbilt  entered  into 
this  fight  with  enjoyment,  and  invented  many  schemes  and  stratagems  to  outwit  the 
adversary  and  secure  unmolested  landings  in  New  York  city. 

In  1827,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  leased  on  his  own  account  the  ferry  between  New  York 
and  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  and  built  for  it  new  and  improved  boats. 

In  1829,  having  saved  about  $30,000,  he  refused  favorable  offers  of  partnership, 
etc.,  and  resolved  to  engage  in  the  navigation  of  the  Hudson  river.  His  first  boat,  the 
Caroline,  became  in  later  years  the  basis  of  an  international  incident  in  connection  with 
the  Canadian  insurrection  of  1837.  Having  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  insurrection- 
ists, she  was  captured  by  the  Canadian  authorities,  while  at  her  wharf  upon  the  Ameri- 
can shore,  and  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  was  killed  in  the  encounter.  An  apology 
from  Great  Britan  resulted  from  the  ensuing  negotiations. 

At  first  active  on  the  Hudson  river,  he  finally  parted  with  his  interests  there  to 
Robert  L.  Stevens,  and  confined  his  steamboat  enterprise  for  a  while  to  Long  Island 
Sound.  For  twenty  years,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  establishment  of  new  lines  in  the 
river,  sound  and  coastwise  trades,  in  the  face  of  strong  competition.  During  that 
time,  there  were  built  for  and  operated  by  him  in  the  neighborhood  of  a  hundred  steam 
vessels,  and  it  was  at  this  time  that  as  commander  of  his  fleet,  he  acquired  the  title  of 
Commodore.  This  remarkable  man  never  feared  opposition.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
seemed  to  love  and  court  it  and  always  knew  how  to  meet  it.  His  boats  built 
largely  under  his  own  plans  and  supervision  were  swifter,  finer,  and  more  attractive 
than  those  of  his  rivals,  and  were  in  the  main  successful.  He  gained  the  goodwill  of 
employes  by  treating  those  who  were  capable  generously,  while  merciless  in  replacing 
with  better  men  those  who  were  incompetent,  and  he  pleased  the  public  by  the  superior 
facilities  supplied.  He  operated  his  own  foundries  and  repair  shops,  and  by  shrewd 
and  energetic  management  gradually  gained  considerable  means. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  heralded  the  dawn  of  a  new  phase  of  maritime 
enterprise  in  America  and  led  all  the  bolder  spirits  to  engage  in  ocean  transportation  to 
the  Pacific  coast  by  way  of  the  isthmus.  A  monoply  of  the  traffic  by  way  of  Panama 
having  been  gained  by  various  companies,  and  the  fare  to  California  being  §600,  Com- 
modore Vanderbilt  resolved  to  establish  a  competing  line.  Having  built  the  steamship 
Prometheus,  he  sailed  in  1850  for  Nicaragua,  personally  explored  a  new  route  to  the 
Pacific  and  secured  a  charter  from  the  Nicaraguan  government.  In  1851,  a  semi- 
monthly line,  of  which  Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  at  first  agent  and  later  president,  began  opera- 
tions on  this  route  In  1853,  he  sold  his  interest  upon  excellent  terms  and  then,  a  wealthy 
man,  prepared  to  enjoy  a  vacation,  to  which  he  deemed  himself  entitled  after  more  than 
thirty  years  of  incessant  labor.  In  accordance  with  his  own  plans,  the  splendid  steamer 
North  Star  was  built  for  him,  and,  with  his  family,  he  made  an  extended  European  tour, 
lasting  four  months  and  covering  fifteen  thousand  miles  of  travel.  The  British  isles, 
Copenhagen,  St.  Petersburgh,  Moscow,  and  other  regions  in  the  North  of  Europe  and 
the  Mediterranean  as  far  as  Constantinople  were  visited  in  turn,  and  both  the  native  and 
American  residents  of  several  cities  were  entertained  in  the  most  hospitable  manner. 
In  some  ports,  the  arrival  of  the  North  Star  caused  public  agitation,  it  being  at  that 
time  difficult  for  Europeans  to  conceive  the  possibility  of  a  private  citizen  of  the  United 


678  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

States  traveling-  in  such  magnificence,  unless  as  a  cover  for  dangerous  political  designs. 

During  Commodore  Vanderbilt's  absence  abroad,  the  management  of  The  Nicara- 
gua Transit  Co.  passed  out  of  his  hands  to  Cornelius  K.  Garrison  and  Charles  Morgan, 
and  upon  his  return,  he  found  the  purchasers  of  his  interest  in  the  Nicaragua  steam- 
ship line  disposed  to  evade  the  conditions  of  sale.  This  called  forth  a  display  of  char- 
acteristic energy.  A  line  of  steamers  between  New  Orleans  and  Galveston  was  at 
once  established,  and,  in  1854,  another  line  from  New  York  to  Aspinwall.  A  sharp 
and  merciless  struggle  forced  the  rival  corporation  into  bankruptcy,  and  Commodore 
Vanderbilt  regained  possession  of  The  Nicaragua  Transit  Co.  During  the  eleven 
years  which  followed,  his  profits  were  $11,000,000. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  Crimean  War,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  resolved  to 
establish  a  line  of  American  steamers  to  ply  between  New  York  and  Europe,  intending 
to  engage  in  a  determined  campaign  to  secure  to  the  American  flag  the  Atlantic  carry- 
ing trade.  The  Government  did  not  accept  his  offer  to  run  to  England,  alternately 
with  the  Collins  steamers,  and  thereupon  he  started  a  line  to  Havre.  He  believed  that 
the  energy  which  had  been  resistless  in  American  waters  would  triumph  over  the  com- 
petition with  foreign  rivals,  but,  if  he  did  not  overlook,  he  certainly  underrated  the 
power  of  his  English  adversaries.  He  did,  indeed,  drive  the  old  Collins  and  Mills  lines 
of  American  steamers  from  the  sea  by  offering  to  carry  the  United  States  mails  without 
compensation,  but,  when  this  had  been  done,  he  found  that  he  could  not  operate  his 
ships  at  a  profit  against  the  heavily  subsidized  European  lines  and  his  short  but  bril- 
liant campaign  failed.  During  this  period  of  his  life,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  con- 
structed the  ocean  steamers  Prometheus,  Ariel,  Daniel  Webster,  Star  of  the  West, 
Northern  Light,  North  Star,  Grenada,  Ocean  Queen,  Galveston,  Opelousas,  Vander- 
bilt, Magnolia,  Matagorda,  Champion,  Costa  Rica,  Port  Jackson  and  New  York. 
During  the  Civil  War  in  1862,  the  Vanderbilt,  which  had  formerly  plied  in  the  ocean 
ferry  to  Havre  and  was  the  swiftest  and  best  appointed  steamer  afloat,  was  pre- 
sented to  the  Federal  Government  as  a  patriotic  gift.  This  vessel  gave  valuable 
service  as  a  cruiser  during  the  War,  and  its  donor  received,  in  1866,  the  thanks  of 
Congress  and  a  gold  medal,  inscribed  "  A  grateful  country  to  her  generous  son. " 

In  order  to  set  free  his  capital,  then  amounting  to  at  least  $30,000,000,  Commodore 
Vanderbilt  began  to  sell  his  steamboat  interests  on  Long  Island  Sound  about  1856-57, 
and  later  sold  or  chartered  to  the  Federal  government  all  his  then  remaining  vessels. 

As  early  as  1854,  he  had  begun  quietly  to  buy  shares  in  The  New  York  &  Harlem 
Railroad,  a  large  number  of  which  he  bought  as  low  as  $8,  $9,  and  $10.  In  the  same 
silent  manner,  while  shares  were  low  in  price,  he  acquired  a  large  interest  in  The 
New  York  &  New  Haven  Railroad.  Among  his  first  operations  in  Wall  street  was  a 
corner  in  Norwich  &  Worcester  railroad  stock.  In  1860,  he  sought  control  of  The 
New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad,  and  in  1863  was  elected  its  president,  The  stock,  then 
$30  a  share,  rose  to  $92  in  July  and  in  August,  to  $179,  in  consequence  of  a  campaign 
planned  by  John  Tobin  and  Leonard  W.  Jerome.  Commodore  Vanderbilt's  plans,  which 
contemplated  several  street  railroads  in  this  city,  connecting  with  his  road,  including 
one  on  Broadway,  aided  to  advance  the  price  of  the  stock.  But  a  combination  was 
made  against  him  by  a  group  of  acute  men  in  Wall  street,  who  put  forth  strenuous 
efforts  to  induce  the  Common  Council  to  cancel  the  grant  for  a  line  on  Broadway.  As 
a  result,  the  stock  of  the  Harlem  road  fell  heavily  in  value  Speculators  made  enor- 


tHE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — VA.  679 

mous  short  sales.  The  Commodore's  brokers  bought  steadily  until  they  had  purchased 
the  entire  stock  of  the  road.  Opponents  were  compelled  to  settle  at  "two  prices." 
The  next  year,  he  managed  another  corner,  this  time  in  the  stock  of  The  Hudson  River 
Road.  Having  bought  a  controlling  interest,  he  proposed  to  unite  the  line  with  the 
Harlem  under  one  charter,  and  sent  a  bill  to  that  effect  to  the  State  Legislature. 
Once  more,  a  combination  was  made  against  him.  The  stock,  then  held  at  $150  a  share, 
was  depressed  by  the  bears  to  a  low  figure.  Again,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  bought 
every  share  offered  until  his  'purchases  covered  27,000  more  shares  than  the  road  had 
ever  issued.  He  had  cornered  the  market  and  could  have  dictated  any  terms  but  to 
avert  a  panic  settled  at  $285  a  share.  Both  operations  brought  him  enormous  profits. 

Once  in  possession  of  The  Hudson  River  Railroad,  he  united  it  with  the  Harlem 
and  instituted  vigorous  reforms  in  the  management. 

A  campaign  planned  by  Commodore  Vanderbilt  in  the  winter  of  1865.  enabled  him 
to  buy  at  a  reduced  price  a  controlling  interest  in  The  New  York  Central  Railroad. 
In  1867,  he  became  president  of  the  road,  and  in  1869  of  the  consolidated  New  York 
Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad,  placing  1,000  miles  of  track  and  over  $100,000,000 
of  capital  under  his  control.  In  1868,  an  80  per  cent,  scrip  dividend  was  declared  on 
the  stock  of  both  roads,  in  spite  of  which  shares  rose  to  $200  each.  The  control  of  the 
entire  line  between  New  York  and  Chicago  was  secured  when,  at  the  annual  meeting 
of  the  Lake  Shore  Railroad,  it  was  shown  that  the  Vanderbilt  party  had  possession  of  a 
majority  of  the  stock. 

Commodore  Vanderbilt  possessed  the  constructive  temperament  in  a  marked 
degree,  and  his  great  wealth  came  mainly  from  creating  corporations,  which,  under  his 
management,  were  made  to  yield  large  dividends,  the  capital  then  being  increased  in 
harmony  with  the  earnings.  To  accomplish  these  remarkable  results,  he  brought  into 
play  all  of  the  hard  sense  and  Dutch  thrift  inherited  in  his  blood.  Useless  expenses 
were  stopped,  ornaments  and  decorations  were  stripped  from  locomotives  and  cars,  and 
idlers  were  discharged.  New  trains  were  established,  new  depots  built,  and  tracks 
were  doubled ;  and  he  made  the  railroads  under  his  control  one  of  the  great  trunk  line 
systems  of  the  country.  The  erection  of  the  Hudson  street  freight  depot  was  his  first 
great  work  on  this  system  and  the  adoption  of  the  four  track  plan  his  last. 

His  fight  for  the  control  of  The  Erie  Railroad  is  historic  and  supplied  one  of  the 
most  stirring  chapters  in  the  history  of  Wall  street.  The  Erie  was  the  one  line  necessary 
to  enable  him  to  gain  complete  control  of  the  railroad  system  of  the  State,  and  he  went 
into  the  market  with  a  resolution  to  obtain  it  at  any  cost,  backed  by  the  prestige  of  pre- 
vious triumphs.  At  the  outset,  his  success  seemed  a  foregone  conclusion.  Daniel 
Drew,  his  most  powerful  adversary,  seemed  to  have  been  won  over  to  his  side  on 
promise  of  restoration  to  the  board  and  even,-  indication  pointed  toward  success.  Mr. 
Drew  did  not  keep  his  promises,  however,  and  then  Commodore  Vanderbilt  resolved  to 
"corner"  the  Drew  interest,  an  undertaking  the  more  difficult  because  Mr.  Drew  and 
his  friends  had  control  of  the  company  and  could  issue  stock  in  any  amount  to  meet 
emergencies.  A  war  ensued  both  in  Wall  street  and  the  courts,  in  the  midst  of  which 
50,000  shares  of  Erie  stock  were  issued  and  placed  on  the  market.  Mr.  Vanderbilt 
bought  all  the  new  stock,  before  the  trick  was  discovered.  The  result  was  that  Erie 
dropped  from  $83  to  $7 1  a  share.  The  Erie  directors  fled  to  Jersey  City  with  their  prof- 
its, taking  §7,000,000  of  the  Commodore's  money,  and  extraordinary  legal  complica- 


680  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

tions  ensued.  Mr.  Vanderbilt  had  100,000  shares  of  Erie,  and  one  court  would  appoint 
a  receiver  of  those  shares  only  to  have  his  hands  tied  by  another  court.  Injunctions 
and  counter  injunctions  were  issued  and  the  Erie  litigation  fell  into  a  hopeless  maze. 
In  the  end,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  and  Mr.  Drew  were  compelled  to  adjust  their  differences 
between  themselves,  and  the  control  of  the  Erie  road  passed  into  the  hands  of  Jay 
Gould  and  James  Fisk,  jr.  In  this  campaign,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  lost  $7,000,000 
but  recovered  nearly  $5,000,000  by  legal  proceedings. 

In  later  years,  his  operations  in  Wall  street  were  not  conspicuous,  although  he  re- 
mained constantly  on  the  alert  to  protect  his  interests. 

His  faith  in  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  Railroad  was  strong  to  the 
last,  and  he  advised  his  friends  always  to  buy  and  hold  that  stock.  In  1872,  he  became 
a  large  buyer  of  the  securities  of  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co.,  also.  When  he 
rested  from  his  labors  he  had  accumulated  an  enormous  fortune,  estimated  variously  at 
from  $60,000,000  to  $100,000,000. 

As  he  felt  his  end  approaching,  Commodore  Vanderbilt  made  thorough  prepara- 
tions and  left  his  great  properties  carefully  disposed  of.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
physical  vigor  and  striking  personality,  six  feet  tall,  handsome  and  with  clear  com- 
plexion. He  dressed  plainly  but  was  fond  of  white  cravats  and  was  abstemious  in 
his  tastes.  For  the  last  twenty-five  years,  he  lived  in  a  plain  brick  house  in  Washington 
Place.  He  was  a  man  of  few  words.  Bunyan's  Pilgrim's  Progress  was  one  of  his 
favorite  books,  and  "  There  is  rest  for  the  weary  "  his  favorite  song.  Politics  did  not 
interest  him.  He  was  fond  of  driving  fine  horses  and  was  frequently  to  be  seen  driving 
in  the  Park  or  on  Harlem  lane  and  on  trotting  days  at  Fleetwood  Park.  His 
stables  contained  some  of  the  best  roadsters  in  the  country,  among  them  his  favorite, 
Mountain  Boy,  Post  Boy,  Plow  Boy,  Mountaineer,  Mountain  Girl,  Doctor,  Princess,  and 
the  Flying  Dutchman.  He  derived  great  enjoyment  from  a  social  game  of  cards  both  at 
Saratoga,  whither  he  repaired  every  summer,  and  in  town  as  member  of  several  whist 
clubs.  Among  large  gifts  which  he  made  may  be  mentioned  $1,000,000  to  Vanderbilt 
University  in  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  the  edifice  of  the  Mercer  Street  Church  in  ,honor 
of  the  Rev.  Charles  F.  Deems,  its  pastor.  He  was  the  father  of  thirteen  children  by 
his  first  wife:  Phebe  Jane,  wife  of  James  M.  Cross;  Ethelinda,  wife  of  Daniel  B. 
Allen;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  A.  Osgood;  William  H.  Vanderbilt;  Emily,  wife  of 
William  K.  Thorn;  Sophia  J.,  wife  of  Daniel  Torrance;  Maria  Louise,  wife  of  Horace 
F.  Clark;  Frances,  and  Cornelius  Johnson  Vanderbilt;  Mary  Alicia,  wife  of  Nicholas  La 
Bau;  George  W.  Vanderbilt;  Mrs.  Katharine  Johnson,  wife  of  Smith  Barker,  jr.;  and 
George  W.  Vanderbilt,  zd.  The  latter  died  in  1866  from  disease  contracted  in  the 
Corinth  campaign.  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  died  in  1867,  and  the  Commodore  in  1868  married 
Miss  Frank  A.  Crawford,  a  Southern  lady,  who  survived  him. 

WILLIAH  HENRY  VANDERBILT,  railroad  president,  oldest  son  of  Commodore 
Vanderbilt,  born  in  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  May  8,  1821,  died  at  his  New  York  house, 
Dec.  8,  1885.  For  nine  years  after  his  birth,  the  family  lived  in  New  Brunswick,  then 
a  small  town.  William  attended  country  school  for  a  while,  but,  after  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  New  York,  was  sent  to  Columbia  Grammar  School  until  he  had  acquired 
a  sound  elementary  education.  He  then  found  employment  in  a  ship  chandlery  store, 
kept  by  a  relative,  and  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  became  a  clerk  in  the  banking  house  of 
Drew,  Robinson  &  Co.,  at  a  salary  of  $150  for  the  first  year,  which  was  increased  to 


THE    CITY     OF     XEW     YORK. VA.  68l 

$300  the  second  year,  and  $1,000  at  the  beginning  of  the  third.  When  twenty  years  of 
age,  he  married  Miss  Maria  Louisa  Kissam,  the  daughter  of  a  clergyman  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church  at  Albany.  By  diligent  attention  to  the  interests  of  his  employers, 
Mr.  Yanderbilt  won  their  regard  and  an  offer  to  make  him  junior  partner.  Sedentary 
occupation  had  begun  to  affect  his  health,  however,  and  he  was  forced  both  to  decline 
the  offer  and  give  up  his  position.  It  is  said  that  Commodore  Vanderbilt  did  not  fore- 
see the  splendid  business  man  which  his  son  was  destined  to  become,  and  it  is  certain 
that,  at  that  period,  he  thought'  farming  better  suited  to  the  young  man's  ability.  He 
therefore  helped  William  to  buy  an  unimproved  farm  of  seventy  acres  near  New  Dorp, 
on  Staten  Island,  and  there  the  latter  established  himself  with  his  young  wife  to  enter 
upon  the  laborious  life  of  a  farmer.  After  various  trials,  so  successful  did  he  become 
in  the  cultivation  of  this  land  that,  within  a  few  years,  he  had  two  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  under  cultivation  and  was  making  §12,000  per  year  from  the  sale  of  produce 
Here  he  remained  tranquilly  and  prosperously  employed  until  the  time  had  arrived 
for  him  to  take  part  in  the  management  of  some  of  his  father's  properties.  A  farmer 
of  middle  age  seldom  succeeds  in  financial  and  corporate  undertakings,  unless  he  has 
had  previous  training  in  their  management ;  and  it  is  a  remarkable  illustration  of  the 
energy,  soundness  of  judgment  and  capacity  of  William  H.  Vanderbilt,  that,  from  his 
first  association  with  any  of  his  father's  interests,  he  not  only  did  not  let  them  suffer 
under  his  management  but  made  them  prosper. 

In  1853,  he  visited  Europe  with  his  father  and  the  rest  of  the  family.  Three  years 
after  this,  The  Staten  Island  Railroad,  from  Stapleton  to  Tottenville,  was  chartered, 
with  Commodore  Vanderbilt  as  principal  stockholder.  Finished  in  1858,  the  road 
proved  a  losing  investment  from  the  start  and  in  two  years  was  bankrupt.  William 
H.  Vanderbilt,  then  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  on  the  island,  was  made  receiver  of 
the  road,  in  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  the  stockholders.  This  little  line  was  only 
thirteen  miles  long,  but  it  served  to  acquaint  Mr.  Vanderbilt  with  the  details  of  railway 
management  and  to  show  his  ability.  He  quickly  mastered  the  situation.  By  reducing 
expenses,  stimulating  excursion  travel  from  the  city  to  the  fishing  grounds,  establish- 
ing an  independent  ferry  from  Stapleton  to  New  York  and  systematizing  the  business 
of  the  road,  he  rescued  the  company  from  bankruptcy  within  two  years  and  became  its 
president.  He  had  demonstrated  his  ability  in  the  most  unexpected  manner.  No 
living  man  at  that  time  was  a  better  judge  of  the  value  of  such  services  than  Commo- 
dore Vanderbilt,  and  although  he  was  slow  to  acknowledge  the  greatness  of  his  son, 
yet  he  did  in  time. 

In  1864,  William  H.  Vanderbilt  was  elected  vice  president  of  The  New  York  & 
Harlem  Railroad  and  entered  upon  a  career  in  which  he  gained  distinction.  From 
that  time  forward,  until  his  father's  death  in  1877,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  responsible  in 
large  part  for  the  oversight  and  execution  of  many  of  the  great  operations  undertaken 
by  his  father  and  gained  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  mysteries  of  railroad  manage- 
ment. In  1877,  he  succeeded  to  the  presidency  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem,  The 
New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  and  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern  Rail- 
roads and  to  the  possession  of  nearly  nine-tenths  of  his  father's  fortune,  with  its 
tremendous  responsibilities.  But  he  was  well  fitted  for  the  position.  One  of  his  early 
acts  was  to  add  to  the  bequests  of  his  sisters  a  personal  gift  of  $500,000  each,  delivering 
it  to  them  himself,  when  he  gave  them  their  shares  under  the  will. 


682  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

From  the  beginning  of  1877  to  the  fall  of  1881,  the  business  history  of  Mr.  Vander- 
bilt  was  identical  with  that  of  the  system  of  roads  which  bears  his  name  and  was  a  sea- 
son of  great  activity  in  railroad  matters.  During  1877,  he  bought  The  Canada  Southern 
and  The  Michigan  Central  Railroads  and  added  them  to  the  Vanderbilt  system.  He  also 
took  part,  the  same  year,  in  the  vigorous  war  over  westward  bound  freight  rates  between 
the  trunk  lines.  This  war  had  hardly  subsided  before  the  historic  railway  strikes  and 
riots  of  1877  began.  On  account  of  the  rate  war,  the  companies  had  not  been  able  to 
maintain  their  scale  of  wages,  and,  in  July,  The  New  York  Central  made  a  reduction 
of  ten  per  cent.  As  there  were  12,000  men  in  the  employ  of  the  system,  it  was  feared 
that  trouble  and  violence  would  ensue.  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  at  the  time  in  Saratoga,  acted 
with  prompt  decision.  He  summoned  to  his  presence  in  August  a  few  officers  and 
directors  of  the  road,  laid  before  them  his  plan  of  action,  and  after  a  brief  conference 
sent  out  by  telegraph  a  proclamation,  that  the  company  would  give  to  its  employes  the 
sum  of  $100,000  to  be  divided  among  them  pro  rata,  and  at  the  same  time  promised  a 
restoration  of  the  ten  per  cent,  as  soon  as  the  business  of  the  road  would  warrant. 
The  result  was  that  none  of  the  men  struck,  and  the  old  scale  of  wages  was  eventually 
restored.  This  was  only  one  of  the  numerous  instances,  many  of  them  of  far  greater 
importance,  in  which  he  showed  himself  capable  of  meeting  an  emergency. 

During  his  active  career,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  engaged  in  many  large  operations  in 
stocks,  especially  in  Philadelphia  &  Reading  and  Chicago  &  Northwestern,  which  were 
undertaken  mainly  to  sustain  the  properties  in  which  he  was  especially  interested. 
Clear  headed,  sagacious,  and  resolute,  and  possessing  abundant  capital,  he  was  usually 
successful  in  these  and  other  undertakings  and  practically  doubled  his  fortune. 

In  November,  1879,  Mr.  Vanderbilt,  to  protect  his  road  from  the  attacks  of  great 
rivals  and  at  the  same  time  change  the  character  of  a  part  of  his  investments,  in 
order  to  make  them  more  ready  of  distribution  in  case  of  his  death,  made  the  largest 
sale  of  railway  stock  in  history  by  an  individual  owner.  He  sold,  at  this  time,  to  a 
syndicate  representing  a  number  of  foreign  capitalists,  250,000  shares  of  New  York 
Central  stock  at  $120  a  share  and  invested  the  proceeds  in  Government  bonds.  '  He 
was  known  to  be  the  holder  of  400,000  shares,  worth,  in  the  market,  $130  each. 

In  the  midst  of  the  next  great  railroad  war,  that  of  1881,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  withdrew 
from  the  actual  labor  of  railroad  management  and  transferred  the  financial  administra- 
tion to  his  son,  Cornelius,  and  oversight  of  the  practical  operations  to  his  son,  William 
K.  Vanderbilt. 

May  4,  1883,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  finally  surrendered  the  presidencies  of  his  various 
railroads,  making  arrangements,  however,  for  harmony  in  their  management  and  a 
continuance  of  the  policies,  which  had  theretofore  met  with  the  approval  of  the  stock- 
holders. Under  the  reorganization,  he  provided  for  election  of  a  chairman  of  each 
Board,  who,  in  union  with  the  executive  and  finance  committees,  should  have  immedi- 
ate and  constant  supervision  of  all  the  affairs  of  the  companies.  James  H.  Rutter  was 
elected  president  of  the  New  York  Central,  retaining  the  office  until  his  death,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Chauncey  M.  Depew.  Shortly  after  completing  these  arrange- 
ments, Mr.  Vanderbilt  sailed  for  Europe  to  recruit  his  health,  which  had  become 
undermined  by  the  labors  of  preceding  years,  and  during  the  remainder  of  his  life 
spent  more  time  in  the  enjoyment  of  his  horses  and  art  collections  than  in  the  financial 
world.  His  last  achievement  was  the  leasing  of  the  West  Shore  road  in  order  to  put 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  683 

an  end  to  competition,  and  this  was  accomplished  only  a  day  or  two  before  his  death. 

Mr.  Vanderbilt  was  a  man  of  large  physique,  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  erect, 
sturdy,  well  proportioned,  and  active  in  movement  Sometimes  abrupt  in  speech,  he 
was  as  a  rule  genial  in  business  affairs  and  easy  almost  to  graciousness  in  social  conver- 
sation. He  was  a  hard  worker,  an  excellent  judge  of  character,  quick  in  intuition, 
generally  correct  in  his  judgments,  fearless  of  the  dangers  which  surround  a  man  of  his 
prominence,  and  exceedingly  regular  in  his  daily  routine.  He  had  that  quality, 
inherited  from  his  father,  of  being  able  to  select  the  right  man  for  any  position  and  to 
leave  its  work  to  him  with  confidence  that  it  would  be  well  done.  He  was  a  domestic 
man,  fond  of  the  society  of  his  wife  and  children,  and  enjoyed  family  gatherings  at  his 
house.  His  family  life  was  always  of  the  most  pleasant  character;  and  his  wife,  upon 
whom  devolved  the  duty  of  bringing  up  their  large  family  of  nine  children,  only  one  of 
whom  died  in  youth,  was  the  same  loving  spouse  and  mother  amid  the  magnificence 
which  surrounded  their  latter  days  as  in  earlier  times  on  the  Staten  Island  farm.  He 
never  attended  any  large  social  gatherings  or  many  big  dinners. 

One  of  his  later  undertakings  was  the  building  of  his  Fifth  Avenue  mansion,  which 
was  the  most  handsome  private  dwelling  in  America,  and  contained,  besides  numerous 
works  of  art,  a  magnificent  collection  of  paintings,  most  of  which  had  been  selected  by 
himself  or  painted  to  his  order.  His  taste  ran  mostly  toward  brilliant  historical  pictures, 
although  many  other  subjects  were  represented,  and  upon  many  occasions  he  permitted 
the  public  to  view  his  collection.  Like  his  father,  he  was  a  great  lover  of  fine  horses 
and  was  spoken  of  by  the  older  set  of  horsemen  as  one  of  the  best  drivers  who  ever 
lived.  His  stable  at  5zd  street  and  Madison  Avenue  was  a  model  of  elegance,  and 
sheltered  at  different  times  some  of  the  best  trotting  stock  that  could  be  procured. 
Every  clear  afternoon,  he  could  be  seen  on  the  driveways  of  upper  New  York  behind 
his  favorite  team.  One  of  his  first  feats  was  to  drive  Small  Hopes  and  Lady  Mac,  a 
mile  to  a  top  road  wagon  in  2. 23^  on  Fleetwood  Park  track.  This  time  had  never 
been  deemed  possible  and  created  a  sensation  in  the  trotting  world.  Later,  he  bought 
the  celebrated  Maud  S. ,  and  one  time  drove  her  with  Aldine  to  a  top  road  wagon  over 
the  same  course  in  2.15^,  the  fastest  time  ever  made  by  a  trotting  team  under  any  cir- 
cumstances. Mr.  Vanderbilt  kept  Maud  S.  for  several  years  and  then  sold  her  to 
Robert  Bonner. 

While  a  liberal  donor  to  philanthropic  work  (some  of  his  gifts  being  too  great  to 
remain  unknown),  Mr.  Vanderbilt  avoided  publicity  wherever  possible.  Many  of  his 
benefactions  have  never  been  made  public.  On  the  presentation  of  the  obelisk  to  this 
city  by  the  Khedive  of  Egypt,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  defrayed  the  entire  cost  of  its  transpor- 
tation and  erection  in  Central  Park.  He  also  gave  $100,000  to  the  Vanderbilt  Univer- 
sity at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  for  the  erection  of  a  Theological  Hall.  His  other  gifts  to  this 
institution  at  various  times  amounted  to  as  much  more,  and  he  left  it  $200,000  in  his 
will.  He  was  also  a  large  contributor  to  the  Deems  fund  for  the  education  of  indigent 
students  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  and  made  several  generous  gifts  to  the 
University  of  Virginia  In  1884,  he  gave  $500,000  to  The  College  of  Physicians  & 
Surgeons  of  New  York  for  a  site  and  the  erection  of  a  new  building.  His  generosity 
towards  General  Grant  at  the  time  of  the  disastrous  failure  of  Grant  &  Ward,  is  well 
known.  By  his  will,  he  gave  $100,000  to  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art;  $300,000 
for  Episcopal  missions;  $100,000  each  to  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  The  Young  Men's 


684  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

Christian  Association,  and  The  United  Brethren's  church  on  Staten  Island;  and 
$500,000  more  to  other  institutions,  a  total  of  a  million  dollars.  His  religious  feelings 
were  strong  and  well  founded.  He  was  a  life  long  communicant  of  St.  Bartholomew's 
church,  having  become  a  member  of  that  body  when  he  first  came  to  the  city.  For 
many  years  he  served  as  a  vestryman.  When  that  church  removed  up  town,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  building  committee  for  the  new  structure  and  gave  liberally  of  both 
his  time  and  money  to  this  work.  His  children  were  Cornelius,  William  K.,  Frederick 
W. .  and  George  W.  Vanderbilt ;  Margaret  Louisa,  wife  of  Elliott  F.  Shepard ;  Emily 
Thorn,  wife  of  William  D.  Sloane;  Florence  Adele,  wife  of  Hamilton  McK.  Twombly; 
and  Eliza  O  ,  wife  of  William  Seward  Webb. 

CORNELIUS  VANDERBILT,  railroad  president,  oldest  son  of  William  H.  Vander- 
bilt, was  born  Nov.  27,  1843,  on  his  father's  farm  on  Staten  Island.  After  an  academic 
education,  he  left  his  books  to  enter  The  Shoe  &  Leather  Bank  as  a  clerk,  and,  after 
a  time,  became  clerk  for  the  Wall  street  firm  of  Kissam  &  Co.  Even  at  this  early 
stage  of  his  career,  it  was  evident  that  he  possessed  the  remarkable  business  ability  of 
his  family  and  would  make  his  mark  in  any  calling. 

In  1865,  his  father  called  him  to  a  clerkship  in  tne  office  of  The  New  York  &  Har- 
lem Railroad,  in  order  that  his  training  in  railroad  management  should  begin  at  the 
beginning  and  be  thorough  and  comprehensive.  Making  himself  perfectly  familiar 
with  the  system  of  accounts,  he  became,  in  1867,  treasurer  of  the  company,  a  position 
he  held  for  ten  years.  In  1877,  he  was  elected  vice  president  of  The  New  York  & 
Harlem  Railroad  and  first  vice  president  of  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River 
Railroad.  In  these  important  stations,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  displayed  excellent  capacity  for 
dealing  with  important  subjects,  sound  and  keen  judgment,  and  the  ability  to  decide 
safely  and  without  hesitation.  During  the  following  years,  before  his  father's  practical 
retirement  had  placed  upon  him  the  weight  of  enormous  trusts,  he  served  in  an  official 
capacity  in  the  direction  of  others  of  the  Vanderbilt  railroads.  He  was  treasurer  of 
The  Michigan  Central  Railroad,  1878-83;  vice  president,  1880-83;  and  treasurer  and 
vice  president  of  The  Canada  Southern  Railway,  1878-83.  Delighting  in  the  study 
of  railroad  problems,  systematic,  industrious  and  rapid  in  the  execution  of  work,  he 
discharged  every  trust  committed  to  him  with  fidelity  and  success;  and  when,  in  1883, 
he  became  the  especial  represetative  of  the  Vanderbilt  interests,  he  was  universally 
recognized  as  a  trained  and  competent  railroad  man. 

In  1883,  he  was  elected  president  of  The  Canada  Southern  Railway  and  chairman 
of  the  board  of  directors  of  The  New  York  Central  &  Hudson  River  and  The  Michigan 
Central  Railroads,  and  in  1886,  president  of  The  New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  and  vice 
president  of  The  Beech  Creek  Railroad.  He  is  now  connected  in  an  official  capacity 
with  every  one  of  the  magnificent  system  of  railroads,  founded  by  his  grandfather  and 
developed  by  his  father  and  himself.  Of  all  the  persons  in  the  service  of  these  corpor- 
ations, no  one  labors  with  closer  application  or  more  conscientious  spirit  than  the  man 
upon  whom,  in  reality,  rests  the  principal  responsibility  of  directing  the  policy  of  16,000 
miles  of  railway  line  and  the  labor  of  nearly  one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  men. 
He  pervades  the  whole  system  with  his  activity,  deals  with  a  great  variety  of  prob- 
lems, is  thorough  in  his  investigation  of  each  one,  and,  while  aided  by  men  of  distin- 
guished ability  who  have  charge  of  various  branches  of  the  service,  is  himself  the  in- 
spiration of  most  that  is  done.  He  is  now  president  of  The  Canada  Southern  & 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  685 

Michigan  Central  Railroad,  and  director  in  about  forty-five  different  companies,  among 
them  The  New  York  &  Harlem,  The  West  Shore,  The  Dunkirk,  Alleghany  Valley  & 
Pittsburgh,  The  Lake  Shore  &  Michigan  Southern,  The  Chicago,  St.  Paul,  Minne- 
apolis &  Omaha,  The  Pine  Creek,  and  The  New  York,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroads, 
and  is  also  a  director  of  Union  Trust  Co.,  The  New  York  Mutual  Gas  Light  Co.,  and 
various  other  corporations. 

While  practical  affairs  necessarily  absorb  the  most  of  his  time,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  has 
made  himself  one  of  the  most  useful  and  public  spirited  residents  of  this  city  by  his 
sympathetic  interest  in  and  cordial  support  of  every  institution,  which  will  advance  the 
prestige  of  the  metropolis  or  carry  on  a  noble  and  philanthropic  work.  He  is  a  trustee 
of  Columbia  College,  The  General  Theological  Seminar}-,  the  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the 
Divine,  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  and  chairman  of  the  executive 
committee  of  St.  Luke's  Hospital  and  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  These  insti- 
tutions, most  of  which  have  received  from  him  generous  gifts,  would  alone  consume  all 
the  time  a  busy  man  could  ordinarily  spare  for  public  labors,  but  his  attention  to  these 
interests  does  not  comprise  a  moiety  of  his  activity  in  the  field  of  philanthropy.  He  is 
a  devoted  churchman,  a  regular  attendant  of  St.  Bartholomew's  P.  E.  Church  on  Madi- 
son avenue,  of  whose  vestry  he  is  a  member,  and  a  manager  of  The  Board  of  Domestic 
and  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  and  The  Seaman's  Mission- 
ary Society,  vice  president  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and  The  Eye  & 
Ear  Infirmary,  and  director  of  The  Home  for  Incurables,  The  College  of  Physicians  & 
Surgeons,  The  Sloane  Maternity  Hospital,  and  The  Hospital  for  the  Relief  of  the  Rup- 
tured &  Crippled,  and  a  contributor  not  only  to  them  but  to  many  other  societies  and 
charities.  He  is  also  chairman  of  the  railroad  branch  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association,  founded  by  him  in  1877,  for  which  he  has  erected  a  most  attractive  build- 
ing on  Madison  avenue  at  the  corner  of  45th  street  at  an  expense  of  several  hundred 
thousand  dollars. 

In  the  social  life  of  the  city,  he  occupies  a  Very  eminent  position.  His  wife  is 
Alice  Gwynne,  daughter  of  the  late  Abram  E.  Gwynne,  and  the  children  born  to  them 
have  been  Alice  G.,  William  H.,  Cornelius,  Gertrude,  Alfred  G.,  Reginald  C.,  and 
Gladys.  Mrs.  Vanderbilt  is  a  devoted  mother  and  a  gracious  and  charming  woman, 
refined,  dignified  and  cultivated  in  mind,  and  a  worthy  companion  of  her  distinguished 
husband.  While  not  especially  fond  of  the  life  of  clubs,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  belongs  to 
manj-  and  is  occasionally  seen  in  the  houses  of  the  Metropolitan,  Union,  Union  League, 
Tuxedo,  Knickerbocker,  Grolier,  St.  Nicholas,  City,  Players',  Century,  Riding,  Country, 
Racquet,  Lawyers',  New  York  Yacht,  Westchester  Polo  and  Down  Town  clubs,  of 
which  he  is  a  member.  He  is  also  a  member  of  The  St.  Nicholas  Society  and  various 
other  social  organizations. 

He  is  happiest  in  his  home  life  and  has  contributed  in  the  construction  of  his 
dwelling  to  the  splendor  of  the  metropolis.  He  has  occupied  for  many  years  a  house 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  57th  street,  the  latter  being  the  most 
desirable  side  street  up  town,  owing  to  its  greater  width,  the  beauty  of  the  mansions 
with  which  it  is  lined,  and  its  nearness  to  Central  Park,  only  two  blocks  away.  This 
house  was,  in  1893-94,  greatly  enlarged,  and  the  yard  extended  through  to  58th  street, 
several  dwellings  and  the  house  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  Veteran  club  having  been 
removed  to  make  way  for  the  new  portions  of  the  mansion.  In  its  completed  form. 


686  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

the  mansion  is  now  the  largest  private  residence  in  America.  It  is  of  brick,  five  stories 
high,  its  ornaments,  pinnacles,  sills  and  trimmings  made  of  light  colored  stone.  In 
style,  it  follows  the  architecture  of  the  Chateau  du  Blois  in  France,  and,  while  impres- 
sive from  its  size  and  beauty,  avoids  ostentation  and  possesses  an  air  of  substantial 
comfort  which  is  very  pleasing.  Within,  Mr.  Vanderbilt  has  spared  no  pains  to  endow 
his  house  with  every  attraction  within  the  range  of  the  powers  of  the  architect,  the 
sculptor,  the  artist,  and  the  decorator.  Carpets  have  been  woven  and  furniture  de- 
signed especially  for  each  of  the  principal  rooms  by  a  celebrated  firm  of  Paris.  "  Hos- 
pitality "  is  inscribed  upon  one  of  the  walls  and  pervades  the  conduct  of  the  estab- 
lishment. A  strip  of  lawn  borders  the  Fifth  avenue  side  of  the  mansion,  and  a  garden 
and  an  impressive  carriage  porch  adorns  the  s8th  street  front.  The  building  is  a  not- 
able contribution  to  the  architecture  of  the  city. 

ABRAHAfl  R.  VAN  NEST,  merchant,  a  native  of  Somerset  county,  N.  J.,  who 
died  in  New  York  city,  June  25,  1888,  in  his  seventy-ninth  year,  was  Dutch  in  ped- 
igree. In  early  life,  he  came  to  the  city  and  engaged  in  business  with  his  uncle, 
Abraham  Van  Nest,  son  of  William  Van  Nest,  and  a  well  known  dealer  in  saddlery  and 
later  a  manufacturer.  To  this  trade  the  young  man  succeeded  and  his  firm  of  A.  R. 
Van  Nest  &  Co.  became  one  of  the  strongest  in  the  city.  The  old  house  is  yet  in  business 
and  completes  the  one  hundreth  year  of  its  existence  in  1895.  Mr.  Van  Nest  has  never 
sought  public  office,  but  in  the  business  world,  in  which  he  was  active  for  sixty  years,  he 
held  many  trusts  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  a  director  of  The  Farmers'  Loan  & 
Trust  Co.,  The  Delaware  &  Hudson  Canal  Co.,  The  New  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford Railroad,  The  Western  Union  Telegraph  Co. ,  The  Sixth  Avenue  Railroad,  The 
Seventh  National  Bank,  The  Stuyvesant  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  and  The  Greenwich,  Fire- 
men's, Mercantile,  Pacific  and  Guardian  Insurance  Go's.  He  had  also  served  at  various 
times  as  a  director  of  The  Illinois  Central,  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  &  Western,  and 
The  Chicago,  Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroads.  His  children  were  a  son  and  three 
daughters,  Alexander,  Mary,  Anna  and  Jane. 

WARNER  VAN  NORDEN,  president  of  The  National  Bank  of  North  America,  is  a 
descendant  of  two  of  the  oldest  families  on  the  Island  of  Manhattan.  There  are  few 
residents  of  the  United  States  more  thoroughly  American  than  he,  his  family  having 
lived  in  his  native  city  continually  since  the  year  1633  or  more  than  261  years.  On  his 
father's  side,  Mr.  Van  Norden  is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  ancient  Holland  Dutch 
families,  so  many  of  which  have  been  conspicuous  in  the  history  of  the  State,  the  Van 
Nordens  having  come  to  America  from  Amsterdam  about  the  year  1640.  On  his 
mother's  side,  he  is  descended  from  the  famous  Rev.  Dr.  Everardus  Bogardus,  who 
began  preaching  the  gospel  in  the  old  church  within  the  fort  on  what  is  now  the  Battery. 
He  was  the  first  regular  Presbyterian  pastor  in  the  United  States.  Dominie  Bogardus 
was  a  fearless  preacher  of  the  gospel  and  a  determined  champion  of  the  people  in  their 
conflict  against  the  arbitrary  rule  of  the  Governor,  William  Kieft.  In  1638,  he  married 
the  rich  widow  Anneke  Jans,  who  owned  what  is  known  as  the  "Trinity  Church  pro- 
perty." Two  of  Mr.  Van  Norden's  mother's  ancestors  were  Abraham  de  la  Noy  and 
Jean  Mousnier  de  La  Montagnie,  French  Huguenots,  who  had  fled  from  religious  per- 
secution to  Holland  and  who  with  other  colonists  came  to  New  Amsterdam  in  the 
early  days.  De  La  Montagnie  belonged  to  the  ancienne  noblesse  of  France  and  was  a 
man  of  great  learning,  unusual  accomplishments  and  elegant  manners.  His  three 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  687 

daugnters  were  the  most  charming  and  attractive  women  in  the  colony.  He  was 
Councillor  to  Governor  Kieft,  a  sort  of  prime  minister.  After  Petrus  Stuyvesant 
became  Governor,  de  La  Montagnie  was  Vice  Governor  and  ruled  the  northern  portion 
of  the  province,  establishing  his  seat  of  government  at  Fort  Orange,  now  Albany. 

Other  old  New  York  families,  with  whom  Mr.  Van  Norden  is  connected  by  blood 
and  marriage  ties,  are  the  Roomes,  Kiersteds,  Kips,  Van  Nests,  Waldrons  and 
Vermilyes.  His  great  great  grandfather,  Adriance  Hoghland,  once  owned  all  the  land 
now  occupied  by  Riverside  Park  and  Drive  and  long  known  as  the  De  Kay  farm. 

Mr.  Van  Norden  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  July  2,  1841.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  preparatory  school  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York,  in  the 
grand  old  building,  recently  removed,  which  stood  opposite  the  Washington  parade 
ground.  His  father  was  a  wholesale  produce  merchant  on  the  west  side  of  the  city, 
and  the  young  man  entered  a  house  engaged  in  a  similar  line  of  business  at  No.  3 
Front  street.  This  concern  was  the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  country',  the  principal 
part  of  the  business  being  with  English  shippers.  Here,  Mr.  Van  Norden  received  a 
thorough  training  in  commercial  life.  He  was  noted  for  his  fidelity  to  duty,  diligence 
and  intelligence.  In  a  brief  period,  he  had  risen  to  be  a  partner  in  the  house  and  later 
he  became  its  representative  in  the  South.  His  mercantile  career  was  attended  with 
marked  success.  Untiring,  upright,  commanding  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  he  was  able  to  enlarge  the  trade  of  his  firm  and  he 
shared  in  the  prosperity  which  he  was  instrumental  in  creating.  In  1876,  he  retired 
from  mercantile  business  and  engaged  in  private  banking,  becoming  interested  in  a 
variety  of  railroad  and  other  enterprises. 

In  the  early  eighties,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  became  interested,  with  some 
Pacific  coast  friends,  in  the  Plymouth  gold  mine  of  California  and  was  the  president  of 
the  company.  The  Plymouth  was  then  the  best  gold  mine  in  the  United  States  and 
produced  in  the  entire  period  of  its  existence  over  six  millions  of  dollars.  Visiting  such 
a  mine,  sixteen  hundred  feet  under  ground,  is  attended  with  risks  and  casualties  are 
frequent.  Though  dangerously  near  to  accident  a  number  of  times,  Mr.  Van  Norden 
was  never  injured.  The  same  Providence  has  watched  over  him  on  more  than  a  score 
of  long  ocean  voyages  and  in  travels  through  many  lands.  His  most  thrilling  experi- 
ence was  in  August,  1864,  when  voyaging  up  the  Mississippi  on  the  passenger  steamer 
Empress.  At  Games'  Landing,  Arkansas,  a  hidden  Confederate  batten-  suddenly 
opened  fire  on  the  steamboat.  Over  one  hundred  shots  were  fired.  The  captain  and 
a  number  of  passengers  were  killed  and  many  wounded.  The  boat  was  disabled  and 
was  on  the  point  of  being  captured,  when  the  United  States  gunboat  Prairie  Bird, 
coming  to  the  rescue,  drove  off  the  enemy  and  towed  the  Empress  to  a  place  of  safety. 
The  surgeon  came  aboard,  and,  with  the  help  of  Mr.  Van  Norden  and  other  passengers 
who  were  unhurt,  cared  for  the  injured.  At  sundown,  a  little  group  tenderly  laid  away 
in  newly  made  graves  under  a  great  cypress  tree  the  remains  of  those  whose  lives  had 
been  taken,  and  offered  a  prayer  for  their  loved  ones  at  home. 

In  January,  1891,  Mr.  Van  Norden  was  elected  president  of  The  National  Bank  of 
North  America,  one  of  the  oldest  financial  institutions  in  the  country,  and  has  since 
remained  at  its  head.  Besides  conducting  the  affairs  of  this  bank,  Mr.  Van  Norden  has 
been  led  by  his  progressive  nature  and  intelligent  interest  in  affairs  to  become  a  mana- 
ger in  other  important  corporations.  He  is  president  of  The  South  Yuba  Water  Co. ; 


688  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

president  of  The  Land  &  River  Improvement  Co. ;  vice-president  of  The  Holland  Trust 
Co. ;  and  a  director  of  The  Home  Insurance  Co. ,  American  Savings  Bank,  The  North- 
ern Trust  Co.,  of  Superior,  Wis.,  and  several  other  organizations.  He  is  also  a  receiver 
of  The  Chicago  &  Northern  Pacific  Railroad  Co.,  and  of  The  Norfolk,  Albemarle  & 
Atlantic  Railroad  Co.  He  is  president  of  The  Holland  Society  and  a  member  of  the 
Metropolitan  and  Lawyers'  clubs  as  well  as  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce. 

Like  his  famous  ancestor,  Dr.  Bogardus,  Mr.  Van  Norden  is  a  Presbyterian  church- 
man and  is  active  and  prominent  in  religious  circles.  He  is  a  trustee  both  of  his  Pres- 
bytery and  Synod.  He  ranks  among  the  foremost  of  ruling  elders,  has  frequently 
served  in  the  judicatories,  and  is  president  of  The  Presbyterian  Union  of  New  York 
city.  He  has  been  active  in  the  Presbyterian  General  Assembly  as  well  as  in  the 
Presbytery  and  Synod,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Assembly's  Committee  on  The  Church 
Magazine  and  the  Presbyterial  Committee  on  Church  Extension.  Besides  this,  he  is  a 
prominent  member  of  The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  a  director  of  The  American 
Tract  Society  and  The  New  York  Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor. 

Mr.  Van  Norden  has  been  specially  fitted  for  the  great  burden  of  work  imposed  upon 
him  by  his  extended  interests,  by  the  possession  of  a  magnificent  physique  and  robust 
constitution,  inherited  from  his  sturdy  ancestors.  Moreover,  he  has  never  irritated  these 
natural  powers  by  the  use  of  tobacco  or  ardent  spirits.  In  addition  to  shrewd  business 
ability  and  religious  activities,  Mr.  Van  Norden  is  possessed  of  rare  social  qualities. 
Refined,  agreeable  in  manner,  with  a  mind  well  stored  with  information  by  travel, 
observation  and  reading,  and  possessing  a  racy  humor,  he  is  in  demand  both  as  a  con- 
versationalist and  an  after  dinner  speaker.  His  home  is  beautified  with  rare  works  of 
art,  showing  a  cultivated  taste,  but  the  atmosphere  of  family  affection  which  pervades 
it  is  its  rarest  and  most  enviable  adornment.  He  is  deeply  devoted  to  the  welfare  of  the 
metropolis  and  has  contributed  his  share  in  maintaining  those  two  notable  institutions, 
The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  and  The  American  Museum  of  Natural  History. 

CORTLANDT  SCHUYLER  VAN  RENSSELAER,  lawyer  and  realty  owner,  born 
in  Albany,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  20,  1859,  is  a  son  of  Gratz  and  Catherine  Van  Cortlandt  Van 
Rensselaer  and  in  the  seventh  generation  of  descent  from  Kilian  Van  Rensselaer,  who 
bought  from  the  Indians  the  land  now  comprising  the  counties  of  Albany,  Rensselaer, 
Delaware,  Greene  and  Columbia  and  became  first  patron  of  Rensselaerwyck.  The  parents 
of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  removed  to  New  York  city,  while  he  was  a  lad.  Graduat- 
ing from  Hobart  College,  he  afterward  attended  Columbia  Law  School  in  New  York, 
but,  before  graduating,  went  to  Eau  Claire,  Wis.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  there. 
He  practiced  law  with  success  for  a  while  but  returned  to  New  York  city  in  1884  and 
entered  the  office  of  Elihu  Root,  then  United  States  District  Attorney.  He  became 
Assistant  District  Attorney  under  William  Dorsheimer,  Mr.  Root's  successor,  and  later, 
under  Stephen  A.  Walker  and  Edward  Mitchell.  A  delegate  to  various  State  conven- 
tions of  the  Republican  party,  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  once  ran  for  Congress  against 
General  Spinola  in  the  Xllth  District,  and,  although  defeated,  made  a  vigorous  and 
determined  campaign.  In  1891,  he  became  counsel  for  The  American  Surety  Co.,  and 
yet  holds  that  position,  being  an  active,  sound  and  capable  lawyer.  He  is  the  proprietor 
of  considerable  real  estate,  mainly  acquired  by  successful  investment,  the  basis  of  which 
was  an  inheritance  from  John  Van  Rensselaer,  his  grandfather,  and  Stephen  Van 
Cortlandt,  his  great  grandfather,  and  has  managed  hi?  properties  with  excellent  judg- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VA.  689 

ment.  In  1891,  he  married  Miss  Horace,  daughter  of  William  Macaulay,  a  Scot  and  a 
writer  of  distinction  and  a  descendant  in  her  mother's  line  from  Capt.  John  Underbill. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  Country,  University,  St.  Nicholas  and  Sigma 
Phi  clubs,  The  Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  The  Colonial  Order,  The  Sons  of  the  Revo- 
lution and  the  Huguenot  Society. 

ASHLEY  ABRAHAM  VAN  TINE,  one  of  the  most  notable  of  the  up-town  mer- 
chants of  this  city,  was  born  Oct.  12,  1821,  in  Chazy,  N.  Y.,  and  died  at  his  home,  No. 
153  West  57th  street  in  this  city,  Jan.  25,  1890.  He  traced  his  family  line  back  to  old 
Holland  stock,  and  his  father,  David  Van  Tine,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer. 
It  was  upon  the  farm  that  Ashley  A.  Van  Tine  began  life.  He  grew  up  rugged  in 
health,  practical  and  energetic,  and,  with  a  country  school  education,  took  the  first  step 
in  the  way  of  bettering  his  condition  by  becoming  captain  of  a  canal  boat,  while  yet 
under  age,  graduating  from  this  latter  service  to  engage  in  teaching  a  school  in  Platts- 
burgh.  This  latter  experience  was  useful  to  Mr.  Van  Tine,  and  by  constant  study  he 
became  a  well  informed  man. 

Early  in  life,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  joined  the  throng  of  residents  of  the 
Eastern  States,  who  were  pouring  into  California,  drawn  by  the  glowing  tales  of  dis- 
coveries of  gold.  Being  detained  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  a  hundred  days,  he 
followed  a  custom  usual  with  him  and  not  often  followed,  of  making  the  most  of  every 
minute  of  time,  and  at  once  began  to  study  the  Spanish  language,  becoming  so  pro- 
ficient that  the  Alcalde  offered  him  great  inducements  to  remain.  But  the  glitter  of 
California  gold  proved  too  tempting  to  the  New  Yorker,  and  he  pressed  onward  to  San 
Francisco.  For  a  number  of  years  he  carried  on  a  profitable  trade  in  general  mer- 
chandise in  the  cities  of  Marysville  and  San  Francisco,  during  which  period  he  experi- 
enced some  of  the  hardships  of  life  in  a  region  in  which  the  comforts  of  civilization 
had  not  yet  been  introduced,  but  steadily  gained  ground  and  made  his  way  without 
serious  interruption. 

It  was  during  his  mercantile  experience  upon  the  Pacific  coast,  that  Mr.  Van  Tine 
became  acquainted  with  the  beauty  of  the  ceramic  and  textile  productions  of  the  two 
great  nations  beyond  the  western  ocean.  About  1866,  he  came  to  New  York  city  and 
with  small  capital  began  to  import  Chinese  and  Japanese  goods,  and  to  introduce  the 
beautiful  productions  of  Asiatic  art  to  the  attention  of  local  buyers.  He  may  thus  be 
said  to  have  become  for  the  second  time  a  pioneer,  and,  as  before,  in  an  almost  unex- 
plored field.  Little  was  then  known  by  the  public  at  large  concerning  the  variety  and 
beauty  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  goods,  because  scarcely  anything  of  this  nature  had 
ever  been  received  in  New  York  up  to  that  time  beyond  a  few  invoices  of  silk,  por- 
celains and  lacquered  ware.  Mr.  Van  Tine  entered  upon  his  new  enterprise  with  his 
accustomed  good  judgment  and  after  prudent  study  of  the  markets.  A  love  of  beauti- 
ful objects,  formerly  cherished  by  a  few,  had  finally  taken  possession  of  the  people  of 
New  York  city  and  the  American  public  at  large,  and  the  adornment  of  the  home  was 
leading  to  the  purchase  of  every  article,  which  would  gratify  a  refined  taste,  including 
hangings,  pictures,  decorated  pottery  and  elegant  trifles  of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Van  Tine  opened  his  store  just  at  the  right  time  and  throngs  of  buyers 
rewarded  his  enterprise.  His  first  day's  sale  amounted  to  $50  only.  Although  insig- 
nificant in  itself,  this  result  was  a  surety  of  success  to  his  mind  and  he  prosecuted  his 
business  with  vigor  and  confidence.  When  he  finally  began  to  order  hundreds  and 


&—' 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.. VA.  69! 

thousands  of  the  various  articles  which  composed  his  stocks,  the  Japanese  merchants 
looked  at  him  with  amazement,  while  buyers  in  New  York  were  captivated  by  the 
variety  and  extent  of  the  goods  he  spread  before  them.  In  time,  he  finally  added  the 
importation  of  Turkish  rugs  to  his  business  and  rose  to  be  the  leading  merchant  in  this 
field  in  New  York  city.  His  operations  compelled  him  to  maintain  branches  and 
representatives  in  every  part  of  the  United  States  and  in  many  countries  abroad.  At 
one  time,  he  had  customers  in  every  State  of  the  Union. 

In  1870,  he  admitted  to  partnership,  under  the  name  of  A.  A.  Van  Tine  &  Co., 
James  F.  Sutton,  who  remained  with  him  for  twelve  years  and  then  retired.  James 
I.  Raymond  was  made  a  partner  in  1875.  Various  other  changes  took  place  in  the 
firm,  and  finally,  in  1887,  Mr.  Van  Tine  retired,  after  an  honorable  career  of  nearly 
fifty  years  in  practical  business  He  was  able  to  enjoy  a  few  years  of  well  earned  rest 
before  his  death.  His  wife  and  two  daughters  survived  him. 

PHILIP  VAN  VOLKENBURGH,  merchant,  a  native  of  Ghent,  Columbia  county, 
N.  Y.,  born  May  14,  1813,  died  in  New  York  city,  Feb.  18,  1889.  He  received  a 
common  school  education  and,  at  the  age  of  twenty-one,  took  charge  of  the  business  of 
J.  &  B.  Marshall  at  Stockport,  N.  Y.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  he  had  saved  enough  to 
purchase  the  business  outright.  Having  carried  on  the  store  with  success  until  1844, 
he  then  came  to  New  York  and  entered  the  employment  of  Rufus  R.  Skeel  &  Co.,  and 
after  two  years  became  a  member  of  the  wholesale  dry  goods  firm  of  Skeel,  Hurburt  & 
Sweetser,  continuing  as  a  partner  through  various  changes  until  Jan.  i,  1885,  when  a 
new  sign  announced  the  firm  name  as  P.  Van  Volkenburgh  &  Co.  Marked  probity  of 
character,  courteous  demeanor  and  persistent  enterprise  made  his  firm  conspicuous  in 
the  dry  goods  trade.  Edward  and  Thomas,  sons,  became  members  of  the  firm  in  course 
of  time.  Mr.  Van  Volkenburgh  was  one  of  the  founders  and  first  president  of  The 
Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  a  director  of  The  Importers'  and  Traders'  Bank,  a  trustee  of  The 
Greenwich  Savings  Bank  and  The  United  States  Life  Insurance  Co. ,  and  one  of  the 
governors  of  The  Women's  Hospital  He  possessed  to  a  marked  degree  the  confidence 
and  respect  of  the  business  community.  To  him  and  his  wife,  Ann  S.,  were  born  four 
children,  Edward,  Thomas  S.  and  Philip  Van  Volkenburgh,  and  Emma,  wife  of 
Edward  S.  Rapallo. 

JOHN  DAVIS  VERflEULE,  merchant,  banker  and  manufacturer,  was  born  Sept. 
21,  1822,  in  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  to  which  place  his  great  grandfather,  formerly  of  Bergen, 
had  removed  in  1736.  His  father  and  grandfather  both  bore  the  name  of  Frederick 
Vermeule,  and  the  latter  for  many  years  served  as  Presiding  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas  of  Somerset  county  Judge  Vermeule's  father  was  Cornelius  Vermeule,  a 
large  land  owner,  proprietor  of  an  estate  comprising  over  one  thousand  two  hundred 
acres.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Congress  of  New  Jersey  and  an  active  patriot 
in  the  Revolution.  His  four  sons,  including  Judge  Vermeule,  were  all  in  the  service  as 
soldiers  or  officers.  Cornelius  was  a  son  of  Adrian  Vermeule,  Voorleser  and  Town  Clerk 
at  Bergen,  N.  J.,  and  a  grandson  of  Jan  Cornelissen  Vermeule,  town  officer,  church 
elder  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  Vlissengen  in  Zeeland.  Adrian  came  to  America  orig- 
inally on  a  visit,  but  was  persuaded  by  his  friends  to  remain  and  accept  the  position  of 
Voorleser  at  Harlem.  He  was  afterward  called  to  Bergen  and  there  married  Christina 
Cadmus,  whose  paternal  grandfather,  Thomas  Fredericksen  Cadmus,  and  maternal 
grandfather,  Anclries  Hopper,  were  both  residents  of  New  Amsterdam  and  owners  of 


692  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

real  estate,  prior  to  1650.  Including-  Jan  Cornelissen,  representatives  of  six  successive 
generations  in  the  Vermeule  family  and  of  the  name  have  served  as  elders  in  the  Church 
or  ministers  of  the  gospel. 

Until  eighteen  years  of  age,  John  D.  Vermeule  was  a  student  of  Morton's  School 
in  Middlebrook,  N.  J.  He  then  decided  to  become  a  merchant  and  entered  a  dry 
goods  store  in  New  Brunswick.  Since  acquiring  his  business  training  there,  most  of 
his  time  has  been  spent  as  a  manufacturer  and  banker.  In  1844,  The  Goodyear 's  India 
Rubber  Glove  Manufacturing  Co.  was  formed  to  carry  on  the  manufacture  of  rubber 
boots,  shoes  and  clothing.  For  the  past  thirty-five  years,  Mr.  Vermeule  has  success- 
fully managed  the  affairs  of  this  corporation,  and  is  the  principal  stockholder  and  presi- 
dent and  treasurer  of  the  company.  As  a  merchant,  he  is  capable ;  as  a  manufacturer, 
he  is  enterprising,  vigorous  and  practical ;  as  an  executive  officer,  efficient  and  thorough. 
Under  his  direction  and  supervision,  The  Goodyear's  India  Rubber  Glove  Manufactur- 
ing Co.  has  developed  its  operations  and  extended  its  trade  until  the  business  is  conti- 
nental. To  meet  its  requirements,  large  factories  have  been  built  in  Naugatuck, 
Conn.,  employing  2,000  operatives  in  what  is  now  the  largest  industry  of  its  class  in 
the  United  States,  manufacturing  18,000  pairs  of  boots  and  shoes  per  day  and  in  addi- 
tion a  large  amount  of  rubber  clothing  and  other  articles.  The  capital  of  the  company 
is  $500,000,  and  its  surplus  largely  in  excess  of  this  amount.  In  devising  new  and 
valuable  applications  of  rubber  to  the  production  of  clothing  and  the  manufacturing  of 
boots  and  shoes,  Mr.  Vermeule  has  led  the  trade.  His  success  has  resulted  from  the 
exceptional  combination  of  a  clear  mind  with  tenacious  perseverance,  a  high  character 
and  unceasing  enterprise. 

Notwithstanding  the  great  scope  and  responsibility  of  his  principal  occupation, 
Mr.  Vermeule  has  also  been  associated  with  other  important  institutions  in  New  York. 
He  is  president  of  The  Holland  Trust  Co.,  vice  president  of  The  American  Savings 
&  Loan  Association,  and  a  director  in  other  money  institutions.  He  is  also  president 
of  The  York  Cliffs  Improvement  Co.,  The  York  Water  Co.,  and  of  other  industrial 
corporations. 

As  a  busy  man  of  affairs,  he  has  found  in  public  life  few  attractions.  He  has  not 
cared  to  neglect  the  great  business  interests  under  his  management,  because  he  finds 
greater  happiness  in  the  field  of  legitimate  enterprise  than  can  come  to  a  man  of  his 
temperament  in  public  office.  While  he  once  consented  to  serve  as  Supervisor  of  the 
town  of  Castleton  in  Richmond  county,  he  has  refused  other  suggestions  looking  to  his 
selection  for  the  public  service 

Mr.  Vermeule  was  married,  April  15,  1846,  to  Mary  C.,  daughter  of  John  W.  Kelly, 
a  merchant  of  Philadelphia,  from  which  union  there  are  no  children  now  living.  He 
has  joined  a  few  of  the  best  clubs  in  town,  including  the  Manhattan,  Reform,  Riding, 
Commonwealth  and  Merchants'  Central.  He  is  also  an  interested  member  of  The 
Holland  Society,  being  associated  there  with  numerous  other  descendants  of  the  early 
Dutch  inhabitants. 

JACOB  DYCKMAN  VERMILYE,  banker,  born  July  15,  1817,  on  John  street  in  this 
city,  died  at  his  home  on  5ist  street,  Jan.  i,  1892.  He  was  descended  from  Huguenot 
stock,  and  began  life,  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder,  as  clerk  in  an  office  on  Wall  street, 
where,  and  in  a  clerkship  in  The  Merchants'  Exchange  Bank  and  later  in  The  Hide  & 
Leather  Bank,  he  gained  a  knowledge  of  the  elements  of  finance.  Although  repeatedly 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. VE.  693 

promoted,  he  finally  left  to  become  paying  teller  of  The  Bank  of  the  United  States.  A 
better  offer  led  him  finally  to  Newark,  N.  J.,  to  become  cashier  of  The  Newark  State 
Bank,  where  he  served  with  credit  until  1858,  being  also  for  four  years  cashier  of  The 
Newark  Banking  &  Insurance  Co.  Recalled  to  New  York  in  1858  as  cashier  of  The  Mer- 
chants' Bank,  he  became  president  of  that  institution  in  1868,  retaining  this  office  until 
his  death.  During  the  Civil  War  and  the  issue  of  Government  bonds  and  later,  Mr.  Ver- 
milye  shared  in  many  of  the  largest  financial  operations  of  the  day.  He  was  one  of  the 
originators  and,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  treasurer  of  The  Equitable  Gas  Light  Co. ; 
for  many  years  chairman  of  the  executive  committee  of  the  Clearing  House;  and  a  di- 
rector of  The  Bank  of  North  America,  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Royal  and  The  Con- 
tinental Insurance  Go's.,  and  about  twenty  other  banking  and  insurance  corporations. 
At  one  time,  he  declined  an  offer  of  appointment  as  Assistant  Treasurer  of  the  United 
States  in  New  York  city.  An  active  nature  and  vigorous  health  permitted  him  to  extend 
his  activity  in  many  directions,  and  a  philanthropic  nature  ensured  his  interest  in  labors 
for  the  public  good.  He  served  on  the  School  Board,  1873-90,  gave  largely  to  the 
Rober^  College  in  Constantinople,  and  the  Theological  School  of  Princeton  College,  and 
was  useful  in  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian  Church,  the  Boards  of  Home  and  Foreign 
Missions,  and  The  Home  for  Incurables.  He  delighted  in  private  acts  of  benevolence. 
Married  in  1840  to  Mary  Cornelia,  a  daughter  of  Gerard  Lathrop,  he  was  the  father  of 
William  G.  Vermilye  and  Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Henry  W.  Baldwin.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife  in  1879,  ne  married  Mrs.  Annie  C.  Baldwin,  who  survives  him. 

COL.  WASHINGTON  ROMEYN  VERfllLYE,  banker,  born  in  New  York  city  in  1810, 
died  at  his  home  in  Englewood,  N.  J. ,  Dec.  23,  1876.  He  was  a  son  of  William  W.  Ver- 
milye, and  a  brother  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  E.,  Jacob  D.,  the  Rev.  Robert  G.  and  William 
M.  Vermilye,  and  through  his  father  of  Huguenot  and  by  his  mother,  Mary  Montgom- 
ery, of  Dutch  ancestry.  First  a  clerk  for  The  New  York  Bible  Society,  he  afterward 
entered  the  office  of  Rufus  Nevins  in  Wall  street,  where  he  remained  until  he  went  into 
business  for  himself,  shortly  after  he  became  of  age.  Later,  he  formed  a  partnership 
in  banking  with  George  Carpenter  under  the  name  of  Carpenter  &  Vermilye,  which 
continued  until  shortly  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  when  the  name  was 
changed  to  Vermilye  &  Co.  The  house  is  yet  in  existence.  Having  military  tastes, 
Mr.  Vermilye  in  1830  joined  the  sth  Company  of  the  7th  Regiment  of  militia.  Pro- 
moted to  be  a  captain  in  1833  and  major  in  1840,  he  became  colonel  in  1845.  He  also 
was  a  member  of  the  Veteran  Association  down  to  the  time  of  his  death,  being  at  one 
time  its  colonel.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  he  enlisted  as  a  private  in  the  Sth 
Company  for  a  three  months  campaign  in  1862.  After  long  service  in  the  regiment, 
he  retired,  but  retained  his  interest  and  took  an  active  part  in  the  building  of  a  new 
armory.  He  was  president  of  The  Greenwich  Savings  Bank  and  a  director  of  The 
Merchants'  National  Bank  and  The  Presbyterian  Hospital,  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
The  American  Bible  Society  and  The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  an 
elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Englewood.  He  made  liberal  bequests  in  his  will 
to  religious  and  charitable  organizations  In  1834,  Col.  Vermilye  married  Elizabeth 
D.,  daughter  of  the  Hon.  Samuel  Lathrop,  of  West  Springfield,  Mass.  Two  children 
survived  him,  Washington  Romeyn  Vermilye  and  Emily  A.,  wife  of  Elbert  A.  Brincker- 
hoff.  He  was  the  soul  of  honor,  a  good  friend,  a  useful  citizen,  a  staunch  patriot  and 
a  trusted  banker,  and  as  a  Christian,  sincere  and  devout. 


w. 

JOHN  BRISBEN  WALKER,  Ph.  D.,  LL.D.,  editor  and  publisher,  born  on  the 
Monongahela  river,  Pa.,  Sept.  10.  1847,  springs  from  an  old  American  family.  His 
grandfather,  Major  John  Walker,  was  the  first  commissioner  for  the  improvement  of 
Western  rivers,  and  established  the  first  ship  yards  west  of  the  Alleghanics.  Gen.  S.  G. 
Krepps,  his  mother's  father,  was  a  conspicuous  figure  in  the  Pennsylvania  Senate 
between  1817  and  1827.  From  Georgetown  College  in  1865,  Mr.  Walker  went  to  West 
Point.  He  resigned  in  1868  to  accompany  J.  Ross  Browne,  the  United  States  Minister, 
to  China,  where  he  entered  the  military  service  of  the  Empire.  In  1870,  he  returned  to 
his  home  and  engaged  in  manufacturing  in  West  Virginia,  his  popularity  there  resulting 
in  1872  in  a  nomination  by  the  Republicans  for  Congress.  He  was  not,  however,  elected. 
The  panic  of  1873  rediiced  Mr.  Walker  to  poverty  and  he  began  life  anew  as  a  special 
writer  for  The  Cincinnati  Commercial.  He  was  shortly  afterward  made  managing 
editor  of  The  Pittsburgh  Telegraph,  and  in  1876,  managing  editor  of  The  Washington 
Daily  Chronicle."  In  1879,  ne  removed  to  Colorado  and  engaged  in  alfalfa  farming. 
He  was  the  first  to  introduce  alfalfa  farming  on  a  considerable  scale  into  Colorado, 
and,  during  the  following  ten  years  not  only  developed  this  interest  but  redeemed  from 
overflow  a  large  tract  of  bottom  lands  on  the  Platte  river  within  the  city  limits.  The 
Berkeley  Farm  became  the  largest  plantation  of  this  perfumed  giant  clover  in  the 
State.  These  enterprises  brought  him  a  second  fortune,  which  was  due  to  his  own 
efforts.  In  1889,  he  came  to  New  York,  purchased  The  Cosmopolitan  Magazine,  then 
an  insolvent  property,  having  a  circulation  of  16,000  copies,  infused  great  life  into  the 
magazine,  and  brought  its  circulation  up  to  nearly  400,000  copies  a  month.  In  1871, 
he  married  Emily  Strother,  daughter  of  Gen.  David  Hunter  Strother,  of  Virginia, 
famous  under  the  nom  de  plume  of  "Porte  Crayon,"  and  their  children  are, John 
Brisben,  jr.,  David  Strother,  James  Randolph,  Justin,  Harold,  Wilfred,  Ethel  and 
Gerald.  Mr.  Walker  is  a  member  of  the  Century  and  Aldine  clubs  of  New  York,  and 
the  University  club  of  Chicago. 

ANTHONY  WALLACH,  manufacturer  born  in  Freystadt,  Hungary,  May  13, 
1834,  is  one  of  the  men  of  foreign  birth  who  have  made  a  conspicuous  success  of  life 
in  New  York  city.  He  received  a  thorough  education  at  a  private  school,  and  learned 
from  his  father  the  trade  of  manufacturing  jeweler.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  became 
associated  with  his  brother,  who  had  preceJed  him  to  this  cotintry  by  five  years,  in  the 
manufacture  of  gold  chains.  Commencingin  a  small  way  and  pushing  the  sale  of  their 
goods  with  the  greatest  skill  and  energy,  they  gradually  enlarged  their  business  until 
they  became  one  of  the  largest  firms  in  that  specialty  in  the  country,  employing  from 
two  hundred  to  three  hundred  hands.  They  established  a  reputation  of  their  own  for 
their  class  of  goods,  by  adopting  a  uniform  price  for  the  various  patterns  and  weights 
and  being  careful  of  the  quality  of  all  their  productions.  During  his  thirty  years'  expe- 
rience, Mr.  Wallach  enjoyed  uninterrupted  success.  He  was  known  throughout  the 
entire  business  community  as  a  man  of  the  highest  probity.  He  passed  through  more 
than  one  great  financial  crisis,  but  his  paper  was  never  once  dishonored,  because  he  met 
all  his  financial  obligations  promptly. 


696  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Every  man  of  European  birth,  who  is  upright,  practical  and  of  good  repute,  and 
who  identifies  himself  cordially  with  the  affairs  of  the  country,  finds  opportunities  in 
America  for  making  his  mark,  fully  equal  to  those  enjoyed  by  the  native  born.  In 
New  York  city  especially  little  else  is  asked  concerning  a  business  man.  except  this. 
Is  he  competent,  honest  and  judicious?  Mr.  Wallach's  career  is  one  more  proof  of  this: 
He  became  a  director  in  The  Importers'  &  Traders'  National  Bank  in  1875,  and  in 
The  United  States  Life  Insurance  Co.  in  1876,  in  both  of  which  institutions  he  is  yet 
associated  with  many  of  the  most  prominent  business  men  in  New  York  city,  who 
recognize  his  business  ability  and  sound  judgment. 

During  a  period  of  over  a  quarter  of  a  century,  Mr.  Wallach  has  been  also  identified 
with  various  benevolent  and  charitable  organizations  and  has  been  especially  active  in 
aiding  his  compatriots,  who  have  sought  an  asylum  under  the  free  government  of  the 
United  States.  He  gave  employment  in  his  works  to  a  large  number  of  them,  among 
them  being  the  secretary  and  personal  friend  of  the  distinguished  Kossuth. 

Mr.  Wallach  visited  his  native  country  in  1866,  where  he  married  Emma  Sessler, 
a  highly  educated  and  accomplished  lady,  whose  brother  is  yet  a  prominent  officer  in 
the  Austrian  army.  Mr.  Wallach  has  contributed  liberally  from  his  own  means  to 
various  benevolent  enterprises,  and  during  the  great  inundation  at  Szegedin,  in  Hun- 
gary, raised  the  largest  amount  of  money  for  relief  of  any  individual. 

He  retired  from  business  in  1883,  and  has  since  devoted  his  time  and  energies  to 
aiding  his  fellow  men.  He  has  been  for  many  years  connected  with  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, in  which  his  moral  and  social  qualities  are  highly  appreciated. 

JAMES  EDWARD  WARD,  shipping  merchant,  a  native  of  New  York  city,  was 
born  Feb.  25,  1836,  and  died  at  his  country  home  at  Great  Neck,  L.  I.,  July  23,  1894, 
in  the  prime  of  a  creditable  and  successful  life.  His  father  was  James  Otis  Ward,  a 
shipping  merchant.  The  founder  of  his  family  in  America  was  William  Ward,  born  in 
Derbyshire,  England,  in  1603,  who  came  to  America  before  1639,  represented  Sudbury, 
Mass.,  in  the  General  Court  of  the  colony  in  1644,  and  died  in  Marlboro,  Mass.,  Aug. 
10,  1687, 

Suitably  educated  in  the  schools  of  New  York  city,  Mr.  Ward  began  his  active 
career  at  an  early  age  as  a  clerk  in  his  father's  office.  The  young  man  displayed 
marked  force  of  character  from  the  outset  and  started,  in  1856,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
on  his  own  account,  a  line  of  sailing  packets  from  this  port  to  Havana,  operating  them 
under  the  name  of  James  E.  Ward  &  Co.  This  name  is  retained  to  the  present  day. 
Mr.  Ward  was  an  excellent  manager,  soon  gained  almost  a  monopoly  of  the  carriage  of 
freight  and  passengers  between  New  York  and  Cuba,  and  by  1875  had  afloat  about 
forty  sail  of  vessels,  including  a  few  steamers,  employed  mainly  in  the  trade  of  the 
West  Indies  His  ships  were  always  model  carriers.  After  the  war,  Mr.  Ward  resolved 
to  employ  steam  in  the  Havana  trade  and  became  indeed  the  pioneer  therein.  In 
1866,  he  launched  the  steamship  Cuba  and  with  her  established  the  first  regular  steam 
communication  between  New  York  and  Havana.  The  use  of  steam  justified  the  enter- 
prise so  promptly,  that  Mr.  Ward  then  chartered  the  Liberty  and  later  yet  a  number 
of  freight  steamers.  About  1875,  he  began  disposing  of  his  sailing  tonnage,  and,  after 
1877,  confined  his  operations  almost  wholly  to  steam. 

In  1877,  John  Roach  built  for  him  under  contract  the  two  iron  steamers,  Saratoga 
and  Niagara,  of  2,300  tons  each,  both  in  all  respects  greatly  in  advance  of  any  then 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WA.  697 

afloat  under  the  American  flag.  The  Saratoga,  bought  shortly  afterward  by  the  Russian 
government,  is  yet  in  service,  an  object  lesson  of  the  value  of  the  merchant  marine  as  a 
naval  reserve.  Her  place  in  the  line  was  taken  in  1878  by  a  new  iron  steamer  of  the 
same  name.  The  Santiago  was  added  to  the  fleet  in  1879  and  employed  in  trips  to  the 
South  coast  of  Cuba.  The  Newport  of  2,800  tons  was  built  in  1880,  and  in  1883,  the 
Cienfuegos,  the  latter  for  the  trade  to  the  south  side  of  Cuba.  In  1888,  he  bought  the 
excellent  steamers  of  the  Alexandre  line  and  gradually  extended  the  service  of  his  fleet 
to  Mexico,  Honduras  and  Yucatan,  until  to-day  the  line  comprises  ten  iron  and  steel 
steamships  aggregating  about  30,000  tons,  all  flying  the  flag  of  James  E.  Ward  &  Co., 
and  the  banner  of  the  United  States.  Mr.  Ward  made  his  office  at  No.  113  Wall  street 
and  was  for  forty  years  a  familiar  figure  in  that  part  of  the  city. 

In  1857,  he  married  Harriet  A.  Morrell,  daughter  of  William  Morrell,  and  was  sur- 
vived by  one  daughter,  Florence  A.,  wife  of  Alphonse  H.  Alker  of  this  city.  He  spent 
every  winter  in  New  York  city  and  the  summer  season  either  in  travel  or  at  his  country 
home  on  Great  Neck,  L.  I.  The  New  York,  Manhattan  and  Down  Town  clubs  elected 
him  to  membership. 

Always  a  strong  advocate  of  the  American  flag  over  the  American  built  ship,  Mr. 
Ward  took  a  most  active  and  patriotic  interest  in  every  effort  to  promote  the  extension 
of  the  American  merchant  marine  in  the  foreign  trade,  and  was  an  active  promoter  and 
supporter  of  the  American  Shipping  and  Industrial  League,  an  intimate  friend  of  John 
Roach,  the  veteran  ship  builder,  and  a  stirring,  intelligent  and  successful  man,  loyal  to 
his  country,  a  staunch  friend  and  an  upright  citizen. 

WILLIAM  T.  WARDWELL,  oil  refiner,  originated  in  Bristol,  R.  I.,  where  he 
was  born  Feb.  i,  1827.  He  is  descended  from  William  Wardwell,  an  English  immi- 
grant, who  settled  in  Boston  in  1633  and  planted  here  a  family,  which  has  given  birth 
to  many  influential  men.  When  he  was  nine  years  of  age,  the  family  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  moved  to  a  farm  near  Niles,  Mich.,  and  the  lad  began  life  as  a  farmer 
and  mechanic.  At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  went  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  to  become  a  clerk 
for  his  uncle,  Samuel  W.  Hawes,  then  engaged  in  the  oil  business.  When  of  age,  Mr. 
Wardwell  embarked  in  the  same  business  on  his  own  account.  The  discovery  of  petro- 
leum effected  an  entire  revolution  in  the  oil  trade  of  the  country.  Mr.  Wardwell 
adapted  himself  to  the  situation,  started  a  refinery  in  Buffalo,  and  by  his  energy  and 
commercial  ability  made  the  enterprise  successful.  To  enlarge  his  operations,  he  came 
to  New  York  shortly  afterward,  bought  an  old  building  and  established  the  pioneer  oil 
refinery  at  Hunter's  Point  on  Long  Island.  The  works  soon  became  the  largest  on 
Newtown  Creek  and  in  1875  were  purchased  by  The  Standard  Oil  Co.  Mr.  Ward- 
well  then  became  a  controlling  owner  and  treasurer  of  The  Devoe  Manufacturing  Co. 
This  is  one  of  the  largest  oil  refining  concerns  in  the  country  and  exports  hundreds  of 
shiploads  of  oil  to  foreign  countries  every  year.  He  is  treasurer  of  The  Standard  Oil 
Co.  and  a  very  active  and  energetic  man.  Mr.  Wardwell  joined  the  Prohibition  party 
in  1884  and  has  since  become  prominent  by  his  advocacy  of  abolition  of  the  sale  of 
liquors.  He  has  been  nominated  several  times  for  office,  and  was  in  1886  candidate  of 
his  party  for  Mayor  of  New  York  city.  By  his  marriage  in  1852  with  Miss  Eliza  W. 
Lanterman,  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y.,  who  died  in  1887,  he  had  eight  children,  of  whom 
only  two  survive,  a  son  and  a  daughter.  In  1889,  he  married  Martha  Wallace,  daugh- 
ter of  Dr.  Samuel  Wallace  Ruff,  U.S.N. 


698  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

DR.  LUCIEN  CALVIN  WARNER,  manufacturer  and  philanthropist,  is  one  of 
those  energetic  descendants  of  old  families  in  New  England,  who  have  forced  their 
way  to  the  front  in  commercial  pursuits  in  New  York  city,  and,  by  their  talents  and 
character,  won  not  only  a  commanding  position  in  finance  but  the  good  will  of  busi- 
ness associates  and  the  cordial  respect  of  the  public  at  large.  On  his  father's  side,  he 
traces  his  lineage  to  Abel  Warner,  who  was  born  about  1760  and  lived  in  Harwich, 
Mass.  Through  Abel  Warner's  wife,  he  descends  from  Francis  Cook,  a  Pilgrim  of  the 
Mayflower  and  a  relative  of  Capt.  John  Cook,  the  celebrated  navigator.  His  family 
has  produced  many  men  of  distinction,  among  whom  may  be  named  Charles  Dudley 
Warner,  the  author. 

Dr.  Warner  was  born  in  Cuyler,  N.  Y.,  Oct.  26,  1841.  His  father  died  when  the 
boy  was  three  years  old,  leaving  the  mother  with  less  than  $500  of  worldly  goods  and 
with  two  sons  to  rear  and  educate.  As  in  the  case  of  many  another  of  America's  suc- 
cessful men,  Dr.  Warner's  early  life  was  one  of  struggle.  He  obtained  an  excellent 
education,  although  with  difficulty.  Preparing  for  a  classical  course  in  the  district 
school  and  local  academy,  he  graduated  from  Oberlin  college  in  1865,  defraying  the 
entire  expense  of  his  education  with  the  proceeds  of  his  own  labor.  Resolved  to 
become  a  physician,  he  spent  two  years  in  the  medical  department  of  New  York 
University,  and  graduated  in  1867,  practicing  medicine  thereafter  for  six  years  with 
marked  success. 

In  1873,  he  decided  to  follow  the  natural  bent  of  his  mind  and  go  into  business. 
Removing  to  New  York  he  began  his  career  here  with  his  brother,  Dr.  I.  De  Ver 
Warner,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  as  a  partner,  in  the  manufacture  of  corsets,  and  founded 
the  now  eminent  firm  of  Warner  Bro's,  and  has  always  had  the  financial  management 
of  its  business.  When  they  began,  the  entire  capital  of  the  two  brothers  did  not  ex- 
ceed $5,000.  Their  operations  were  at  first  conducted  upon  a  modest  scale,  but  met 
with  great  success,  and,  in  five  years,  they  had  taken  the  place  of  leading  manufac- 
turers of  corsets  in  the  United  States.  Their  business  has  been  managed  with  sagacity 
and  business  address,  and  has  expanded  steadily  until,  at  the  present  time,  the  firm  of 
Warner  Bro's  employ  about  2,000  operatives  in  their  large  factory  in  Bridgeport  and 
enjoy  an  enormous  sale  of  their  productions  The  two  brothers  have  both  amassed 
large  fortunes  by  legitimate  enterprise  in  their  chosen  field  and  by  that  diligent,  un- 
tiring and  intelligent  industry,  which  is  the  corner  stone  of  worthy  success.  Their 
principal  factory  is  in  Bridgeport,  but  they  are  also  interested  in  another  in  McGraw- 
ville,  N.  Y.,  and  have  a  depot  in  Chicago  for  the  sale  of  their  products  in  the  West. 

Dr.  Warner  is  the  master  of  his  business.  He  has  never  let  his  business  be  the 
master  of  him.  He  has  pushed  his  enterprise  into  many  lines  of  outside  effort.  In 
addition  to  the  active  management  of  the  business  of  Warner  Bro's,  he  is  president  of 
The  McGraw  Corset  Co.  and  The  International  Phosphate  Co.,  vice-president  of  The 
Twelfth  Ward  Savings  Bank,  and  director  in  The  Hamilton  Bank,  The  Mount  Morris 
Bank,  and  The  Home  Fire  Insurance  Co.  He  is  an  interested  member  of  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce  of  New  York. 

He  is  widely  known  for  public  spirit,  although  never  desirous  of  political  office, 
his  preference  being  for  philanthropic  work.  For  ten  years,  president  of  the  Harlem 
branch  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  he  has  also  been  chairman  of  the 
State  Committee  of  the  order,  and  a  member  of  the  International  Committee.  He  is  a 


700  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

trustee  of  his  old  college  at  Oberlin,  and  of  local,  State,  and  international  Young 
Women's  Christian  Associations,  besides  being  a  member  of  the  executive  committee  of 
The  American  Missionary  Association  and  one  of  the  trustees  of  Congregational  Church 
Building  Society. 

His  gifts  to  public  objects  have  been  generous.  He  gave  a  $100,000  building  to 
his  alma  mater  at  Oberlin  for  a  Conservatory  of  Music ;  was  active  and  liberal  in  the 
erection  of  a  $150,000  building  for  the  Harlem  branch  of  The  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association ;  and  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  has  built  an  admirable  club  house  in 
Bridgeport,  Conn.,  at  a  cost  of  $100,000,  for  the  use  of  the  girls  in  the  employment  of 
the  firm. 

Dr.  Warner  was  married  in  1878  to  Keren  S.  Warner,  a  daughter  of  the  late  Judge 
Noah  Humphrey  Osborne  and  a  descendant  of  Michael  Humphrey,  an  Englishman  who 
settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.,  as  early  as  1643.  This  union  has  been  a  happy  one,  and  has 
brought  them  four  children,  Agnes  Eliza,  Franklin  Humphrey,  Lucien  Thompson  and 
Elizabeth  Converse  Warner.  His  home  is  too  attractive  and  his  life  too  full  of  con- 
genial occupation  to  permit  him  to  become  an  extreme  club  man,  yet  he  has  found  it 
convenient  to  accept  membership  in  those  excellent  organizations,  the  Merchants', 
Harlem,  Congregational  and  Patria  clubs.  He  spends  his  winters  in  the  city  of  New 
York  at  his  residence  at  2,042  Fifth  Avenue,  and  his  summers  at  a  fine  country  house 
at  Irvington  on  the  Hudson. 

JAMES  MONTAUDEVERT  WATERBURY,  manufacturer,  born  Sept.  5,  1851,  in 
New  York  city,  and  member  of  an  old  family,  descends  through  both  the  maternal 
and  paternal  lines  from  early  Puritans  of  England,  who  emigrated  to  the  new  world  in 
1631  and  settled  in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut.  He  is  in  the  seventh  generation 
of  descent.  His  father,  Lawrence  Waterbury,  was  a  manufacturer  and  capitalist. 

The  subject  of  this  biography  graduated  from  Columbia  College  in  1873,  receiving 
his  diploma  of  Master  of  Arts  three  years  later.  He  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  beginning 
life  in  an  established  business,  and,  in  1874,  joined  his  father  in  the  industry,  then  car- 
ried on  under  the  name  of  L.  Waterbury  &  Co.,  which  is  now  changed  into  a  corpora- 
tion, called  The  Waterbury  &  Marshall  Co.  Having  served  his  probation  in  a  subordi- 
nate capacity,  he  became  in  due  time  a  member  of  the  firm  and  has  for  years  been 
senior  partner  in  the  house.  The  office  of  the  concern  is  on  Front  street,  while  the 
factories  managed  by  them  are  in  Brooklyn. 

During  the  early  history  of  this  house,  the  industry  was  carried  on  prosperously, 
exposed  to  no  trials  more  severe  than  those  to  which  all  others  were  subject.  But, 
about  the  time  that  Mr.  Waterbury  made  his  entrance  into  affairs,  new  conditions 
arose,  which  called  for  the  exercise  of  greater  sagacity  and  energy  than  the  founders 
of  the  house  had  ever  been  called  on  to  display.  The  success  of  a  few  well  established 
old  concerns,  the  adoption  of  binding  twine  for  use  in  harvesting  grain,  the  invention 
of  labor  saving  machinery  and  the  general  growth  of  the  country,  had  brought  into 
the  field  after  the  Civil  War  an  increased  number  of  firms,  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  cordage.  Originating  in  the  seaport  towns  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  this  industry  has 
spread  to  the  grain  growing  states  of  the  West;  and  in  1880,  no  less  than  about  thirty- 
five  concerns  were  competing  for  the  business  of  the  American  market.  The  growth 
of  the  industry,  fostered  by  a  protective  tariff,  had  resulted  in  practically  excluding 
from  the  American  market  all  cables  and  cordage  made  abroad.  It  had  given  employ- 


.THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WA.  701 

ment  to  a  large  force  of  American  operatives,  kept  at  home  large  sums  of  American 
money,  and  gradually  reduced  the  price  of  cordage  to  every  consumer.  But,  while 
thus  conferring  positive  benefits  upon  the  public,  the  manufacturers  themselves  had 
been  forced  into  so  keen  a  competition,  that  the  industry  had  ceased  to  be  as  profitable 
as  formerly.  This  state  of  affairs  was  finally  solved  by  an  arrangement  whereby 
various  leading  manufacturers  united  under  the  name  of  The  United  States  Cordage 
Manufacturers'  Association.  Mr.  Waterbury  took  an  active  part  in  bringing  about 
this  arrangement.  There  remained  in  business,  however,  about  thirty-five  independent 
concerns :  thirteen  in  New  England,  seven  in  New  York,  four  in  New  Jersey,  four  in 
Pennsylvania,  four  in  Ohio,  one  in  Illinois,  one  in  Kentucky,  and  one  in  New  Orleans. 
To  absorb  these  companies,  The  National  Cordage  Co.,  was  formed  is  1887  to  succeed 
the  previous  association  and  promptly  took  in  fifteen  of  the  independent  concerns.  In 
1891,  it  absorbed  fourteen  more,  only  five  remaining  outside  in  the  whole  country. 
Again,  Mr.  Waterbury  was  active  in  these  proceedings  and  was  made  president  of  the 
company.  The  corporation  fulfilled  its  mission  for  a  time,  but  the-growth  of  new  con- 
cerns and  the  panic  of  1893  caused  the  company  to  go  into  receiver's  hands  and  be 
re-organized.  Mr.  Waterbury's  concern  now  continues  the  distribution  of  cordage  for 
the  company. 

An  excellent  man  of  business,  clear  headed,  enterprising  and  alert,  Mr.  Waterbury 
has  not  confined  his  activities  to  cordage,  but  is  president  or  director  of  many  corpora- 
tions both  here  and  in  Canada. 

In  the  social  world,  he  has  long  been  conspicuous.  He  was  president  of  the  Coun- 
try club  of  Westchester  for  ten  years  and  is  yet  a  member  of  the  governing  committee, 
and  is  a  governor  of  the  Metropolitan  club  and  life  member  of  the  Knickerbocker  and 
New  York  Yacht  clubs,  his  uncle  having  been  one  of  the  nine  founders  of  the  latter,  July 
30,  1844.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Union,  Calumet,  Players',  Riding,  Racquet,  Down 
Town,  Rockaway  Hunting,  Meadow  Brook,  Seawanhaka  Corinthian  Yacht,  the  Patri- 
archs and  other  clubs.  He  was  married  in  1874  to  Kate  Anthony  Furman,  daughterof 
John  M.  Furman,  and  their  children  are  Catherine  Livingston,  James  Montaudevert, 
Lawrence,  John  Cunningham,  Elsie,  Cleveland  Livingston,  Grenville  and  Reginald  Fur- 
man Waterbury.  The  family  have  a  country  home  at  Baychester,  N.  Y.,  having 
recently  sold  their  house  in  Fifth  avenue. 

COL.  JOHN  WATSON,  merchant,  born  in  Rensselaerville,  Albany  county,  N.  Y., 
in  1807,  died  at  his  home  in  Montrose,  South  Orange,  N.  J.,  June  13,  1891.  He  came 
from  old  Colonial  ancestry  and  was  the  son  of  Wheeler  Watson.  After  a  common 
school  education,  he  was  taken  into  his  father's  tannery,  and  remained  there  until  of 
age,  when  he  removed  to  Prattsville,  to  enter  into  partnership  with  Col.  Zadoc  Pratt, 
the  tanner,  his  brother  in  law.  This  firm  built  up  a  large  business,  so  that  when  the 
partnership  was  dissolved  in  1846,  Colonel  Watson  possessed  what  was  then  a  large 
fortune.  He  then  removed  to  New  York,  and  at  once  organized  the  business  in  which 
he  attained  his  later  success.  The  firm  displayed  the  sign  of  Thorne,  Watson,  Corse 
&  Co.,  and  was  established  at  No.  18  Ferry  street,  where  they  remained  for  over  a 
generation,  becoming  one  of  the  most  successful  leather  houses  in  this  city.  The 
personnel  of  the  firm  changed  several  times,  but  there  was  always  a  Thorne  or  a 
Watson  in  the  membership  until  the  final  dissolution  in  1879,  when  Colonel  Watson 
retired.  Colonel  Watson  was  a  member  of  Grace  Church  until  1875,  when  he  removed 


702  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

to  a  country  seat  at  Montrose,  which  he  laid  out  in  the  finest  style,  living  there  until 
his  death.  Retiring  and  modest,  averse  to  clubs  and  fashionable  life,  he  was  fond 
of  flowers  and  devoted  much  time  and  pains  to  their  cultivation.  Many  fine  horses 
found  a  home  in  his  stables.  He  received  his  military  title  while  a  resident  of  Pratts- 
ville,  in  the  command  of  a  Greene  county  regiment.  He  was  a  life  long  Democrat  and 
served  one  term  in  the  Assembly  while  residing  in  Prattsville.  Married  early  in  life  to 
Miss  Mary  Watson,  who  died  about  1873,  he  was  survived  by  two  children,  Miss  Emily 
A.  Watson  and  Mary  J.,  wife  of  Evan  T.  Walker. 

WILLIAH  WATSON,  merchant,  who  died  at  his  country  home  in  Westchester, 
N.  Y.,  Sept.  28,  1877,  at  the  age  of  sixty-six,  was,  in  his  day,  one  of  the  most  conspic- 
uous men  in  the  wholesale  dry  goods  district  of  this  city.  He  rose  by  perseverance,  the 
power  of  organization,  and  scrupulously  honest  methods  into  great  prominence.  Fol- 
lowing the  example  of  other  judicious  merchants,  he  invested  his  savings  mainly  in  real 
estate ;  and  the  growth  of  the  city,  which  he  did  so  much  to  promote,  gave  his  holdings 
large  value  in  the  course  of  a  few  years.  Also  the  possessor  of  some  excellent  land 
north  of  the  city,  he  occupied  a  farm  of  about  240  acres  in  Westchester  county,  and  it 
was  his  desire  that  all  of  his  children  should  establish  their  own  homes  upon  this 
beautiful  estate.  To  him  and  his  wife  Maria  were  born  nine  children,  Lydia,  wife  of  Dr. 
Henry  G.  Houghton,  of  England;  Anna,  wife  of  W.  H.  Caswell;  Mrs.  Maria  C.  Foster; 
Mrs.  Emily  Williams;  Eliza  G.,  Robert  C.,  Francis  A.,  Henry  R.  C.  and  William  Watson. 

HENRY  WALTER  WEBB,  railroad  official,  was  born  May  6,  1852,  in  Tarrytown 
on  the  Hudson,  N.  Y.,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  James  Watson  Webb.  He  was  educated 
in  Mr.  Churchill's  school  in  Sing  Sing  and  the  School  of  Mines  and  the  Law  School 
of  Columbia  College,  and  began  life  as  an  ambitious  young  lawyer  in  the  firm  of 
Webb  &  Sprague.  In  1882,  he  joined  the  banking  and  brokerage  firm  of  W.  S.  Webb 
&  Co.  in  Wall  street.  In  1886,  he  entered  the  service  of  The  Wagner  Palace  Car  Co. 
as  vice  president  and  in  this  responsible  position  displayed  such  unusual  executive 
ability  that  three  years  later,  in  1889,  Mr.  Depew,  president  of  The  New  York  Central 
&  Hudson  River  Railroad,  made  Mr.  Webb  his  assistant.  Having  in  this  capacity 
rapidly  gained  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  the  details  of  administrative  management 
and  revealed  anew  his  sound  judgment,  coolness  and  power  of  work,  he  was  in  1890 
elected  third  vice  president  of  The  New  York  Central  and  Hudson  River  Railroad  and 
continues  to  occupy  this  position  until  the  present  time.  The  burden  of  a  vast  amount 
of  labor  and  responsibility  has  been  placed  upon  Mr.  Webb  during  the  past  five  years, 
but  he  has  discharged  every  duty  and  met  every  emergency  with  firmness,  ability  and 
success.  He  has  recently  became  identified  with  a  number  of  financial  corporations 
and  is  a  director  of  The  Terminal  Warehouse  Co.,  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co., 
The  Lincoln  National  Bank,  The  City  National  Bank,  The  Hudson  River  Bank, 
The  New  York  Security  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Lincoln  Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  Common- 
wealth Insurance  Co.  and  a  number  of  railroads.  Quiet,  genial  and  well  informed, 
he  is  a  pleasant  companion  in  private  life  and  a  valued  member  of  the  Union,  Metro- 
politan, Calumet,  Century,  Engineers',  City,  Commonwealth,  Riding,  Country,  Univer- 
sity, Racquet,  Westminster  Kennel  and  Lawyers'  clubs,  and  by  virtue  of  lineal  descent 
from  Col.  Samuel  Blatchley  Webb  of  Connecticut,  a  member  of  The  Sons  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution.  In  1884,  he  married  Leila  Howard  Griswold,  daughter  of  John  A. 
Griswold  of  Troy,  and  their  children  are  Henry  Walter  and  John  Griswold  Webb. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  703 

WILLIAM  H.  WEBB,  veteran  ship  builder  and  successful  man  of  affairs,  is  one  of 
those  Americans  of  original  genius  and  unusual  force,  whose  stainless  character,  broad 
mind,  public  spirit,  and  splendid  services  in  the  practical  arts,  his  countrymen  are  glad 
to  recognize  as  typical  of  the  best  of  their  race. 

He  was  born  in  the  city  of  Xe\v  York,  June  19,  1816,  the  year  in  which  Robert 
Fulton  died.  A  descendant  of  old  American  families,  he  was  reared  in  a  city  which 
has  gradually  become  cosmopolitan  in  its  population  and  foreign  in  its  tastes,  but  his 
nature  has  always  been  too  sturdy  and  his  patriotism  too  intense  to  yield  to  any  influ- 
ence not  American;  and  he  has,  from  the  very  beginning  of  his  remarkable  career, 
been  distinguished  for  his  affection  for  his  native  land  and  his  ardent  efforts  to  promote 
its  fame  and  prosperity.  The  emigrant  ancestor  on  his  father's  side,  Richard  Webb, 
was  made  a  freeman  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  in  1632.  The  family  moved  to  Connecticut 
in  early  days,  and  its  branches  settled  in  the  vicinity  of  Norwalk  and  Stamford.  Col. 
Charles  Webb,  ancestor  of  William  H.  Webb,  was  a  prominent  officer  in  the  American 
Revolution.  His  mother's  family  were  Huguenots  and  settled  in  New  York  in  the 
very  early  days  of  the  country. 

Mr.  Webb  inherited  his  love  of  shipbuilding  from  his  father,  and  his  life,  in  fact, 
connects  the  race  of  builders,  who  produced  the  famous  ships  of  the  War  of  1812,  with 
their  able  successors  of  the  period  before  the  Civil  War,  when  American  ship  building 
was  in  its  prime.  His  father,  Isaac  Webb,  was  first  an  apprentice  and  afterward  a 
partner  of  Henry  Eckford,  a  famous  ship  builder  of  the  first  part  of  this  century. 

The  boy  was  educated  at  Columbia  College  Grammar  School  and  displayed  a 
marked  talent  for  mechanics,  construction  and  mathematics.  He  was  fend  of  playing 
around  his  father's  ship  yard  on  the  East  River,  and  built  his  own  skiff,  when  twelve 
years  old.  During  his  vacations  in  the  next  two  years,  he  built  other  boats,  one  of 
them  propelled  by  paddles.  His  father  would  have  been  glad  to  see  his  son  choose 
some  other  vocation  in  life  than  his  own,  but  the  boy  was  resolved  to  become  a  ship 
builder ;  and  he  studied  the  scientific  and  practical  features  of  the  art  for  six  years,  not 
only  by  day  in  the  ship  yard  but  by  night  over  his  books  and  drawing  table.  Isaac 
Webb  saw  that  William  had  talent,  and  finally  entrusted  him  with  the  direction  of 
various  branches  of  the  work  of  the  yard.  While  yet  a  young  man  of  twenty,  he  entered 
into  a  sub-contract  with  his  father  to  build  for  the  latter  the  Liverpool  packet  Oxford. 
This  work  was  successfully  accomplished  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned.  He  then 
became  sub-contractor  for  the  construction  of  other  vessels,  including  the  Havre  packet 
Duchesse  d'Orleans,  the  Liverpool  packet  New  York,  and  two  smaller  vessels.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-three,  his  health  had  become  impared  by  intense  application,  and  he  went 
abroad  to  seek  relief  from  overwork  in  travel.  He  was  suddenly  recalled  by  the  death 
of  his  father. 

Soon  after  his  return,  he  formed  a  new  partnership  with  Mr.  Allen,  his  father's 
associate,  under  the  title  of  Webb  &  Allen,  in  order  to  retain  for  a  while  the  name  of 
Mr.  Allen.  Three  years  later,  the  firm  was  dissolved,  and  Mr.  Webb  then  entered  alone 
upon  a  successful  and  remarkable  career.  His  ability  was  recognized  from  the  start. 
Afraid  of  no  problems  in  construction,  untiring  labor  and  faithful  performance  of  con- 
tracts soon  won  the  confidence  of  the  best  merchants  of  the  city.  Orders  poured  in  upon 
him  for  every  species  of  vessel  afloat,  from  fishing  smacks  to  barks,  brigs  to  packet  ships, 
and  ferry  boats  to  steamers.  There  were  at  all  times  several  vessels  building  at  once 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  705 

in  his  large  yards  on  the  East  River,  and  one  ship  was  launched  from  the  ways  into  the 
stream  merely  to  witness  the  stretching  of  a  keel  for  a  new  one.  On  one  occasion,  two 
ships  ard  one  large  steamer  were  launched  from  his  yard  on  the  same  tide,  all  within 
twenty  minutes,  a  spectacle  never  seen  before  or  since.  The  first  vessel  was  the  brig 
Malek  Adhel,  which  was  built  in  1840  for  Peter  Harmony,  of  New  York,  and  the  next 
was  the  ship  James  Edwards,  for  James  O.  Ward.  These  two  merchants,  as  well  as 
Charles  fl.  Marshall,  Fox  &  Livingston,  N.  L.  &  George  Griswold,  Rowland  &  Aspin- 
wall,  and  other  houses  famous  in  the  annals  of  the  city,  were  his  constant  clients. 

Mr.  Webb  employed  hundreds  of  skilled  workmen,  and  during  the  twenty-eight 
years  ^>f  his  active  management  disbursed  millions  of  dollars  in  the  city  of  New  York 
for  labor  and  supplies.  His  packet  ships  were  among  the  most  handsome  and  popular 
of  their  day. 

The  era  of  the  clipper  sailing  ships  brought  to  America  world- wide  renown.  These 
wonderful  vessels  scoured  every  sea  in  the  world,  distanced  every  foreign  competitor, 
won  the  yearly  tea  races  from  China,  and  finally  attained  such  absolute  preeminence, 
that  every  European  maritime  nation  stood  aghast  at  the  ruin  which  threatened  their 
commercial  prestige,  and  every  warlike  nation  looked  to  America  as  the  producer  of 
the  fleetest  and  most  powerful  vessels  of  war.  Mr.  Webb  built  man}-  famous  clippers 
for  the  California  and  other  trades  during  this  period,  among  them  the  Young  America, 
Challenge,  Comet,  Sword  Fish,  Flying  Dutchman,  Black  Hawk  and  Invincible.  Every 
one  of  these  was  a  good,  swift  and  beautiful  ship.  The  Young  America,  the  most 
famous  of  them,  was  235  feet  long  on  deck,  44  feet  beam,  and  25^  feet  in  depth  of  hold, 
and  was  a  popular  ship,  the  idol  of  her  owners,  the  delight  of  the  underwriters,  and  the 
reliance  of  the  owners  of  her  cargoes.  The  Young  America  ran  repeatedly  from  three 
hundred  and  forty-five  to  three  hundred  and  seventy  knots  in  twenty-four  hours.  She 
made  the  passage,  loaded,  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York  in  ninety-two,  ninety-eight 
and  ninety-nine  days;  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  in  eighteen  days;  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Liverpool  in  one  hundred  and  nine  days;  and  from  Liverpool  to  Melbourne  in 
eighty-one  days.  This  ship  made  more  very  rapid  passages  than  any  other  ship  ever 
built.  The  Comet  made  the  trip  from  San  Francisco  to  New  York  in  seventy-six  days 
and  many  other  very  rapid  trips,  and  was  a  most  beautiful  ship,  appearing  like  a  yacht. 

In  May,  1847,  Mr.  Webb  built  the  steamship  United  States  of  3,000  tons,  the  first 
one  for  the  trade  between  New  York  and  New  Orleans,  which  was  subsequently  sold 
to  the  German  Confederation  and  converted  by  Mr.  Webb  into  a  powerful  man  of  war. 

In  1848,  he  built  the  Cherokee,  the  first  steam  packet  which  ran  from  New  York 
to  Savannah,  which  presented  new  problems  in  construction,  owing  to  the  shoal  water 
in  the  Savannah  river.  He  also  launched  in  1848  the  large  ship  Guy  Mannering,  the 
first  full  three  decked  ship  ever  built  in  the  United  States. 

The  discover}'  of  gold  in  California  and  the  rush  of  population  thither  brought  a 
great  deal  of  work  to  Mr.  Webb's  yard.  He  built  the  first  and  several  subsequent 
steamers  for  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co.  The  California,  the  first  steamer  to  enter 
the  Golden  Gate,  was  his;  and  he  also  built  the  Panama,  San  Francisco,  Golden  City, 
Sacramento  and  Constitution,  and  finally  the  China  to  run  across  the  Pacific  Ocean  to 
the  Celestial  Empire. 

His  versatility  was  remarkable.  No  problem  connected  with  nautical  science 
ever  daunted  him,  and  he  produced  vessels  for  the  deep  sea  and  shoal  water  trades, 


yo6  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

and  both  the  argosies  of  peace  and  ships  of  war,  with  equal  ease  and  success.  Among 
his  productions  were  the  two  famous  Long  Island  Sound  steamers,  Bristol  and  Provi- 
dence, which  embodied  novel  points  in  construction,  and  upon  which  experts  withheld 
their  judgment  until  the  boats  had  been  put  under  steam  and  compelled  their  praise. 
They  each  ran  twenty  miles  an  hour  continuously,  carried  1,000  tons  of  freight  on 
deck,  and  were  fitted  with  sumptuous  accommodations  for  1,200  passengers,  and 
proved  to  be  two  of  the  most  popular,  profitable  and  successful  boats  on  the  Sound, 
and  are  not  excelled,  except  in  size,  up  to  this  date. 

One  of  his  sailing  vessels  was  the  ship  Ocean  Monarch,  2,145  tons,  the  largest 
wooden  carrier  ever  built  up  to  that  time.  It  was  255  feet  long  with  46  feet  beam, 
and  30.25  feet  depth  of  hold.  This  ship  was  an  enormous  carrier,  having  taken  on 
board  over  7,000  bales  of  cotton  with  18  1-2  feet  draft  of  water. 

The  contract  to  build  the  steam  revenue  cutter,  Harriet  Lane,  was  awarded  to  Mr. 
Webb  after  a  severe  competition.  There  were  eighteen  models  offered  by  various 
builders,  but  the  government  narrowed  the  choice  down  to  three,  and  finally  gave  the 
order  to  Mr.  Webb.  During  the  Rebellion,  this  famous  boat  was  captured  by  the  Con- 
federates and  converted  into  a  blockade  runner. 

About  1850,  Mr.  Webb  conceived  the  idea  of  building  a  war  ship,  on  new  and  im- 
portant plans  of  his  own.  The  government  took  great  interest  in  his  proposals  but 
Insisted  on  having  the  ship  built  in  a  government  yard.  Mr.  Webb  refused  to  build  the 
ship  anywhere  except  in  his  own  yard  and  under  his  own  direction.  Application  was 
then  made  to  the  Emperor  of  the  French,  but  precisely  the  same  difficulty  presented 
itself.  The  Emperor  entertained  Mr.  Webb's  proposition  favorably,  but  finally  said 
the  opposition  was  too  great  for  him  to  surmount.  Determined  to  carry  out  his  idea 
and  build  the  ship  himself,  Mr.  Webb  sent  an  agent  to  St.  Petersburg  in  1851,  to 
confer  with  the  government  of  the  Czar,  and  in  1853,  he  visited  Russia  in  person. 
Nicholas,  then  Czar,  was  at  first  influenced  against  Mr.  Webb  by  Mr.  Bodisco,  Russian 
Minister  at  Washington,  who  had  previously  had  trouble  with  Americans  with  reference 
to  certain  other  contracts.  The  American  Minister  at  St.  Petersburg  was  absent  and 
the  American  Consul  advised  Mr.  Webb  to  abandon  the  scheme  as  hopeless.  A  long 
delay  followed,  but  it  was  written  that  that  ship  should  be  built.  Mr.  Webb  was  not 
the  man  to  abandon  his  lines  upon  the  first  fire  of  the  enemy.  He  made  new  pro- 
posals, now  with  the  concurrence  of  Mr.  Bodisco.  The  Grand  Duke  Constantine 
finally  promised  to  bring  the  subject  to  the  attention  of  the  Czar,  if  Mr.  Webb  would 
build  his  ship  and  agree  to  deliver  it  at  Cronstadt,  an  arrangement  which  involved 
enormous  risk  and  responsibility  for  an  individual.  But  it  was  made  to  a  dauntless 
man.  He  agreed  to  the  terms.  Six  weeks  later,  he  left  St.  Petersburg  with  several 
orders,  one  of  them  for  a  large  steam  line-of-battle  ship,  to  be  built  upon  his  model 
and  after  his  design.  Preparations  were  begun  at  once,  but  the  Crimean  war  then 
broke  out  in  Europe,  and  it  was  a  question  whether  neutrality  laws  would  permit  the 
building  of  the  vessel.  Mr.  Webb  received  the  consent  of  President  Pierce  and 
Secretary  Marcy  to  continue  the  work;  but  he  pursued  the  plan  of  arranging  with 
Russia  for  a  suspension  of  the  work  until  peace  was  restored  rather  than  proceed  with 
the  construction  of  a  vessel  of  war  and  involve  his  own  Government  in  questions  of 
neutrality  with  England  and  France,  then  at  war  with  Russia.  After  the  peace,  he  changed 
his  model  and  proposed  to  construct  the  ship  upon  new  and  improved  designs,  with  larger 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  707 

guns  and  fewer  decks.  Russian  officers  who  had  been  detailed  to  watch  the  construction 
of  the  ship,  alarmed  at  the  bold  and  audacious  changes,  withheld  their  approval,  and 
Mr.  Webb  completed  the  ship  at  his  own  risk.  When  she  was  launched,  the  Russian 
officers  were  delighted  at  her  draft,  and  her  subsequent  behavior  at  sea  won  their 
unqualified  approval.  She  was  completed  as  a  steam  frigate,  rigged  as  a  ship,  and 
named  the  General  Admiral,  in  honor  of  the  Grand  Duke  Constantine.  She  was  of 
7,000  tons  burden,  the  largest  then  built,  and  72  guns,  and  proved  the  fastest  ship 
afloat.  Mr.  Webb  delivered^his  powerful  craft  at  the  port  of  Cronstadt  in  person  in 
1859,  after  a  remarkably  rapid  and  successful  voyage,  and  received  valuable  testi- 
monials from  the  Russian  authorities  for  his  success. 

The  General  Admiral  attracted  the  attention  of  all  the  foreign  powers,  and  resulted 
in  Mr.  Webb  bringing  more  millions  of  money  to  New  York  city  for  the  construction 
of  ships  of  war  for  foreign  powers  than  can  be  placed  to  the  credit  of  all  other  builders. 
The  General  Admiral  completely  revolutionized  the  construction  of  vessels  of  war, 
other  governments  adopting  the  design  immediately.  Spain  made  a  large  contract  with 
Mr.  Webb  soon  afterward,  but  revoked  it  at  the  outbreak  of  our  Civil  War,  influenced 
by  Mr.  Preston  of  Kentucky,  then  Minister  to  Madrid. 

Italy  then  ordered  two  ironclad  screw  frigates,  each  of  36  guns  of  large  calibre 
and  6,000  tons  burdens,  the  Re  d'ltalia  and  Re  don  Luigi  di  Portugallo,  each  282 
feet  long,  54  feet  beam,  and  22  1-4  feet  draft.  Many  difficulties  attended  the  progress 
of  these  vessels  during  the  Rebellion  in  the  United  States,  but  they  were  surmounted, 
and  the  ships  were  finished  and  delivered  in  time.  The  Re  d'ltalia  was  the  first  iron- 
clad steamer  which  ever  crossed  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  Her  sea  going  qualities  and 
speed  were  remarkable  for  that  day,  and  she  ran  from  New  York  to  Naples,  a  distance 
of  5,000  miles,  in  the  winter  time,  in  18  days  and  20  hours.  Victor  Emanuel  was 
greatly  pleased  with  the  two  powerful  ships  which  American  genius  had  placed  in  his 
possession,  and  he  bestowed  on  Mr.  Webb  the  Order  of  Saints  Maurice  and  Lazarus,, 
one  of  the  oldest  in  Europe. 

Mr.  Webb  now  planned  his  masterpiece  of  naval  architecture,  the  ironclad  ram 
Dunderberg.  His  models  and  plans,  carefully  matured,  were  laid  before  the  Navy 
Department  at  Washington ;  and  the  naval  constructors,  intensely  jealous  of  a  civilian 
who  could  build  better  than  they,  condemned  his  plans  heartily  and  promptly.  This, 
did  not  disconcert  him,  however.  He  had  conquered  opinion  before.  He  persevered,, 
until  Secretary  Welles  gave  him  a  contract.  The  ship  was  then  begun.  She  was  a 
monster,  378  feet  long,  68  feet  beam,  and  32  feet  hold,  with  a  displacement  of  7,200. 
tons,  and  the  largest  ironclad  ever  yet  built,  having  more  room  inside  and  floating  on  a, 
lighter  draft  of  water  than  any  of  her  class.  The  Rebellion  in  the  United  States  having 
ceased  before  the  completion  of  the  vessel,  and  the  Government  not  being  in  special 
need  of  her,  questions  between  the  Government  and  Mr.  Webb  arose ;  and  finding  the 
jealousy  and  hostility  of  the  officials  of  the  Bureau  of  Construction  great,  Mr.  Webb 
finally  became  disgusted,  and  he  applied  for  an  act  of  Congress  which  would  release 
him  from  his  contract  on  return  of  the  $1,025,000  which  had  been  advanced  on  ac- 
count. General  Grant,  Secretary  Stanton  and  others  opposed  this,  believing  that  so 
powerful  a  vessel  of  war  should  never  be  allowed  to  become  the  property  of  any  foreign 
power.  But  Mr.  Webb  secured  his  release ;  and  he  sold  the  ship  to  the  Government  of 
France  for  nearly  double  the  sum  that  the  United  States  had  agreed  to  pay.  He  de- 


7°8  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

livered  the  ship  in  person  at  Cherbourg  after  a  rough  voyage  of  fourteen  days,  and  she 
took  her  place  in  the  French  navy,  under  the  new  name  of  Rochambeau,  and  afforded 
to  all  Europe  an  impressive  lesson  of  the  originality  and  ability  of  the  ship  builders  of 
America.  This  steamer  was  shown  in  all  the  dock  yards,  that  she  might  be  examined 
and  copied  by  the  builders  of  the  navy  of  France. 

In  1869,  he  launched  his  i35th  ship,  the  Charles  H.  Marshall,  and  this  was  his  last. 
He  had  earned  fame  and  fortune,  and  he  now  retired  permanently  from  the  art  in 
which  he  had  won  a  distinguished  position. 

About  this  time,  Mr.  Webb  was  extensively  engaged,  as  a  large  owner  of  ocean 
tonnage,  in  the  importation  of  guano  from  several  islands  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  dispos- 
ing of  the  cargoes  in  the  Southern  States  and  in  Europe.  The  opposition  to  the  sale 
of  this  guano  (purely  phosphatic)  in  Europe  by  the  Peruvian  guano  interests  was  so 
great,  that  Mr.  Webb  was  obliged  to  build  his  own  warehouses  in  Bordeaux,  Havre 
and  Hamburg,  in  which  to  store  his  cargoes.  Mr.  Webb  triumphed  over  all  opposition 
and  his  guano  was  sold  freely  in  Europe,  chiefly  on  the  Continent.  The  breaking  out 
of  the  Civil  War  in  the  United  States  entailed  extraordinary  risks  for  American  ships 
and  increased  insurance  and  other  unusual  expenses.  This,  with  the  loss  of  a  market 
in  the  Southern  States,  finally  caused  Mr.  Webb  to  abandon  this  business,  which  has 
not  since  been  resumed  by  anyone. 

For  several  years  after  1869,  Mr.  Webb  operated  steamships  in  the  ocean  trades, 
becoming  one  of  the  largest  owners  of  ocean  tonnage  in  the  United  States.  He  ran  a 
line  of  steamers  from  New  York  via  both  Nicaragua  and  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  to 
San  Francisco,  in  opposition  to  The  Pacific  Mail  for  several  years,  finally  merging  his 
interests  with  that  company.  He  next  operated  the  then  only  American  line  of 
steamers  in  the  European  trade,  and  sent  the  first  American  passenger  steamer  which 
ever  traded  to  the  Baltic. 

He  afterward  owned  a  line  of  steamers  which  plied  from  San  Francisco  to  Australia 
by  way  of  the  Sandwich  and  Samoan  Islands,  a  route  of  6,500  miles,  the  longest  of 
continuous  steaming  in  the  world.  The  success  of  this  venture  required  government 
aid,  however,  which  Congress  refused,  although  urged  by  President  Grant.  In  this 
enterprise  he  persevered  at  a  loss  for  two  years  and  then  withdrew. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Webb  retired  from  active  business.  Although  pre-eminently  a  ship- 
builder, he  was  also  a  man  of  affairs,  and  had  had  many  investments  in  other  lines  of 
enterprise.  He  was  one  of  the  original  directors  of  The  Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Co., 
and  is  now  the  only  survivor  of  the  original  board.  He  subscribed  as  much  money  as 
any  other  individual  toward  the  building  of  The  Panama  Railroad.  Like  all  his  invest- 
ments, except  the  line  to  Australia,  this  one  yielded  him  a  large  return.  He  sold  his 
interest  in  1872  for  $316  a  share. 

Mr.  Webb  has  always  been  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs,  but  has  steadfastly 
refused  public  office.  Three  times  the  Mayoralty  of  New  York  was  offered  to  him,  twice 
by  the  Republicans,  once  by  the  Democratic  party,  but  declined.  For  fourteen  years,  he 
was  president  of  the  Council  of  Political  Reform  in  this  city,  which  succeeded  the  famous 
Committee  of  Seventy.  He  attacked  many  abuses  and  secured  better  laws  on  taxation. 

One  of  his  greatest  achievements  was  the  defeat  of  a  scheme  which  had  been 
planned  by  Tammany  officials,  for  building  a  great  dam  at  the  mouth  of  the  Croton 
river  to  increase  the  water  supply  of  New  York  city.  His  argument  was  that  the  vast 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  709 

body  of  water  which  would  be  collected  behind  this  dam  would  receive  all  the  impuri- 
ties of  the  Croton  watershed  and  endanger  the  health  of  the  city,  while  the  expense  of 
the  dam  would  be  enormous.  He  fought  the  scheme  for  five  years,  insisting  that  small 
reservoirs  should  be  created  at  the  headquarters  of  the  source  of  supply.  He  won  the 
fight  and  with  it  the  gratitude  of  the  people  of  the  city. 

Mr.  Webb's  philanthropy  has  recently  been  exhibited  by  the  purchase  of  fourteen 
acres  of  land  on  Fordham  Heights  and  the  building  and  endowment  of  "Webb's 
Academy  and  Home  for  Ship  Builders,"  where  young  mechanics  can  learn  every  branch 
of  ship  building  and  marine  engineering,  free  of  cost  for  tuition  and  board,  and  in  which 
old  and  decrepit  ship  builders  can  spend  their  remaining  days  in  comfort,  amid  noble 
surroundings,  in  company  with  their  wives.  He  is  a  large  owner  of  real  estate  in  the 
city,  including  the  large  Hotel  Bristol,  at  the  corner  of  Fifth  avenue  and  4zd  street.  He 
lives  in  the  winter  at  a  comfortable  home  on  Fifth  avenue,  and  in  the  summer  at  a 
beautiful  country  house  near  Tarrytown,  surrounded  by  ninety-seven  acres  of  grounds. 
This  charming  place  he  calls  "Waldheim." 

He  is  a  director  in  The  Central  Trust  Co.,  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co.,  The  Atlan- 
tic Mutual  Insurance  Co.,  The  New  York  Balance  Dock  Co.,  The  Third  Avenue  Rail- 
road Co. ,  and  other  important  corporations,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  and 
Republican  clubs  and  the  New  England  Society.  He  is  also  a  trustee  in  The  Hospital 
for  the  Ruptured  and  Crippled,  an  original  trustee  in  The  Society  for  the  Prevention  of 
Cruelty  to  Children,  and  also  (until  lately)  a  trustee,  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century, 
in  The  Hospital  for  the  Diseases  of  Women  for  the  State  of  New  York. 

WILLIAM  SEWARD  WEBB,  M.D.,  president  of  The  Wagner  Palace  Car  Co., 
born  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  31,  1851,  is  a  son  of  the  late  James  Watson  Webb,  and 
his  wife,  Laura  Virginia,  the  latter  a  daughter  of  Jacob  L.  Cram.  General  James 
Watson  Webb,  editor  of  Tlie  Courier  and  Enquirer,  was  a  very  able  and  distinguished 
man,  who,  after  refusing  appointment  as  Minister  to  Austria  and  to  Turkey,  accepted 
the  mission  to  Brazil  and  performed  valuable  service  for  his  government  during  his 
official  term  abroad.  The  family  is  an  old  one.  It  was  represented  in  the  American 
Revolution  by  that  splendid  soldier  and  favorite  of  Washington,  General  Samuel 
Blatchley  Webb  of  Connecticut,  and  has  given  birth  to  many  other  men  of  reputation. 

In  his  early  youth,  Dr.  Webb  was  educated  by  private  tutors,  followed  by  five  years 
at  Colonel  Churchill's  Military  School  at  Sing  Sing,  N.  Y.  He  then  spent  two  years 
at  Columbia  College,  leaving  there  to  go  abroad  and  study  medicine  in  Vienna,  Paris 
and  Berlin.  Returning  to  New  York,  he  took  a  regular  course  at  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons,  graduating  in  1875,  when  he  entered  St.  Luke's  Hospital  and 
remained  for  two  years  in  charge  of  that  institution.  He  then  began  practice  in  this 
city,  but  finding  that  professional  life  offered  no  attractions  for  his  active  spirit,  he 
entered  Wall  street  as  a  stock  broker  in  the  firm  of  W.  S.  Webb  &  Co.,  in  company 
with  one  of  his  brothers.  He  was  doing  well  at  the  Stock  Exchange,  when,  in  1883,  at 
the  request  of  William  H.  Vanderbilt,  his  father  in  law,  he  retired  from  Wall  street  to 
accept  the  presidency  of  The  Wagner  Palace  Car  Co.  This  corporation  needed  an  en- 
ergetic head,  and  Dr.  Webb  took  hold  of  its  affairs  with  great  earnestness,  improved  its 
rolling  stock,  extended  its  territory,  and  largely  increased  its  earnings.  He  is  yet  its 
president  and  maintains  the  company  in  a  highly  prosperous  condition.  He  has  also 
engaged  in  railroad  construction  in  the  Adirondack  region,  and,  as  president  of  The 


710  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Adirondack  &  St.  Lawrence  Railway  Co.,  built  233  miles  of  track  in  the  northern  part 
of  this  State.  His  interests  are  now  quite  extended,  and  he  is  a  director  of  The  Lin- 
coln Safe  Deposit  Co.,  The  Continental  Trust  Co.,  The  National  Life  Insurance  Co., 
The  Fitchburg  Railroad,  The  Bennington  &  Rutland  Railroad,  The  Central  Vermont 
Railroad,  The  Findlay,  Ft.  Wayne  &  Western  Railroad  and  other  corporations.  He 
owns  a  large  amount  of  land  in  the  Adirondack  region,  and  a.  beautiful  farm  at  Shel- 
burne,  Vt.,  finely  cultivated  and  carefully  laid  out. 

In  1881,  Dr.  Webb  married  Eliza  Osgood,  daughter  of  William  H.  Vanderbilt,  and 
his  children  are  Frederica  Vanderbilt,  James  Watson,  William  Seward,  jr.,  and  Van- 
derbilt. He  is  a  member  of  most  of  the  best  clubs  in  town,  including  the  Metropoli- 
tan, Union  League,  Republican,  University,  Manhattan,  Knickerbocker,  Calumet, 
Players',  Church,  Country,  Jockey,  Racquet,  New  York  Yacht,  Coaching,  Riding, 
Tuxedo,  Westminister  Kennel,  and  Down  Town.  By  virtue  of  lineal  descent,  he  is  a 
member  of  The  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution  and  was  President  General  of  the 
order  for  three  terms,  thereafter  declining  re-election.  He  is  also  a  member  of  The 
Society  of  Colonial  Wars,  and  has  been  secretary  and  treasurer  of  The  American 
Hackney  Horse  Society  since  its  organization.  He  is  an  aide-de-camp  on  the  staff  of 
the  Governor  of  Vermont,  with  the  rank  of  Colonel.  A  sanitarium  for  persons  suffer- 
ing from  pulmonary  diseases  is  about  to  be  built  in  the  vicinity  of  Saranac  Lake,  N.  Y., 
upon  100  acres  of  land  contributed  for  the  purpose  by  Dr.  Webb,  whose  gift  has  finally 
made  the  project  practicable. 

THURLOW  WEED,  editor,  born  in  Cairo,  N.  Y.,  Nov.  15,  1797,  died  in  New  York 
city,  Nov.  22,  1882.  He  sprang  from  an  obscure  but  respectable  family  and  began  life 
at  the  age  of  nine  as  cabin  boy  on  a  Hudson  river  sloop.  This  life  occupied  him  for 
three  years  and  he  then  became  a  printer  in  the  office  of  The  Catskill  Record.  The  family 
moved  soon  afterward  to  a  farm  in  Cincinnatus,  N.  Y.,  and  went  to  farming.  The 
vocation  did  not  suit  him.  Soon,  he  found  his  way  to  another  printing  office,  served 
as  a  volunteer  at  Sackett's  Harbor  in  the  War  of  1812,  then  found  work  as  a  printer 
in  New  York  city,  and,  at  the  age  of  nineteen,  having  already  seen  a  great  deal  of 
life,  started  a  weekly  newspaper  in  Norwich,  N.  Y.  In  1821,  he  moved  to  Manlius, 
N.  Y.,  started  another  weekly,  sold  it  in  1824,  went  to  Rochester  and  established  there 
The  Daily  Telegraph.  All  of  these  ventures  were  prosperous. 

The  Rochester  enterprise  made  him  famous.  Taking  an  active  part  in  politics,  he 
joined  the  Anti-Masonic  party  and  was  especially  outspoken  concerning  the  disappear- 
ance of  William  Morgan,  who  was  supposed  to  have  been  assassinated  by  the  Masons. 
Shortly  thereafter,  the  body  of  a  drowned  man  was  found  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Ontario. 
It  was  recognized  as  that  of  William  Morgan,  but  at  an  official  inquest,  various  wit- 
nessed came  forward,  who  swore  that  it  was  not.  When  asked  by  the  lawyer  of  the 
Free  Masons,  what  he  would  do  for  a  Morgan  now,  Mr.  Weed  replied,  "This  man  is  a 
good  enough  Morgan,  until  you  produce  the  man  who  was  drowned."  Henry  O'Reilly 
declared  in  The  Rochester  Advertiser  that  Mr.  Weed  had  said,  "He  is  a  good  enough 
Morgan  until  after  election. "  The  saying,  repeated  in  this  incorrect  form  all  over  the 
State,  created  tremendous  excitement  and  originated  the  proverb  yet  in  common  use 
in  political  literature.  Mr.  Weed  was  magnanimous  enough  to  forgive  the  slanderer 
and  even  to  aid  him  with  loans  of  money  and  influence. 

In    1831,   Mr.   Weed   established    The  Albany  Evening   Journal,   and  during  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW    YORK. WE.  711 

following  thirty-five  years  ranked  as  one  of  the  great  Republican  leaders  of  the  State. 
His  paper  acquired  an  extended  circulation  and  brought  him  a  fortune.  Until  1860, 
the  political  destinies  of  New  York  State  were  swayed  by  the  famous  partnership  of 
"Seward,  Weed  &  Greeley."  The  junior  "partner"  withdrew  in  1854.  Mr.  Weed 
promoted  the  aspirations  of  William  H.  Seward,  and  aided  to  make  him  Governor  of 
the  State  and  United  States  Senator. 

In  1861,  Mr.  Lincoln  sent  Mr.  Weed  with  Bishop  Hughes  of  New  York  and 
Bishop  Mcllvain  of  Ohio,  as  commissioners  to  France  and  England  to  propititate 
public  sentiment  in  those  countries  in  favor  of  the  American  government,  and  they 
rendered  important  services  in  that  direction.  After  the  War,  Mr.  Weed  moved  to 
New  York,  where  he  received  "the  freedom  of  the  city."  He  enjoyed  a  large  income 
from  his  newspaper,  a  portion  of  which  he  invested  carefully  every  year  in  stocks  and 
securities,  making  purchases  when  prices  were  low  and  gaining  a  large  accretion  by 
subsequent  advances  in  value.  He  was  a  large  owner  and  director  in  The  Dry  Dock, 
East  Broadway  &  Batter}',  The  Third  Avenue,  The  Central  Park,  North  &  East  River, 
The  Twenty-third  Street,  The  Christopher  &  Tenth  Street  and  The  Broadway  & 
Seventh  Avenue  Railroads,  and  at  one  time  a  director  of  The  Erie  &  Kalamazoo  Rail- 
road, which  was  leased  to  The  Lake  Shore. 

April  26,  1818,  he  married  Catherine,  daughter  of  Moses  Ostrander  of  Utrecht, 
Holland.  She  died  July  3,  1858.  Their  four  children  were  James  Weed,  who  died 
young ;  Harriet,  who  never  married ;  Emily,  the  wife  of  William  Barnes  of  Albany, 
N.  Y. ;  and  Maria,  who  married  Ogden  M.  Alden,  of  the  Puritan  family.  A  memoir 
of  Thurlow  Weed,  written  by  his  grandson,  Thurlow  Weed  Barnes,  has  been  published 
by  Houghton,  Mifflin  &  Co.  of  Boston.  His  other  grandson,  William  Barnes,  jr.,  of 
Albany,  has  succeeded  Mr.  Weed  as  editor  and  proprietor  of  The  Evening  Journal. 

As  a  boy,  Mr.  Weed  saw  Fulton's  first  steamboat  on  its  first  trip  up  the  Hudson. 
In  1830,  he  rode  on  the  first  railway  train  in  this  country,  from  Albany  to  Schenectady, 
and  later,  he  witnessed  Morse's  experiments  in  telegraphy. 

JACOB  WENDELL,  head  of  the  dry  goods  commission  house  which  bears  his 
name,  is  one  of  the  prominent  business  men  for  whom  New  York  is  indebted  to  New 
England.  He  was  born  in  Portsmouth,  N.  H.,  July  24,  1826.  He  traces  his  descent 
from  Evert  Jansen  Wendell,  who  immigrated  to  the  new  world  from  Holland  in  1640. 
His  father  was  Jacob  Wendell,  a  native  of  Portsmouth,  and  a  highly  respected  mer- 
chant of  that  city. 

Mr.  Wendell  received  his  education  at  the  academy  of  his  native  place,  under  the 
tutelage  of  William  C.  -Harris,  then  one  of  the  most  efficient  instructors  in  New  Eng- 
land. At  the  age  of  sixteen,  having  finished  his  course  there,  he  entered  the  office  of 
Goodwin  &  Coues,  in  Portsmouth.  The  former  of  these  gentlemen  became  well  known 
later,  as  New  Hampshire's  war  governor.  This  firm  had  the  management  of  seven 
ships,  six  of  which  were  engaged  in  carrying  freight  from  Southern  ports  to  Europe, 
the  other  sailing  in  the  East  India  trade.  It  was  in  this  office  that  Mr.  Wendell  re- 
ceived the  rudiments  of  his  mercantile  training;  and  in  August,  1843,  he  left  Ports- 
mouth to  seek  a  place  in  Boston. 

Recommended  as  he  was  by  his  first  employers,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining 
a  position  with  an  active  dry  goods  jobbing  house.  Upon  the  dissolution  of  this  firm, 
which  occurred  not  long  afterward,  a  new  partnership  was  formed,  in  whose  employ- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  713 

ment  Mr.  Wendell  continued  for  several  years,  leaving  it,  finally,  to  take  advantage  of  a 
better  position  which  had  been  offered  to  him  by  another  firm  in  the  same  line  of 
business.  He  was  an  earnest  and  faithful  clerk,  and  a  hard,  conscientious  worker,  and 
rapidly  acquired  a  full  knowledge  of  the  dry  goods  trade. 

He  left  this  concern,  at  the  expiration  of  about  two  years,  and  accepted  an  offer 
which  had  been  made  to  him  by  the  domestic  commission  house  of  J  C.  Howe  &  Co., 
which  was  widely  known  at  that  time  in  mercantile  and  financial  circles.  The  firm 
was  composed  of  Jabez  C.  Howe,  George  O.  Hovey,  Samuel  R.  Payson  and  John  B. 
Hutchinson.  Mr.  Wendell  remained  with  them  in  the  capacity  of  salesman  for  several 
years,  and  on  the  ist  of  January,  1854,  he  was  admitted  to  partnership. 

In  the  autumn  of  1857,  at  the  request  of  his  partners,  Mr.  Wendell  came  to  New 
York,  and  had  general  oversight  of  the  business  here  during  the  panic  of  that  year. 
In  the  course  of  the  next  few  years,  the  sales  of  the  New  York  branch  increased  so 
largely  that,  again  at  his  partner's  request,  he"  removed  with  his  family  to  this  city  in 
the  autumn  of  1863  and  became  a  permanent  resident. 

Mr.  Wendell  and  Mr.  Hutchinson  continued  to  manage  the  business  in  New  York 
until  the  close  of  the  year  1873,  when,  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Howe  and  the  retirement 
of  Messrs.  Hovey  and  Payson,  the  firm  of  J.  C.  Howe  &  Co.,  was  dissolved.  It  had 
been  in  existence  about  forty  years,  during  which  time  it  had  always  maintained  the 
highest  mercantile  credit,  the  partners  being  conspicuous  for  their  ability  and  integrity. 

The  firm  of  Wendell,  Hutchinson  &  Co.  was  then  formed,  and  had  a  successful 
career  until  Mr.  Hutchinson's  retirement  in  1880,  when  the  firm  name  was  changed  to 
Jacob  Wendell  &  Co.,  under  which  style  it  yet  exists,  retaining  the  high  and  honorable 
commercial  standing  which  ever  characterized  its  predecessors. 

Mr.  Wendell  was  married  on  Oct.  24,  1854,  to  Mary  Bertodi  Barrett,  daughter  of 
N.  A.  Barrett,  of  Boston,  and  they  have  four  sons,  one  of  whom,  Gordon  Wendell,  is 
a  member  of  his  father's  firm,  and  another,  Barrett  Wendell,  is  a  professor  in  Harvard 
University.  The  others  are,  Evert  Jansen  Wendell  and  Jacob  Wendell,  jr. 

Mr.  Wendell  is  a  director  in  The  Merchants'  National  Bank,  The  Continental  Fire 
Insurance  Co.,  The  North  British  &  Mercantile  Insurance  Co.,  The  New  York  Real 
Estate  Association,  and  The  Manhattan  Real  Estate  Association.  He  is  president  of 
The.  Merchants'  Real  Estate  Co.,  and  has  various  commercial  interests  in  other  sections 
of  the  country,  notably,  in  New  England.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Union  League, 
Century  and  Metropolitan  clubs,  and  of  The  New  England  Society,  The  New  York 
Historical  Society  and  The  Holland  Society  of  New  York,  and  is  a  supporter  of  various 
public  institutions  of  the  city. 

JAMES  MONROE  WENTZ,  capitalist,  is  one  of  the  class  of  the  older  merchants, 
who,  by  their  integrity  and  energy,  have  done  so  much  to  establish  the  commercial 
prosperity  of  New  York  city.  His  paternal  ancestors  emigrated  to  this  country  from 
Germany  soon  after  the  close  of  the  American  Revolution  and  settled  in  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania. His  father,  William  Wentz,  born  in  1788,  resided  there  until  about  the  age 
of  thirty  years,  when  he  removed  to  New  York  State  and  located  at  the  then  village  of 
Binghamton,  in  Broome  county.  Here,  upon  the  death  of  his  wife,  he  married  Abigail, 
a  daughter  of  Joseph  Manning,  who  was  descended  from  an  old  and  highly  respected 
New  England  family,  this  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  James  M.  Wentz,  the  subject 
(if  this  sketch,  Dec.  15,  1824.  The  boy's  education  was  limited  to  the  common  schools. 


714  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

His  preference  for  an  early  business  life  and  the  ambition  to  embark  on  a  mercan- 
tile career  induced  him  to  accept  a  clerkship  in  a  village  store,  which  he  continued  to 
fill  until  his  eighteenth  year,  when,  with  the  best  of  credentials,  he  left  home  and  went 
to  New  York  city,  where  he  was  destined  to  meet  with  success. 

His  first  employment  in  the  metropolis  was  with  a  wholesale  dry  goods  jobbing- 
house  in  Hanover  Square,  at  that  time  the  heart  of  the  wholesale  district.  He  remained 
with  this  concern  for  six  years,  gaining  a  practical  experience  in  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness, which  was  to  be  of  benefit  to  him  in  later  years.  He  then  accepted  a  position 
with  the  new  house  of  E.  T.  Tefft  &  Co.,  and  continued  there  for  a  period  of  eighteen 
years,  during  the  last  nine  of  which  he  was  a  partner  in  the  firm. 

In  1866,  he  formed  the  firm  of  Wentz,  Hartley  &  Co.,  which  style  was  maintained 
for  four  years  and  then  became  J.  M.  Wentz  &  Co.  This  business  was  successfully 
conducted  until  1879,  when  Mr.  Wentz  retired  from  active  mercantile  life,  after  a 
business  career  which  had  been  characterized  by  energy,  able  and  skillful  management 
and  the  strictest  integrity.  By  close  application  and  provident  management  of  his 
business,  he  had  accumulated  a  competency.  During  all  these  years  of  business,  in 
which  he  saw  many  and  vast  changes  in  the  commerce  of  this  city,  his  firm  stood 
invariably  high  in  credit  and  justly  earned  an  enviable  reputation  among  the  best 
houses  in  the  trade.  For  many  years  now,  he  has  resided  on  his  estate  at  Balmville, 
near  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  overlooking  the  Hudson  River,  and  his  time  is  chiefly  occupied 
in  the  conduct  of  his  private  affairs. 

While  Mr.  Wentz  is  a  staunch  Republican  and  an  ardent  believer  in  the  policy  and 
principles  of  that  party,  he  has  never  sought  or  held  public  office.  He  is  a  director  in 
The  Mercantile  National  Bank  of  New  York  and-  has  been  for  many  years  one  of  the 
trustees  of  The  Newburgh  Savings  Bank,  and  is  first  vice  president  of  that  institution 
and  gives  much  time  to  its  business  interests. 

Mr.  Wentz  was  married,  March  15,  1848,  to  Miss  Amelia  L.,  daughter  of  James 
De  Le  Ree,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  has  two  sons  and  a  daughter,  James  G.,  The- 
odore and  Mrs.  Thomas  F.  Balfe.  Mr.  Wentz  is  quiet  and  domestic  in  his  tastes  and 
is  essentially  a  lover  of  home.  During  his  whole  business  life,  he  has  been  steadily 
successful  and  enjoys  wide  acquaintance  in  the  commercial  and  financial  world.  In 
addition  to  wealth,  he  has  won  the  higher  regard  of  the  business  community  by  a 
reputation  for  honorable  dealing,  prompt  fulfillment  of  all  his  engagements  and  a  ready 
and  honest  discharge  of  liabilities.  These  qualities,  combined  with  keen  judgment 
and  caution,  carried  him  safely  through  all  financial  troubles  and  kept  him  in  the  tide 
of  success  throughout  his  whole  career. 

GEORGE  WEST,  manufacturer,  Member  of  Congress  and  a  man  of  affairs,  although 
of  English  birth,  has  spent  nearly  his  whole  active  life  in  the  United  States  and  is 
now  even  more  warmly  attached  to  his  adopted  country  than  some  of  those  who  are  to 
"the  manner  born."  He  was  born  in  Bradnitch  in  Devonshire,  Feb.  17,  1823.  At  eleven 
years  of  age,  he  was  apprenticed  in  a  paper  mill  in  his  native  land,  and  began  life  a 
sturdy,  hearty  lad,  with  a  large  head  and  striking  personality,  giving  promise  from  the 
start  of  a  future  career  of  great  interest.  No  labor  was  too  hard  for  the  lad,  and  he 
soon  learned  all  the  different  processes  for  making  paper  of  all  grades  and  kinds,  includ- 
ing writing  and  colored  papers.  He  had  a  progressive  spirit  and  determined  early  in 
life  to  become  the  master  of  his  own  business.  Great  energy  and  will  power,  close 


716  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

application,  correct  habits,  and  marked  proficiency,  won  for  him  advancement;  and, 
at  the  age  of  eighteen,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  most  important  department  of 
the  mill.  His  genial  temperament  and  athletic  strength  made  him  a  favorite  with  all 
classes,  and  an  acknowledged  leader  in  the  sports  and  fun  of  the  day. 

Had  Mr.  West  remained  in  England,  he  might  have  risen  to  an  important  position 
in  spite  of  the  trammels  and  social  conventions  of  the  old  world.  But  he  finally  decided 
to  remove  to  America.  His  employer  strove  to  detain  him,  first,  by  offers  of  salary, 
and  next  by  painting  the  terrors  of  life  in  America,  where,  he  said,  people  were  shoot- 
ing each  other  every  day.  Not  in  the  least  shaken  in  his  decision,  Mr.  West  reached 
the  United  States  as  a  steerage  passenger  in  February,  1849.  He  found  employment 
at  once  in  a  New  Jersey  paper  mill,  remaining  about  a  year,  and  then  removed  to 
Tyringham,  near  Lee,  Mass.,  where  he  entered  a  writing  paper  mill.  It  was  in  this 
establishment  that  he  attended  the  machine  which,  in  February,  1850,  made  the  first 
water-mark  writing  paper  in  the  United  States.  With  an  early  development  of  talent, 
Mr,  West  became  the  inventor  of  the  machinery  for  cutting  the  water  mark.  In  the 
Summer  of  1852,  he  left  Tyringham  on  account  of  ill  health,  and  in  the  Fall,  with  his 
vigor  fully  restored,  took  charge  of  a  mill  in  Russell,  Mass.,  owned  and  operated  by 
J.  R.  Smith  &  Co.,  remaining  there  until  March,  1858.  Meanwhile,  he  had  become 
widely  known  for  superior  qualifications  as  a  paper  maker,  and,  by  carefully  saving  his 
earnings,  had  finally  gained  the  means  to  operate  with  on  his  own  account.  It  is  thus 
that  the  workman  becomes  a  proprietor.  In  March,  1858,  Mr.  West  heard  of  a  paper 
mill  in  Cummington,  Mass.,  whose  owners  wanted  to  arrange  with  a  practical  man  to 
buy  a  share  and  run  the  mill.  Mr.  West  visited  the  property  and  after  examination 
bought  a  quarter  interest,  took  entire  charge  of  the  mill,  did  the  buying  and  selling 
and  conducted  affairs  with  excellent  results  until  October,  1860,  when  he  sold  his  inter- 
est to  his  partners. 

When,  in  May,  1861,  an  interest  in  the  old  Empire  mill  at  Rock  City  Falls,  in 
Saratoga  county,  was  offered  to  him,  he  declined  at  first  to  buy;  and,  although  he  had 
been  the  proprietor  of  his  own  mill,  he  resolved  to  work  in  Rock  City  Falls  on  wages-, 
until  he  could  judge  of  the  excellence  of  the  bargain.  Within  a  year,  he  had  made  up 
his  mind  to  buy,  and  in  June,  1862,  as  proprietor  of  the  Empire  mill,  he  entered  upon 
a  most  prosperous  and  successful  career. 

Untiring  labor  and  skillful  management  having  brought  some  surplus  means,  Mr. 
West  was  enabled  to  extend  his  enterprise,  and  with  excellent  judgment  ho  invested 
his  savings  in  the  business  which  he  thoroughly  understood.  In  fact,  he  did  not  go 
outside  of  the  paper  industry  for  investment  for  many  years.  In  1866,  he  built  the 
Excelsior  paper  mill  in  Rock  City,  and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  joined  the  Messrs. 
Taggart  in  the  ownership  of  a  paper  mill  in  Watertown,  N.  Y.  In  the  latter  enter- 
prise, while  associated  with  men  of  the  highest  character,  who  enjoy  the  deserved 
respect  of  every  inhabitant  of  their  part  of  the  State,  Mr.  West  was  anxious  to  control 
his  own  business,  and  he  accordingly  sold  his  interest  in  Watertown  in  1870.  In  the 
summer  of  the  same  year,  he  bought  the  ruins  of  the  old  Pioneer  mill  at  West  Milton 
in  Saratoga  county,  rebuilt  and  enlarged  the  structure,  fitted  it  up,  and  set  a  large 
force  to  work  therein  making  paper.  The  same  year,  he  also  formed  a  partnership  with 
Robert  Gair,  as  Gair  &  West,  to  carry  on  a  commission  paper  trade  in  New  York  city. 
Having  secured  the  object  he  had  in  view,  he  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Gair  in  1876. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  717 

During  the  financial  depression  of  1874,  Mr.  West  bought  what  is  now  known  as 
the  Eagle  paper  mill  in  Factory  Village,  Saratoga  county.  It  will  be  noted  that  his 
manufacturing  enterprise  has  been  largely  confined  to  this  beautiful  county,  its  near- 
ness to  the  Adirondack  forests  ensuring  him  an  abundant  supply  of  low  priced  fibre 
for  his  operations.  In  August,  1875,  ne  bought  all  the  cotton  and  woolen  factories  of 
all  kinds  in  Ballston  Spa,  including  the  Glen,  Union  and  Island  mills.  From  that 
time  forward,  Ballston  Spa  became  his  summer  home.  Mr.  West  now  owns  eight 
paper  mills  in  Saratoga  count}-,  including  the  seven  above  named  and  one  at  Hadley 
Falls,  on  the  North  river  above  Palmer's  Falls.  At  Luzerne,  on  the  Hudson  river, 
he  also  owns  and  conducts  the  largest  factory  of  manila  paper  in  the  world. 

When  he  bought  the  little  Empire  mill,  in  1862,  he  had  ten  employes  and  a 
monthly  pay  roll  of  about  $300,  and  produced  about  half  a  ton  of  paper  a  day.  The 
capacity  of  the  nine  mills  of  which  he  is  now  the  owner  is  forty  tons  a  day,  and  the 
paper  bag  factory  is  capable  of  producing  2,500,000  bags  a  da}*.  He  employs  400 
men,  women  and  children,  the  pay  roll  amounting  to  more  than  §14,000  a  month,  has 
no  partner  and  is  sole  owner  of  the  business.  Through  his  incessant  activity,  his 
liberality  and  public  spirit,  Ballston  Spa  and  other  communities  in  Saratoga  county 
have  in  thirty  years  materially  increased  in  prosperity.  Their  people  are  busy  and 
happy  and  regard  Mr.  West  as  a  public  benefactor.  He  himself  shares  with  all  about 
him  the  rewards  of  his  energy  and  enterprise.  His  uprightness  of  character  is  pro- 
verbial. He  has  been  an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  for  many  years  but 
a  generous  giver  to  all  churches  and  deserving  organizations.  Few  appreciate  all  that 
he  has  done,  because,  though  his  gifts  are  free,  they  are  never  given  with  ostentation. 
Among  other  gifts  which  are  known,  was  the  contribution  of  half  the  cost  of  a  new 
Methodist  church  structure  in  Ballston  Spa,  which,  dedicated  in  December,  1893,  by 
Bishop  Newman,  is  the  largest  and  finest  edifice  of  its  class  in  the  city.  As  treasurer 
of  The  Round  Lake  Association,  he  devotes  much  time  to  the  interests  of  Round  Lake, 
and  at  one  time  saved  the  camp  meeting  grounds  from  the  auctioneer's  hammer. 
Time  and  again,  he  has  aided  other  denominations. 

In  later  years,  Mr.  West's  interests  have  become  more  extended.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  director  of  The  Utica  Herald,  owns  The  Schenectady  Union,  and  is  a  stock- 
holder, one  of  the  original  incorporators,  and,  with  D.  S.  Walton,  one  of  the  two 
proprietors  of  the  firm  of  D.  S.  Walton  &  Co.,  wholesale  merchants  of  paper,  paper 
bags,  etc.,  at  the  corner  of  Varick  and  Franklin  streets  in  New  York  city.  One  of 
those  who  helped  establish  The  First  National  Bank  of  Ballston  Spa,  he  became  its 
vice  president  in  1876  and  in  1880  its  president,  which  position  he  yet  holds.  Mr. 
West  makes  a  very  good  banker  as  well  as  a  successful  business  man  and  is  known  to 
be  sound  and  conservative  in  his  management.  He  is  also  a  director  of  The  National 
Folding  Box  &  Paper  Co. ,  of  New  York,  and  owns  a  creosote  factory,  mines  in  the 
West  and  excellent  real  estate,  and  has  various  other  interests  of  consequence.  He 
spends  much  time  in  New  York  city,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Republican  club,  Board 
of  Trade  &  Transportation  and  American  Geographical  Society. 

But  there  is  another  side  of  his  career,  which  must  be  mentioned.  In  political 
faith  a  Republican  and  a  believer  in  the  protective  tariff,  not  only  for  his  own  sake  but 
for  that  of  his  employes,  Mr.  West  is  qualified  for  public  office  both  by  his  sentiments 
and  his  clear  head ;  and  he  has  been  five  times  elected  to  the  State  Assembly  from  Sara- 


718  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

toga  county,  namely,  in  1871-75,  and  by  steadily  increasing  majorities.  In  1876, 
the  Speaker  of  the  House  appointed  him  chairman  of  the  Railway  Committee.  He  has 
also  sat  in  Congress  three  times,  having  been  elected  in  1880,  1884,  and  1886  respec- 
tively, as  Representative  from  the  XXth  district  of  this  State.  In  Congress,  he  served 
on  the  Committees  on  Agriculture,  Manufactures,  and  Enrolled  Bills.  The  business 
man  in  politics  seldom  makes  a  strong  display  as  an  orator  but  is  always  capable  of 
a  large  amount  of  work.  Mr.  West  left  to  the  political  giants  of  the  House  all  active 
part  in  the  debates,  but  was  always  present,  shared  in  the  labor  of  his  committees, 
voted  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  his  constituents,  and  increased  his  reputation  as  a 
wise  Representative  steadily  during  his  three  terms.  Congress  needs  a  quota  of  just 
such  alert  and  far  seeing  business  men.  His  district  sent  him  in  1880,  1884,  and  1888, 
as  a  delegate  to  the  national  convention  of  the  party.  In  his  campaigns  in  Saratoga 
county,  Mr.  West  has  showed  himself  to  be  a  ready  and  well  informed  speaker,  and, 
while  making  no  claims  to  classic  excellence  in  oratory,  has  repeatedly  surprised  his 
friends  by  his  force  and  ease  on  the  platform. 

April  7,  1844,  he  was  married  in  Devonshire,  England.  Of  his  six  children,  two 
are  yet  living,  the  oldest  and  the  youngest,  George  West,  jr.,  born  in  England,  Feb. 
16,  1845,  who  is  associated  with  his  father  in  the  general  management,  and  Florence 
Louisa,  born  in  Russell,  Mass. ,  and  now  the  wife  of  D.  W.  Mabee,  the  right  hand  man 
of  Mr.  West  in  the  actual  oversight  of  the  paper  mills.  A  few  years  ago,  Mr.  West 
visited  the  place  of  his  birth  in  England,  spending  many  pleasant  hours  in  recalling 
and  recounting  the  scenes  of  his  boyhood.  The  homes  of  several  of  his  fellow  workmen, 
who  had  met  with  little  success,  were  brightened  by  substantial  aid,  which  will  not  be 
forgotten,  while  the  city  of  his  birth  now  contains  many  a  monument  of  his  generosity 
and  regard.  In  1883,  during  a  visit  to  Brandnitch,  the  city  tendered  him  a  public  recep- 
tion and  banquet,  surpassing  anything  of  the  kind  previously  given  to  a  private  indi- 
vidual there.  Upon  his  return  home,  he  received  a  public  welcome  from  the  citizens  of 
Saratoga  county  without  regard  to  party,  not  less  flattering  than  that  given  him  abroad. 
For  a  few  years  past,  he  has  combined  pleasure  with  business,  travelling  much,  and 
proving  an  interesting  companion  to  those  who  have  shared  his  company.  His  busi- 
ness has  been  so  systematized  that  he  can  direct  it  without  being  present  in  the  places 
where  it  is  conducted. 

A  man  of  sound  and  liberal  views  and  wide  range  of  knowledge,  he  commands 
respect  among  all  who  know 'him.  In  personal  appearance,  he  is  short  and  stout,  with 
full  beard,  broad  shoulders,  large  mouth  and  large  head,  and  is  remarkable  for  genial 
humor  and  exuberant  spirits.  He  is  fond  of  telling  that  many  consider  him  the  home- 
liest man  in  the  Empire  State,  although  he  is  not  that  in  the  least.  He  is,  however, 
one  of  those  men,  in  delineating  whom  the  caricaturists  have  loved  to  employ  their  pen- 
cils. At  one  time,  an  effort  was  made  to  defeat  him  for  office  by  circulating  a  grotesque 
portrait,  representing  him  asleep  in  a  chair  with  his  feet  on  a  desk.  Nearly  ten  thou- 
sand of  these  caricatures  were  distributed  in  his  district,  inscribed,  "Hon.  George 
West,  as  he  appears  daily,  legislating  for  his  constituents."  Upon  this  occasion,  his 
opponents  overreached  themselves  by  their  own  cunning  policy.  Thousands  of  voters 
who  had  never  seen  Mr.  West  thronged  to  his  meetings  to  see  him,  tempted  by  the  por- 
traits. They  stayed  to  hear  him  speak,  were  captivated  by  his  witty  and  apposite  re- 
marks and  sound  sense,  and  went  home  only  to  increase  his  next  majority. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.- — WE.  "19 

GARDNER  WETHERBEE,  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  Windsor  Hotel,  born 
Nov.  8,  1838,  in  Harvard,  Mass.,  is  of  English  ancestry  and  descends  from  a  family  of 
hotel  men.  His  father,  Zophar  Wetherbee,  his  grandfather  and  several  uncles  all  con- 
ducted hotels  in  the  States  of  Massachusetts  and  Ohio  during  their  life  times,  covering 
a  total  period  of  seventy-five  years. 

After  graduating  from  Lawrence  academy  in  Groton,  Mass.,  Mr.  Wetherbee  entered 
mercantile  life  for  a  while,  acquiring  there  an  acquaintance  with  business  methods  and 
habits  of  economy  and  thrift.  This  experience  lasted  a  short  time  only  and  he  then 
accepted  a  position  in  the  Gibson  House  in  Cincinnati,  of  which  an  uncle  was  one  of 
the  first  proprietors.  He  continued  his  apprenticeship  in  the  American  Hotel  in  Phila- 
delphia and  from  close  application  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  elementary 
requirements  of  hotel  keeping. 

The  opportunity  which  gave  him  his  first  distinct  promotion  came  with  the  con- 
struction of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  in  New  York  city  in  1859.  Messrs.  Hitchcock  & 
Darling  had  taken  a  lease  of  this  magnificent  building,  aided  by  the  experience  and 
capital  of  Paran  Stevens,  and  they  opened  the  hotel  in  August  of  the  year  named.  Mr. 
Wetherbee  was  offered  a  position  in  the  hotel  where  he  remained  in  charge  of  the  office 
until  1867,  performing  the  duties  allotted  to  him  with  great  success  and  winning  an 
excellent  reputation  by  untiring  attention  to  the  desires  of  guests  and  his  unaffected 
cordiality  of  manner.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  visitors  to  say  that  they 
would  rather  take  "No"  from  Mr.  Wetherbee  than  "Yes"  from  other  men. 

In  1867,  he  crossed  the  continent  with  a  fellow  clerk,  and  entered  upon  a  two 
years'  experience  as  manager  of  the  Occidental  Hotel  in  San  Francisco,  then  as  now 
one  of  the  best  known  houses  on  the  Pacific  coast  and  enjoying  a  virtual  monopoly  of 
the  patronage  of  Australian  and  New  Zealand  travellers. 

Mr.  Wetherbee  had  now  obtained  a  thorough,  all  round  experience  in  hotel  keeping, 
and  felt  himself  qualified  to  engage  in  business  on  his  own  account.  For  four  3'ears, 
1869-73,  he  conducted  the  Revere  and  Tremont  Houses  in  Boston,  receiving  a  suitable 
reward  for  his  enterprise.  The  poor  boy,  relying  entirely  upon  his  own  efforts,  and 
pressing  constantly  forward,  with  a  vigor  of  ambitious  youth,  had  now  reached  a 
position  of  influence  in  the  hotel  world  and  was  recognized  as  a  rising  man. 

In  1873,  he  returned  to  New  York  to  lease  from  John  T.  Daly  the  Windsor  Hotel 
on  Fifth  avenue  at  47th  street,  in  partnership  with  Samuel  Hawk,  under  the  firm  name 
Hawk  &  Wetherbee.  This  was  a  new  and  exceedingly  handsome  hotel,  situated  in 
the  heart  of  the  fashionable  residence  section  of  the  city,  requiring  skillful  management, 
but  promising  good  returns  to  a  firm,  competent  to  conduct  one  of  the  finest  public 
houses  in  the  metropolis  in  a  proper  manner.  The  entire  success  of  the  Windsor 
Hotel  is  a  sufficient  commentary  upon  the  excellence  of  its  management. 

Mr.  Wetherbee  has  never  taken  any  part  in  politics,  but  is  active  in  less  conspicuous 
fields,  a  director  of  The  Fifth  Avenue  Bank,  a  trustee  of  the  Kensico  Cemetery  and 
The  New  York  Infant  Asylum,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club,  New  England 
Society  and  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art. 

He  was  married  in  Sandwich,  Mass.,  in  1868,  to  Hannah  G.,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Nye,  and  to  them  have  been  born  Grace  D.  and  Alice  N.  Wetherbee. 

Mr.  Wetherbee  is  of  medium  height  and  sturdy  build.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
courteous  and  affable  of  men,  his  warm  heart  and  cheerful  disposition  making  many 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WE.  72! 

friends  and  greatly  promoting  the  success  of  his  hotel.  He  is  a  public  spirited  man, 
also,  as  may  be  attested  by  examining  the  rolls  of  the  supporters  of  the  great  public 
museums  of  the  city,  and  many  other  important  institutions. 

APOLLOS  RUSSELL  WETMORE,  merchant  and  philanthropist,  born  in  Dan- 
bury,  Conn.,  Nov.  n,  1796,  died  in  this  city,  Jan.  21,  1881.  The  family  was  founded 
in  this  country  in  1635  by  Thomas  Wetmore,  an  Englishman,  who  settled  in  Hartford, 
Conn.  The  Rev.  Noah  Wetmore,  grandfather  of  Apollos  R.  Wetmore,  married  Submit 
Russell,  became  an  ardent  patriot  and  chaplain  in  the  American  Revolution,  was  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Bethel,  Conn.,  and  later  wascalled  to  Brook  Haven,  L.I., 
where  he  died  in  March,  1796.  Noah  Wetmore,  son  of  the  latter,  married  Winifred 
Smith,  Feb.  14,  1792,  and  was  long  superintendent  of  The  New  York  Hospital.  Com- 
ing to  New  York  in  1808  with  his  family,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  spent  two  vears 
in  Columbia  College,  but  ill  health  forced  him  to  abandon  his  studies,  and  he  entered 
the  hardware  store  of  Kip  &  Ingraham  in  1815.  In  1818,  he  engaged  in  the  hardware 
trade  at  his  own  risk,  forming  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  D.  W.  Wetmore.  Wil- 
liam Green,  jr.,  was  admitted  six  years  later,  the  firm  adopting:  the  name  of  Green  & 
Wetmore.  They  carried  on  business  at  the  corner  of  Washington  and  Vesey  streets, 
until  Mr.  Green  retired  in  1835.  Mr.  Wetmore  continued  the  firm  of  Wetmore  & 
Co.,  removing  in  1869  to  363-7  Greenwich  street,  with  his  son,  George  C.,  and  his 
nephew,  David  Wetmore,  as  his  partners.  He  retired  in  1875.  In  1830,  he  became  a 
member  of  the  Laight  Street  Presbyterian  Church,  changing  in  later  life  to  the  Madison 
Square  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  he  was  a  member  and  trustee.  He  was  perhaps 
most  widely  known  from  his  interest  in  benevolent  institutions.  He  helped  found  The 
City  Mission  &  Tract  Society,  and  acted  as  its  president  for  seven  years,  and  was  also  a 
governor  of  The  Women's  Hospital,  The  Presbyterian  Hospital  and  The  Hospital  for 
the  Ruptured  and  Crippled.  He  was  president  of  that  institution,  a  founder  of  The 
Association  for  Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  and  chairman  of  the  Board  of 
Managers  of  The  Home  for  Fallen  and  Friendless  Girls,  but  his  greatest  work  was  the 
founding  and,  by  his  large  collection  of  funds  from  those  who  had  confidence  in  him, 
establishing  The  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum,  whose  extensive  buildings  at  i?5th  street 
usually  contain  over  1,000  children.  Mr.  Wetmore  was  president  for  over  thirty  years. 
He  married  Miss  Mary  Carmer,  of  New  York,  April  30,  1822,  and  celebrated  his  golden 
wedding  in  1872.  Mrs.  Wetmore  died  in  1876.  They  had  six  children:  Henry,  who 
died  before  him;  George  Carmer,  Theodore  Russell,  William,  Elizabeth  Carmer,  widow 
of  Henry  Mesier,  who  died  in  1881  at  Wappinger's  Falls,  and  Mary  Russell,  wife  of 
Charles  E.  Carryl. 

ROBERT  CHARLES  WETflORE,  merchant,  native  of  Pequannock,  Conn.,  died  in 
South  Orange,  N.  J.,  May  9,  1890,  at  the  age  of  ninety-one.  His  family  was  an  old 
one  in  Connecticut  and  his  ancestors  were  clergymen  for  five  generations.  Educated  in 
a  private  school,  he  lived  in  Bridgeport  until  1819,  when  he  came  to  New  York  and 
entered  the  employment  of  his  brother  in  law,  Tredwell,  a  dealer  in  crockery.  In 
1830,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother,  Gen.  Prosper  Montgomery  Wetmore, 
and  carried  on  the  crockery  business  under  the  name  of  R.  C.  Wetmore  &  Co.  until 
1849,  when,  having  amassed  a  fortune,  he  retired.  During  the  Harrison  and  Tyler 
campaign,  Mr.  Wetmore  was  a  recognized  leader  of  the  Whig  party  and  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  general  committee  of  Whig  Young  Men.  President  Tyler  appointed  him 


722 


AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 


Naval  Agent  at  New  York.  Mr.  Wetmore  was  a  warm  personal  friend  of  Henry  Clay, 
Daniel  Webster  and  other  well  known  men  of  that  generation,  and  his  literary  attain- 
ments caused  his  house  to  be  the  resort  of  Bancroft,  N.  P.  Willis  and  many  other 
writers  of  reputation.  To  him  and  his  wife,  Adeline,  daughter  of  Seth  Geer,  were 
born  three  children,  two  daughters  and  one  son,  who  survived  him. 

JEROME  BYRON  WHEELER,  merchant,  smelter  and  financier,  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Troy,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  3,  1841.  Both  his  parents  were  born  in  New  England  and 
of  English  descent.  His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Emerson,  is  of  the  family 
which  produced  Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  of  Concord.  They  were  both  excellent  people 
of  strong  minds  and  good  character,  and  their  boy  grew  to  young  manhood  under  ex- 
cellent influences.  During  his  early  youth,  the  family  moved  to  Waterford,  a  small 
town  four  miles  north  of  Troy.  Jerome  was  educated  at  the  public  schools,  and  at 
fifteen  became  a  clerk  in  one  of  the  village  stores.  Later,  he  found  employment  in  one 
of  the  factories  of  Waterford.  Thus  early  trained  in  the  practical  work  of  life,  he  be- 
came ambitious,  self  reliant,  energetic  and  capable.  His  business  career  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  War  for  the  Union. 

When  Sumter  was  fired  upon,  the  young  man,  in  common  with  generous  and 
patriotic  youth  all  through  the  North,  was  anxious  to  go  to  the  front  with  the  first 
volunteers  and  impatient  because  he  could  not.  Sept  3,  1861,  the  day  he  came  of  age, 
he  joined  Co.  D,  6th  N.  Y.  Cav.,  and  proudly  marched  to  the  front  with  his  regiment. 
The  service  of  this  regiment  was  a  brilliant  one,  lasting  until  the  end  of  the  war.  Mr. 
Wheeler  was  with  the  command  in  all  the  great  campaigns  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac 
and  with  Sheridan  in  the  Shenandoah  valley,  at  Gettysburgh  and  Appomattox.  En- 
listing as  a  private,  his  business  ability  was  too  valuable  not  to  be  utilized,  and  he  was 
promoted  successively  to  sergeant  in  the  quartermaster's  department,  second  lieutenant 
on  the  staff  of  Colonel  Devin,  acting  quartermaster  of  his  regiment,  first  lieutenant, 
brigade  quartermaster,  and  then,  before  the  end  of  the  war,  to  captain  and  brevet 
major.  The  young  quartermaster  won  an  enviable  reputation  by  his  services  in  the 
field.  He  displayed  dash,  ability,  and  determination  in  all  his  work,  repeatedly  at- 
tracted the  attention  of  general  officers  who  did  not  know  him,  and  was  complimented 
many  times  in  official  reports,  especially  by  Colonel  Devin,  who  was  greatly  attached 
to  him.  It  is  said  that  after  an  engagement  or  forced  march,  Quartermaster  Wheeler 
was  usually  the  first  man  to  bring  up  his  trains  of  supplies  for  the  relief  of  the  half 
famished  men.  His  service  as  a  staff  officer  was  without  a  flaw,  and  when,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1865,  the  6th  N.  Y.  Cav.  received  its  muster  out,  the  young  officer  returned  to 
Troy,  without  a  dollar  indeed  in  the  world  but  with  an  honorable  discharge  and  a 
reputation  which  had  preceded  him,  and  promptly  gained  him  a  position. 

Accepting  what  was  offered,  he  became  a  bookkeeper  in  Troy.  He  had  not  been 
long  in  this  place,  however,  before  the  man  of  action  and  adventure  found  that  his 
nature  had  been  broadened  and  his  mind  awakened  by  the  war,  and  he  aspired  to  a 
larger  field.  He  came  to  New  York  seeking  occupation  and  was  fortunate  enough  to 
find  it  with  a  comrade  of  his  regiment,  John  F.  Barkley,  then  engaged  in  a  small  grain 
business.  The  place  was  not  remunerative  but  it  gave  him  an  opportunity  to  learn  the 
business,  and  finally,  in  response  to  the  friendly  suggestion  of  General  Devin  to  Robert 
S.  Holt,  of  Holt  &  Co.,  flour  and  commission  merchants,  that  firm  offered  him  a  desir- 
able clerkship.  He  accepted  the  appointment,  threw  his  whole  energy  into  the  work 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.  —  \VH.  723 

of  the  house,  was  rapidly  promoted,  and  remained  with  the  firm  until  1878,  meanwhile 
having  been  admitted  to  partnership.  His  first  capital  was  gained  in  the  business  of 
this  house. 

In  1879,  through  the  death  of  his  brother  in  law,  R.  M.  Valentine,  Mr.  Wheeler 
became  connected  with  the  great  uptown  dry  goods  firm  of  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co.  Hav- 
ing been  made  executor  of  Mr.  Valentine's  estate,  Mr.  Wheeler  finally  joined  with 
Charles  B.  Webster,  the  senior  partner,  in  the  purchase  of  the  entire  business  of  the 
firm.  In  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co.,  Mr.  Wheeler  became  exceedingly  successful.  One  of  the 
best  known  and  most  progressive  retail  dry  goods  firms  in  the  city,  the  house  transacted 
an  enormous  business  and  brought  large  profits  to  its  proprietors. 

In  1882,  while  on  a  visit  to  Colorado  for  recreation,  Mr.  Wheeler  became  interested 
in  behalf  of  a  friend  in  the  new  mining  camp  at  Aspen,  then  a  rough  frontier  settle- 
ment of  about  six  hundred  inhabitants.  Mining  interests  were  then  at  a  low  ebb.  Mr. 
Wheeler  bought  a  controlling  interest  in  two  mines,  without  looking  at  them,  as  an  act 
of  friendship,  and  gave  a  share  of  his  holdings  to  the  friend  in  whose  behalf  he  had 
made  the  investment.  The  following  year,  the  possibilities  of  Aspen  having  gradually 
dawned  upon  him,  he  returned  to  Colorado  with  his  friend,  Robert  S.  Holt,  for  a  careful 
and  serious  inspection.  The  result  was  that  he  bought  an  abandoned  smelter  and  an  in- 
terest in  the  Spar  mine  and  then  organized  The  Aspen  Smelting  Co.,  with  a  capital  of 
§150,000,  in  partnership  with  Charles  B.  Webster  and  Robert  S.  Holt,  and  entered  upon 
the  energetic  development  of  Aspea.  After  due  deliberation,  he  began  the  purchase  of 
ore  from  the  miners,  taking  all  that  came,  good,  bad,  and  indifferent.  This  created  a 
market  for  the  ore  of  the  Aspen  mines  and  proved  the  especial  stimulus  to  the  mining 
camp,  which  had  long  been  needed.  Mr.  Wheeler  had  now  embarked  upon  an  enter- 
prise, which  was  destined  to  dissociate  him  from  New  York  city  and  secure  for  Colorado 
the  exclusive  services  of  a  financier  of  great  ability. 

One  problem  which  confronted  Mr.  Wheeler  at  the  start  was  the  question  of  fuel 
supply.  It  was  necessary  at  that  time  to  bring  coke  one  hundred  miles  from  Crested 
Butte  on  the  backs  of  mules.  Coal  having  been  discovered  at  Jerome  Park,  however,, 
suitable  for  coke,  thirty-five  miles  from  Aspen,  Mr.  Wheeler  purchased  land  there,, 
opened  a  coal  mine,  and  in  1884  built  coking  ovens,  the  most  costly  ever  erected  in 
Colorado,  and  from  them  has  since  obtained  a  continuous  supply  of  excellent  coke  for 
the  smelting  works.  This  investment  insured  the  success  of  The  Aspen  Smelting  Co. 

With  wise  judgment,  Mr.  Wheeler  added  to  his  investments  by  the  purchase  of  an 
interest  in  many  of  the  mines  at  Aspen,  some  of  which  afterward  proved  among  the 
bonanzas  of  the  camp.  He  had  an  interest  in  the  Aspen  mine,  one  third  of  which,, 
before  it  began  to  pay,  was  sold  for  a  load  of  lumber,  but  which,  in  January,  1885,, 
reached  a  rich  deposit  of  silver  and  yielded  500,000  ounces  of  the  metal  in  six  weeks, 
and  has  since  produced  as  high  as  $225,000  monthly.  He  also  became  an  owner  in  the 
Emma  mine,  which  produced  $411,000  in  fourteen  months,  and  in  the  Spar,  Vallejo, 
Hidden  Treasure,  and  many  others,  all  of  them  paying  properties.  Largely  through 
the  stimulus  given  to  enterprise  by  Mr.  Wheeler's  investments,  and  in  part  by  the 
compromise  of  1888  in  the  litigation  in  which  the  mines  were  involved,  the  output  of 
the  camp  sprang  from  $850,000  in  1887  to  $7,500,000  in  1888  and  has  since  continued 
at  the  rate  of  many  millions  a  year.  With  the  prosperity  of  the  camp,  Mr.  Wheeler 
has  risen  to  a  position  of  great  financial  strength. 


724  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL  MEN. 

But  there  was  yet  more  to  be  done  for  Aspen.  Railroad  facilities  were  needed. 
Largely  through  his  active  influence,  The  Colorado  Midland  Railway  Co.  was  indiiced 
to  extend  its  line  to  Aspen;  and  this  road,  begun  in  1886,  was  in  1888  finished  to  Aspen 
and  Glenwood  Springs.  Mr.  Wheeler  made  an  investment  in  the  company,  became  its 
first  vice  president,  and  was  its  earnest  and  untiring  promoter.  The  benefits  which 
this  road  has  conferred  on  Aspen  could  not  be  described  in  moderate  language. 

Mr.  Wheeler  gradually  became  deeply  interested  in  the  interests  of  Colorado,  and 
he  has  extended  his  investments  in  the  State  in  many  directions  and  always  with  excel- 
lent judgment  and  success.  The  Grand  River  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  an  outgrowth  of  his 
pioneer  effort  at  Jerome  Park  to  obtain  a  supply  of  coke  for  his  smelting  works,  has 
now  become  a  most  important  enterprise.  The  company  was  organized  by  him  as 
president  and  now  owns  5,000  acres  of  coal  lands,  possessing  veins  of  unusual  thick- 
ness, one  of  them  forty-five  feet  in  width,  and  yielding  coking  coal  of  excellent  quality. 
The  product  of  these  mines  finds  a  market  as  far  east  as  the  Missouri  river. 

At  an  early  day,  Mr.  Wheeler  established  The  J.  B.  Wheeler  Banking  Co.  at 
Aspen  and  has  since  founded  The  J.  B.  Wheeler  Banking  Co.  at  Manitou.  He  has 
also  built  an  opera  house  at  Aspen.  He  aided  actively  to  develop  the  Glenwood  hot 
springs  on  the  western  slope  of  the  range  as  a  resort.  Surrounded  by  noble  mountains, 
possessing  an  inspiring  climate  and  springs  of  great  medicinal  value,  this  beautiful 
spot  is  destined  to  a  brilliant  future.  He  has  also  engaged  in  land  operations  at  Colo- 
rado Springs,  Pueblo,  Ogden  and  Salt  Lake  City. 

For  six  years,  Mr.  Wheeler  made  the  2,000  mile  trip  from  New  York  to  Colorado 
several  times  a  year,  in  order  to  retain  his  connection  with  R.  H.  Macy  &  Co.  Bur- 
dened with  business  cares,  he  was  finally  confronted  with  an  ultimatum  from  his 
physician,  who  declared  that  he  must  abandon  either  Colorado  or  New  York.  Fas- 
cinated with  Colorado,  he  chose  the  former,  and  on  Jan.  i,  1888,  retired  from  his  New 
York  firm  and  has  since  devoted  his  undoubted  abilities  to  his  Western  investments. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Wheeler  was  married  to  Harriet  Macy  Valentine,  of  Nantucket, 
Mass. ,  who  had  become  a  resident  of  New  York  city.  This  union  has  brought  them  fo'ur 
children,  two  sons,  who  passed  away  at  an  early  age,  and  two  charming  daughters. 

Mr.  Wheeler  maintains  a  business  office  in  New  York,  and  yet  has  large  interests 
in  the  city.  An  agreeable  associate  in  social  life,  he  is  a  member  of  several  important 
clubs,  including  the  Union  League,  Goethe,  Manhattan,  Lawyers'  and  Commonwealth. 
He  is  also,  by  virtue  of  his  descent,  an  interested  member  of  The  New  England  Society. 
Mr.  Wheeler  is  yet  in  the  prime  of  life.  A  man  of  fine  presence,  he  is  public  spirited 
and  philanthropic,  given  to  acts  of  unostentatious  charity,  and  particularly  mindful  of 
his  old  comrades  of  the  6th  N.  Y.  Cav.,  many  of  whom  have  been  placed  by  him  in  the 
avenues  which  open  to  them  the  road  to  success. 

WILLIAM  ALflY  WHEELOCK,  merchant  and  financier,  for  fifteen  years  presi- 
dent of  The  Central  National  Bank,  is  a  man  who  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  for  his 
undoubted  probity  and  high  character.  He  has  won  his  way  to  a  high  position  in  New 
York  city  by  a  long  life  of  untiring  labor  and  legitimate  methods. 

He  was  born  in  the  thriving  city  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  March  23,  1825,  and  passed 
his  early  youth  there,  attending  the  excellent  schools  of  the  place.  His  father,  Joseph 
Wheelock,  a  native  of  Westboro,  Mass.,  having  been  born  there,  June  25,  1788,  was  of 
Welsh  descent  and  for  many  years  cashier  of  The  Merchants'  Bank  of  Providence. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. — WH.  725 

His  mother  came  from  an  English  family  and  was  born  in  Groton,  Mass. ,  April  9, 
1788.  Her  maiden  name  was  Amelia  Ames.  The  family  moved  to  New  York  city 
when  William  was  a  boy  of  twelve.  The  boy  was  educated  at  the  University  of  the 
City  of  New  York,  graduating  in  1843  m  the  same  "class  with  William  Allen  Butler, 
Aaron  J.  Vanderpoel  and  other  young  men  who  afterward  rose  to  prominence.  He  did 
not  find  the  road  to  learning  an  easy  one,  however,  and  was  indebted  to  his  own  exer- 
tions for  the  advantage  of  a  college  course.  He  was  obliged  to  support  himself  during 
the  larger  part  of  his  four  years  in  college  by  teaching.  In  the  last  year  of  his  course, 
he  was  the  assistant  classical  teacher  in  the  University  Grammar  School. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen,  the  young  man  took  a  clerkship  in  the  dry  goods  importing 
and  jobbing  house  of  Merritt,  Ely  &  Co  ,  sen-ing  for  two  years  without  compensation, 
in  order  to  learn  the  business.  This  was  a  period  of  hard  labor  and  self  sacrifice  for 
Mr.  Wheelock.  His  expenses  were  met  with  borrowed  money.  But  his  hard  appren- 
ticeship not  only  taught  him  the  elements  of  the  business  in  which  he  was  destined  to 
make  his  fortune,  but  made  him  energetic  and  self  reliant.  In  three  years  more,  he 
became  a  partner  in  the  firm,  the  title  of  which  was  then  changed  to  Merritt,  Bliss 
&  Co.  His  character,  energy  and  shrewdness  led  to  his  being  commissioned  to  make 
the  foreign  purchases  of  this  firm,  and  he  resided  from  1850  to  1855  in  Manchester, 
England,  where  both  of  his  children  were  born.  As  the  resident  partner  abroad,  his 
record  was  one  of  great  success. 

During  this  period,  in  February,  1850,  he  was  happily  married  to  Miss  Harriet 
Efner,  daughter  of  Elijah  D.  Efner,  then  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

In  1858,  his  firm  was  re-organized  as  Bliss  &  Wheelock,  and  in  1863,  Mr.  Wheelock 
retired  with  ample  means  to  enjoy  a  period  of  rest. 

Too  active  and  efficient  to  be  contented  with  a  life  of  pleasure,  Mr.  Wheelock 
accepted,  in  1865,  the  position  of  a  director  in  The  Central  National  Bank,  and  in  June, 
1866,  became  president  of  the  institution.  The  bank  was  a  new  one,  and  required  the 
services  of  a  driving  and  judicious  head.  Mr.  Wheelock  proved  to  be  an  admirable  and 
sagacious  president;  and  he  developed  its  business  and  conducted  its  affairs  with  great 
success  for  a  period  of  fifteen  years.  To  secure  needed  recreation,  after  a  long  and 
laborious  service,  and  to  obtain  the  time  required  by  the  management  of  his  own  pro- 
perty and  of  several  estates  which  had  been  entrusted  to  him,  he  then,  June  i,  1881, 
resigned  his  position.  A  vigorous  effort  was  made  to  secure  a  reconsideration,  but 
Mr.  Wheelock's  decision  was  unalterable,  and  he  retired,  followed  by  testimonials  from 
the  bank  of  the  most  complimentary  nature. 

If  possible,  Mr.  Wheelock  has  been  more  actively  employed  since  that  period  than 
he  was  before.  Philanthropic  work  has  occupied  much  of  his  time  but  he  has  con- 
tinued to  perform  effective  service  in  the  direction  of  great  corporations. 

He  was  for  two  years  president  of  The  American  Surety  Co. ,  one  of  the  largest  and 
most  progressive  enterprises  of  recent  years.  He  accepted  the  office  reluctantly  and 
only  until  a  suitable  successor  could  be  found,  but  yet  remains  the  chairman  of  its 
Executive  Committee.  He  has  for  many  years  been  a  director  of  The  Equitable  Life 
Assurance  Society  and  chairman  of  its  Committee  on  Investments.  He  is  chainnan 
of  the  finance  committees  of  many  large  institutions,  has  been  a  director  in  The  New 
York,  Lake  Erie  &  Western  Railway  for  the  last  ten  years,  and  is  a  director  in  The 
Gold  &  Stock  Telegraph  Co.,  The  Central  National  Bank,  and  other  corporations. 


726  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

A  man  of  refinement,  high  character,  and  social  disposition,  Mr.  Wheelock  would 
at  any  time  be  regarded  as  an  acceptable  member  of  any  first  class  social  organization, 
but  he  has  no  taste  for  club  life,  pure  and  simple,  and  he  has  allied  himself  only  with 
the  Union  League  and  Lawyers'  clubs.  He  is  an  interested  member  and  ex-director 
of  The  New  England  Society,  and  is  fond  of  the  annual  reunions  at  which  the  descend- 
ants of  New  England  in  this  city  meet  to  regale  themselves  with  choice  oratory  and  a 
banquet.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  council  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New 
York  for  twenty-five  years  and  was  treasurer  for  about  fifteen  years.  At  present,  he  is 
chairman  of  the  finance  committee.  He  is  honorary  vice  president  of  The  American 
Tract  Society  now,  and  has  been  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  on  Washington 
Heights  for  thirty-two  years.  He  has  also  been  an  active  member  of  the  Church  Exten- 
sion Committee  of  the  Presbytery  of  New  York,  being  vice  chairman  and  chairman  of 
the  finance  committee.  For  many  years,  he  served  in  the  directorate  of  The  Deaf  and 
Dumb  Institute. 

He  lives  in  a  beautiful  residence  on  the  Heights,  with  ample  grounds  covering  the 
space  of  two  city  blocks,  and  commanding  a  noble  view  of  the  Hudson  river.  His 
country  residence  is  at  East  Hampton  on  Long  Island. 

Mr:  Wheelock  has  two  children,  Dr.  William  E.  Wheelock,  who  married  the  only 
daughter  of  the  Rev.  John  Hall.,  D.  D.,  pastor  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  Harriet  E.,  wife  of  George  A.  Strong,  a  partner  in  the  law  firm  of  Martin 
&  Smith,  lawyers,  at  54  Wall  street. 

ALBERT  TREDWAY  WHITE,  merchant,  born  in  Brooklyn,  May  28,  1846,  is  a 
son  of  Alexander  M.  White,  a  merchant  of  furs  of  long  standing,  who  in  the  firm  of 
W.  A.  &  A.  M.  White,  and  in  operations  in  real  estate  and  railroads,  has  gained alarge 
reward  for  his  enterprise.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  education  in  the 
Brooklyn  Polytechnic  and  Rensselaer  Polytechnic  Institutes,  graduating  from  the 
former  in  1862  and  the  latter  in  1865,  with  the  degree  of  civil  engineer.  He  has  not 
followed  engineering  as  a  profession,  however,  but  began  business  life  as  a  clerk  in  his 
father's  firm  in  1866,  and  became  the  partner  of  his  father  and  of  his  brother,  the 
present  William  A.  White,  in  1868.  This  old  house,  founded  over  sixty  years  ago,  by 
William  Augustus  White,  uncle  of  Alfred  T. ,  imports  its  own  goods,  manufactures  in 
a  shop  in  Danbury,  Conn.,  and  has  two  stores  in  this  city  at  130  Water  street  and  24 
Washington  Place  respectively.  Mr.  White  is  an  efficient  factor  in  the  operations  of  the 
house.  He  is  conspicuous  for  his  interest  in  philanthropic  work  and  has  been  for  many 
years  president  of  The  Brooklyn  Bureau  of  Charities  and  other  societies.  The  attention 
of  Mr.  White  having  been  drawn  by  his  work  in  this  field  to  the  need  of  better  homes  for 
the  working  classes,  he  built  in  1876  dwellings  for  forty-four  families  upon  an  improved 
plan.  These  proved  successful,  whereupon  Mr.  White  enlisted  other  aid  and  the  asso- 
ciation thus  formed  built  the  Tower,  Home  and  Riverside  buildings,  with  apartments 
for  550  of  the  families  of  workmen.  These  structures  have  attracted  attention  as  the 
largest  and  most  successful  experiment  of  the  sort  in  the  United  States,  and,  for  his 
part  in  creating  them,  Harvard  University  has  bestowed  upon  Mr.  White  the  honorary 
degree  of  M.  A.  His  acceptance  of  the  Commissionership  of  City  Works  in  Boooklyn 
tinder  Mayor  Schieren  has  now  temporarily  withdrawn  him  from  active  participation 
in  the  interests  of  previous  years.  Mr.  White  belongs  to  the  Hamilton,  Montauk  and 
Riding  &  Driving  clubs  and  the  Century  and  Down  Town  clubs  of  New  York. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WH.  727 

STEPHEN  VAN  CULEN  WHITE,  stock  broker,  is  a  native  of  Chatham  count}-, 
N.  C.,  where  he  was  born,  Aug.  i,  1831.  His  mother,  Julia  Brewer,  was  a  direct 
descendant  of  Oliver  Cromwell  and  a  member  of  an  old  North  Carolina  family,  while 
his  father,  Hiram  White,  was  a  farmer  and  on  his  mother's  side  descended  from  mem- 
bers of  the  Society  of  Friends  in  Pennsylvania,  who  moved  South  after  the  American 
Revolution.  In  1831,  the  family  being  hostile  to  slavery,  moved  to  Jersey  county,  111., 
and  Stephen  spent  his  boyhood  in  what  was  then  a  wilderness.  His  first  earnings  came 
from  the  sale  of  furs,  the  product  of  his  own  traps.  Graduating  from  Knox  college  in 
1854,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  served  as  a  bookkeeper  in  a  wholesale  store,  studied  law, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  Oct.  4,  1856.  He  practiced  his  profession  with  success  in 
Des  Moines,  Iowa,  until  1856,  and  then  removed  to  New  York  and  helped  Charles  B. 
Marvin  establish  the  stock  brokerage  and  banking,  firm  of  Marvin  &  White.  Two  years 
later,  the  firm  retired  from  business.  Mr.  White  joined  the  Stock  Exchange  in  1869 
and  went  on  alone  until  1882,  when  the  house  of  S.  V.  White  &  Co.  was  organized 
with  several  partners.  Meanwhile,  there  had  been  in  1872  a  serious  setback  and  a 
recovery  of  lost  ground,  with  full  payment  of  debts.  Mr.  White's  operations  in  stocks 
were  for  a  long  period  among  the  most  daring  and  successful  in  the  street.  One  specu- 
lation in  Lackawanna  stock  made  him  a  rich  man.  In  1891,  he  failed  for  a  million  dol- 
lars. He  resumed  business  with  §50,000  capital,  being  released  from  obligations  upon 
a  verbal  promise  to  pay,  made  about  a  million  dollars  in  1892  at  the  Stock  Exchange, 
paid  every  debt  in  full,  and  found  himself  again  a  man  of  fortune.  This  was  one  of 
the  most  extraordinary  incidents  in  Wall  street.  In  politics  a  Republican,  Mr.  White 
has  figured  since  1856  in  public  affairs.  He  has  been  a  Park  Commissioner  of  Brook- 
Ivn  and  became  a  member  of  the  Lth  Congress.  He  has  been  receiver  of  The  Grocers' 
Bank  and  The  Sugar  Trust,  and  long  treasurer  of  Plymouth  church  in  Brooklyn,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  the  Union  League,  Lincoln,  Hamilton  and  Brook- 
lyn clubs  in  that  city  and  the  Lawyers'  club  of  New  York.  Feb.  24,  1857,  he  was 
married  to  Eliza  M.,  daughter  of  Hiram  Chandler,  and  their  children  are  Jennie 
Chandler,  who  married  Franklin  W.  Hopkins,  and  Arthur  White. 

WILLIAM  WHITLOCK,  born  in  New  York  city,  Jan.  23,  1791,  died  at  his  resi- 
dence here,  July  10,  1875.  He  was  a  son  of  William  Whitlock,  prominent  as  a  ship 
owner  and  ship  master,  and  was  descended  from  Thomas  Whitlock,  who  came  from 
England  in  1640,  and  after  a  few  years  of  residence  in  Massachusetts,  became  one  of 
the  first  settlers  of  Gravesend,  Long  Island,  in  1646.  William  Whitlock,  jr.,  received 
a  fair  education,  and,  in  1812,  entered  the  shipping  business  and  soon  created  a  large 
trade.  At  one  time,  he  ranked  among  the  largest  individual  owners  of  ocean  tonnage 
in  the  United  States.  He  did  not  have  the  control  of  as  large  a  number  of  vessels  as 
some  others  but  owned  most  of  his  ships  entirely.  In  1825,  he  established  a  line  of 
packet  ships  between  New  York  and  Havre,  which  flourished  until  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War,  when  the  competition  of  steamships  drove  it  from  the  sea.  Mr.  Whit- 
lock exported  cotton  extensively  and  imported  East  India  goods,  particularly  Manila 
hemp.  He  was  a  director  of  The  Bank  of  America  and  had  high  credit  in  the  chief 
commercial  cities  of  the  world.  He  retired  in  1872.  In  1818,  he  married  Miss  Eliza 
H.  Scott  of  Catskill.  N.  Y.,  and  had  one  son  and  four  daughters.  Religious  and  chari- 
table work  occupied  much  of  his  time.  For  many  years,  he  served  as  treasurer  of  St. 
George's  Church  and  an  officer  of  The  American  Bible  Society. 


728  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

SAMUEL  WILLETS,  merchant,  born  in  Westbury,  L.  I.,  June  15,  1795,  died  in 
New  York,  Feb.  6,  1883.  The  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  Willets,  respectable  farmers, 
he  came  to  this  city  early  in  life.  A  clerk  with  Robbins  &  Hicks,  flour  dealers,  for 
three  years,  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  with  his  elder 
brother,  Amos,  under  the  firm  name  of  A.  &  S.  Willets.  These  two,  by  economy, 
prudence  and  good  management,  gradually  built  up  a  concern,  well  known  and  re- 
spected, and  the  house  at  No.  303  Pearl  street,  was  regarded  as  an  example  of  deserved 
mercantile  success.  In  1850,  the  elder  brother  withdrew,  and  Samuel,  with  his 
brother,  Robert  R. ,  and  others  of  the  family,  organized  the  firm  of  Willets  &  Co. 
Samuel  remained  senior  partner  until  the  close  of  1867,  when  he  retired,  having 
spanned  fifty-two  years  with  an  uninterrupted  and  honorable  career.  For  a  few  years 
more,  his  name  appeared  as  a  special  partner.  Starting  with  general  hardware,  the 
firm  had  gradually  added  interests  of  a  different  nature  and  became  prominent  as 
owners  and  agents  in  the  whale  fishery.  California  connections  came  later,  with  exten- 
sive consignments  of  the  staples  of  that  State,  while  a  Mexican  trade,  embracing  ship- 
ments of  cotton,  was  also  developed.  A  line  of  business  with  Texas  was  a  subsequent 
acquisition,  and,  in  1862,  the  hardware  department  was  relinquished,  and  exclusive 
attention  given  to  the  commission  business,  which,  with  the  addition  of  a  large  leather 
interest,  continues  the  calling  of  the  house  to  this  day.  At  the  age  of  twenty-one,  Mr. 
Willets  married  Sarah,  daughter  of  Benjamin  Hicks,  a  neighbor  of  his  father.  Mrs. 
Willets  died  in  January,  1881.  Their  children  were  Jacob  H.,  Robert,  Amelia  and 
Edward,  all  now  deceased. 

In  early  manhood,  Mr.  Willets  was  an  active  and  courageous  member  of  the 
"  Society  for  Promoting  the  Manumission  of  Slaves  and  Protecting  such  of  them  as 
have  been  or  may  be  Liberated,"  was  exceedingly  active  in  its  affairs,  freed  many 
slaves,  and  united  with  his  friend,  Isaac  T.  Hopper,  in  an  effort  before  the  Legislature 
to  secure  a  law,  granting  to  persons  claimed  as  slaves  a  trial  by  jury.  Early  called 
into  many  corporations,  he  was  for  over  thirty-five  years  a  director  in  The  American 
Exchange  Bank  and  at  one  time  its  president.  He  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  The 
Union  Trust  Co. ,  a  director  of  The  Second  Avenue  and  Third  Avenue  Railroads,  vice 
president  of  The  Stuyvesant  Insurance  Co.,  and  president  of  The  Williamsburgh  Gas 
Light  Co.,  governor  of  The  New  York  Hospital,  president  of  The  New  York  Infant 
Asylum,  The  Working  Women's  Protective  Union,  and  The  New  York  Infirmary  for 
Women  and  Children,  and  one  of  the  advisory  committee  of  The  Association  for  the 
Relief  of  Colored  Orphans.  To  the  support  of  all  of  these  he  generously  contributed. 
He  also  aided  The  Woman's  Medical  College  and  was  especially  generous  to  Swarth- 
more  College.  Industry,  energy  and  punctuality  were  conspicuous  in  his  administra- 
tion of  business,  and  an  indomitable  will  nerved  him  with  uncommon  spirit.  He  was 
upright  and  conscientious,  prompt  and  decisive,  and  a  good  friend  and  neighbor,  and 
his  familiar  garb  and  figure  will  long  be  missed  from  the  walks  of  life.  By  his  will,  he 
left  $25, ooo  each  to  The  Association  for  the  Benefit  of  Negro  Orphans,  The  Society  for 
Improving  the  Condition  of  the  Poor,  The  New  York  Juvenile  Asylum,  The  Children's 
Aid  Society,  and  The  Working  Woman's  Protective  Union;  $50,000  each  to  The  Society 
for  the  Relief  of  the  Ruptured  and  Crippled,  The  New  York  Infirmary  for  Women  and 
Children,  and  The  New  York  Hospital;  $100,000  to  Swarthmore  College,  and  $85,000 
to  other  charities;  total,  $460,000. 


CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WI.  729 

GEORGE  GILBERT  WILLIAflS,  banker,  one  of  the  soundest,  most  conservative 
and  best  known  financiers  in  New  York,  is  the  worthy  president  of  the  famous  old 
Chemical  Bank.  This  great  institution  was  founded  in  1824  as  The  Chemical  Manu- 
facturing Co.,  with  banking  privileges,  by  a  number  of  leading  members  of  the  drug 
trade  in  this  city.  In  1844,  its  original  charter  expired  and  it  was  then  at  once  reorgan- 
ized as  The  Chemical  Bank.  During  the  war,  the  institution  became  a  national  bank. 
Of  the  original  company,  John  Mason  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  presidents.  John 
Quentin  Jones  was  made  first  president  of  the  bank  in  1844,  and  Mr.  Williams  succeeded 
him  in  1878,  and  during  his  long,  wise  and  successful  management,  the  institution  has 
become  the  soundest,  as  it  is  the  most  famous,  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  the  town  of  East  Haddam,  Conn.,  in  1826.  He  descends 
from  Welsh  ancestry.  His  family  is  the  one  which  gave  birth  to  Roger  Williams  of 
colonial  fame.  His  own  ancestor  was  Robert  Williams,  who  came  to  America  about 
the  time  of  the  Pilgrims.  The  family  has  always  been  distinguished  by  its  high  social 
position  and  the  public  spirit  of  its  members.  More  than  thirty  of  its  men  held  com- 
missions in  the  armies  of  the  American  Revolution.  The  father  of  Mr.  Williams  was 
Dr.  Datus  Williams,  a  practicing  physician  of  East  Haddam  for  more  than  forty  years. 
George  first  aspired  to  the  career  of  a  lawyer,  and  during  his  early  years  of  careful 
education  at  home,  in  the  district  school,  and  the  village  academy,  he  kept  this  object 
in  view.  But  a  different  career  was  opened  to  him  by  circumstances.  Among  the 
patients  of  his  father  was  a  brother  of  the  cashier  in  The  Chemical  Bank  in  New 
York  city.  The  lad  attracted  the  attention  of  Mr.  Jones,  who  offered  to  secure  for  him 
a  position  in  the  bank.  The  arrangement  was  made,  and  young  Mr.  Williams  came  to 
New  York  in  December,  1841,  and  entered  the  employment  of  The  Chemical  Manufac- 
turing Co.,  then  established  on  the  site  of  the  present  National  Park  Bank.  He  began 
as  assistant  to  the  paying  teller.  Honest,  ambitious,  and  clear  headed,  he  applied 
himself  to  his  work  with  so  much  intelligence  and  success,  that,  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
he  was  made  paying  teller,  and  was  the  youngest  man  in  the  city  occupying  such  a 
responsible  position.  Among  the  directors  and  depositors  of  The  Chemical  Bank  were 
many  of  the  foremost  men  in  New  York,  including  A.  T.  Stewart,  Robert  and  Peter 
Goelet,  John  D.  Wolfe,  Cornelius  S.  V.  Roosevelt,  Robert  McCoskrey  and  Japhet 
Bishop,  a  fact  which  renders  apparent  the  nature  of  the  compliment,  when,  in  1855, 
Mr.  Williams  was  elected  cashier  of  the  bank,  and  when  on  Jan.  i,  1878,  after  the 
death  of  John  Quentin  Jones,  he  was  elected  to  the  presidency  of  the  institution. 

Mr.  Williams  has  always  made  finance  the  subject  of  diligent  study  and  has  proved 
a  capable  and  valuable  manager  of  his  great  institution.  Its  deposits  have  now  reached 
the  sum  of  §30,000,000.  His  judgment  and  conservatism  have  won  the  implicit  confi- 
dence of  leading  merchants  and  capitalists  and  he  has  been  called  to  many  positions  of 
trust  outside  of  his  bank.  He  is  now  director  in  The  Union  Trust  Co. ,  The  Fidelity  & 
Casualty  Co.,  The  United  States  Life  Insurance  Co.,  The  Eagle  Fire  Insurance  Co., 
The  Title  Guarantee  &  Trust  Co.,  The  Institution  for  Savings  of  Merchants'  Clerks, 
and  The  Pennsylvania  Coal  Co. 

Modest,  reserved  and  quiet  in  demeanor,  Mr.  Williams  is  a  cultivated  gentleman 
and  an  agreeable  companion  in  social  life.  He  has  little  taste  for  club  life,  but  has 
joined  the  Metropolitan  and  Riding  clubs  for  certain  advantages  they  afford,  and  is  an 
enthusiastic  member  of  The  New  England  Society.  His  public  spirit  has  been  shown 


73°  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL    MEN. 

by  his  support  of  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art,  and  The  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  and  in  many  other  ways. 

Nov.  14,  1867,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Virginia  King,  daughter  of  Aaron  King  of 
New  York  city.  His  wife  is  a  woman  of  great  cultivation  and  refinement.  Their 
union  has  brought  them  five  children,  one  of  whom  is  living. 

Mr.  Williams  is  a  prominent  member  of  St.  Bartholomew's  P.  E.  church  on 
Madison  avenue  and  one  of  the  governors  of  The  Lying-in  Hospital. 

JAnES  WINSLOW,  banker,  born  in  Hartford,  Conn.,  Feb.  17,  1815,  died  at  his 
residence,  44  West  2oth  street,  New  York  city,  July  18,  1874.  This  energetic  and 
capable  man  was  of  New  England  ancestry,  and  a  lineal  descendant  of  a  brother  of 
Gov.  Edward  Winslow  of  the  Plymouth  colony.  He  started  in  life  as  clerk  in  the 
hardware  store  of  Erastus  Corning,  in  Albany.  Removing  to  New  York  shortly  after- 
ward, he  engaged  in  the  hardware  business,  which  he  carried  on  for  several  years  with 
excellent  success.  He  then  entered  the  banking  firm  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  which 
had  been  established  by  his  brother  and  father-in-law,  and  rendered  important  service  in 
the  promotion  of  Western  railroad  enterprises,  and  the  negotiation  of  war  loans  for  the 
government  during  the  administration  of  President  Lincoln.  He  was  subsequently  con- 
nected with  national  banks,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  vice  president  of  The  Third 
National.  By  his  marriage  in  1847,  with  Margaret,  daughter  of  James  F.  D.  Lanier,  he 
became  the  father  of  Margaret  Lanier,  Edward,  James  Norton,  and  Annie  Gardner 
Winslow. — His  son,  EDWARD  WINSLOW,  banker,  was  born  in  New  York  city,  Jan. 
14,  1850.  His  mother  traced  her  line  to  Huguenot  ancestry,  and  thus,  in  the  veins  of 
Edward  Winslow  flows  the  best  blood  of  the  Puritans  of  New  England  and  the  Hugue- 
nots of  France.  Receiving  a  thorough  education  in  his  native  land,  Mr.  Winslow  en- 
tered the  banking  house  of  Winslow,  Lanier  &  Co.,  in  Wall  street  in  1873  and  has  ever 
since  remained  identified  with  the  firm.  They  are  now  one  of  the  largest  houses  in  the 
street  and  active" in  the  re-organization  of  corporations.  Founded,  in  part,  to  promote 
railroad  enterprise  in  Indiana,  this  house  has  continued  to  transact  a  large  and  conserva- 
tive business  in  investment  securities  to  the  present  day.  Mr.  Winslow  is  a  cultivated 
gentleman,  exceedingly  well  liked  in  social  life,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan, 
Reform,  Country,  City,  Tuxedo,  and  the  Larchmont,  Atlantic,  New  York,  and  Corin- 
thian Yacht  clubs.  He  is  public  spirited  and  philanthropic,  and  a  trustee  of  The  New 
York  Skin  &  Cancer  Hospital.  By  his  marriage  with  Emma  Corning  Sweetser, 
daughter  of  J.  A.  Sweetser,  in  1873,  he  has  one  child,  Marguerite  Lanier  Winslow. 

FREDERICK  SEYflOUR  WINSTON,  insurance  president,  a  native  of  Ballston  Spa, 
N.  Y.,  born  Oct.  14,  1806,  died  in  Fernandina,  Fla.,  March  27,  1885.  He  was  a  son 
of  Frederick  Winston,  a  Virginian,  and  of  Susan 'Seymour,  of  Connecticut,  who  settled 
early  in  life  in  Saratoga  county,  N.  Y.  The  Winstons  came  originally  from  Wales  and 
settled  in  Virginia.  Patrick  Henry's  mother  was  a  member  of  this  family.  Educated  in 
the  academy  in  Utica,  Mr.  Winston  began  life  at  fifteen  as  clerk  for  Halsted,  Haines  & 
Co.,  wholesale  dry  goods  merchants  of  New  York.  A  breezy  vigor  and  purity  of  charac- 
ter greatly  enhanced  his  success,  and  led  the  firm  to  take  him  into  partnership.  In  a  few 
years'  time,  he  opened  a  store  of  his  own  on  Pine  street,  opposite  the  present  building 
of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.  While  at  one  time  among  the  most  prominent 
wholesale  dry  goods  merchants  of  the  city,  he  finally  failed.  In  1846,  he  was  elected 
a  director  of  The  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Co.,  organized  four  years  before,  settled  the 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WI.  731 

affairs  of  his  firm,  and  thereafter  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  the  insurance  com- 
pany. In  1853,  he  succeeded  John  B.  Collins  as  president,  and  held  this  position  till 
his  death,  a  period  of  over  thirty  years.  In  1864,  he  transferred  the  offices  from  the 
Trinity  Building  on  Broadway  to  a  home  at  the  corner  of  Liberty  street  and  saw  the 
assets  increase  under  his  administration  from  $2,000,000  in  1853  to  $100,000,000  in 
1885.  Mr.  Winston  was  a  staunch  Union  man  during  the  Civil  War.  In  1866,  he 
became  a  Commissioner  of  Emigration  for  five  years,  discharging  this  duty  from  con- 
scientious motives.  A  member  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal  chuich,  he  was  also  vice 
president  of  The  American  Bible  Society  and  of  The  Protestant  Episcopal  City  Mission 
Society,  and  otherwise  an  active  influence  in  philanthropic  work.  A  thick  set,  genial, 
man,  with  ruddy  face,  heavy  iron  gray  hair  and  side  whiskers,  he  was  a  notable  figure. 
In  1833,  he  married  Lucy  Cotton,  of  New  York,  who  died  March  14,  1886.  Of  their 
children,  four  survived  him,  Gustavus  S.  Winston,  M.D.,  Frederick  M.,  James  Sands, 
Mary  Hoadley  and  Sarah  Cotton. 

BENJAMIN  ROBERT  WINTHROP,  realty  owner,  born  in  New  York  in  January, 
1804,  died  in  London,  England,  July  26,  1879.  He  traced  his  descent  from  John  Win- 
throp,  the  first  English  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  and,  on  his  mother's  side,  from 
Peter  Stuyvesant,  the  last  Dxitch  Governor  of  New  York.  Occupied  in  early  life  as 
clerk  in  the'  banking  office  of  Jacob  Barker,  he  there  met  the  poet  Halleck  as  a  fellow 
employe.  Mr.  Winthrop  inherited  a  large  estate  from  both  his  father  and  mother, 
which  he  increased  by  his  own  labors,  investing  his  means  almost  wholly  in  real  estate. 
He  was  president  at  one  time  of  a  marine  insurance  company,  a  trustee  of  the  old 
Public  School  Society,  and  up  to  the  time  of  going  abroad  a  vice  president  of  The  New 
York  Historical  Society.  He  had  an  interest  in  The  Bank  for  Savings  of  Merchant 
Clerks  and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was  its  first  vice  president.  He  also  served  as  one 
of  the  governors  of  The  Lying-in  Hospital  and  had  been  for  many  years  its  treasurer. 
In  the  performance  of  official  duty,  Mr.  Winthrop  was  extremely  punctilious,  often 
making  long  journeys  to  attend  a  board  meeting,  and  once  coming  from  Europe  for 
that  purpose.  Twelve  years  of  his  life  were  spent  abroad.  By  his  marriage  with 
Elizabeth  A.  C.,  daughter  of  William  Neilson,  merchant,  he  became  the  father  of  five 
children,  Egerton  Leigh  and  Neilson  WTinthrop ;  Eliza  S. ,  wife  of  William  Kernochan ; 
Benjamin  R.  Winthrop;  and  Mrs.  Anne  Neilson  Curtis,  of  Boston. 

SILAS  HEMINWAY  WITHERBEE,  manufacturer,  born  in  Bridport,  Vt,  not  far 
from  the  shore  of  Lake  Champlain,  Jan.  27,  1815,  died  at  his  home  in  New  York 
city,  June  8,  1889.  Of  the  large  family  of  his  father,  Jonathan,  a  farmer,  the  subject 
of  this  memoir  was  next  to  the  youngest  child.  The  Witherbees  are  of  English 
descent,  and  their  ancestors  were  rewarded  by  the  crown  for  valiant  services  during 
the  Cromwellian  period,  receiving  recognition  by  the  gift  of  a  title.  Some  of  the 
family  removed  to  New  England  in  the  earliest  days  of  settlement. 

Mr.  Witherbee  received  a  common  school  education,  such  as  most  farmers'  sous 
began  life  with  at  that  time,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  work  engaged  as 
apprentice  to  a  blacksmith.  While  his  first  experience  was  not  without  influence  in 
determining  his' subsequent  career,  he  did  not  like  blacksmith's  work.  After  a  year  or 
two,  he  accepted  a  position  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  his  brother  in  law  at  Port  Henry, 
N.  Y.,  just  across  the  lake  from  his  former  home.  Here  he  remained  for  ssveral  years, 
until  he  took  a  position  as  clerk  with  The  Bay  State  Iron  Co  ,  whose  furnaces  were 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WI.  733 

located  in  Port  Henry.  About  this  time,  June  23,  1842,  he  married  Sophia  C.  Goff  of 
Orange  county,  N.  Y. ,  and  began  housekeeping  on  a  salary  of  $600  a  year.  After  a 
few  years  with  The  Bay  State  Iron  Co.,  he  was  removed  because  of  the  jealousy  of  the 
superintendent.  Mr.  Witherbee  had  been  making  himself  too  valuable  to  the  com- 
pany and  people  had  come  to  prefer  dealing  with  him,  rather  than  with  the  man 
actually  in  charge.  He  then  went  to  Westport,  N.  Y.,  remaining  for  a  while  at  the 
blast  furnace  located  there,  but  The  Bay  State  Iron  Co.  soon  sent  for  him  and  gave  him 
the  place  of  the  superintendent  who  had  dismissed  him. 

After  a  few  years,  he  formed  an  alliance  with  his  nephew,  J.  G.  Witherbee,  to 
engage  in  a  small  way  in  the  transportation  business  on  Lake  Champlain,  and  a  little 
later  the}'  bought  an  interest  in  the  iron  ore  mines  near  Port  Henry,  which,  largely 
through  their  exertions,  became  famous  as  iron  properties.  Successively,  the  firms 
organized  were,  S.  H.  &  J.  G.  Witherbee,  Lee,  Sherman  &  Witherbee,  and  Witherbees 
&  Fletcher;  and  finally  George  Sherman  and  he,  having  bought  all  other  interests,  they 
organized  the  firm  of  Witherbee,  Sherman  &  Co.,  which  has  always  had  the  highest 
standing  for  integrity  and  financial  soundness,  not  only  in  the  iron  trade,  but  through- 
out Northern  New  York.  At  his  death,  Mr.  Witherbee  was  yet  at  the  head  of  this 
copartnership.  He  was  vice  president  of  The  First  National  Bank  of  Port  Henry; 
director  of  The  Port  Henry  Iron  Ore  Co.,  and  president  of  The  Lake  Champlain  & 
Moriah  Railroad,  besides  being  interested  in  other  business  ventures,  local  and  other- 
wise. He  became,  in  1887,  president  of  The  Port  Henry  Furnace  Co.,  successors  of 
the  original  company,  from  which  he  had  in  his  early  life  been  dismissed  by  the  super- 
intendent. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Witherbee  removed  to  New  York,  and  in  the  following  year  bought 
the  house  in  which  he  lived  until  his  death.  He  early  joined  the  Union  League  club, 
and  was  one  of  its  regular  although  unostentatious  supporters,  and  a  member  and 
trustee  of  the  Brick  Presbyterian  Church.  In  the  '705,  he  became  interested  in  prop- 
erty in  Westchester  county,  near  New  Rochelle.  Largely  through  his  instrumentality, 
the  attractive  suburb  of  Pelham  Manor  came  into  being.  Part  of  his  property  was 
taken  by  the  city  for  the  Pelham  Bay  Park.  He  never  held  public  office,  being  of  an 
unobtrusive  nature,  but  was  always  a  staunch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  Of 
a  most  generous  disposition,  man}'  men  were  helped  by  him  in  a  quiet  way.  It  was  a 
boast  of  his  early  life,  that,  if  he  ever  had  more  than  $20,000,  all  sums  above  that 
should  go  towards  educating  young  men;  and  while  this  was  not  literally  fulfilled, 
many  young  men  and  boys  had  reason  to  thank  him  for  their  start  in  life  and  his 
continued  encouragement.  Mr.  Witherbee  had  three  children,  Elizabeth  V.,  wife  of 
the  Rev.  Lewis  Francis;  Mary  G.  W.,  wife  of  Robert  C.  Black,  and  Walter  C. 
Witherbee. 

DAVID  DUNHAM  WITHERS,  born  Jan.  22,  1822,  on  Greenwich  street  in  this 
city,  died  at  the  Brevoort  House,  February  18,  1892.  He  was  a  son  of  Reuben 
Withers,  a  Virginian,  who  came  to  New  York  a  boy  and  made  a  fortune  in  the  trade 
with  China  and  was  at  one  time  president  of  The  Bank  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
The  family  lived  at  one  time  in  a  little  white  cottage  on  the  site  of  the  present  statue 
of  Washington  in  Union  Square,  then  away  out  in  the  country.  Graduating  from 
Dr.  Muhlenberg's  school,  the  young  man  went  South  as  a  representative  of  the 
shipping  house  of  Rowland  &  Aspinwall,  making  his  home  in  New  Orleans  and  man- 


734  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

aging  their  whole  Southern  business  admirably.  Alive  to  the  opportunities  of  the 
South,  he  acquired  an  interest  in  a  cotton  plantation  near  Natchez,  borrowing  $20,000 
for  this  purpose  on  notes  endorsed  by  his  father.  Later,  he  bought  more  land  and  in 
all  finally  owned  about  2,000  acres  in  Louisiana  and  Mississippi.  Several  speculations 
in  cotton  resulted  favorably  and  gave  an  impetus  to  his  fortune.  Investing  his  surplus 
means  in  corporations,  gas  works,  railroads,  etc.,  he  finally  retired  from  active  business 
to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  his  labors.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  lived  in  Paris  and  elsewhere 
abroad,  and  after  the  return  of  peace  established  his  home  in  New  York  city.  Mr. 
Withers  began  in  1866  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  the  amusements  of  the  turf,  and  in 
1870,  in  the  breeding  of  fine  horses.  From  the  latter  date,  he  discontinued  betting  on 
races.  The  Brookdale  stable  in  Monmouth  county,  N.  J.,  which  he  created,  soon 
became  famous  as  one  of  the  most  complete  and  excellent  establishments  of  its  class  in 
the  East.  Mr.  Withers  invested  probably  $1,000,000  in  turf  interests.  The  racing 
track  at  Monmouth  Park  in  New  Jersey  came  into  existence  largely  through  his  efforts 
and  expenditures.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Knickerbocker,  Metropolitan,  Union  and 
Whist  clubs.  No  family  survived  him,  other  than  his  brothers  and  sisters. 

CHARLES  FREDERICK  WOERISHOFFER,  banker,  originated  in  Glenhausen, 
province  of  Hesse,  Germany,  where  he  was  born,  Aug.  5,  1844.  He  died  in  Manhat- 
tanville,  May  10,  1886:  His  family  were  worthy  and  reputable  people  but  very  poor 
and  did  not  possess  the  means  to  give  their  boy  a  start  in  business  life.  Confronted 
with  the  stern  struggle  for  existence  at  an  early  age,  he  was  compelled  to  depend  upon 
himself  from  boyhood;  and  this  circumstance  no  dotibt  did  much  to  develop  the  self 
reliance,  the  habit  of  thinking  for  himself,  and  the  enterprise,  which  distinguished  his 
subsequent  career. 

Trained  to  the  requirements  of  business  in  Frankfort  and  Paris,  he  sailed  for  the 
new  world  in  1865  to  seek  his  fortune.  Settling  in  New  York  city,  he  entered  the 
office  of  August  Rutten  as  a  clerk.  His  native  capacity  brought  him  rapidly  forward, 
and  Mr.  Rutten  soon  made  him  the  cashier.  Not  long  after  that,  he  pushed  out  for 
himself  and  in  1868  associated  himself  with  M.  C.  Klingenfeldt,  and  a  year  or  so  later  - 
with  others,  finally  becoming  a  member  of  the  Stock  Exchange.  He  then  transacted 
very  important  business  for  L.  von  Hoffman  &  Co.,  who  found  their  trust  in  him  amply 
repaid  by  his  energetic,  prudent  and  successful  ways.  With  them,  he  began  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  a  fortune.  Emboldened  at  last  to  engage  in  business  under  his  own 
name,  he  established  in  the  summer  of  1870  the  firm  of  Woerishoffer  &  Co.,  stock 
brokers  and  bankers.  The  house  was  prosperous  from  the  start,  and  two  of  the  origi- 
nal partners  soon  retired  rich. 

The  firm  have  always  been  noted  for  their  enterprise  and  influence.  One  of  the 
operations  which  won  reputation  for  Mr.  Woerishoffer  was  a  fight  he  waged  in  1879 
with  Jay  Gould,  Russell  Sage  and  others  for  the  control  of  The  Kansas  Pacific  Railroad. 
Woerishoffer,  representing  a  ntimber  of  Frankfort  investors,  contracted  to  sell  certain 
Denver  bonds  to  the  Gould-Sage  syndicate  at  §80  on  the  hundred,  but  the  latter  repu- 
diated the  contract  and  named  $70  as  their  price.  Mr.  Woerishoffer  made  prompt  and 
effective  use  of  the  telegraph  cable  to  Europe,  and  before  the  syndicate  had  fully  pre- 
pared for  his  campaign,  he  had  safely  gathered  within  the  hands  of  The  United  States 
Trust  Co.,  more  than  a  majority  of  the  bonds,  which  the  syndicate  were  after.  He  then 
had  the  satisfaction  of  telling  his  rivals,  calmly,  that  as  their  foreclosure  scheme  de- 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK.       WO.  735 

pended  on  securing  control  of  the  bonds,  they  would  have  to  pay  full  price  for  their 
coquettishness.  The  syndicate  failed  to  shake  his  determination  and  were  obliged  to 
pay  par  value  for  the  bonds.  This  operation  made  Mr.  Woerishoffer  famous  in  Ger- 
many and  London  as  well  as  in  New  York.  From  that  time  forward,  he  enjoyed  the 
implicit  trust  of  every  German  investor  in  American  securities;  and  as  a  result  of  that 
successful  deal,  Frankfort  came  largely  into  the  New  York  stock  market.  About 
$6,000,000  were  involved  in  the  case. 

Mr.  Woerishoffer  was  also  identified  with  a  famous  campaign  in  Wall  street,  over 
Northern  Pacific  Railroad  securities.  While  the  stock  of  that  road  ranged  at  a  high 
price,  he  declared  that  the  earnings  of  the  company  did  not  warrant  the  fancy  quota- 
tions at  which  the  stocks  were  held.  With  the  courage  of  his  convictions,  he  openly 
sold  the  wrhole  line  short,  standing  in  this  operation  single  handed  against  many  influ- 
ential men  and  heavy  bankers.  Seeing  that  arguments  were  of  no  avail,  his  opponents 
decided  to  whip  Mr.  Woerishoffer  into  line;  and  a  syndicate  was  formed  to  buy  100,000 
shares  of  the  stock  and  squeeze  him  out  of  the  market.  That  speculation  proved  a 
merry  dance  for  the  street,  but  Mr.  Woerishoffer  led  the  way.  Nothing  seemed  to 
daunt  him.  No  rise  or  fall  in  quotations  provoked  more  than  a  look  of  indifference. 
Countless  friends  assured  him  that  he  stood  iipon  a  volcano,  which  might  wreck  his 
fortunes  and  those  of  his  friends.  With  a  rush,  the  100,000  shares  were  bid  up  to  a 
high  quotation.  The  whole  order  was  filled  by  his  own  brokers,  and  he  had  cleared 
millions  by  his  allegiance  to  the  fact  that  stock  cannot  be  sustained  for  any  length  of 
time  with  net  earnings  out  of  the  question. 

Mr.  Woerishoffer  led  to  success  a  dozen  noted  campaigns  which  followed  in  Wall 
street.  He  was  conspicuous  in  The  West  Shore  Railroad  settlement,  and  his  transac- 
tions in  special  speculations  ranged  at  tremendous  figures.  Where  others  bought  or 
sold  thousands  of  shares,  he  handled  tens  and  hundreds  of  thousands.  Cool,  reticent, 
and  observing,  he  possessed  a  judgment  of  values  intrinsic  and  speculative,  which  sel- 
dom erred  and  was  usually  exact.  He  knew  all  the  resources  of  speculation  and  em- 
ployed them  with  success  both  in  bulling  and  bearing  stocks.  Operating  through  many 
different  offices,  his  brokers  were  often  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  other  members  of  the 
Stock  Exchange,  with  whom  they  were  at  cross  purposes,  had  the  same  client. 

Fortune  came  to  him  in  large  operations  and  his  generosity  was  proverbial.  His 
clerks  were  the  envy  of  every  office  in  Wall  street.  Thousands  went  even-  month  to 
help  other  men ;  and  Mr.  Woerishoffer  is  credited  with  the  unexampled  liberality  of 
giving  over  twenty  Stock  Exchange  seats,  without  reserve,  to  men  whom  he  had  found 
faithful  to  his  interests.  It  was  not  exceptional  for  him  to  give  $1,000  checks  as 
Christmas  presents  to  his  clerks.  The  charities  of  the  city  also  received  from  him 
frequent  and  large  contributions.  To  The  German  Hospital  he  was  a  large  donor. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  had  been  a  power  in  Wall  street  for  over  twenty 
years.  His  speculations  were  noted  for  their  dash,  fearlessness  and  success.  No  great 
operator  in  Wall  street  was  ever  more  popular  among  those  with  whom  he  came  in 
contact.  His  life  was  full  of  dramatic  incidents  and  his  career  in  Wall  street  paralleled 
by  few.  Starting  as  a  poor  clerk,  without  friends  or  influence  in  America,  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one,  at  forty-three  he  had  risen  to  be  a  power  in  money  centres,  a  ruler  of 
corporations,  a  maker  of  markets  and  possessed  of  a  fortune  of  millions.  Every  iota  of 
his  far  reaching  influence  he  made  for  himself. 


736  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

He  retired  from  active  partnership  in  the  firm  of  Woerishoffer  &  Co.,  Jan.  i,  1886, 
but  retained  a  special  partnership  and  gave  the  succeeding  firm  the  benefit  of  his 
frequent  advice.  He  was  also  a  special  partner  in  the  firm  of  Walsh  &  Hackman,  at 
27  William  street.  In  1873,  he  was  married  to  Anne,  the  daughter  of  the  late  Mrs. 
Anne  Ottendorfer.  He  had  two  daughters. 

JOHN  WOLFE,  son  of  the  late  Christopher  Wolfe,  wholesale  hardware  merchant, 
was  born  on  Fulton  street  in  this  city,  opposite  St.  Paul's  Church,  in  December,  1821. 
Educated  in  leading  private  schools  of  this  city  and  in  France,  he  succeeded  his  father 
in  1842  in  the  wholesale  hardware  importing  and  jobbing  business.  The  trade  of  the 
house  was  mainly  with  merchants  of  the  Southern  States  and  the  late  Civil  War  made 
it  necessary  in  1864  to  liquidate  the  business,  then  carried  on  under  the  name  of  Wolfe, 
Dash  &  Fisher.  Mr.  Wolfe  then  travelled  extensively  in  Europe,  visiting  Egypt,  the 
Holy  Land,  Constantinople,  etc.  He  lived  for  several  years  in  Dresden,  Germany. 
He  gratified  a  taste  for  the  fine  arts  while  in  Europe,  by  the  purchase  of  many  original 
oil  paintings,  principally  by  leading  artists  of  the  modern  French  schools,  a  number  of 
which  are  now  in  The  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Century 
and  Tuxedo  clubs  and  a  strong  supporter  of  the  public  museums  of  the  city.  He  was 
married  in  1866,  to  Miss  Angonetta  B.  Dash,  daughter  of  the  late  Daniel  B.  Dash  of 
this  city.  Their  children  were  three  sons  and  three  daughters,  only  two  of  whom  at 
present  survive,  Christopher  Wolfe,  his  oldest  son,  and  Margaret,  married  to  Grenville, 
son  of  the  late  Pierre  Kane  of  this  city. 

JOHN  DAVID  WOLFE,  merchant,  a  native  of  this  city,  born  July  24,  1792,  died 
in  New  York,  May  17,  1872.  He  bore  the  name  of  the  founder  of  the  family,  who 
emigrated  from  Saxony  to  this  city  during  the  sixteenth  century  and  died  in  1759. 
David  Wolfe,  son  of  the  pioneer,  was  an  assistant  quartermaster  in  the  American  army 
during  the  War  for  Independence  and  thereafter  carried  on  a  hardware  trade  in  this 
city  on  Maiden  Lane.  John  David  Wolfe,  his  son,  succeeded  to  his  father's  business 
and  carried  it  on  with  success.  At  the  age  of  fifty,  he  retired.  By  investment  of  his 
means  in  real  estate,  he  gained  a  large  accession  to  his  fortune.  Mr.  Wolfe  was  a  - 
strong  Episcopalian,  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  church  and  later  senior  warden  of  Grace 
church,  and  one  of  the  most  liberal  donors  of  his  time  to  the  institutions  of  his  church 
and  the  new 'dioceses  beyond  the  Mississippi  river.  With  Mrs.  Peter  Cooper,  he 
founded  the  Sheltering  Arms  in  New  York  City.  Wolfe  Hall,  a  school  for  girls  in 
Denver,  Col.,  was  also  founded  by  him,  and  he  built  the  theological  seminary  of  Ken- 
yon  College,  gave  the  fund  for  the  College  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  in  Topeka,  Kan. , 
and  built  homes  for  crippled  children  and  destitute  Christians  in  Suffolk  county,  N.  Y. 
He  aided  many  other  charities  and  was  first  president  and  an  organizer  of  St.  John- 
land,  president  of  The  Working  Women's  Protective  Union,  and  vice  president  of  The 
.New  York  Hospital.  His  wife  was  Dorothea  Ann,  daughter  of  the  second  Peter  Lor- 
illard,  and  two  daughters  survived  him.  One  of  them,  Catharine  Lorillard  Wolfe, 
inherited  a  large  fortune  from  her  father  and  grandfather.  Born  in  New  York,  March 
28,  1828,  she  died  April  4,  1887.  Cultivated,  serene,  and  a  Christian  woman,  her  life 
was  one  of  the  strong  influences  for  good  in  this  city  and  a  long  record  of  gracious 
kindness.  During  her  last  fifteen  years,  she  gave  away  more  than  $4,000,000  to  col- 
leges, churches,  charities  and  schools,  not  only  in  New  York  City,  but  in  various  other 
parts  of  the  country. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WO.  737 

BENJAMIN  WOOD,  journalist,  or,  as  he  is  almost  universally  known,  the  Hon. 
Ben.  Wood,  whose  life  affords  one  of  the  most  interesting  examples  of  successful 
journalism  in  the  metropolis,  originated  in  Shelbyville,  Ky.,  where  he  was  born,  Oct. 
13,  1820.  Henry  Wood,  the  first  American  ancestor,  a  Quaker,  immigrated  to  this 
country  in  1616  and  after  enjoying  persecution  by  the  Puritans  in  Massachusetts, 
settled  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  purchased  from  the  Indians  a  large  tract  of  land,  a 
part  of  which  is  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Camden,  opposite  Philadelphia,  Having 
preceded  William  Penn,  it'  was  Henry  Wood  who  smoothed  the  way  for  that  eminent 
man  and  assisted  in  the  negotiations  with  the  Indians  which  followed.  It  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  name  of  Benjamin  appears  to  have  been  a  favorite  in  the  family,  in- 
asmuch as  it  is  found  in  every  generation  in  Colonial  and  Revolution  times. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  entered  active  business  life  when  a  youth  and  as  super- 
cargo of  a  trading  vessel  made  several  voyages  to  the  West  Indies  and  Central  America. 
Subsequent!}-,  he  had  occasion  to  visit  every  State  in  the  Union,  and  it  was  during  this 
period  of  travel  that  he  acquired  a  knowledge  of  human  nature  and  habits  of  inde- 
pendence, which  served  to  qualify  him  at  the  threshold  of  his  career  for  the  successes 
of  his  maturer  years.  He  was  engaged  in  various  business  enterprises  for  a  number 
of  years,  with  much  success,  and  finally,  in  1860,  bought  The  New  York  Daily  News, 
with  which  he  has  ever  since  been  identified.  This  newspaper  has  always  been  governed 
by  intensely  Democratic  convictions,  and  its  proprietor  and  editor,  Mr.  Wood,  has 
never  hesitated,  at  whatever  cost  to  himself,  to  champion  extreme  Democratic  doctrines. 
At  the  time  of  its  purchase,  a  national  election  was  pending,  and  as  events  subsequently 
proved,  the  editor  of  the  newspaper  was  destined  to  play  no  inconspicuous  part  in  the 
struggle.  Mr.  Wood  was  quick  to  recognize  the  situation.  He  had  already  become  an 
active  factor  in  the  field  of  politics,  being  a  member  of  the  Democratic  State  Central 
Committee,  chairman  of  the  committee  appointed  to  unite  the  divergent  interests  of 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  and  John  C.  Breckinridge  in  their  candidacy,  and  likewise  chair- 
man of  the  convention  of  Democratic  editors,  which  met  in  the  Astor  House  in  this 
city  to  determine  upon  the  policy  of  their  party.  Through  these  various  circumstances, 
the  eyes  of  public  men  came  to  be  concentrated  upon  him  as  one  of  the  important 
leaders  in  the  struggle  which  was  about  to  ensue. 

In  the  autumn  of  1860,  Mr.  Wood  was  elected  Representative  in  Congress  from 
what  is  now  the  Vth  District  of  New  York.  No  man  in  that  body  pleaded  more 
strongly  with  voice  and  pen  than  he  in  behalf  of  the  unity  of  the  nation  and  against 
armed  coercion  of  the  South.  His  bold  language  and  aggressive  attitude  attracted 
general  attention  throughout  the  Union,  and  it  is  not  a  matter  of  surprise,  that, 
under  the  conditions  of  the  time,  Tlu  Daily  News  was  denied  admission  to  the  United 
States  mails  and  for  eighteen  months  remained  under  the  ban  of  the  Federal  author- 
ities. That  the  people  of  his  district  were  with  him,  however,  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  in  1862,  Mr.  Wood  was  re-elected  to  Congress  by  an  overwhelming  majority,  and 
had  he  not  positively  refused  to  accept  the  honor,  he  would  have  been  again  nominated 
in  1864.  In  1880,  his  constituents  would  not  accept  a  declination,  and,  for  the  third 
time,  he  was  triumphantly  elected  a  Representative  of  his  district.  He  was  never 
defeated  when  running  for  office,  but  has  repeatedly  refused  political  honors. 

That  the  influence  of  The  Daily  News  must  have  been  powerful  during  the  War 
is  indicated  by  the  ability  and  character  of  its  editorial  staff,  which  comprised  such  men 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WO.  739 

as  John  Mitchell,  the  Irish  patriot,  ex-Governor  Wall  of  New  Jersey,  Wiliam  Mann 
and  Isaac  G.  Pray.  Among  the  contributors  whose  names  did  not  appear  were  James 
A.  Bayard,  Charles  O'Conor,  Samuel  J.  Tilden,  Robert  Garrett,  sr.,  Jeremiah  Black 
and  Josiah  Randall. 

After  the  War,  Mr.  Wood  was  instrumental  in  establishing  on  their  feet  several 
of  the  journalists  of  the  South,  who  had  been  ruined,  and  it  was  due  to  his  liberal  ad- 
vances of  funds  that  they  were  enabled  to  resume  publication.  The  Cliarleston  News  of 
South  Carolina,  now  The  'News  and  Courier,  was  one  of  the  offspring  of  this  generosity. 

Mr.  Wood  now  believed  that  opportunity  was  ripe  for  a  new  departure  in  American 
journalism.  Accordingly,  April  29,  1867,  The  New  York  Daily  News  made  its  first 
appearance  as  a  one  cent  evening  newspaper,  and  in  the  form  now  familiar  to  more 
than  half  a  million  daily  readers.  The  cost  of  printing  paper  was  then  ten  cents  a 
pound.  Notwithstanding  the  heavy  expenses,  Mr.  Wood  made  the  venture  a  success, 
and  it  is  believed,  from  that  time  until  the  present,  Tlie  News  in  point  of  circulation 
has  distanced  every  other  morning  or  afternoon  journal  in  the  United  States.  In 
fact,  it  may  be  safely  said  that  with  the  exception  of  the  Petit  Journal  of  Paris  and 
The  London  Telegraph,  it  probably  leads  the  press  of  the  world  in  point  of  circulation. 

About  five  months  prior  to  the  change  of  price,  Mr.  Wood  decided  to  publish  a 
Sunday  News  at  a  price  which  would  bring  it  easily  within  the  reach  of  the  masses. 
The  other  great  Sunday  newspapers  had  more  or  less  of  a  circulation  in  the  country 
towns  and  villages,  but  in  not  one  were  the  columns  wholly  devoted  to  subjects  of 
special  local  and  personal  interest.  The  field  was  comparatively  unoccupied  and  invit- 
ing. Advertisers  who  aimed  to  reach  the  largest  possible  number  of  metropolitan 
readers,  appreciated  the  value  of  the  new  medium  and  flocked  to  its  standard,  while 
an  enormous  circulation  attested  the  welcome  with  which  the  paper  was  received  by 
the  public. 

Yet  farther  enlarging  his  system  of  low  priced  newspapers,  Mr.  Wood  began  the 
publication  of  the  New  Yorker  Tagcs  Nachrichten  in  March,  1870,  and  when  the  Franco- 
Prussian  war  broke  out,  the  German  population  of  this  city,  who  had  no  evening  jour- 
nal, were  for  the  first  time  able  to  read  dispatches  from  the  fatherland  in  their  own 
language  in  a  one  cent  paper.  Two  years  later,  in  1872,  the  New  Yorker  Sonntags- 
Naclirichten,  an  eight  page  German  weekly,  was  issued.  All  these  publications  have 
since  moved  smoothly  in  their  several  channels  of  prosperity  and  have  afforded  an  ex- 
ample, which  has  been  followed  in  many  parts  of  the  country. 

One  of  the  reasons  why  The  New  York  Daily  News  has  proved  so  successful  is  to 
be  found  in  the  fact  that  it  has  always  been  in  close  touch  with  the  common  people. 
It  aided  reforms  and  the  election  of  public  men  with  large,  broad  and  wholesome 
ideas;  and  those  who  find  it  important  to  discern  public  opinion  accurately  cannot  now 
neglect  Tlie  Daily  News.  During  a  quarter  of  a  century,  every  candidate  it  has  sup- 
ported for  Mayor  of  New  York,  save  one,  has  been  elected.  Over  and  over  again,  its 
influence  in  public  affairs  has  been  acknowledged,  and  more  than  once  men  of  Demo- 
cratic faith  in  the  metropolis  have  had  occasion  to  be  grateful  for  its  decisive  strokes  in 
periods  of  grave  concern. 

With  lightning  presses  capable  of  printing  150,000  copies  an  hour,  and  in  pos- 
session of  every  other  detail  of  mechanism  necessary  for  the  rapid  production  of  a 
newspaper,  no  occasion  has  yet  arisen  when  Mr.  Wood's  facilities  have  been  overtaxed. 


74°  AMERICA  S     SUCCESSFUL  TVIEN. 

Mr.  Wood's  first  wife  died  in  1849,  leaving  him  two  sons.  In  1867,  he  married 
Miss  Ida  E.  Mayfield,  daughter  of  Henry  T.  Mayfield.  The  early  records  spell  the 
name  Maifield.  On  her  mother's  side,  she  is  of  distinguished  Scotch  ancestry,  a 
descendant  of  a  branch  of  the  Earls  of  Crawford.  By  this  second  wife,  Mr.  Wood  had 
one  daughter,  a  beautiful,  distinguished  looking  girl,  who  inherits  to  a  remarkable 
degree  her  father's  traits  of  character.  Although  Mr.  Wood's  wife  is  many  years  his 
junior,  the  marriage  proved  a  happy  union;  he  is  a  most  devoted  husband  and  indul- 
gent father,  and  is  very  proud  of  his  accomplished  wife  and  daughter.  In  person,  Mr. 
Wood  is  of  robust  and  sinewy  frame,  a  trifle  above  medium  height.  In  his  early  years 
he  must  have  been  a  man  of  powerful  muscular  development.  Strength  of  character 
is  conveyed  in  the  firm  lines  around  the  mouth.  During  the  draft  riots  in  this  city, 
Mr.  Wood  performed  signal  service  on  several  occasions  in  facing  and  turning  back  the 
angry  and  unreasoning  crowd.  On  one  occasion,  Mr.  Wood  drew  his  revolver,  and 
in  tones  whose  meaning  was  unmistakable  shouted  to  the  crowd:  "  Men,  you  know 
that  The  Daily  News  has  always  been  with  you  for  the  maintenance  of  your  rights, 
but  it  is  not  your  right  to  destroy  the  property  of  your  fellow  citizens,  and  you  shall 
not  pass  here  while  I  am  alive  to  prevent  it."  Recognizing  the  old  editor  and  knowing 
his  determination,  the  leaders  fell  back,  and  in  the  pause  which  ensued  the  police  found 
an  opportunity  to  secure  control.  It  would  require  many  pages  to  chronicle  the  inter- 
esting incidents  which  form  a  part  of  the  story  of  the  venerable  editor  of  The  Daily 
News,  but  enough  has  been  told  to  indicate  the  character  of  the  oldest  active  proprietor 
of  a  New  York  newspaper,  who  from  the  start  has  been  continuously  and  unchangeably 
true  to  the  journal  which  has  been  the  passion  of  his  life. 

SAflUEL  WOOD,  merchant,  born  in  East  Rockaway,  Long  Island,  died  in  this 
city,  March  20,  1878,  eighty-three  years  of  age.  He  was  one  of  four  brothers,  the  others 
being  David,  Abraham,  and  Epenetus,  all  of  them  bachelors  and  sons  of  a  farmer. 
The  boys  came  to  this  city  about  1816  and  began  business  'as  grocers  on  Fulton  street 
on  the  site  of  what  is  now  Fulton  market.  When  their  store  burned  down,  they  moved 
across  to  No.  6  Fulton  street.  Later,  they  imported  liquors  on  a  large  scale.  The 
brothers  were  plain  men  but  they  made  a  great  deal  of  money.  Epenetus  died  first, 
leaving  his  accumulations  to  his  brothers.  David  invested  his  means  in  bonds  and 
mortgages  largely,  and  when  he  died,  leaving  his  property  to  Samuel  and  Abraham, 
Samuel  called  in  the  mortgages  and  engaged  in  real  estate  investments,  becoming  a 
large  owner  in  this  class  of  property.  Abraham  died  next,  leaving  a  life  interest  in 
his  estate  to  Samuel.  Thus  by  his  own  efforts  and  inheritance  from  his  brothers, 
Samuel  Wood  became  possessed  of  a  large  fortune.  He  founded  the  village  of  Woods- 
burg  on  Long  Island,  about  a  mile  west  of  his  birthplace.  A  large  portion  of  his  estate 
was  devoted  by  his  will  to  the  establishment  of  The  Samuel  Wood  Benevolent  Insti- 
tute in  this  city.  He  had  contemplated  the  endowment  of  a  Free  College  of  Music  but 
changed  this  intention  by  a  codicil.  The  will  was  declared  void  by  the  courts.  Abra- 
ham Hewlett,  a  nephew,  was  his  only  heir  at  law. 

WILLIAfl  WOOD,  one  of  the  oldest  and  best  known  residents  of  this  city,  born  in 
Glasgow,  Scotland,  Oct.  21,  1808,  died  in  New  York  city,  Oct.  i,  1894.  His  father 
was  John  Wood,  a  banker,  of  the  firm  of  Buchanan,  Wood  &  Co.,  in  Charleston,  S.  C., 
with  headquarters  in  Glasgow,  Scotland.  William  was  expected  to  enter  the  law  and 
received  an  excellent  education  at  the  Universities  of  Glasgow  and  St.  Andrew;  but 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW    YORK. WO.  741 

he  preferred  a  practical  career  and  came  to  New  York  city  in  1828  to  start  a  branch 
of  the  Glasgow  house.  The  firm  name  then  was  Dennistoun,  McGregor  &  Co.,  but 
Mr.  McGregor  soon  withdrew,  Mr.  Wood  taking  his  place.  He  had  been  in  New  York 
two  years,  when  he  married  Harriet  A.  Kane,  daughter  of  John  Kane,  of  New  York. 
He  then  returned  to  Glasgow  and  thence  to  Liverpool,  where  he  remained  for  several 
years  before  becoming  a  New  Yorker  for  life.  His  banking  business  prospered  and 
before  the  War  there  was  hardly  a  house  better  known  in  this  city  than  Mr.  Wood's. 
At  one  time,  he  took  an  active  part  in  important  public  movements  and  was  interested 
in  politics,  although  not  an  office  seeker.  In  1869,  he  retired  from  business.  He  was 
appointed  hi  that  year,  a  Commissioner  of  Education  by  Mayor  Hall,  and,  on  the 
passage  of  the  new  city  charter  the  same  year,  the  Mayor  appointed  him  a  Commis- 
sioner of  the  Dock  Department.  He  always  labored  for  the  cause  of  education  and 
was  the  founder  of  the  Normal  College.  Before  and  during  the  late  Civil  War,  Mr. 
Wood  was  an  Abolitionist,  in  so  far  as  he  was  always  in  favor  of  free  trade,  free 
speech,  free  religion,  and  of  course  of  free  labor.  In  1860,  the  Collegiate  Reformed 
Church  of  this  city  made  him  an  elder.  From  his  mother,  who  had  inherited  the 
place  from  her  father,  William  Wood,  the  subject  of  this  memoir  inherited  the 
ancestral  home  at  Elie,  Fifeshire,  Scotland.  The  place  was  built  about  700  years  ago 
and  has  been  in  possession  of  the  Wood  family  over  100  years.  It  faces  the  Firth  of 
Forth,  a  tributary  of  the  North  Sea,  and  now  passes  to  J.  Walter  Wood,  jr. ,  a  grandson  of 
William  Wood.  Mr.  Wood  was  a  member  of  the  St.  Andrew's  Society  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death  its  oldest  member.  His  death  was  due  to  old  age.  He  was  thrice  married, 
his  second  and  third  wives  being  Miss  Margaret  Lawrence  and  Miss  Helen  Mason. 
The  names  of  his  surviving  children  are,  J.  Walter  Wood,  Charlotte  M.  Bell,  Elizabeth 
D.  Kane,  Harriet  M.  Wood,  Helen  W.  Watts,  Dennistoun  Wood,  H.  Duncan  Wood, 
Chalmers  Wood  and  V.  H.  L.  Wood. 

LORENZO  GUERNSEY  WOODHOUSE,  merchant,  retired,  and  capitalist,  was 
born  at  Westmoreland,  N.  H.,  July  16,  1839.  His  father  was  the  late  Rev.  Charles 
Woodhouse,  a  well  known  Universalist  minister.  His  parents  moved  with  their  family 
in  1844  to  Clarendon,  Vt. ,  and  in  1849,  to  Fitchburg,  Mass.  It  was  here  in  the  common 
schools  that  Lorenzo,  the  youngest  son,  received  the  greater  part  of  his  education. 
His  preference  for  an  early  business  life  induced  him  at  the  age  of  thirteen  and  a  half 
years  to  leave  home  and  take  a  position  in  the  store  of  his  uncle,  L.  G.  Guernsey,  of 
the  firm  of  Guernsey  &  Terry,  at  Hudson,  N.  Y. 

He  remained  there  a  little  over  three  years,  when  he  sought  a  larger  field  of  oppor- 
tunities and  came  to  New  York  city  in  January,  1856.  where  he  entered  the  employment 
of  George  Bliss  &  Co.,  one  of  the  leading  dry  goods  jobbing  houses  of  the  metropolis. 
The  experience  gained  here  proved  to  be  of  great  benefit  to  him  afterward,  and  helped 
to  lay  the  foundation  of  his  future  success.  He  remained  for  seven  years  with  this 
firm,  where  his  services  were  highly  appreciated. 

When  Sumter  was  fired  on  in  April,  1861,  with  the  patriotic  enthusiasm  of  youth 
he  enlisted  in  the  7th  Regiment,  New  York  National  Guard,  and  followed  the  fortunes 
of  this  regiment  in  its  campaigns  of  1861  and  1862,  and  saw  subsequent  service  in  riot 
duty.  He  served  his  full  term  and  resigned  his  commission  in  1868,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  one  of  the  most  active  members  and  officers  in  the  7th  Regiment  Veteran 
Association. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WO.  743 

In  the  summer  of  1863,  he  associated  himself  with  the  dry  goods  firm  of  Cooley, 
Farwell  &  Co.,  of  Chicago,  as  their  New  York  representative.  He  continued  with 
their  successors,  Farwell,  Field  &  Co. ,  Field,  Palmer  &  Leiter,  Field,  Leiter  &  Co. ,  and 
Marshall  Field  &  Co. ,  covering  a  period  of  twenty-seven  years,  retiring  from  the  latter 
firm  in  1890.  During  all  this  time,  he  was  their  representative  and  for  many  years  the 
manager  and  resident  New  York  partner.  This  firm  developed  from  a  modest  begin- 
ning into  a  mammoth  concern,  conducting  an  enormous  business  which  is  equaled  by 
very  few  mercantile  houses  in  the  world.  Their  trade  reaches  every  section  of  this 
country  and  their  fame  and  reputation  extend  over  several  continents.  The  New 
York  end  of  the  business  was  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Woodhouse  and  an 
important  factor  of  this  vast  industry.  Since  his  retirement  from  active  business,  he 
has  spent  much  time  in  travel  both  at  home  and  abroad. 

Mr.  Woodhouse  was  married  in  1866  to  Miss  Emma  D.  Arrowsmith,  daughter  of 
Dr.  J.  E.  Arrowsmith,  of  Keyport,  N.  J.  He  has  always  lent  discriminating  aid  to 
charity,  and  a  recent  gift,  worthy  of  special  mention,  is  the  sum  of  $3,000  for  an  organ 
which  he  had  built  and  placed  as  a  memorial  in  the  church  in  Fitchburg,  Mass.,  of 
which  his  father  was  formerly  the  pastor,  and  which  is  known  as  the  Woodhouse 
Memorial  Organ. 

Mr.  Woodhouse  enjoys  a  wide  acquaintance  in  financial  circles  and  possesses 
shrewd  judgment  and  fine  executive  ability,  which  have  rendered  his  services  valuable 
to  all  the  corporations  with  which  he  has  been  connected.  He  is  now  thoroughly  iden- 
tified with  the  commercial  and  social  life  of  the  metropolis,  and  a  member  of  the  Union 
League,  Players',  Lotos  and  Seventh  Regiment  Veteran  clubs  and  The  New  England 
Society.  Genial,  courteous  and  clear  in  his  judgments,  he  is  a  most  agreeable  associate 
in  private  life  and  ranks  with  the  eminently  successful,  self-made  men  of  the  time. 

FRANK  WORK,  stockbroker,  born  in  Chillicothe,  O.,  Feb.  10,  1819,  is  a  brother 
of  the  late  John  C.  Work.  At  the  age  of  ten,  he  became  a  clerk  in  a  general  store. 
This  was  the  period  of  State  canal  building  in  Ohio,  and  the  lad  secured  a  place  in 
1835  as  a  civil  engineer  in  the  construction  department,  remaining  in  that  employment 
until,  the  funds  of  the  State  being  exhausted,  all  the  engineers  were  discharged.  In 
1838,  Mr.  Work  came  to  New  York  city  and  entered  the  dry  goods  jobbing  house  of 
Clark,  Smith  &  Co. ,  as  a  clerk.  In  two  years'  time  he  was  made  a  partner,  under  the 
name  of  Clark,  Work  &  Co.  In  1851,  Mr.  Work  retired  from  the  dry  goods  district 
and  entered  Wall  street  as  an  operator  in  stocks,  establishing  a  stock  brokerage  office 
of  his  own  in  1859.  In  1870,  the  name  was  changed  to  Work  &  Co.,  bankers  and  stock 
brokers,  and  in  1875  to  Work,  Strong  &  Co.  This  well  known  house  was  for  forty 
years  active  in  the  operations  which  center  in  Wall  street  and  always  bore  a  very  high 
reputation.  Mr.  Work  retired  in  1891.  He  has  been  conspicuous  on  the  American 
turf  and  the  owner  of  many  thoroughbreds.  His  stables,  finished  in  oak  and  brass, 
illustrate  the  taste  of  a  man  of  refinement,  who  loves  the  noble  animals  which  are 
sheltered  in  that  enclosure.  Mr.  Work  is  a  member  of  the  Manhattan,  New  York 
Yacht,  and  South  Side  Sportsmen's  clubs  and  The  Ohio  Society. 

JOHN  CLINTON  WORK,  merchant,  bora  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  died  in  this  city, 
Nov.  29,  1887,  in  the  seventy-ninth  year  of  his  age.  Beginning  life  at  the  age  of 
fifteen,  as  clerk  in  the  dry  goods  store  of  Robert  W.  McCoy,  in  Columbus,  O.,  he 
made  every  effort  to  fit  himself  for  promotion,  received  it,  and  became  a  partner  of 


744  AMERICA'S   SUCCESSFUL   MEN. 

Mr.  McCoy  at  twenty-one.  By  close  economy  and  faithful  application,  he  gained  a 
little  means,  and  coming  to  New  York  city  in  1843,  he  formed  the  dry  goods  firm  of 
Baldwin,  Dibblee  &  Work,  the  store  being  then  on  Chambers  Street.  He  was  success- 
ful as  a  merchant  and  transacted  a  prosperous  business  until  1867,  when  the  partners 
all  retired.  A  member  of  the  Union  League  club  and  fond  of  social  life.,  he  was  con- 
spicuous for  his  fine  manner  and  vigorous  health. 

EBENEZER  KELLOGG  WRIGHT,  bank  president,  rose  by  the  possession  of  an 
unblemished  character  and  business  ability  of  a  high  order  to  become  the  honored 
head  of  one  of  the  strongest  financial  institutions  in  the  United  States.  He  was  born 
July  28,  1837  in  Wright  Settlement,  a  suburb  of  Rome,  N.  Y.  and  died  in  New  York 
city,  August  4,  1895.  His  father,  Ebenezer  William  Wright,  was  a  farmer,  whose 
ancestors  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of  Wethersficld,  Conn.  In  1789,  they 
removed  to  New  York  State  and  settled  in  Oneida  county.  Sophia  Denio,  mother  of 
the  subject  of  this  sketch,  is  a  sister  of  the  distinguished  Judge  Denio  of  the  Court 
of  Appeals  of  New  York  State.  One  of  Mr.  Wright's  ancestors  was  a  signer  of  the 
original  charter  of  Connecticut,  while  Benjamin  Wright,  a  cousin  of  his  father,  was 
associated  with  Gov.  Clinton  in  promoting  and  constructing  of  the  Erie  Canal. 

From  capable,  upright  and  worthy  parents,  Mr.  Wright  inherited  a  sound  constitu- 
tion and  an  honest  nature,  while,  from  his  early  life  upon  the  farm,  he  gained  a  phys- 
ical vitality,  which  enabled  him  in  later  years  to  perform  an  amount  of  labor  appalling 
to  a  man  of  lesser  strength.  He  attended  the  local  district  schools  in  this  State  and 
Connecticut  during  boyhood,  enjoyed  one  year  at  the  academy  in  Rome,  and  then,  in 
1855,  exhibited  his  ambition  by  making  his  entrance  into  business  life  for  a  few  months 
as  clerk  in  a  store.  He  then  became  clerk  in  The  Utica  City  Bank  in  Utica,  N.  Y. ,  of 
which  his  uncle,  Judge  Denio,  was  president.  The  salary  was  small,  only  $100  a  year, 
but  the  new  clerk  proved  himself  a  willing,  ambitious  and  faithful  youth.  He  gained 
a  strong  liking  for  the  banking  business,  soon  winning  the  entire  respect  of  the  officers 
of  the  bank.  In  1859,  Mr.  Wright  came  to  New  York  and  secured  the  position  of 
assistant  teller  in  The  Park  Bank,  then  located  at  No.  5  Beekman  street.  He  paid  the 
strictest  attention  to  every  detail  of  his  work  and  discharged  every  duty  in  his  usual 
painstaking  manner.  In  1865,  the  institution  was  reorganized  as  The  National 
Park  Bank  of  New  York.  By  1863,  the  income  of  Mr.  Wright  had  become  sufficient  to 
warrant  his  marriage,  and  he  was  united  to  Josephine  L.  Hamilton  of  New  York,  a  lady 
of  distinguished  parentage,  whose  family  were  prominent  in  colonial  times  and  the 
American  Revolution  and  bore  their  part  bravely  in  the  early  wars.  This  union 
brought  them  four  children,  of  whom  three  are  living:  Blanche  Denio,  wife  of  Edward 
Bright;  Beatrice  Orne,  and  Lawrence  Worth  Wright. 

In  1866,  the  bank  promoted  Mr.  Wright  successively  to  the  positions  of  receiving 
and  paying  teller,  and  two  years  later,  moved  to  its  present  location  on  Broadway. 
Mr.  Wright's  abilities  having  attracted  attention,  he  was  promoted  in  1876  to  the  im- 
portant post  of  cashier.  In  this  responsible  position,  he  acquitted  himself  with  great 
credit.  To  his  untiring  labor  and  watchfulness,  his  genial  manners,  cool  judgment,  and 
thorough  understanding  of  finance,  the  subsequent  success  of  the  bank  was  largely 
due.  In  1878,  the  stockholders  elected  him  a  director;  in  1888,  second  vice  president; 
in  1889,  vice  president;  and  on  June  20,  1890,  president.  After  the  recent  death  of 
Eugene  Kelly,  Mr.  Wright  became  the  senior  director  of  the  bank.  This  great  insti- 


^ 


746  AMERICA'S     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

tution  has  now  risen  to  an  important  position.  Its  capital  is  $2,000,000  and  its  surplus 
$3,000,000,  while  its  deposits,  which  are  upwards  of  $37,000,000,  are  not  excelled  in 
magnitude  by  any  other  bank  in  the  United  States.  It  has  often  been  said  that  The 
National  Park  Bank  is  emphatically  an  institution  of  the  people.  Its  accounts  are 
largely  those  of  merchants,  manufacturers  and  firms  in  practical  business,  and  on  this 
account  its  periodical  statements  are  watched  by  the  public  as  a  faithful  indication  of 
the  condition  of  general  business.  Mr.  Wright's  connection  with  the  bank  brought 
him  opportunities  for  legitimate  investment.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Chamber  of 
Commerce  and  trustee  of  The  State  Trust  Co.,  of  which  he  was  an  incorporator,  and 
of  other  important  organizations.  Although  not  a  graduate,  he  was  honored  by  Ham- 
ilton College,  at  Clinton,  N.  Y.,  in  1894,  with  the  degree  of  M.A.,  owing  to  his  general 
culture  and  qualifications.  In  politics  a  Republican,  he  was  in  religion  an  Episcopalian, 
and  a  vestryman  of  Trinity  Church  of  this  city,  a  member  of  the  Church  club,  The 
Empire  State  Society  of  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution,  and  The  Society  of  Colonial 
Wars.  Mr.  Wright's  whole  career  was  passed  in  the  field  of  finance.  He  never  allowed 
social  organizations  or  the  attractions  of  public  life  to  interfere  with  his  devotion  to 
the  bank.  His  success  was  due  to  concentration  of  effort,  high  character,  and  com- 
plete mastery  of  his  chosen  occupation. 

JAMES  HOOD  WRIGHT,  banker,  born  in  Philadelphia,  died  suddenly  in  this  city, 
Nov.  12,  1894,  at  the  Rector  street  station  of  the  elevated  railroad,  in  the  fifty-ninth 
year  of  his  age.  While  a  youth,  he  learned  the  methods  of  business  as  a  dry  goods 
clerk,  and  remained  in  the  dry  goods  business  for  several  years,  leaving  it  to  become 
a  clerk  in  the  Philadelphia  banking  house  of  Drexel  &  Co.  He  showed  ability  as  a 
financier  and  the  managers  of  the  firm  evinced  their  appreciation  of  his  capacity  by 
frequent  promotions.  About  1864,  he  was  taken  into  the  firm  as  a  partner.  When 
the  house  of  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.  was  established  in  this  city  in  1871,  he  became 
one  of  the  partners  and  soon  removed  to  New  York.  Mr.  Wright  was  interested  in 
many  business  corporations  and  accepted  the  place  of  director  of  The  Chicago,  Mil- 
waukee &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  The  New  York  &  West  Shore  Railroad,  The  Southern 
Railroad,  The  Edison  Illuminating  Co.  and  The  New  York  Guaranty  &  Indemnity 
Co.  He  was  also  president  of  The  Manhattan  Hospital,  in  which  he  took  a  great 
interest,  and  a  member  of  the  Union  League,  Metropolitan,  City,  Riding  and  New 
York  Yacht  clubs.  He  married  Mrs.  Mary  P.  Robinson,  widow  of  John  Robinson, 
a  former  partner  in  Drexel,  Morgan  &  Co.,  who  survived  him.  Always  public  spirited 
in  life,  he  left  generous  bequests  for  public  objects,  including  $100,000  for  the  public 
library  on  Washington  Heights,  and  a  yet  larger  sum  to  The  Manhattan  Dispensary. 

WILLIAfl  OZHUN  WYCKOFF,  manufacturer,  born  on  a  farm  in  the  town  of 
Lansing,  Tompkins  county,  N.  Y.,  Feb.  16,  1835,  died  at  the  Thousand  Islands,  N.  Y., 
July  n,  1895.  He  was  a  son  of  Ira  Wyckoff,  a  prominent  citizen  and  farmer.  His 
mother  was  Julia  A.,  daughter  of  William  Ozmun,  a  farmer  of  the  same  town,  while 
his  early  ancesters  were  Holland  farmers,  who  came  to  this  country  about  1675,  settling 
on  Long  Island.  Mr.  Wyckoff  spent  his  early  life  in  farming,  receiving  a  common 
school  education,  and  attending  the  Ithaca  academy  a  few  terms.  In  1856,  he  settled 
upon  a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Blue  Earth  county,  Minn.,  with  a  view  of  securing 
means  to  attend  college;  but  the  reaction  of  1857  put  this  out  of  the  question,  and  he 
returned  to  Ithaca  and  took  up  the  study  of  law.  During  the  Civil  War,  he  served  two 


•v      THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. WY.  747 

years  in  the  320!  N.  Y.  Inf.,  going  in  as  a  private  and  rising  to  the  rank  of  captain. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  Nov.  16,  1863,  and  in  the  meantime  had  attended  and 
received  a  diploma  from  Ames  Business  College  in  Syracuse.  In  1866,  he  became 
official  court  stenographer  of  the  Supreme  Court  for  the  6th  Judicial  District  of  the 
State  and  held  the  position  for  sixteen  consecutive  years.  The  purchase  of  a  Rem- 
ington type  writing  machine,  in  1875,  for  use  in  transcribing  court  reports,  drew  his 
attention  to  the  machine  itself,  and,  obtaining  an  agency  for  their  sale,  he  found  that 
he  could  dispose  of  them  so  successfully  that  he  resolved  to  turn  from  professional 
pursuits  to  a  practical  career.  First,  a  salesman  for  The  Remington  Standard  Type- 
writer Co.,  of  Ilion,  he  finally,  about  1882,  established  the  firm  of  Wyckoff,  Seamans 
&  Benedict,  with  about  $20,000  of  capital,  and  made  a  contract  with  E.  Remington  & 
Sons,  whereby  the  firm  became  sole  agents  for  the  sale  of  the  machines.  They  were 
successful  from  the  start.  In  1886,  they  bought  the  whole  plant  and  patent  rights  of 
the  Ilion  concern.  Their  business  continuing  to  expand,  Wyckoff,  Seamans  &  Benedict 
were  incorporated  May  19,  1892,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $3,000,000.  Mr.  Wyckoff  was 
president  of  the  company,  which  manufactures  the  Remington  type  writing  machine. 
He  was  for  years  a  resident  of  the  metropolis  and  after  that  made  his  home  in  Brooklyn. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Republican  club  and  the  Loyal  Legion  of  this  city  and  the 
Union  League  club  of  Brooklyn,  and  for  several  years  a  member  of  the  executive  com- 
mittee of  the  latter;  and  a  trustee  of  The  Union  Type  Writer  Co.,  and  a  member  of  the 
executive  committee.  He  was  married  Oct.  20,  1863,  to  Frances  V.,  daughter  of 
Almon  C.  Ives,  of  South  Lansing,  N.  Y.,  and  their  children  are  Edward  G.,  now  a 
prominent  merchant  of  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and  Clarence  F.  Wyckoff,  of  the  class  of  '98, 
Cornell  University. 


Ubr»iy 


Y. 

JOHN  SHERLOCK  YOUNG,  merchant  and  financier,  born  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
Aug.  24,  1814,  died  in  New  York,  June  24,  1880.  A  son  of  William  Loney  Young, 
shipping  merchant,  in  partnership  with  Robert  Gilmore,  a  prominent  citizen  of  those 
days  in  Baltimore,  John  S.  Young  came  to  New  York  when  fourteen  years  of  age, 
and  as  a  boy  entered  a  wholesale  grocery  house.  When  eighteen  years  old,  he  estab- 
lished a  shipping  house  as  Palmer  &  Young,  and  for  the  forty  or  more  years  during 
which  he  remained  in  business  was  distinguished  for  unceasing  activity  and  honorable 
dealing.  He  retired  from  mercantile  life  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
later  became  a  special  partner  in  the  banking  house  of  J.  B.  Summerfield  &  Co.,  in 
which  he  continued  until  his  death.  Investing  his  fortune  largely  in  real  estate,  he 
gave  his  attention  to  the  care  of  this  property  during  the  closing  years  of  his  life.  Mr. 
Young  was  one  of  the  founders  and  original  directors  of  The  Marine  Bank,  and  a  mem- 
ber of  Adelphic  Chapter,  F.  &  A.  M.  He  married  Ann  Smith  Post,  daughter  of  Peter 
R.  Post,  an  importing  merchant  of  this  city,  and  was  survived  by  his  wife  and  four 
children,  the  latter  being  John  Day  and  William  Henry  Young;  Annie  P.,  wife  of 
Charles  E.  Bogert,  and  Caroline  Amelia,  wife  of  M.  T.  Brundage. 

ANTONIO  YZNAQA  DEL  VALLE,  merchant  and  planter,  born  in  Cuba,  Sept.  8, 
1823,  died  in  this  city,  May  6,  1892.  He  came  to  this  country  while  a  boy,  and  obtained 
his  education  near  New  York,  his  early  training  making  him  thoroughly  American  in 
feelings  and  sympathies.  Although  he  returned  to  Cuba  and  remained  there  for  sev- 
eral years,  he  finally  came  back  to  the  United  States  in  1847  or  1848.  He  then  estab- 
lished a  commission  business,  trading  exclusively  with  Cuba,  and  for  twenty-six  years 
had  his  office  on  Broad  Street.  He  was  also  a  large  sugar  refiner.  Though  he  owned 
a  great  deal  of  real  estate  in  Cuba,  including  large  sugar  plantations  on  the  south  side 
of  the  island,  he  took  no  part  in  the  political  affairs  there.  When  the  first  signs  of  the 
civil  strife  appeared  in  this  country,  he  at  once  became  an  enthusiastic  supporter  of 
the  Union.  He  had  large  interests  in  the  South,  but  cast  his  whole  influence  in  favor 
of  the  North.  He  was  one  of  the  first  merchants  who  subscribed  to  raise  $60,000,000 
when  Mr.  Chase,  then  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  came  to  New  York  to  obtain  this 
amount. 


z. 

ANDREW  CHRISTIAN  ZABRISKIE,  realty  owner,  born  in  New  York  city,  May 
30,  1853,  is  a  son  of  Christian  A.  Zabriskie  and  Sarah  Jane  Titus,  his  wife. 

The  founder  of  this  family  in  America  was  Albert  Zborowski,  a  nobleman,  who  emi- 
grated from  Holland  in  1650,  having  previously  fled  from  Poland,  his  native  land,  to 
escape  political  tyranny.  He  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Hackensack  river  in  New  Jer- 
sey and  married  a  daughter  of  one  of  the  Dutch  settlers.  His  five  sons  founded  the 
numerous  branches  of  the  Zabriskie  family  in  this  country.  The  evolution  of  the  sur- 
name was  effected  through  a  long  series  of  years,  until  the  present  spelling  was  finally 
adopted.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  Andrew  C.  Zabriskie,  after  whom  he  was  named, 
was  a  well  known  New  York  merchant  in  the  early  part  of  this  century  and  Adjutant 
of  a  squadron  of  horse  in  the  county  of  Bergen,  N.  J.,  in  1798.  The  maternal  grand- 
father, William  M.  Titus,  also  for  many  years  a  well  known  merchant  in  New  York, 
served  during  the  war  of  1812  in  the  nth  Artillery  of  New  York,  and  was  on  duty 
in  the  forts  which  guarded  the  mouth  of  New  York  harbor.  Subsequently,  he  became 
a  Captain  in  the  same  regiment.  The  State  authorities  renamed  this  regiment  in  after 
years  as  the  27th  N.  Y.  Inf.  and  it  is  now  known  as  the  7th  Regiment,  N.  G.,  N.  Y. 

Christian  A.  Zabriskie  never  engaged  in  active  business  but  preferred  the  quiet 
enjoyments  of  country  life,  spending  much  time  at  Paramus,  N.  J.,  upon  a  farm  which 
comprises  part  of  the  estate  which  has  now  been  owned  by  the  family  for  more  than 
two  hundred  years.  His  death,  which  took  place  in  July,  1879,  was  particularly  sad 
as  he  was  instantly  killed  by  the  cars  at  Central  Morrisania.  One  of  the  New  York 
papers  in  its  notice  of  the  event  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  sudden  death  was  a 
mysterious  heirloom  in  the  Zabriskie  family,  both  uncles  of  Andrew  C.  Zabriskie — 
Martin  and  John  Jacob — having  died  suddenly.  It  also  remarked  that  their  family  had 
always  exerted  a  potent  influence  for  good  both  in  its  native  State  and  New  York  City 
in  Church  and  Sunday  School  work.  The  wife  of  Christian  A.  Zabriskie  was  well 
known  for  large  hearted  charity  and  liberality.  Possessed  of  an  ample  fortune  in  her  own 
right,  which  she  inherited  from  her  mother,  who  was  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Gardner, 
she  took  delight  in  assisting  all  good  works,  both  within  and  without  the  Episcopal 
Church.  Her  devotion  to  her  children  was  also  one  of  her  marked  characteristics. 

Andrew  C.  Zabriskie  received  an  excellent  education  in  private  schools  and  Co- 
lumbia College  and  early  in  life  assumed  charge  of  the  large  real  estate  interests  of  his 
family,  a  portion  of  which  he  inherited.  He  is  a  capable  and  enterprising  man,  the 
soul  of  honor,  and  highly  regarded  for  ability  and  character  by  all  who  are  admitted  to 
his  acquaintance.  Possessing  the  military  tastes  of  his  family,  he  now  has  a  long  record 
of  military  service  to  his  credit.  He  enlisted  in  1873  in  Company  B.,  7th  Regiment, 
N.  G.,  N.  Y.,  and  served  over  seven  years  in  that  historic  and  favorite  organization. 
Subsequently,  he  was  elected  Captain  of  Company  C,  7ist  Regiment,  N.  G.,  N.  Y., 
which  position  he  resigned  only  to  accept,  a  few  years  later,  the  position  of  Inspector  of 
Rifle  Practice  on  the  staff  of  the  same  organization.  Captain  Zabriskie  is  the  donor 
of  a  handsome  bronze  trophy,  which  is  annually  shot  for  by  the  various  companies 
of  the  7ist  Regiment  and  is  known  as  the  Zabriskie  Trophy. 


THE     CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ZA.  7$I 

Although  a  Republican,  he  has  held  aloof  from  active  participation  in  practical 
politics,  his  only  appearance  in  that  arena  having  been  in  1879,  when  he  served  as 
treasurer  of  the  Independent  Republicans  in  the  revolt  against  Governor  Cornell's  re- 
election. He  has  joined  a  few  good  clubs  and  is  a  member  of  the  Metropolitan,  City 
and  United  Service  clubs,  The  Holland,  New  York  Historical,  and  American  Geo- 
graphical Societies,  and  The  Seventh  Regiment  Veteran  Association,  and  is  vice  presi- 
dent of  The  American  Numismatic  &  Archaeological  Society,  in  whose  work  he  takes  a 
very  great  interest.  In  c6mmon  with  other  cultivated  New  Yorkers,  he  has  been  zeal- 
ous in  the  promotion  of  the  higher  interests  of  the  metropolis,  and  is  a  supporter  of 
many  public  institutions,  including  the  great  museums  in  Central  Park  and  The 
National  Academy  of  Design,  both  of  which  bear  an  important  relation  to  the  growth 
of  taste  in  the  metropolis.  His  collection  of  coins  and  medals,  is,  in  certain  departments, 
unrivalled  in  this  country.  The  early  history  of  New  York  city,  as  illustrated  by  its 
medals  and  tokens,  has  received  his  particular  attention,  as  well  as  the  Presidential  and 
political  medals  of  the  United  States.  Another  department  in  which  his  collection 
stands  pre-eminent  is  that  of  Polish  coins  and  medals.  The  rise  and  fall  of  the  unhappy 
country  of  Poland  can  be  traced  in  a  most  interesting  manner  by  an  examination  of 
this  collection. 

In  religion,  Mr.  Zabriskie  is  an  Episcopalian  and  a  delegate  to  the  Diocesan  Con- 
vention from  the  Church  of  the  Incarnation,  with  which  he  has  been  connected  since 
early  childhood.  He  is  treasurer  of  The  American  Church  Missionary  Society, 
treasurer  of  the  Church  German  Society,  and  is  a  trustee  of  St.  Luke's  Hospital,  The 
Sheltering  Arms  and  other  charities.  Of  The  Bergen  Turnpike  Co.,  an  ancient  and 
powerful  New  Jersey  corporation,  he  is  president,  and  is  much  interested  in  developing 
his  property  interests  there,  which  are  very  extensive. 

His  contributions  to  literature  have  been  mostly  of  an  historical  character,  and 
embrace  a  "  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  the  Medals  Struck  in  Honor  of  Abraham  Lincoln" 
and  various  articles  contributed  to  the  magazines.  A  valued  relic  in  his  possession  is  a 
page  taken  from  the  sum  book  of  Lincoln  when  a  boy,  which  is  properly  authenticated 
by  his  law  partner,  William  H.  Herndon. 

Captain  Zabriskie  owns  a  large  island  embracing  over  one  hundred  acres,  in  Lake 
Memphremagog,  called  Province  Island,  from  the  fact  that  the  international  boundary 
line  passes  across  it.  Here  it  is  his  custom  to  pass  part  of  the  summer,  enjoying  the 
sailing  and  fishing,  as  well  as  the  pure  invigorating  air  of  that  region. 

He  was  married  to  Miss  Frances  Hunter,  youngest  daughter  of  the  late  Charles  F. 
Hunter,  president  of  The  People's  Bank  of  New  York,  on  the  sixth  of  June,  1895,  at 
the  Madison  Square  Presbyterian  Church. 

CORNELIUS  ZABRISKIE,  banker,  born  in  that  part  of  Bergen  county,  N.  J., 
known  as  Cherry  Hill,  Feb.  24,  1839,  is  a  son  °f  the  late  David  A.  Zabriskie,  a  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizen  and  great  grandson  of  a  paymaster  in  the  Continental  army; 
noted  both  for  his  bravery  and  careful  supervision  of  the  finances.  The  family  is  an 
old  one  and  its  members  have  always  borne  a  high  reputation  and  shown  marked  public 
spirit  in  their  respective  generations. 

Leaving  home  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  Mr.  Zabriskie  moved  to  Jersey  City,  where, 
after  completing  his  studies  at  the  public  schools,  he  gained  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
chemistry  and  was  for  nine  )'ears  connected  with  the  oldest  drug  house  in  Jersey  City. 


752  AMERICAS     SUCCESSFUL     MEN. 

In  1863,  he  decided  upon  a  change  of  vocation  and  entered  the  large  mercantile  estab- 
lishment of  Terhune  Bro's,  of  Jersey  City,  as  a  clerk,  and  rose  by  excellent  abilities  to 
the  head  of  one  of  the  important  departments  of  the  concern.  In  1871,  the  firm  lost 
their  place  of  business  by  fire. 

With  limited  resources,  Mr.  Zabriskie  then  engaged  in  banking  in  Jersey  City  and 
found  in  finance  an  excellent  and  congenial  field  for  his  abilities.  His  business  has 
grown,  through  persevering  and  intelligent  labor,  until  now  his  transactions  aggregate 
millions  of  dollars  a  year,  constituting,  in  fact,  probably  the  largest  banking  business 
in  New  Jersey.  Among  the  noteworthy  incidents  of  his  financial  career  was  his  suc- 
cessful effort  for  the  formation  of  a  syndicate,  composed  of  himself  and  other  men  of 
pecuniary  strength,  for  the  rescue  of  Jersey  City  from  impending  bankruptcy.  Bonds 
to  the  amount  of  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  about  to  mature  and  there  was 
no  money  in  the  treasury  of  the  city  with  which  to  pay  them.  Mr.  Zabriskie  came 
promptly  to  the  aid  of  the  authorities  and  supplied  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  relieve 
the  city  treasury  from  embarrassment.  He  is  a  recognized  authority  upon  the  subject 
of  city  and  coimty  securities  and  one  of  the  soundest  and  most  respected  bankers  of  the 
State,  with  whose  history  for  so  long  a  period  the  Zabriskie  family  have  been  identified. 

Mr.  Zabriskie  has  interested  himself  in  a  large  number  of  local  enterprises  of 
Jersey  City  and  vicinity,  and  is  a  director  of  The  Hudson  County  National  Bank  of 
Jersey  City,  The  First  National  Bank  of  Hoboken,  The  Jersey  City  Gas  Light  Co.,  and 
The  Hackensack  Gas  Light  Co.,  and  an  element  of  strength  in  them  all.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  New  York  and  The  Washington  Association 
of  New  Jersey,  which  was  organized  at  a  meeting  of  incorporators  in  Morristown, 
N.  J.,  May  5,  1874.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Union  League  club  of  New  York 
city  and  the  Hamilton  club  of  Brooklyn. 

Always  a  public  spirited  man,  he  has  illustrated  his  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his 
fellow  citizens  in  many  ways.  After  the  destruction  of  the  village  of  Cherry  Hill, 
N.  J.,  by  a  tornado  in  the  summer  of  1895,  Mr.  Zabriskie  contributed  $500  for  the 
relief  of  the  sufferers. 

Since  1882,  he  has  been  a  resident  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn.  In  that  year,  he  married 
O.  Addie  Emerson,  daughter  of  Edward  Emerson,  a  native  of  Boston.  He  has  three 
children,  Madeline,  Orlena  A.  and  Elvia. 

AUGUSTUS  ZEREQA,  merchant,  born  in  Martinique,  Dec.  4,  1803,  died  in  this  city, 
Dec.  23,  1888.  His  family  emigrated  from  Genoa  about  the  middle  of  the  last  century 
and  his  father  was  a  shipowner  and  man  of  large  wealth  and  scholastic  tastes.  Edu- 
cated first  in  London,  he  went  afterward  to  a  college  in  France,  wheie  he  had  for  a 
school  mate  the  late  Francis  S.  Skiddy.  Returning  to  his  home  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  he 
made  several  voyages  in  his  father's  ships  and  learned  the  art  of  practical  navigation. 
When  seventeen  years  old  he  determined  to  begin  life  for  himself,  and,  going  to  St. 
Thomas,  purchased  a  small  schooner,  which  he  sailed  between  the  islands,  carrying  on 
a  lucrative  trade.  When  twenty-one  years  old,  he  married  the  daughter  of  a  Danish 
nobleman.  Shortly  afterward  he  took  command  of  a  Baltimore  clipper  ship,  and  sailed 
it  under  Government  convoy  between  St.  Thomas  and  La  Guayra.  In  1835,  ^e  reached 
Philadelphia,  and  that  city  "not  stirring  enough,"  as  he  expressed  it,  for  a  man  of  his 
energy,  he  came  on  to  New  York.  In  a  short  time,  he  had  established  himself  as  a 
shipping  merchant  on  South  street,  and  there  laid  the  foundations  of  the  "Z"  line  of 


THE    CITY     OF     NEW     YORK. ZI.  753 

clipper  sailing  vessels.  His  only  partner  died  a  few  years  ago  in  this  city.  Among 
the  vessels  of  this  line  were  the  Queen  of  Clippers  and  the  Antarctic.  The  latter,  com- 
manded by  Captain  Stauffer,  won  celebrity  by  rescuing  over  300  United  States  soldiers 
from  the  steamer  San  Francisco,  when  the  latter  foundered  at  sea.  In  1855,  Mr.  Zerega 
retired  from  business  with  a  fortune.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkable  memory,  especially 
for  dates  and  figures,  and  retained  this  faculty  almost  to  the  day  he  died.  His  charities 
were  liberal  and  always  unostentatious.  His  wife  survived  him  with  nine  children. 

WILLIAfl  Z1EGLER,'  manufacturer,  a  son  of  Francis  Ziegler,  manufacturer,  was 
born  in  Beaver  county,  Pa.,  Sept.  i,  1843.  While  William  was  yet  a  child,  the  family 
moved  to  the  West  and  settled  on  a  farm  near  Muscatine,  Iowa.  His  mother,  Ernestina, 
being  left  a  widow  when  William  was  three  years  old,  afterward  married  Conrad  Brandt, 
an  influential  resident  of  Sweetland  township  in  Muscatine  county.  In  1858,  William 
learned  the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  The  Muscatine  Journal  and  followed  varied 
employments  for  a  few  years,  being  after  1861  a  druggist's  clerk.  In  1862-3,  he  gradu- 
ated from  Eastman's  Business  College  in  Poughkeepsie,  and  then  came  to  New  York, 
where  after  a  struggle  he  secured  a  place  in  a  wholesale  drug  store,  with  which  he 
remained  five  years,  in  the  meanwhile  graduating  from  the  New  York  School  of  Phar- 
macy. By  economy,  he  managed  to  save  a  little  capital,  and  in  1868,  engaged  on  his 
own  account  in  supplying  bakers  and  confectioners  with  extracts,  drugs,  etc. ,  not  hav- 
ing at  the  time  sufficient  means  to  start  a  store.  From  this  trade,  sprang  the  enormous 
business  in  baking  powder,  which  he  subsequently  developed.  In  1870,  he  organized 
The  Royal  Chemical  Co.,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  baking  powder,  and  in  1873, 
incorporated  The  Royal  Baking  Powder  Co.  These  interests  he  managed  with  remark- 
able success,  finally  selling  them  in  1886.  He  has  since  invested  largely  in  corporations. 
He  owns  a  large  interest  in  The  W.  B.  Hislop  Co.,  of  Syracuse  and  Auburn,  N.  Y. 
In  1890,  he  bought  The  Price  Baking  Powder  Co.,  of  Chicago,  now  very  profitable, 
and,  in  March,  1891,  The  Tartar  Chemical  Co.,  of  Jersey  City.  He  is  also  interested 
in  The  Lake  Street  Elevated  Railroad  of  Chicago  and  The  Brooklyn  Daily  Eagle,  but 
has  not  been  actively  engaged  in  business  since  1886.  Prior  to  and  upon  withdrawing 
a  large  amount  of  capital  from  the  baking  powder  industry,  Mr.  Ziegler  engaged  in 
large  real  estate  operations  and  improvements  in  Brooklyn,  especially  in  the  23d  and 
25th  Wards,  amounting  to  millions  of  dollars.  He  has  also  bought  2,000  lots  at  Morris 
Park,  1,500  lots  in  Flatbush  and  New  Utrecht,  known  as  the  Martense  Farm,  2,500  lots 
in  Flushing  and  Corona,  2,000  lots  on  Staten  Island,  6,000  lots  at  Linden,  N.  J.,  and 
much  other  property,  including  improved  realty  on  Liberty  and  Cedar  Streets,  and 
Fifth  and  Madison  Avenues  in  New  York  city.  July  22,  1886,  he  married  Mrs.  E.  M. 
Gamble,  sister  of  Mrs.  W.  Jennings  Demorest,  of  New  York.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Union  League  club  of  Brooklyn  and  Chicago,  Atlantic,  Larchmont  and  New  York 
Yacht  clubs,  Down  Town,  Brooklyn  and  Robins  Island  clubs,  and  is  a  famous  hunter,  his 
house  being  decorated  with  splendid  moose,  caribou  and  deer  and  other  trophies  from 
the  woods  Mr.  Ziegler  came  into  great  prominence  in  Brooklyn  a  few  years  ago  by 
his  long  and  successful  fight  to  prevent  the  extravagant  purchase  of  The  Long  Island 
Water  Supply  Co.,  by  the  city.  He  saved  the  city  $1,500,000.  He  has  been  twice 
offered  the  Mayoralty  of  Brooklyn  by  the  Republicans,  but  refused  to  make  the  can- 
vass, the  last  time  being  governed  by  the  failure  of  the  Democrats  to  renominate 
Mayor  Chapin,  with  whom  he  wished  to  contest  the  campaign. 


INDEX. 


PACK 


ABBEY,  HENRY  E 5 

ABRAHAM,  ABRAHAM 5 

ACKER,  DAVID  D 6 

ACKER,  CHARLES  L 7 

ACKER,  FRANKLIN k .  7 

ACKERMAN,  WARREN 7 

ADAMS,  EDWARD  D 8 

ADEE,  GEORGE  T 10 

ADRIAN,  MICHAEL} n 

AGATE,  FREDERIC   K 12 

AITKEN,  JOHN  W 12 

ALDRICH,  HERMAN  D 13 

ALEXANDER,  JUNIUS  B....  13 

ALEXANDER,  WILLIAM  C 14 

ALEXANDRE,  FRANCIS 14 

ALLAIRE,  JAMES  P 15 

ALLEN,  GEORGE  H 15 

ALLEN,  HENRY 15 

ALMIRALL,  JOSEPH  J 15 

ALSTYNE,  JOHN 15 

ALTMAN,  BENJAMIN 16 

AMSINCK,  GUSTAV 17 

ANDERSON,  ELBERT  J 17 

ANDERSON,  JOHN 18 

ANDERSON,  LORING 18 

ANDREWS,  CONSTANT  A 19 

ANDREWS,  WALLACE  C ig 

ANSBACHER,  ADOLPH  B 21 

ANTHONY,  EDWARD 21 

ANTHONY,  RICHARD  A 22 

ANTHONY,  RICHARD  K 22 

APARICIO,  JUAN 23 

APPLEBY,  REMSEN 23 

APPLETON,  DANIEL. 23 

APPLETON,  COL.  DANIEL 23 

APPLETON,  WILLIAM  H 24 

APPLETON,  WILLIAM  W  . . . .  24 

ARBUCKLE,  CHARLES 25 

ARBUCKLE,  JOHN 25 

ARCHBOLD,  JOHN  D 25 

ARCHER,  OLIVER  H.  P 26 

ARGUIMBAU,  DANIEL  V 26 

ARKENBURGH,  ROBERT  H. . .  26 

ARMOUR,  HERMAN  0 27 

ARMOUR,  PHILIP  D 28 

ARMOUR,  SIMEON  B 29 

ARMSTRONG,  PHILANDER  B.,  29 

ARNOLD,  AARON 30 

ARNOLD,  HICKS 31 

ARNOLD,  RICHARD 30 

ASPINWALL,  WILLIAM  H. . . .  31 

ASPINWALL,  GEN.  LLOYD...  31 

ASTOR,  JOHN  JACOB,  ist 32 

ASTOR,  WILLIAM  B 34 

ASTOR,  JOHN  JACOB,  3d 35 

ASTOR,  WILLIAM  WALDORF.,  35 

ASTOR,  WILLIAM 37 

ASTOR,  JOHN  JACOB,  4th ....  39 


PAGE 

AUCHINCLOSS,  HUGH.  . . 42 

AUCHINCLOSS,  JOHN 42 

AUSTIN,  ROBERT  F 42 

AVER,  FREDERICK  F 43 

AYRES,  MARSHALL 45 


B. 

BABBITT,  BENJAMIN  T 46 

BABCOCK,  GEORGE  H 46 

BABCOCK,  PAUL,  JR 52 

BACHK,  SEMON 52 

BAILEY,  JAMES  A 52 

BAILEY,  JAMES  S 53 

BAIRD,  COL.  ANDREW  D. . .  53 

BALLIN,  OSCAR  E 54 

BAMBERGER,  JACOB  F 54 

BANCKER,  WILLIAM  D 54 

BANKER,  JAMES  H 55 

BANKS,  CHARLES 55 

BANKS,  JAMES  LENOX 55 

BARBER,  AMZI  L 56 

BARBOUR,  THOMAS 58 

BARCLAY,  HENRY 59 

BARLOW,  CHARLES 59 

BARLOW.  PETER  T 60 

BARLOW,  SAMUEL  L.  M 59 

BARMORE,  ALFRED to 

BARNES,  ALFRED  S 60 

BARNES,  DEMAS 61 

BARNES,  JOHN  S 61 

BARNEY,  CHARLES  T 61 

BARNEY,  WILLIAM  J 62 

BARRON,  DR.  JOHN  C 62 

BARTRAM,  JOSEPH  B 64 

BATES,  EDWIN 65 

BATTERMAN,  HENRY 65 

BAUDOUINE,  CHARLES  A 65 

BAXTER,  HORACE  H 65 

BEACH,  ALFRED  E 67 

BEACH,  MOSES  Y 66 

BEARD,  OLIVER  T 67 

BEARD,  WILLIAM  H 68 

BECHTEL,  GEORGE. 68 

BECK,  CHARLES  B 70 

BECKWITH,  NELSON  M 70 

BEDLOW,  HENRY 70 

BEEKM AN,  HENRY  R -71 

BEEKMAN,    JAMES  W 72 

BEER,  JULIUS 74 

BEERS,  EDWIN 74 

BELDEN,  JOSIAH 74 

BELDING,  MILO  M 75 

BELKNAP,  ROBERT  L 77 

BELL,  GEORGE 79 

BELL,  ISAAC,  JR 79 

BELMONT,  AUGUST 79 

BELMONT,  AUGUST,  JR 80 

BELMONT,  PERRY 80 


PAGE 

BENEDICT,  ELI  AS  C 81 

BENEDICT,  HENRY  H 81 

BENNETT,  JAMES  GORDON,  . .  83 

BENNETT,  JOSIAH  S 83 

BERNHEIMER,  ADOLPH 84 

BERNHEIMER.  ISAAC 84 

BERNHEIMER,  SIMON 84 

BERNHEIMER,  SIMON  E 84 

BERNSTEIN,  NATHAN 85 

BETTMAN,  DAVID 85 

BETTMAN,  MARCUS  A 85 

BEUTHNER,  SOLOMON 86 

BIERMAN,  ISAAC 86 

BININGER,  ABRAHAM 86 

BISCHOFF,  HENRY 86 

BISSELL,  GEORGE  H 87 

BISSELL,  PELHAM  ST.  G 87 

BIXBY,  JOHN  M 88 

BIXBY,  ROBERT  F 88 

BLACKFORD,  EUGENE  G . . . .  88 

BLAKEMAN,  BIRDSEYE •  89 

BLEECKER,  ANTHONY  J 89 

BLISS,  CORNELIUS  N 91 

BLISS,  ELIPHALET  W 92 

BLISS,  GEORGE. 93 

BLISS,  WILLIAM 94 

BLISS,  WILLIAM  M 95 

BLOOMINGDALE,  JOSEPH  B. .  95 

BLOOMINGDALE,  LYMAN  G. .  96 

BODMAN,  EDWARD  C 96 

BONNER,  ROBERT 97 

BONNETT,  PETER  R 97 

BOODY,  DAVID  A 98 

BOORAEM,  HENRY  A 98 

BOOTH,  EDWIN 99 

BOOTH,  HE.NRY  P 99 

BORDEN,  GAIL  101 

BORDEN,  MATTHEW  C.  D. . .  101 

BOSHER,  CHARLES  H . , 103 

BOSKOWITZ,  IGNATZ 103 

BOSTWICK,  JABEZ  A 103 

BOULTON,  WILLIAM  G 104 

BOWDOIN,  GEORGE  S 104 

BOWEN,  HENRY  C 105 

BRAGG,  CALEB  S 106 

BRAND,  JOHN 106 

BRANDRETH,  BENJAMIN 106 

BREVOORT,  JAMES  C 107 

BREWSTER,  HENRY 107 

BRJCE,  CALVIN  S 108 

BRINCKERHOFF,  ELBERT  A.,  in 

BROKAW,  ISAAC  V in 

BROOKMAN,  HENRY  D 112 

BROOKMAN,  JOHN  U 112 

BROOKS,  CLARENCE 113 

BROOKS,  ELISHA 113 

BROWER,  JOHN  H 113 

BROWN,  JAMES 114 

BROWN,  JAMES  M 114 

BROWN,  JOHN  L 115 


5Hjirs.u3saite.-s 


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CSV 


PAGE 

KINGSLAND,  GEORGE  L 370 

KINNEY,  FRANCIS  S 371 

KISSEL,  GUSTAV  E 372 

KISSEL,  GUSTAV  H 371 

KNAPP,  SHEPHERD 372 

KNAPP,  SHEPPARD 373 

KNOWLTON,  EDWIN  F 373 

KUEHNE,  FREDERICK 375 


L. 

LADEW,  EDWARD  R 378 

LADEW,  HARVEY  S 378 

LADEW,  JOSEPH    H 378 

LAKE,  GEORGE  G 379 

LAMBERT,  CATHOLINA 379 

LANDON,  CHARLES  G 379 

LANGDON,  WOODBURY 380 

LANIER,  CHARLES 381 

LANIER,  JAMES  F.  D 380 

LAPHAM,  HENRY  G 381 

LASAK,  FRANCIS  W 383 

LAW,  GEORGE 383 

LAWRENCE,  JOHN  W 384 

LAWRENCE,  WILLIAM  B 384 

LAWRENCE,  WILLIAM  E  . . . .  385 

LEARY,  JAMES  D 385 

LEE,  WILLIAM  F 388 

LEE,  WILLIAM  H    389 

LEGGETT,  ABRAHAM 389 

LEGGETT,  FRANCIS  H 389 

LEHMAN,  EMANUEL 390 

LEHMAN,  MAYER 392 

LENOX,  JAMES 392 

LIBBEY,  WILLIAM 394 

LlCHTENSTEIN,  BENJAMIN.  .  .  397 

LINTON,  EDWARD  F 397 

LITTLE,  JOSEPH  J 398 

LIVINGSTON,  ANSON 398 

LIVINGSTON,  ROBERT  E....  399 

LOESER,  FREDERICK 399 

LOEW,  EDWARD  V 400 

LOOMIS,  ALFRED  L.,  M.D..  402 

LORD,  DANIEL 403 

LORD,  SAMUEI 403 

LORD,  THOMAS 403 

LORILLARD,  PETER 404 

LOUNSBURY,  PHINEAS  C. . . .  404 

Low,  ABIEL  A 406 

Low,  JOSEPH  T 406 

LOWREY,  JOSEPH  S 407 

LUMMIS,  WILLIAM  ........  407 

LYMAN,  EDWARD  H.  R.. . .     408 

LYON,  WILLIAM  H 409 


M. 

MCALPIN,  DAVID  H 412 

MCALPIN,  GEN.  EDWIN  A..  415 

MCCONVILLE,  JOHN 417 

McCosKRY,  ROBERT 417 

MCCREADY,  NATHANIEL  L'H  418 
McCuRDY,  ROBERT  H 418 


PAGE 
McGHEE,  CHARLES  McC. . ..  418 

McGiLL,  GEORGE  W 419 

McHARG,  HENRY  K 420 

MclNTYRE.  THOMAS  A..    ..  420 

McKiE,  THOMAS 420 

McLouGHLiN,  JOHN 421 

MACKAY,  JOHN  W 421 

MACLAY,  ROBERT 424 

MACY,  JOSIAH 42 5 

MACY,  WILLIAM  H 425 

MAGOUN,  GEORGE  C 425 

MAIRS,  JOHN  D 426 

MAIRS,  WILLIAM  H 426 

MAITLAND,  THOMAS 426 

MALLORY,  CHARLES  H 426 

MARQUAND,  FREDERICK          427 
MARSHALL,  CHARLES  H...     427 

MARTIN,  JOHN  T 428 

MASURY,  JOHN  W 428 

MATTHEWS,  JOHN 431 

MAXWELL,  EUGENE  L 432 

MAXWELL,  HENRY  W 432 

MEAD,  EDWIN  H 432 

MEAD,  FREDERICK 433 

MEAD,  RALPH 435 

MERRITT,  ISRAEL  J 437 

MEYER,  CHRISTOPHKR 438 

MILLIKEN,  SETH  M 439 

MILLS,  DARIUS  0 440 

MILMINE,  GEORGE 444 

MINTURN,  ROBERT  B 444 

MOORE,  JOHN  G 445 

MOORE,  JOHN  P 447 

MORGAN,  CHARLES 448 

MORGAN,  DAVID  P 449 

MORGAN,   EDWIN  D 449 

MORGAN,  GEORGE  D 450 

MORGAN,  HENRY  T 451 

MORGAN,  HOMER 451 

MORGAN,  TUNIUS  S 451 

MORGAN,  J.  PIERPONT 452 

MOROSINI,  GIOVANNI  P.....  452 

MORRIS,  JOHN  A 455 

MORTIMER,  RICHARD 456 

MORTON,  LEVI  P 456 

MOTT,  HOPPER  S 462 

MOTT,  JORDAN  L 465 

MOTT,  JORDAN  L. ,  JR 468 

MOTT,  VALENTINE.  M.  D...  469 

MUNN,  WILLIAM  H 469 

MUNN,  WILLIAM  H.,  M.D.     470 

MUNOZ,  JOSE  M 470 

MUNRO,  NORMAN  L 470 

MURCHISON,  KENNETH  M..  471 
MYERS,  THEODORE  W 471 


N. 

NATHAN,  BENJAMIN 473 

NAUMBURG.   ELKAN 473 

NEWBORG,  DAVID  L 473 

NEWCOMB,  H.  VICTOR 474 

NORRIE,  ADAM 477 

NORTON,  ECKSTEIN  . .       . .  477 

NORTON,   JOHN 478 

NOYES,  JULIUS  M 478 


O 


PACK 


OAKES,  THOMAS  F 479 

O'BRIEN,  JOHN  479 

O'BRIEN,  WILLIAM 480 

O'DAY,  DANIEL 480 

O'DoNOHUE,  JOSEPH  J 480 

OELRICHS,  HERMANN 484 

OGDEN,  WILLIAM  B 484 

OLCOTT,  FREDERIC  P 485 

O'NEILL,  HUGH 485 

OPDYKE,  GEORGE 486 

ORR,  ALEXANDER  E 487 

OSBORN,  CHARLES  J 487 

OSGOOD,  GEORGE  A 488 

OTIS,  NORTON  P 488 

OTTENDOKFER,  OSWALD.  ...  489 

OWEN,  THOMAS 492 

OWEN,  THOMAS  J 492 


1'. 

PALMER,  COURTLANDT 493 

PALMER,  COURTLANDT,  JR..   493 

PARISH,  HENRY 494 

PARK,  JOSEPH 494 

PARK,  TRENOR  W 494 

PARKER,  JAMES  H.,  M.D. ..   495 

PARMLY,  ELEAZER 495 

PARSONS,  WILLIAM  H 496 

PEARSALL,  DENTON 497 

PEASE,  GEORGE  L 497 

PEMBROOK,  WILLIAM  A 498 

PETTIT,  FOSTER 500 

PHELPS,  ISAAC  N  501 

PHELPS,  ROYAL 503 

PICKHARDT,  WILLIAM 504 

PIERREPONT,  HENRY  E 504 

PITCHER,  JAMES  R 505 

PLANT,  H ENRY  B 506 

PLATT,  JOHN  R 508 

PLATT,  SAMUEL  R 509 

POLHEMUS,  HENRY  D 509 

POOR,   EDWARD  E 510 

POOR,  HENRY  W 511 

PORTER,  HORACE 515 

POTTER,  CLARKSON  N 515 

POTTER,  ORLANDO  B 516 

POTTIER,  ADRIEN  A 521 

POTTS,  FREDERIC  A 521 

POUCH,  ALFRED  J 521 

PRATT,  CHARLES  522 

PRATT,  CHARLES  M 523 

PRATT,  DALLAS  B 523 

PRATT,  JULIUS  H 523 

PRENTICE.   FREDERIC 524 

PRIME,  EDWARD 527 

PRIME.  RUFUS 527 

PULITZER,  JOSEPH 527 

PYNE,  PERCY  R 528 


Q. 

QUEREAU,  ABRAM 529 

QUINCY.  JOHN  W 529 

QUINTARD,  GEORGE  W 529 


PAGE 


R. 


RADWAY,  JOHN  S.,  M.D...   533 

RAYMOND,  JAMES  1 533 

READ,  WILLIAM  G 534 

RECKESDORFER,  JOSEPH.  ..  534 

REINHART,  JOSEPH  W 534 

REMSEN,  WILLIAM 535 

RENWICK,  JAMES 536 

RENWICK,  WILLIAM  R 537 

RHINELANDER,    WILLIAM...  537 

RICHARDSON,   ENOS 538 

RICHARDSON,   JOSEPH 538 

RIDLEY,  EDWARD 540 

RIKER,  DANIEL  S 541 

RIVES,  FRANCIS  R 541 

ROACH,  JOHN 541 

ROBBINS,  ELI 544 

ROBERTS,   MARSHALL  O...     545 

ROBERTSON,  JOSEPH  L 546 

ROBINSON,  JEREMIAH  P 548 

ROCKEFELLER,  JOHN  D 549 

ROCKEFELLER,  WILLIAM.  ..     550 
ROOSEVELT,  CORNELIUS  V.  S  551 

ROOSEVELT,  JAMES  A 552 

ROOSEVELT,  JAMES  1 552 

ROOSEVELT,  ROBERT  B 553 

ROOSEVELT,  THEODORE 554 

ROPES,  REUBEN  W 555 

ROPES,  RIPLEY 555 

ROSENBAUM,  ALBERTS...   .  556 

ROTHSCHILD,  JACOB 556 

ROTHSCHILD,  VICTOR  H 557 

RUSZITS,  JOHN 560 

RUTTER,  THOMAS 560 

RYAN,  THOMAS  F 561 


S. 

SAGE,  RUSSELL 563 

SALISBURY,  JAMES  H.,  M.D.  570 

SANDS,  HENRY  B.,  M.D 570 

SANDS,  SAMUEL  S 571 

SANFORD,  EDWARDS  S 571 

SARGENT,  GEORGE  H 572 

SCHAEFER.  EDWARD  C 574 

SCHELL,  AUGUSTUS 574 

SCHIEFKELIN,  WILLIAM  H.  .  .  575 

SCHIEREN,  CHARLES  A 576 

SCHIFF,  JACOB  H 576 

SCHLEY,  GRANT  B 577 

SCHOALS,  FRANCIS  P 577 

SCHOLLE,  ABRAHAM 579 

SCHROEDER,  FREDERICK  A.  .  579 

SCHULTZ,  JACKSON  S 580 

SCHWAB,  GUSTAV 581 

SCOTT,  ALFRED  B 581 

SCRIBNER,  CHARLES 582 

SEABURY,  GEORGE  J 582 

SEAMANS.  CLARENCE  W 584 

SEIDENBERG,  JOSEPH 584 

SELIGMAN,  JAMES 586 

SELIGMAN,  JESSE. 586 

SELIGMAN,  JOSEPH 587 

SHELDON,  ISRAEL 587 

SHELDON,  JAMES  0 588 

SHEPARD,  ELLIOTT  F 590 


PAGE 

SHEPARD,  FREDERICK  M —  591 

SHEPARD,  SIDNEY 592 

SHERMAN,  ISAAC 594 

SHERMAN,  WATTS 594 

SHERWOOD,  JOHN  H 594 

SHOEMAKER,  HENRY  F 595 

SHOENBERGER,  JOHN  H 597 

SICKLES.  GEORGE  G 598 

SILLIMAN,  BENJAMIN  D 598 

SIMMONS,  J.  EDWARD 599 

SIMPSON,  WILLIAM 600 

SINCLAIR,  JOHN 601 

SKIDMORE,  WILLIAM  L 601 

SLAVEN,  HENRY  B 602 

SLOANE,  WILLIAM 605 

SLOCUM,  HENRY  W 605 

SMITH,  ADON 606 

SMITH,  CHARLES  STEWART..  606 

SMITH,  FRANCIS  S 608 

SPAULDING,  HENRY  F 609 

SPICER,   ELIHU 610 

SPOFFORD,  PAUL 610 

SPRAGUE,  COL.  NATHAN  T..  611 

STARIN,  JOHN  H 611 

STEINWAY,   WILLIAM 612 

STEVENS,  PARAN 61 8 

STEVENSON,  DAVID 618 

STEWART,  ALEXANDER  T —  618 

STEWART,  JOHN  A 620 

STILLMAN,  JAMES 620 

STOCKLY,  GEORGE  W 621 

STOKES,  JAMES 621 

STOKES,  WILLIAM  E.  D 622 

STORRS,  AUGUSTUS 622 

STORRS,  CHARLES 623 

STORY,  RUFUS 623 

STOUT,  ANDREW  V 624 

STOUT,  JOSEPH  S 624 

STRANAHAN,  JAMES  S.  T 625 

STRANGE,  WILLIAM 628 

STRAUS,  ISIDOR 629 

STRAUS,  LAZARUS 630 

STRAUS,  NATHAN 630 

STREET,  WILLIAM  A 631 

STRONG.  WILLIAM  L 632 

STUART,  JOSEPH 632 

STUART,  ROBERT  L 632 

STUDWELL,  JOHN  J 633 

STURGES,  FREDERICK 634 

STURGES,  JONATHAN 634 

SULLY,  ALFRED 635 

SYMS,  WILLIAM  J 638 

T. 

TAILER,  EDWARD  N 639 

TALCOTT,  FREDERICK  L —  641 

TALCOTT,  JAMES 641 

TAYLOR,  J.  MONROE 641 

TAYLOR,  MOSES 642 

TENNEY,  CHARLES  H 643 

TERRY,  JOHN  T 645 

TEWKSBURY,  LEWIS  G 647 

THEBAUD,  EDWARD  V 647 

THOMAS,  SAMUEL 648 

THOMPSON,  WILLIAM  P...  650 

THORNB,  JONATHAN 654 


PAGE 

THORNE,   JONATHAN,  JR 654 

THORNE,  SAMUEL 655 

TIEMANN,  DANIEL  F 655 

TIFFANY,  CHARLES  L 656 

TILDEN,  SAMUEL  J 658 

TILDEN,  WILLIAM..  659 

TILESTON,  THOMAS 659 

TILFORD,  FRANK 660 

TILFORD,  WESLEY  H 661 

TINGUE,  WILLIAM  J 662 

TINKER,  CHARLES  A 663 

TORRANCE,  DANIEL 663 

TOUSEY,  SINCLAIR 663 

TOWNE,  HENRY  R 664 

TOWNSEND,  SAMUEL  T . . .    .  664 

TRAVERS,  WILLIAM  R 665 

TREVOR.  JOHN  B 665 

TWEEDY,  THOMAS  E 666 


U. 
URQUHART,  EDMOND 667 


V. 

VAIL,  HENRY  H '671 

VAIL,  THEODORE  N 671 

VAN  BUREN,  JOHN  D 674 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS 675 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS...  684 
VANDERBILT,  WILLIAM  H...  680 
VAN  NEST,  ABRAHAM  R. . . .  686 
VAN  NORDEN,  WARNER.  . .  .  686 

VAN  RENSSELAER,  C.  S 688 

VAN  TINE,  ASHLEY  A 689 

VAN  VOLKENBURG,   PHILIP.  .    69! 

VERMEULE,  JOHN  D 691 

VERMILYE,  JACOB  D 692 

VERMILYE,  WASHINGTON  R.  693 


W. 

WALKER,  JOHN  BRISBEN 694 

WALLACH,  ANTHONY 694 

WARD,  JAMES  E 696 

WARDWELL.  WILLIAM  T. . .  697 

WARNER,  DR.  LUCIEN  C.  . . .  698 

WATERBURY,  JAMES  M 700 

WATSON,  JOHN 701 

WATSON.  WILLIAM 702 

WEBB.  H.  WALTER 702 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  H 703 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  SEWARD.  .  709 

WEED,  THURLOW 710 

WENDELL.  JACOB 711 

WENTZ,  JAMES  M 713 

WEST,  GEORGE 714 

WETHERBEE,  GARDNER 719 

WETMORE,  APOLLOS  R 721 

WETMORE,  ROBERT  C 721 

WHEELER,  JEROME  B   722 

WHEELOCK,  WILLIAM  A 724 

WHITE,  ALBERT  T 726 

WHITE,  STEPHEN  VAN  C...  727 

WHITLOCK,  WILLIAM 727 


PAGE 

BROWN,  WALSTON  H 115 

BROWNING,  JOHN  H 117 

BROWNING,  WILLIAM  C 118 

BRUCE,  GEORGE 1 19 

BUCHANAN,  WILLIAM 119 

BULKLEY,  EDWIN 121 

BULL,  WILLIAM  L 122 

BURDEN,  JAMES  A 122 

BURKE,  JOHN 123 

BURNHAM,  THOMAS  B  .    .    .   123 

BURR,  CALVIN 125 

BURR,  HENRY  A 125 

BURT,  COL.  JAMES 126 

BUTLER,  THERON  R 126 

BUTLER,  WILLIAM  A 126 

BUTTERFIELD,    DANIEL 127 

C. 

CAMP,  HUGH  N 128 

CAMPBELL,  FELIX 128 

CAMPBELL,  GEORGE  W.    ...  129 

CAMPBELL,  RICHARD  L 129 

CAMERON,  SIR  RODERICK  W  129 

CAREY,  JOHN 130 

CARHART,  THOMAS  F 130 

CARMAN,  RICHARD  F 130 

CARNEGIE,  ANDREW 131 

CARTER,  OLIVER   S 132 

CASPARY,  WALDEMAR 133 

CASWELL,  JOHN 133 

CATLIN,  JULIUS 133 

CHAPIN,  CHESTER  W 134 

CHAPMAN,  ISAAC  F 136 

CHASE,  NELSON 136 

CHESEBROUGH,  ROBERT  A. .   137 
CHITTENDEN,  SIMEON  B...     140 

CHOATE,  JOSEPH  H 140 

CHURCH,  AUSTIN 141 

CLAFLIN,  HORACE  B 141 

CLAPP,  GEORGE  P 142 

CLARK,  GEORGE  A 142 

CLARK,  HORACE  F 143 

CLARK,  WILLIAM 143 

CLARKE,  BENJAMIN  G 143 

CLAUSEN,  HENRY 144 

CLEWS,   HENRY   144 

CLYDE,  WILLIAM  P  .     ...     144 

COE,  GEORGE  S 145 

COLBY,  CHARLES  L 145 

COLGATE,  JAMES  B 146 

COLGATE,  ROBERT 147 

COLGATE,  SAMUEL 147 

COLGATE,  SAMUEL  J 147 

COLLAMORE,   DAVIS 147 

CONNOR,  WASHINGTON  E. . .   149 

CONSTABLE,  JAMES  M 151 

CONTOIT,  JOHN  H 151 

COOK,  HENRY  H 152 

COOPER,  EDWARD 153 

COOPER,  PETER 152 

CORBIN,  AUSTIN 153 

CORNELL,  JOHN  B 154 

CORNELL,  JOHN  M 154 

CORNELL,  PETER  C 155 

CORNING,  HANSON  K 155 

COSSITT,  FREDERICK  H 155 


PACK 

COSTELLO,  PATRICK  C 155 

COSTER,  CHARLES  H 156 

COTTING,  AMOS 156 

COVAS,  STAMATY 156 

COWDIN,  ELLIOT  C 156 

COWLES,  ALFRED  A 157 

CRABTREE,  LOTTA  M 157 

CRAM,  JACOB  158 

CRAWFORD,  WILLIAM 158 

CREADO,  RAMON  F 158 

CRIMMINS,  JOHN  D 159 

CROMWELL,  FREDERICK 161 

CROSBY,  JOHN  P 163 

CROSBY,  WILLIAM  B 162 

CURTIS,  JEREMIAH 163 

CUSHMAN,  DON  A 163 

CUSHMAN,  JAMES  S 164 

CUTTING,  FRANCIS  B 164 

CUTTING,  ROBERT  L.,  sr. . . .   165 
CUTTING,  ROBERT  L 165 


D. 

DAMBMANN,  CHARLES  F....  166 

DANA,  CHARLES  A 166 

DARLING,  ALFRED  B 168 

DARRAGH,  JAMES 169 

DASH,  BOWIE 170 

DASH,  JOHN  B 170 

DAVIDSON,  JOHN 171 

DAVIS,  JAMES  M 171 

DAY,  HENRY 171 

DE  BARY,  FREDERICK 172 

DE  CORDOVA,  ALFRED 172 

DE  FOREST,  CORNELIUS  V.  .  172 

DE  GRAFF,  HENRY  P 173 

DELAFIELD,  HENRY 174 

DE  LA  MAR,  JOSEPH  R 175 

DE  LAMATER,  CORNELIUS  H.  178 

DE  LAMATER.  JOHN 1 79 

DELAPLAINE,  JOHN  F 180 

DE  LIMA,  DAV.ID  A 180 

DELMAR,  JOHN 180 

DELMONICO,  CHARLES  C. ...  181 

DELMONICO,  LORENZO 181 

DEMUTH,  WILLIAM 182 

DEPEW,  CHAUNCEY  M 182 

DE  PEYSTER,  FREDERIC  J.  185 

DE  PEYSTER,  JOHN  WATTS.  185 

DE  PEYSTER,  NICHOLAS 186 

DETMOLD,  CHRISTIAN  E. . . .  187 

DETTMER,  JACOB  G 187 

DEVLIN,  CHARLES 187 

DEVOE,   FREDERICK  W. ...  188 

DEXTER,  HENRY 191 

DICKERMAN,  WATSON  B. . .  .  192 

DICKIE,  PATRICK 192 

DICKINSON,  JOHN  B 192 

DILLON,  SIDNEY.  ...    193 

DINSMORE,  WILLIAM  B 193 

DITSON,  CHARLES   H 194 

Dix,  ALFRED  P 194 

DODGE,  WILLIAM  E 195 

DODGE,  WILLIAM  E.,  jr 195 

DOLGE,  ALFRED 197 

DOLLARD,  JOHN 199 

DOUGLAS,  WILLIAM  P 199 


PAGE 

Dows,  DAVID 200 

DREXEL,  JOSEPH  W 203 

DRIGGS,  EDMUND 204 

DUER,  DENNING 204 

DUGRO,  ANIHONY 205 

DUGRO,  PHILIP  H 205 

DUN,  ROBERT  G 205 

DUNCAN,   DAVID 207 

DUNLAP,  ROBERT.  : 208 

DUNTON,  FREDERICK  W...   .  208 

DURANT,  CHARLES  W 208 

DURANT,  THOMAS  C 209 

DURYEA,  HIRAM 209 

DURYEA,  SAMUEL  B 210 

DURYEA,  WRIGHT 210 

DUTCHER,  JOHN  B 211 

DWIGHT,    AMOS  T 211 

E. 

EARI.E,  WILLIAM  P 212 

EASTMAN,  TIMOTHY  C 212 

EDISON,  THOMAS  A 212 

EDSON,  FRANKLIN 213 

EICHLER,  JOHN 213 

EINSTEIN,  DAVID  L 214 

EINSTEIN,  EDWIN 2-14 

EINSTEIN,  LEWIS 214 

ELDER,  DANIEL  R .  214 

ELDER,  GEORGE  W 214 

ELDER,  JOSEPH  L 215 

ELIAS,  HENRY 215 

ELKINS,  STEPHEN  B 215 

ELLIS,  JOHN,  M.D 219 

ELLIS,  JOHN  W 219 

ELSWORTH,  EDWARD 220 

ELSWORTH,  HENRY 220 

ELY,  AMBROSE  K 221 

ELY,  DAVID  J 221 

ELY,  HENRY  G. ..   221 

ELY,  SMITH 222 

ENGLIS,  JOHN 223 

ENO,  AMOS  R. 225 

ESTEVEZ,  RAMON  M 225 

EVERARD,  JAMES 226 

F. 

FABER,  EBERHARD 227 

FABER,  JOHN  EBERHARD.  . . .  227 

FABBRI,  EGISTO  P 227 

FABBRI,  ERNESTO  G  228 

FAHYS,  JOSEPH 228 

FAILE,  EDWARD  G 229 

FAILE,  THOMAS  H 229 

FAIRCHILD,  BENJAMIN  L  . . .  230 

FAIRCHILD,  CHARLES  S 230 

FALK,  ARNOLD 230 

FALK,  GUSTAV 231 

PARISH,  JOHN  T 231 

FARREL,  FRANKLIN 231 

FARWELL,  WILLIAM  D 232 

FAY,  SIGOURNEY  W 233 

FAYE,  THOMAS 233 

FAYERWEATHER,  DANIEL  B  234 

FEARING,  CHARLES  N 234 


ii. 


PACE 

FECHEIMER,  MARTIN  S 235 

FELLOWES,  WILLIAM 235 

FIELD,    BENJAMIN  H 235 

FIELD,    CYRUS  W 236 

FIELD,    HICKSON  W 237 

FISCHER.    BENEDICKT 237 

FISCHER     CHARLES  S 238 

FISH,    HAMILTON 238 

FISH,    NICHOLAS 238 

FISH,    STUYVESANT 239 

FISHER,    ROBERT  C 239 

FITCH,   BENJAMIN 240 

FLAGLER,    HENRY  M 240 

FLEISCHMANN,    MAXIMILIAN.  241 

FLEITMANN,    EWALD 241 

FLINT,   BENJAMIN 241 

FLINT,   CHARLES   R 242 

FLINT,  WALLACE  B 245 

FLOWER,   ROSWELL  P 245 

FOGG,   WILLIAM    H , . . .  246 

FOLSDM,    GEORGE 246 

FORD.  JOHN   R 247 

FORREST,   GEORGE  J 248 

FOSDICK,   CHARLES  B 248 

FREEMAN,    FRANCIS  P 249 

FRIEDMAN,  LEONARD 249 

FULLER,  DUDLEY  B 249 

FULLER,  GEORGE  W 250 

PUNCH,  CHRISTIAN  F 250 

FURNISS,  WILLIAM  P 250 


G. 

GABLER,  ERNEST 251 

GALE,  THOMAS  W 251 

GALLATIN,   ALBERT  R 251 

GALLATIN,  JAMES 251 

GALLAWAY,  ROBERT  M 252 

GARNER,  THOMAS 252 

GARNER,  WILLIAM  T 252 

GARRISON,  CORNELIUS  K... .  252 

GATES,  EPHRAIM  C 253 

GERARD,  JAMES  W 254 

GERRY,   ELBRIDGE  T 254 

GIBB.  JOHN 255 

GILBERT,  GEORGE  Y 257 

GILSEY,  PETER 258 

GINNELL,    HENRY 258 

GOBLET,  PETER 259 

GOELET,    ROBERT 261 

GOOD,  JOHN 261 

GOOD,   BRENT 263 

GORDON,  GEORGE? 264 

GOSSLER,  GUSTAV  H 264 

GOULD,   JAY 265 

GOULD,  JOHN  P 271 

GRACE,  WILLIAM  R 272 

GRAHAM,  JOHN  L 275 

GRAVES.  ROBERT 275 

GRAVES,    RUFUS  R 276 

GRAY.  JOHN  A.  C 276 

GREEN,  EDWARD  H.  R 277 

GREEN,  MRS.   HETTY  H.  R.  277 

GREEN,  JOHN  C 279 

GREEN,  NORVIN 280 

GREENOUGH,  JOHN 281 

GRIXNELL,  MOSES  H 282 


PACE 

GUGGENHEIMER,     RANDOLPH  262 

GUNTHER,  CHARLES  G 283 

GUNTHER,  ERNEST  R 283 

H. 

HADDEN,  WILLIAM  A 286 

HAGEMEYER,  GEORGE 286 

HAGGIN,  JAMES  B ...  288 

HAIGHT,  DAVID  H 288 

HAIGHT.  EDWARD ,.  288 

HALL,  JOHN  H '.  289 

HALL,  WILLIAM  H 289 

HALLGARTEN.  ADOLPH 289 

HALLGARTEN.  JULIUS 290 

HALSEY,  JOHN 290 

HAMERSLEY  FAMILY 290 

HAMERSLEY,  JAMES  HOOKER  290 

HAMILTON,  ALEXANDER 295 

HAMILTON,  JOHN  C 295 

HARD,  ANSON  W.  SR 269 

HARGOUS,  Louis  S 296 

HARKNESS,  CHARLES  W 297 

HARPER,  JOSEPH  H 297 

HARRIMAN,  EDWARD 297 

HARRIS,  WILLIAM  H 297 

HAVEMEYER,   FREDERICK  C.  298 

HAVEMEYER,    HECTOR  C....  302 

HAVEMEYER,  HENRY  0 299 

HAVEMEYER,  THEODORE  A..  298 

HAVEMEYER,   WILLIAM  F...  299 

HAVENS,  CHARLES  G 303 

HAWK,  WILLIAM  S 303 

HAWLEY,  HENRY  E 306 

HEALY,  AARON 306 

HECKER.  JOHN  V 306 

HEGEMAN,  WILLIAM 307 

HEIDELBACH,  ALFREDS 307 

HEILNER,  GEORGE  C 308 

HEILNER,  MARCUS  G 308 

HENDERSON,  PETER 308 

HENDRICKS,  JOSHUA 309 

HENTZ,   HENRY...". 309 

HERRING,  SILAS  C 309 

HERRMANN,   HENRY 310 

HESS,  SELMAR 310 

HEWITT,  ABRAM  S 311 

HIGGINS,  ALVIN 312 

HIGGINS,  ANDREW  F 312 

HIGGINS,  ELI  AS  S 313 

HILL,  EDWARD   313 

HITCHCOCK,  THOMAS 313 

HITCHCOCK,  WELCOME  G. ..  314 

HOADLEY,  RUSSELL  H 314 

HOAGLAND,  CORNELIUS  N..  314 

HOAGLAND,  JOSEPH  C 317 

HOE,  ROBERT 317 

HOFFMAN,  SAMUEL  V 318 

HOGAN,  TIMOTHY 319 

HOLMES,  DANIEL  H 319 

HOPKINS,  ROBERT  E 320 

HORNTHAL,   LEWIS  M 321 

HORTON,  JAMES  M 321 

HOUGHTALING,  DAVID  H. .  .  322 

HOYT,  COLGATE 322 

HOYT,  EDWIN 323 

HOYT,  GEORGE  A 323 


PAGE 

HOYT,  HENRY  S 324 

HOYT,  JESSE 324 

HOYT,  JOSEPH  B 325 

HOYT,  MARK .  325 

HOYT,  OLIVER 327 

HUBBELL,  HENRY  W 327 

HUDSON,  CHARLES  1 329 

HULBERT.  HENRY  C 331 

HUMPHREYS,  FREDERICK...  334 

HUMPHREYS,  SOLON 336 

HUNT,  NOAH  S 336 

HUNT,  WILSON  G 337 

HUNTINGTON,  COLLIS    P....    337 

HURLBUT,  HENRY  A 339 

HUSTED,  SEYMOUR  L 342 

HUSTED,  WILLIAM  H 344 


I. 

ICKELHEIMER,    ISAAC 34$ 

INMAN,  JOHN  H 345 

ISELIN,  ADRIAN 346 

IVES,  BRAYTON 346 

IVISON,  DAVID  B 347 


J- 

JACKSON,  JOHN  C 348 

JACKSON,  THEODORE  F 348 

JAFFRAY,  EDWARD  S 348 

JAMES,  DANIEL 349 

JAMES,  FREDERICK  P 349 

JAMESON,  JOSEPH  A 349 

JAY,  JOHN 350 

JENNINGS,  OLIVER  B 350 

JESUP,  MORRIS  K 351 

JEWETT,  HUGH  J 352 

JOHNSTON,  CHARLES 354 

JOHNSTON,  JOHN 354 

JOHNSTON,  JOHN  TAYLOR.  ..  354 
JOHNSTON,  WILLIAM  McE..  355 

JONES,  DAVID 355 

JONES,  EUGENE 355 

JONES,  GEORGE 356 

JONES,  JOHN  Q 356 

JONES,  JOSHUA 357 

JOURNEAY,  HENRY  T 357 


K. 

KALBFLEISCH,  MARTIN 358 

KEENE,  JAMES  R 358 

KEEP,  HENRY 361 

KELLOGG,  CHARLES. 361 

KELLOGG,  EDWARD  H 361 

KELLY,   EUGENE 362 

KEMP,  GEORGE 364 

KENDALL,  ISAAC  C 364 

KENDALL,  WILLIAM  B 365 

KENNEDY,  HARVEY 365 

KENNEDY,  JOHN  P 366 

KENT,  HENRY  A 367 

KETELTAS,  EUGENE 367 

KILMER,  CHAUNCEY 367 

KING,  ARCHIBALD  G 369 


iii. 


PAGE 

KINGSLAND,  GEORGE  L  . . . .  370 

KINNEY,  FRANCIS  S 371 

KISSEL,  GUSTAV  E 372 

KISSEL,  GUSTAV  H 371 

KNAPP,  SHEPHERD 372 

KNAPP,  SHEPPARD 373 

KNOWLTON.  EDWIN  F 373 

KUEHNE,  FREDERICK 375 


L. 

LADEW,  EDWARD  R 378 

LADEW,  HARVEY  S 378 

LADEW,  JOSEPH    H 378 

LAKE,  GEORGE  G 379 

LAMBERT,  CATHOLINA 379 

LANDON,  CHARLES  G 379 

LANGDON,  WOODBURY 380 

LANIER,  CHARLES 381 

LANIER,  JAMES  F.  D 380 

LAPHAM,  HENRY  G 381 

LASAK,  FRANCIS  W 383 

LAW,  GEORGE 383 

LAWRENCE,  JOHN  W 384 

LAWRENCE,  WILLIAM  B 384 

LAWRENCE,  WILLIAM  E  . . . .  385 

LEARY,  JAMES  D 385 

LEE,  WILLIAM  F 388 

LEE,  WILLIAM  H    389 

LEGGETT,  ABRAHAM 389 

LEGGETT,  FRANCIS  H 389 

LEHMAN,  EMANUEL 390 

LEHMAN,  MAYER 392 

LENOX,  JAMES 392 

LIBBEY,  WILLIAM 394 

LlCHTENSTEIN,  BENJAMIN.  .  .  397 

LINTON,  EDWARD  F 397 

LITTLE,  JOSEPH  J 398 

LIVINGSTON,  ANSON 398 

LIVINGSTON,  ROBERT  E....  399 

LOESER,  FREDERICK 399 

LOEW,  EDWARD  V 400 

LOOMIS,  ALFRED  L.,  M.D..  402 

LORD,  DANIEL 403 

LORD,  SAMUEI 403 

LORD,  THOMAS 403 

LORILLARD,  PETER 404 

LOUNSBURY,  PHINEAS  C....  404 

Low,  ABIEL  A 406 

Low,  JOSEPH  T 406 

LOWREY,  JOSEPH  S 407 

LUMMIS,  WILLIAM  ........  407 

LYMAN,  EDWARD  H.  R. . . .     408 

LYON,  WILLIAM  H 409 


M. 

MCALPIN,  DAVID  H 412 

MCALPIN,  GEN.  EDWIN  A..  415 

MCCONVILLE,  JOHN 417 

McCosKRY,  ROBERT 417 

MCCREADY,  NATHANIEL  L'H  418 
McCuRDY,  ROBERT  II 418 


PAGE 

McGHEE,  CHARLES  McC 418 

McGiLL,  GEORGE  W 419 

MCHARG,  HENRY  K 420 

MclNTYRE,  THOMAS  A. .    ..  420 

McKiE,  THOMAS. 420 

McLoucHLiN,  JOHN 421 

MACKAY,  JOHN  W 421 

MACLAY,  ROBERT 424 

MACY,  JOSIAH 425 

MACY,  WILLIAM  H 425 

MAGOUN,  GEORGE  C 425 

MAIRS,  JOHN  D 426 

MAIRS,  WILLIAM  H 426 

MAITLAND,  THOMAS 426 

MALLORY,  CHARLES  H 426 

MARQUAND,  FREDERICK          427 
MARSHALL,  CHARLES  H...     427 

MARTIN,  JOHN  T 428 

MASURY,  JOHN  W 428 

MATTHEWS,  JOHN 431 

MAXWELL,  EUGENE  L 432 

MAXWELL,  HENRY  W 432 

MEAD,  EDWIN  H 432 

MEAD,  FREDERICK 433 

MEAD,  RALPH 435 

MERRITT,  ISRAEL  J 437 

MEYER,  CHRISTOPHER 438 

M  ILLIKEN,  SETH  M 439 

MILLS,  DARIUS  0 440 

MILMINE,  GEORGE 444 

MINTURN,  ROBERT  B 444 

MOORE,  JOHN  G 445 

MOORE,  JOHN  P 447 

MORGAN,  CHARLES 448 

MORGAN,  DAVID  P 449 

MORGAN,  EDWIN  D 449 

MORGAN,  GEORGE  D 450 

MORGAN,  HENRY  T 451 

MORGAN,  HOMER 451 

MORGAN,  TUNIUS  S 451 

MORGAN,  J.  PIERPONT 452 

MOROSINI,  GIOVANNI  P 452 

MORRIS,  JOHN  A 455 

MORTIMER,  RICHARD 456 

MORTON,  LEVI  P 456 

MOTT,  HOPPER  S 462 

MOTT.  JORDAN  L 465 

MOTT,  JORDAN  L.,  JR 468 

MOTT,  VALENTINE.  M.  D...  469 

MUNN,  WILLIAM  H 469 

MUNN,  WILLIAM  H.,  M.D.     470 

MUNOZ,  JOSE  M 470 

MUNRO,  NORMAN  L 470 

MURCHISON,  KENNETH  M..  471 
MYERS,  THEODORE  W 471 


N. 

NATHAN,  BENJAMIN 473 

NAUMBURG.  ELKAN 473 

NEWBORG,  DAVID  L 473 

NEWCOMB,  H.  VICTOR 474 

NORRIE,  ADAM 477 

NORTON,   ECKSTEIN  . .       . .  477 

NORTON,  JOHN 478 

NOYES,  JULIUS  M 478 


O 


PAGE 


OAKES,  THOMAS  F 479 

O'BRIEN,  JOHN   479 

O'BRIEN,  WILLIAM 480 

O'DAY,  DANIEL 480 

O'DoNOHUE,  JOSEPH  J 480 

OELRICHS,  HERMANN 484 

OGDEN,  WILLIAM  B 484 

OLCOTT,  FREDERIC  P 485 

O'NEILL,  HUGH 485 

OPDYKE,  GEORGE 486 

ORR,  ALEXANDER  E 487 

OSBORN.  CHARLES  J 487 

OSGOOD,  GEORGE  A....  488 

OTIS,  NORTON  P 488 

OTTENDORFER,  OSWALD 489 

OWEN,  THOMAS 492 

OWEN,  THOMAS  J .  493 


PALMER,  COURTLANDT 493 

PALMER,  COURTLANDT,  JR..  493 

PARISH,  HENRY 494 

PARK,  JOSEPH 494 

PARK,  TRENOR  W 494 

PARKER,  JAMES  H.,  M.D...  495 

PARMLY,  ELEAZER 495 

PARSONS,  WILLIAM  H 496 

PEARSALL,  DENTON 497 

PEASE,  GEORGE  L 497 

PEMBROOK,  WILLIAM  A....  498 

PETTIT,  FOSTER 500 

PHELPS,  ISAAC  N   501 

PHELPS,  ROYAL 503 

PICKHARDT,  WILLIAM 504 

PIERREPONT,  HENRY  E 504 

PITCHER,  JAMES  R 505 

PLANT,  HENRY  B 506 

PLATT,  JOHN  R 508 

PLATT,  SAMUEL  R 509 

POLHEMUS,  HENRY  D 509 

POOR,  EDWARD  E 510 

POOR,  HENRY  W 511 

PORTER,  HORACE 515 

POTTER,  CLARKSON  N 515 

POTTER,  ORLANDO  B 516 

POTTIER,  AORIEN    A $21 

POTTS,  FREDERIC  A 521 

POUCH,  ALFRED  J 521 

PRATT,  CHARLES  522 

PRATT,  CHARLES  M 523 

PRATT,  DALLAS  B 523 

PRATT,  JULIUS  H 523 

PRENTICE.   FREDERIC 524 

PRIME,  EDWARD 527 

PRIME.  RUFUS 527 

PULITZER,  JOSEPH 527 

PYNE,   PERCY  R 528 


Q- 

QUEREAU,  ABRAM 529 

QUINCY.  JOHN  W 529 

QUINTARD,  GEORGE  W 529 


PAGE 


R. 


RADWAY,  JOHN  S.,  M.D...  533 

RAYMOND,  JAMES  1 533 

READ,  WILLIAM  G 534 

RECKENDORFER,  JOSEPH.  ..  534 

REINHART,  JOSEPH  W 534 

REMSEN,  WILLIAM 535 

REXWICK,  JAMES 536 

RENWICK,   WILLIAM  R 537 

RHISELANDER,    WILLIAM...  537 

RICHARDSON,   ENOS 538 

RICHARDSON,   JOSEPH 538 

RIDLEV,  EDWARD j .  540 

RIKER.  DANIEL  S 541 

RIVES,  FRANCIS  R 541 

ROACH,  JOHN 541 

ROBBINS,  ELI 544 

ROBERTS,   MARSHALL  O...     545 

ROBERTSON,  JOSEPH  L 546 

ROBINSON,  JEREMIAH  P 548 

ROCKEFELLER,  JOHN  D 549 

ROCKEFELLER,  WILLIAM.  ..     550 
ROOSEVELT,  CORNELIUS  V.  S  551 

ROOSEVELT,  JAMES  A 552 

ROOSEVELT,  JAMES  1 552 

ROOSEVELT,  ROBERT  B 553 

ROOSEVELT,  THEODORE 554 

ROPES,  REUBEN  W 555 

ROPES,   RIPLEY 555 

ROSENBAUM,  ALBERTS...   .  556 

ROTHSCHILD,  JACOB 556 

ROTHSCHILD,  VICTOR  H 557 

RUSZITS,  JOHN 560 

RUTTER,  THOMAS 560 

RYAN,  THOMAS  F 561 

S. 

SAGE,  RUSSELL 563 

SALISBURY,  JAMES  H.,  M.D.  570 

SANDS,  HENRY  B.,  M.D 570 

SANDS.  SAMUEL  S 571 

SANFORD,  EDWARDS  S 571 

SARGENT,  GEORGE  H 572 

SCHAEFER.  EDWARD  C 574 

SCHELL,  AUGUSTUS 574 

SCHIEFKELIN,  WILLIAM  H.  .  .  575 

SCHIEREN,  CHARLES  A 576 

SCHIFF,  JACOB  H 576 

SCHLEY,  GRANT  B 577 

SCHOALS,  FRANCIS  P 577 

SCHOLLE,  ABRAHAM 579 

SCHROEDER,  FREDERICK  A.  .  579 

SCHULTZ,  JACKSON  S 580 

SCHWAB,  GUSTAV 581 

SCOTT,  ALFRED  B 581 

SCRIBNER,  CHARLES 582 

SEABURY,  GEORGE  J 582 

SEAMANS.  CLARENCE  W 584 

SEIDENBERG,  JOSEPH 584 

SELIGMAN,  JAMES ,.  586 

SELIGMAN,  JESSE. 586 

SELIGMAN,  JOSEPH 587 

SHELDON,  ISRAEL 587 

SHELDON,  JAMES  0 588 

SHEPARD,  ELLIOTT  F 590 


PAGE 

SHEPARD,  FREDERICK  M —  591 

SHEPARD.  SIDNEY 592 

SHERMAN,  ISAAC 594 

SHERMAN,  WATTS 594 

SHERWOOD,  JOHN  H 594 

SHOEMAKER,  HENRY  F 595 

SHOENBERGER,  JOHN  H 597 

SICKLES.  GEORGE  G 598 

SILLIMAN,  BENJAMIN  D 598 

SIMMONS,  J.  EDWARD 599 

SIMPSON,  WILLIAM 600 

SINCLAIR,  JOHN 601 

SKIDMORE,  WILLIAM  I 601 

SLAVEN,  HENRY  B 602 

SLOANE,  WILLIAM 605 

SLOCUM,  HENRY  W 605 

SMITH,  ADON 606 

SMITH,  CHARLES  STEWART..  606 

SMITH,  FRANCIS  S 608 

SPAULDING,  HENRY  F 609 

SPICER,   ELIHU 610 

SPOFFORD,  PAUL 610 

SPRAGUE,  COL.  NATHAN  T. .  611 

STARIN,  JOHN  H 611 

STEINWAY,  WILLIAM 612 

STEVENS,  PARAN 618 

STEVENSON.  DAVID 618 

STEWART,  ALEXANDER  T —  618 

STEWART,  JOHN  A 620 

STILLMAN,  JAMES 620 

STOCKLY,  GEORGE  W 621 

STOKES,  JAMES 621 

STOKES,  WILLIAM  E.  D 622 

STORRS,  AUGUSTUS 622 

STORRS,  CHARLES 623 

STORY,  RUFUS 623 

STOUT,  ANDREW  V 624 

STOUT,  JOSEPH  S 624 

STRANAHAN,  JAMES  S.  T. . . .  625 

STRANGE,  WILLIAM 628 

STRAUS,  I  si  DOR 629 

STRAUS,  LAZARUS 630 

STRAUS,  NATHAN 630 

STREET,  WILLIAM  A 631 

STRONG.  WILLIAM  L 632 

STUART,  JOSEPH 632 

STUART,  ROBERT  L 632 

STUDWELL.  JOHN  J 633 

STURGES,  FREDERICK 634 

STURGES,  JONATHAN 634 

SULLY,  ALFRED 635 

SYMS,  WILLIAM  J 638 


T. 

TAILER,  EDWARD  N 639 

TALCOTT,  FREDERICK  L....  641 

TALCOTT,  JAMES 641 

TAYLOR,  J.  MONROE 641 

TAYLOR,  MOSES 642 

TENNEY,  CHARLES  H 643 

TERRY,  JOHN  T 645 

TEWKSBURY,  LEWIS  G 647 

THEBAUD,  EDWARD  V 647 

THOMAS,  SAMUEL 648 

THOMPSON,  WILLIAM  P...     650 
THORNK,  JONATHAN 654 


PAGE 

THORNE,  JONATHAN,  JR 654 

THORNE,  SAMUEL 655 

TIEMANN,  DANIEL  F 655 

TIFFANY,  CHARLES  L 656 

TILDEN,  SAMUEL  J 658 

TILDEN,  WILLIAM 659 

TILESTON,  THOMAS 659 

TILFORD,  FRANK 660 

TILFORD,  WESLEY  H 661 

TINGUE,  WILLIAM  J 662 

TINKER,  CHARLES  A 663 

TORRANCE,  DANIEL 663 

TOUSEY,  SINCLAIR 663 

TOWNE,  HENRY  R 664 

TOWNSEXD,  SAMUEL  T...    .  664 

TRAVERS,  WILLIAM  R 665 

TREVOR.  JOHN  B 665 

TWEEDY,  THOMAS  E 666 


U. 
URQUHART,  EDMOND 667 


V. 

VAIL,  HENRY  H 671 

VAIL,  THEODORE  N 671 

VAN  BUREN,  JOHN  D 674 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS 675 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS...  684 
VANDERBILT,  WILLIAM  H.. .  680 

VAN  NEST,  ABRAHAM  R 686 

VAN  NORDEN,  WARNER.  ..   .  686 

VAN  RENSSELAER,  C.  S 688 

VAN  TINE,  ASHLEY  A 689 

VAN  VOLKENBURG.  PHILIP.  .    69! 

VERMEULE,  JOHN  D 691 

VERMILYE,  JACOB  D 692 

VERMILYE,  WASHINGTON  R.  693 

W. 

WALKER,  JOHN  BRISBEN 694 

WALLACH,  ANTHONY 694 

WARD,  JAMES  E 696 

WARDWELL.  WILLIAM  T.. .  697 

WARNER,  DR.  LUCIEN  C 698 

WATERBURY,  JAMES  M 700 

WATSON,  JOHN 701 

WATSON,  WILLIAM 702 

WEBB.  H.  WALTER 702 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  H 703 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  SEWARD..  709 

WEED,  THURLOW 710 

WENDELL.  JACOB 711 

WENTZ,  JAMES  M 713 

WEST,  GEORGE 714 

WETHERBEE,  GARDNER 719 

WETMORE,  APOLLOS  R 721 

WETMORE,  ROBERT  C 721 

WHEELER,  JEROME  B   -722 

WHEELOCK,  WILLIAM  A 724 

WHITE,  ALBERT  T 726 

WHITE,  STEPHEN  VAN  C. ..  727 

WHITLOCK,  WILLIAM 727 


WILLETS,  SAMUEL 

WILLIAMS,  GEORGE  G 

WINSLOW,  EDWARD 

WINSLOW,  JAMES 

WINSTON,  FREDERICKS.... 
WINTHROP,  BENJAMIN  R. . . 

WlTHERBEE,    SlLAS    H 

WITHERS,  DAVID  D 

WOERISHOFFER,  CHARLES  F. 
WOLFE,  JOHN 


PAGE  PAGE 

728  WOLFE,  JOHN  D 736 

729  WOOD,  BENJAMIN 737 

730  WOOD,  SAMUEL 740 

730         WOOD,  WILLIAM 740 

730  WOODHOUSE,  LORENZO  G..   741 

731  WORK,  FRANK 743 

731          WORK,  JOHN  C 743 

733  WRIGHT,  EBENEZER  K 744 

734  WRIGHT,  J.  HOOD 746 

736         WYCKOFF,  WILLIAM  0 746 


Y. 


PAGE 


YOUNG,  JOHN  S 748 

YZNAGA,  ANTONIO  D.  V 748 

Z. 

ZABRISKIE,  ANDREW  C 749 

ZABRISKIE,  CORNELIUS 751 

ZEREGA,  AUGUSTUS 752 

ZIEGLER,  WILLIAM 753 


vi. 


INDEX  TO   PORTRAITS. 


PAGE 

ANDREWS,  WALLACE  C 20 

ASTOR,  JOHN  JACOB,  4th 40 

ASTOR,  WILLIAM 38 

AVER,  FREDERICK  F 43 

BABCOCK,  GEORGK  H 47 

BARBER,  AMZI  L '  57 

BARRON,  DR.  JOHN  C 63 

BECHTEL,  GEORGE 69 

BEKKMAN,  HENRY  R 73 

BELDING,  MILO  M 76 

BELKNAP,  ROBERT  L 78 

BENEDICT,  HENRY  H 81 

BLISS,  CORNELIUS  N 90 

BORDEN,  M.  C.  D too 

BRICE,  CALVIN  S 109 

BROKAW,  ISAAC  V no 

BROWNING,  JOHN  H 116 

BUCHANAN,  WILLIAM 120 

BURNHAM,  THOMAS  B 124 

CHFSEBOROUGH,  ROBERT  A.  138 
CONNOR,  WASHINGTON  E. ..  148 

CRIMMINS,  JOHN  D 159 

DARLING,  ALFRED  B 169 

DE  LA  MAR,  JOSEPH  R 176 

DEPEW,  CHACNCEY  M 183 

DEPEYSTER,  ABRAHAM 185 

DEPEYSTER,  FREDERIC 185 

DEPEYSTER,  GEN.  J.  WATTS.  185 

DEVOE,  FREDERICK  W 189 

DOLGE,  ALFRED 196 

Dows,  DAVID 201 

DUN,  ROBERT  G 206 

ELKINS,  STEPHEN  B 216 

ENGLIS,  JOHN -. ...  223 

FARREL,  FRANKLIN 231 

FLINT,  CHARLES  R 243 

GIBB,  JOHN 256 

GOOD,  JOHN 260 

GOULD.  JAY 265 

GRACE  WILLIAM  R 273 

GREEN.  EDWARD  H.  R 278 

GUNTHER,  ERNEST  R 284 

HAGEMEYER,  GEORGE 287 

HAMERSLEY,  JAMES  HOOKER  2^3 


PAGE 

HAWK,  WILLIAM  S 304 

HOAGLAND,  CORNELIUS  N..  315 

HOE,  ROBERT 317 

HOY r,  COL.  MARK 325 

HUDSON,  CHARLES  1 330 

HULBERT,  HENRY  C 331 

HUNTIXGTON,  COLLIS  P 337 

HURLBUT,  HENRY  A 340 

HUSTED,  SEYMOUR  L. 343 

JEWETT,  HUGH  J 353 

KEENE,  JAMES  R 359 

KF.LLY,  EUGENE 363 

KILMER,   CHAUNCEY 368 

KNOWLTON.  EDWIN  F 374 

KUEHNE,  FREDERICK 376 

LAPHAM,  HENRY  G 381 

LEARY,  JAMES  D 386 

LEHMAN,  EMANUEL 391 

LEHMAN,  MAYER 393 

LOEW,  EDWARD  V 401 

LYON,  WILLIAM  H 409 

MCALPIN,  DAVID  H 413 

MCALPIN,  GEN.  EDWIN  A. .  416 

MACKAY,  JOHN  W 422 

MASURY,  JOHN  W 429 

MEAD,  FREDERICK 434 

MILIKEN,  SETH  M 439 

MILLS,  DARIUS  0 441 

MOORE,  JOHN  G 446 

MOKOSIM,  GIOVANNI  P 453 

MORTON,  LEVI  P 457 

MOTT,  HOPPER  S 463 

MOTT,  JORDAN  L  465 

NEWCOMB,  H.  VICTOR 475 

O'DONOHUE.  JOSEPH  J 481 

OTTENDORFER,  OSWALD.  . . .  490 

PEMBROOK,  WILLIAM  A. 499 

PHELPS,  ISAAC  N 502 

POOR,  HENRY  W 512 

POTTER,  ORLANDO  B 517 

PRENTICE,  FREDERIC 525 

QUINTARD,  GEORGE  W.   . . .  530 

REINHART,  J.  W 535 

RICHARDSON    JOSEPH 539 


PACE 

ROACH,  JOHN 541 

ROBERTSON,  JOSEPH  L 547 

ROTHSCHILD,  VICTOR  H....  558 

RYAN,  THOMAS  F 561 

SAGE,  RUSSELL 564 

SARGENT,  GEORGE  H 573 

SCHLEY,  GRANT  B 578 

SEABURY,  GEORGE  J 583 

SHELDON,  JAMES  0 589 

SHEPARD,  SIDNEY 593 

SHOEMAKER,  HENRY  F 596 

SLAVEN,  HENRY  B. .    603 

SMITH,  CHARLES  STEWART.  .  607 

STEINWAY,  WILLIAM 613 

STRANAHAN,  J.  S.  T 625 

SULLY,  ALFRED 636 

TAILER,  EDWARD  N 640 

TENNEY,  CHARLES  H 644 

TERRY,  JOHN  T 646 

THOMPSON,  COL.  WM.  P 651 

TIFFANY,  CHARLES  L 657 

TILFORD,  FRANK 661 

URQUHART,  EDMOND 668 

VAIL.  THEODORE  N  672 

VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS....  675 
VANDERBILT,  WILLIAM  H...  681 
VANDERBILT,  CORNELIUS —  685 

VAN  NORDEN,  WARNER 687 

VAN  TINE,  ASHLEY  A 690 

VERMEULE,  JOHN  D 692 

WALLACH,  ANTHONY 695 

WARNER,  LUCIEN  C 6g3 

WATTS,  JOHN 185 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  H 704 

WEBB,  WILLIAM  SEWARD.  . .  709 

WENDELL,  JACOB 712 

WEST,  GEORGE 715 

WETHERBEE,  GARDNE* 721 

WHEFLER,  JEROME  B 723 

WlTHERBEE,    SlLAS    H 732 

WOOD,  BENJAMIN 738 

WOODHOUSE,   LORENZO  G..  742 

WRIGHT,  EBENEZER  K 745 

ZABRISKIE    ANDREW  C 750 


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